The Right Answer To The Wrong Question

The Right Answer To The Wrong Question
Date of Scene:	22 March 2013
Location:	Mullonde
Synopsis:	Gidarch Valos and Cressida deliver supplies to Morrighan's estate. Scheming to have himself deliberately booted from her home, a moment of weakness causes Valos' plans to require improvisation. In spite of this, Morrighan is absolved of any misconduct when Gidarch confesses to his consummation of sabotage, and Cressida chaperones him to the Glabados officials for justice; all the while, neither Cressida or Morrighan can ascertain the method to his madness.
Cast of Characters:	Morrighan Alazne, Count Valos, Cressida

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Count Valos has posed:
Count Valos had returned from Flourgis not long ago, only to discover that one of his colleagues had been felled in combat by a sinister gargoyle, and to be more specific, this was someone with whom Gidarch had been acquainted on a personal basis, for he'd actually divulged private information about himself to her that was normally reserved for.... well.... nobody. Needless to say, because the grey drow was partial towards her, he felt compelled to bring her some supplies as a 'friend' would do, even if, upon arrival, Gidarch would likely assert the case to be contrary.

Having only two hands meant that he needed a little bit of help transporting all the necessary amenities to Morrighan, in defiance of whatever vigor his body governed, and so enlisted to help with this chore was another church-goer who Valos happened to meet in a brief passing, who showed true virtue in her willingness to help an ally of Glabados! The Count also paid her, too, but perhaps that's beside the point- perhaps she would've charged someone more if they weren't a member of the congregation, though it'd be hard to imagine anyone in the capital city of Glabados would have anybody that wasn't a church-goer! Whatever the case, Gidarch and Cressida were in front of Morrighan's humble abode, and Gidarch nodded in affirmation that they'd reached their destination, "This is the house of Miss Alazne.... A bit lavish compared to what most of us dwell in, but I wager she has many needs because of her extensive.... mystical experiments....."

After this statement, he raises a brow, as if not even sure that her need for lots of space for magical endeavors is the real excuse for why Morrighan needs such expanse- but mayhap he's hoping to shed a charitable interpretation on her reasonings for living in the quarters that she's procured for herself. Gidarch turns to Cressida, with several bags in his arms, "I will knock on the door, and if she allows us access, we'll need to place these articles into the storage units she has prepared for them, which means we may be doing a bit of scurrying."

Count Valos has posed:
....And since his hands are full, Valos lifts a small stone from the ground and yields a percussion against the door, to notify Morrighan that someone is here to see her!

Cressida has posed:
Cressida had only become recently acquainted with Count Valos through professional channels. Generally she tends to keep to herself, not having many personal friends. However, being a relatively new member of the church, she was keen to help out whenever she could.

The recent exploits of a certain gargoyle whom had apparently attacked the church and attempted to steal some valuable artifact had reached her ears, although the young Dragoon Knight had arrived upon the scene a moment too late, only to hear about the aftermath after the fact.

Now, she's apparently running..Errands of some sort, which she finds rather odd - Count Valos must be somewhat fond of this individual to go to such trouble. But she does not question his intentions, instead storing this away for future thought. For now, she quietly, patiently waits by Valos' side, her hands full of various bags full of assorted supplies.

She also notes the lavishness of the house and smirks quietly. "So I see.." Is all she says, again keeping most of her personal thoughts to herself. Once Valos knocks on the door, she merely waits, not being a terribly talkative sort it seems.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
Morrighan, instead of going to the hospital to be treated, elected to go back to her own home and hole up within. Treating her own injuries, it did not take much time at all before the worst of it was gone. Any bones that were broken or strained had been soothed and whatever internal bleeding there was had been promptly dealt with.

All that remained now were minor aches and pains. Still troublesome for the dark elf, but at the very least, she could move about her home and rest at her leisure instead of remain confined to a bed. And it was on this day that the healer decided to forego any sort of magic experiments or church business. Dressed in a simple white dress, she sat on her couch in the living area, her trademark fancy dress held in her lap alonf with various threads and needles.

She was mending her own clothes. So she did possess such skills.

But the sound of knocking at her door caused Morrighan to cease her work and glance towards it. "...Who dares to bother me?" She growled under her breath, willing one of her magecraft orbs situated outside to come to life, floating into the air from the roof to peer down below. The sight transmitted to her caused a frown to appear on her face. Valos and some woman she did not know. "Wonderful."

For a moment, Morrighan considered ignoring them, but...well, despite her bad mood, she was still curious. So putting her threadwork aside, the white-haired elf made her way to the front door, opening it just a tad to peek through the crack.

"What do you want?"

Count Valos has posed:
Finding Cressida to be much less insufferable than other he'd recruited in the past to aid in him various pursuits, Gidarch was fond of the fact that this woman helping him wasn't a chatterbox. No, he didn't necessarily disdain those who felt inclined to talk, to a great extent, but if given the preference, silence was considered by he to be golden- and little does Gidarch know, that some cinemas which were operated in Manhattan would present this very same sentiment before the start of various movies.... so apparently he's not alone in this respect, although in every other one, the grey elf may indeed be completely disconnected from others. With Cressida being much more tolerable than most sorts, internally, the nobleman gave merit to future contracts such as this, assuming that they remained on decent terms!

The question was.... was Gidarch on decent terms with Morrighan? Her response to his presence seemed a little on the sour side, but all the same, undaunted, Count Valos was here for her, if she'd have him, "I have brought some supplies that I estimated on being useful to you, because I heard your condition was not optimal. I don't know how well you've been able to get the things you need, but as I have a rudimentary comprehension of the divine arts, I gambled on a few investments...."

He doesn't actually ask her if he can come in or not, because, despite how well-intentioned he is, making requests of her would be an imposition; the fact is, he's enamored with her to the point that he'd've been willing to purchase all of these things with the foreknowledge that she may very well slam the door in his face if he didn't actually apply any pressure for her to accept them from him..... but that's just how he is! Additionally, he also wagers that Morrighan isn't one to pass up free room-service, so having the logical mind that he did, Gidarch calculated that the odds were, she would abdicate some degree of privacy, if for an obscenely brief amount of time, to allow the grey one to cater to her whims. Cressida might find it odd that Gidarch didn't actually inquire whether or not he was allowed to enter her domain, but, she's yet to get to know him, and his unorthodox etiquette lacking self-entitlement.

Cressida has posed:
Cressida arches a brow at the woman's rather cranky disposition, although it can be easily shrugged off as the after-effects of whatever pain she had experienced in her previous battle with the gargoyle she'd heard by word of mouth. Cressida's cool expression does little to betray her inner workings as she sizes the other woman up, but says little in response.

She does offer the shopping bags however. "Lady Morrighan, I presume?" She bows slightly, politely enough but not enough to be snovelling. "I am Templar Knight, Lady Cressida Merune. 'Tis a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

There is still very little she knows about the recent events however, and so she ventures another polite, yet hopefully not too prodding question. "How fare thee, milady?"

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
"......"

Silence reigned as Morrighan opened the door just a tad wider to stare up at her two apparent guests. First up at Valos, and then lower her gaze considerably to observe Cressida, similarly sizing her up with her gaze. "Hmph...Indeed, I am Morrighan." She acceded, nodding slightly to the templar.

"You ask how I fare? ...I am fine. The worst injuries have been fully mended. All I require now is rest." Which you two were not helping with! Having the audacity to show up and interrupt her me time! But at the end of the day, she could not simply turn away free services. So the dark elf eventually opened the door fully, stepping back to allow the two to enter at their leisure.

"I presume you wish to enter. Come along then." She spoke curtly, turning away and running a hand through her hair as she made her way over to the couch where her work lay. Sitting herself down, she took the torn dress back into her lap, beginning to weave and mend again.

"So, do tell me; what brings you here. Surely you are not actually worried now. I believe there are a pair of gargoyles currently being hailed as brave heroes in the face of this incident." Scoffing derisively at that, Morrighan kept her eyes on her work as she spoke. "Should you not be showering them with honors, now?"

Yes, Morrighan was not in a good mood at all. Though that was quite obvious from the moment the door was opened.

Count Valos has posed:
Gidarch doesn't scold Cressida in the least for her charitable greeting, and query as to how Morrighan is doing- it was a customary thing to do. The Count already suspected the she-elf was on the disgruntled end of the spectrum, emotionally, but for him, actions spoke louder than words, which was why he chose to buy, and then ferry all the goods he was carrying to her household. It also seemed appropriate that Cressida introduce herself anyway, since the woman was about to enter Morrighan's home and start shelving things for her..... Obviously, even on the best of days, the female drow wasn't one who liked menial tasks, so on the worst of days, surely, she had no desire to scramble around to put away a bunch of goods foisted onto her by a total stranger.

Fortunately enough, Morrighan granted access to her inner sanctum to both Gidarch and Cressida, so Valos immediately, upon entering, set down several of the bags right inside of the doorway, so that he could pull out a list which only he'd viewed, while remarking, "These are the things we bought. Feel free to read them to yourself so you know what I've obtained on your behalf, so that you can instruct us both as to where to place your newly acquired belongings." Gidarch Valos then handed her said piece of paper which has on it, a listing of most of the items he purchased.

Oddly enough, there's something else inscribed on the bottom of the piece of paper that has naught to do with the articles he recently obtained for her benefit, but he didn't actually /lie/ by saying the piece of paper was -only- a list of what he'd purchased, he merely omitted the fact that it was a list of what he'd bought, while doubling as an instrument for communicating another message besides, covertly. After that, he tried to feign a casual demeanor, which for him was quite trivial, given his ability to bypass emotional inclinations, and commented, "Presumably.... I will tend to them as well, I am, after all.... the patsy of Glabados, as you yourself have seen...." And he's hoping that she'll note that it's to her dismay that he is the church's errand-boy, so as to make it very clear that Morrighan feels Gidarch's 'assistance' so far has been substandard. Why? That's anyone's guess.....

Cressida has posed:
It certainly did strike Cressida as slightly strange that they came all this way, merely to deliver some food and personal effects to Morrighan's house. Was she really that badly injured that she couldn't do it herself within a few days of rest?

Still, she keeps this to herself, eyeing the list as it is passed towards Morrighan, presuming it is merely a list of the items they recently acquired. When she invites them to enter, she nods, "Thank you.." Pause. "Gargoyles, hmm? I do not believe I have ever met such creatures before. And of the one who attacked you, was she apprehended?"

She speaks as she works, placing items on the shelves and cupboards, idly listenning to Valos' speech.'

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
Taking the list from Valos', Morrighan did not initially look at it, in lieu of answering Cressida. "Hmph, there were three of them. The intruder, and then two fighting against her. She very well could have been apprehended if that foolish man simply dealt the last blow, but...he let her go." She seemed really annoyed by this. "Foolishness. Showing mercy just after dealing such heavy damage seconds previously. I've no doubt that it was racial partiality."

That said, she set the thread and needle down, taking up the list to read over the contents. It seemed mostly standard fare. A good amount of it was no particularly necessary, but would be good to have regardless. And just as she reached the bottom, did she come upon additonal...details. "Hmph, patsy of Glabados. I suppose that is one way to put it."

Not missing a beat, Morrighan continued to speak with a rather sour edge to her tone as she read the message. And then after, folded the list up and set it away. With that, she glanced at Cressida and asked. "And what of you? Surely a templar has more important duties to attend to than groceries."

Count Valos has posed:
It was somewhat strange they came to Morrighan's house, specifically, to deliver goods- but not /entirely/ so, since Gidarch had been known to act as an informal courier here and there in the stead of more official ones, because of his great might to haul loads around; this in spite of the fact that his very core nature is that of unadulterated formality. Nevertheless, he looks to Cressida, "There was an altercation a few nights ago, the rumor goes. I am usually assigned to distributing items to those who need assistance, and while Miss Alazne isn't completely crippled, some of the higher ups don't want her to go into relapse; just the same, I'm sure I'll be sent to fetch things for the other victims as well."

Yes, Gidarch had an agenda, but, it might be hard to guess what it was, without knowing him a little bit better. With that, Gidarch proceeds to remove groceries from the bag, as well as items that look to be useful for magical purposes, and places them in different compartments that are undoubtedly ideal for their storage, however, when he goes to lift a glass flask from one of the bags of things he purchased for it, he seems to drop it accidentally, causing it to shatter against the ground. Making an error like this is quite uncharacteristic for him, but the fact that he's now made a mess in Morrighan's living room, even if he didn't actually damage anything she paid for, is bound to draw her ire, and he turns his head up towards the she-drow, remarking, "My.... apologies Miss Alazne, I.... must have allowed myself to drift in my thoughts. I get distracted by pretty things, and this room is filled with them."

True, the female dark elf did have some nice decorations in her overly-embellished home, but Gidarch's words could be construed in a number of ways. Additionally, his attempt to make excuses for his blunder by praising Morrighan's property, or the woman herself, may be seen as a cheap method of trying to curry favor, or grovel, in order to compensate her, which is fairly pitifully transparent, in the view of someone who has any sense. "Pardon my curiosity, but what is the name of the man who gave exemption to the fiend that attacked the church?" He then looks down at the broken bits of glass, and asks a question which for all intents and purposes, should probably be deemed a very stupid question, "Shall I pick this up, Miss Alazne?" As if he expected someone else to do it?!

Cressida has posed:
Cressida pretends not to notice the subtle interaction between the two of them. She may be mistaken, but it seems that Valos seems to have an interest of sorts in the elf-woman. She continues to busy herself with putting away all the items in the shopping bags, listenning intently to Morrighan's explanation, and nodding here and there.

"Hmm, I see..How very curious, showing such mercy.." Silver eyes narrow for a moment, looking away, although her voice remains cool, neutral. "Indeed, it is foolish to show mercy to others who deserve no such mercy. She should have paid for her crime. And what of the artifact? Was it recovered?"

Finally, the attention is turned upon the Valkyrie maiden herself, and Cressida merely shrugs. "I am still relatively new around these parts. Count Valos had offered to show me around and introduce me to various important members of the church. This was just a side thing."

Her eyes do glitter with mild amusement at Morrighan's general attitude, though again she keeps such thoughts to herself.

She glances over at Valos and nods. "Indeed,that as well." The Valkyrie does notice when the count 'accidently' drops the glassware, although her face remains mostly neutral. Neither does she offer to pick it up when Valos beats her to it. Glass. Meh, it's almost as reflective as metal. Best to stay away from it if she can.

When Valos asks for the name of the merciful one, she arches a brow, also eager to know..

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
Though it was a deliberate action, the fact that he had broken something in her personal dwelling still drew the elven woman's ire indeed. "You fool! What are you doing!?" Fuming, Morrighan stood, smoothing out the simple dress she was wearing before shooting a glare over at Valos for his (acted)incompetence.

His excuses following that only caused her to cross her arms in general unamusement. "...You overstep your bounds. Be careful of the words that leave your mouth." Perhaps it was anger that was making her good actor. ...Or maybe she really was just angry. Her mood was already terrible to begin with.

Not wishing to look at him any further for the moment, Morrighan turned her attention to Cressida, taking a deep breath before answering. "I see, so you are new as well." There was no welcoming or otherwise. Just a general acknowledgement of the fact.

"As for your question, the fool in question who allowed the thief to escape was named Percival. As I understand, he is that rat's guest in Mullonde for a time. You should have seen the way the Templars showered him with praise as if he had saved them all, little do they know, he let the culprit go." No she wasn't going to let that go.

"She had stolen several golden goblets. Likely used for ceremonies within the church. She only managed to escape with one however."

Count Valos has posed:
Gidarch waves over to Cressida, "Hey.... why don't you grab me a dust-pan, and broom, if you would be so kind?", showing the first sign of self-entitlement that may have ever been witnessed; this could be perceived as laziness and irresponsibility, for Valos to be placing the burden of part of the cleanup job on Cress, rather than going to get it himself- certainly, such behavior is not to earn much respect from the she-elf. It's quite curious that he's suddenly acting foolish in the presence of Morrighan, though he's not so out of character that he's become wholeheartedly crass, since he still managed to ask his helper in a polite way- it could be that something has clouded his ability to judge with efficiency, whilst in the Alazne residence.

"Perhaps the overseers would like to hear about this fellow named Mister Percival,.... I'd be willing to vouch for your character, Miss Alazne. I have heard you have all but exceeded most of the expectations the church asked of you- this is just hearsay, of course, since I know so little about you- but I can testify for your magical prowess, and assure Bishop Jaren that there was no way you could have faltered in your duties." Again, a bit more gushing. While he waits for Cressida to go into the other room to collect the dust-pan, he pushes the glass into a pile to the best of his ability with his foot, being that it's made of stone, and unlikely to get anything embedded in himself.

After doing this, Gidarch starts placing some things away on shelves near Morrighan, and then looks at her, "Hmm... Have you been sewing, Miss Alazne?" Another obtuse query, given that her stitchery materials are set up right there, which is a dead giveaway if ever there was one. His ability to point the obvious is without flaw, it seems.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
And now he was asking others to help cover for his failures. Even if this was deliberate, the sight was off putting enough for Morrighan to continue becoming rather cross with the grey elf. "Do as you will. I do not particularly concern myself with the going ons of the church. I am merely here to do as I am asked. Nothing more."

And it was true. The amount of personal investment Morrighan could say she had in the organization would be something close to zero. She hardly cared whether they burned to the ground or triumphed. She would just fulfill what was asked of her in as much of a capacity as she could. The broken glass is eyed momentarily before the white-haired elf sat back down, taking up her weaving materials again as she resumed working on the torn dress.

"No, I have not been sewing." Morrighan grumbled in a sarcastic tone. She fumed, working on a particularly bad portion before speaking up again. "Of I am sewing. Do you not see the materials in my possession? Why would you ask something so asinine?" There was a point where information could be gleaned without obvious questions!

And she was hardly in the mood for such today.

"And what have you been up to in your absence from this recent happening? Off playing messenger boy for them again?"

Count Valos has posed:
Gidarch was certainly doing a good job of making himself as annoying as possible, but as to whether it was intentional or not was another matter entirely- left to the minds of imagination, one could only wonder what went through that head of his. But when she claims that she's not sewing, Count Valos blinks, "That is.... strange...." of course, once she reveals that she was being facetious, Gidarch replies, by pointing at her shoulder, "Yes, I asked because I noticed some lint there. I think it probably originated from one of your projects. Fibers easily find their way around...." with that, he takes initiative, and begins to brush the lint off of her shoulder, at which point, he looks at Morrighan, while in proximity to her, and says "Morrighan.... I...."

First time in a loooooooooong time he's ever called someone by their first name, minus their mandatory honorific. With that, he leans in towards her, and attempts to kiss the she-elf. Strangely enough, as he moves forward, and he attempts to bring his hands around her backside in a strong embrace, the female drow may notice that Gidarch is doing a /VERY/ convincing job of trying to force himself on her, as though his intention was truly earnest. Perhaps he was caught up in the moment, and his willpower was dissolving? In truth, Gidarch was indeed doing what he said, with the intention of being chastised for it after, but simultaneously, there's an element of truthfulness in his audacious maneuver; so unless Morrighan puts in a great deal of labor to stop him, she may actually find her lips temporarily locked with the grey elf's- something she probably didn't count on happening. But whether or not he got a taste of her, and his convictions buckled to the point that he put in an excessive amount of effort to steal a kiss from the she-elf, Gidarch was expecting consequences.

Did he care if he was scorned for being so bold? Of course not. Did he care that he might be getting some action from Morrighan? You better believe it! At the same time.... it was still for her own good, and he inwardly hoped that she'd do her part,.... though, given how much enthusiasm he put into caressing her mouth, mayhap Morrighan would put an equal amount of effort into blasting him into oblivion for his obtrusiveness!

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
"Hm?" Morrighan hummed, glancing at her shoulder upon Valos' pointing out of the lint. "Oh, so there was." She mumbled, about to brush it away herself when he took the initiative to do it instead. That was a rather bold action from him, and it caused her to look up at the grey elf with a furrowed brow. "....What exactly are you...?"

No.

No, no, no.

This was supposed to be just an act! Albeit a well concealed one, but Valos' actions now are a bit too real. His hands coming around her, his lips descending towards her own...he was not completely acting, was he? "...Wait a moment...stop. I said--mmff--!" Her complaints were then briefly ceased as their lips connected in what one would traditionally label as a kiss.

With her eyes widening, Morrighan froze for a moment, not returning the kiss, but rather staying stone still.

And then came the anger. This was not acted, but very, very real. "Mmph! --Y-You lecherous cretin! Unhand me now!" She demanded, oddly seeming to forget about using magic in her anger, and instead, just tried to push against him with her hands. Her pitiful strength doing absolutely nothing to budge the much taller man

"I see what this was all about now! This was some sort of ploy just to get closer to me, was it not!?"

Cressida has posed:
Cressida returns a good while later..Did it really take that long to find a dust pan and broom? Or..Was she doing something else? Who knows? This is an unfamiliar house afterall. When she does return, Valos and Morrigan are in the midst of..Something rather intimate it seems.

She watches them with that same, unreadable expression, just innocently standing there as she holds the dust pan and starts to sweep up the glass into the pan.

"My apologies. I do hope I am not interrupting your alone time." she quips rather bluntly and with little actual expression still in her voice. It's hard to tell if she was enjoying this or simply speaking matter of factly.

Count Valos has posed:
Gidarch shakes his head, sighing, releasing Morrighan promptly ".....You were right, Miss Alazne. My willpower did not last, forever. But I am not trying to manipulate you. News will get around soon enough, so I may as well inform you both..... You are going to hear rumors that I have associated with a heretic, and that I have been feeding him vital information." He shrugs his shoulders, "I'm sure the Bishop has already heard by now, but since you both are employed by Glabados, neither of you can associate with me furthermore, until I am punished; and if it be the case that I am executed, neither of you will be associating with me ever again" He nods, "What you need to do is confirm any suspicions the Bishop has, now that I've told you both, else, hiding the truth will be considered an obstruction of justice..... and you will both be punished."

Gidarch shakes his head at Morrighan, "Despite my pretenses of superior intellectualism, you will see that I am not perfect." He points at her, "This is the reality....." He makes a fist, "....No entity acts on its own accord without an impulse. All entities with the ability to recognize a sense of self will strive for either themselves, or a belief system that honors the purpose of their existence, which is also self-serving. For that reason, no matter who, or what you get attached to..... just the fact that you are connected to something else, means it is connected to you. If you guard it protectively, you may see it as yours, but it owns you back, because you depend on it; the link goes both ways." The Count starts to walk towards the doorway, "I was unattached for a long period of time, and then I became infatuated with Miss Alazne, but she did not reciprocate. Whereas my crutch is the need to try and assist those I cherish, you both have crutches of your own; from what I've seen, Miss Alazne.... you are attached to the image you present to others, perhaps to reinforce the idea that they should take you seriously, because maybe at one time you were not. I think that you think you need to surround yourself with valuable things to make yourself feel like you are valuable, like you need to prove to others that you have worth....."

He opens the door, ".....But whether you are a homeless peasant on the street, or whether you are an empress on a throne who commands the respect and fear of all those around you..... I would feel the same about you. You will /always/ be valuable to me, and there are no conditions that can alter this paradigm." Ducking so that he can get through the doorframe, the grey one turns back to her once more, "If it would serve you, I would allow you to strike me down without raising a hand. I am sorry that I allowed my feelings to get to me, and that I foisted myself upon you..... but now you see why I didn't want to be near you. I wanted to give, without receipt, and today I have dishonored you by taking." He bows, "Good day to you both. I shall seek neither of you again; if ever you need me, though, you may always seek me. And I hope the Bishop rewards you when you both expose me as a traitor." With that, he closes the door, and he is gone.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
"Hmph!" Morrighan shoved Valos away rather feebly even though he was already retreating. Of course her action did nothing to move him, but it was for her own peace of mind really! "...So you joined this organization, only to betray it?" She asked, narrowing her eyes a tad. But that was mostly because she was still scandalized over the kiss in conjunction with her previous assumption that this was some ploy to do the former.

In truth, Morrighan didn't actually care that Valos had betrayed the church. In fact, if she felt that something of much greater worth were available, she would have done the exact same. But that was not information that either of those currently present would be privy to at this given moment. "How peculiar! ...Nevertheless, knowing these righteous zealots, I do believe you will be executed. Should they get their hands on you."

She crossed her arms in a huff then and added. "You know just as well as I do, that I am in no position to be apprehending you. I am a healer." The elven woman's eyes then slid over to Cressida. "...However, she is not constrained by such a skill set I would assume. It is very well within her duties to capture you right here and now to prevent some manner of chase."

A pause.

"But then the question remains...will you?" The dark elf posed the question to the Templar in question, her eyes returning to the grey elf as he began to speak on the matter of her attachments. "...Do not presume to speak as if you have my entire being figured out. Nothing irritates me more." She replied curtly, crossing her arms and looking away in anger.

It really did though. And as Valos spoke of cherishing her and then making to leave, Morrighan did not offer an answer or move to stop him. Once he was gone. She finally looked back towards the empty doorway. "...Hmph! For all of his supposed intellect, he chose the fool's path." That said, she looked towards Cressida again, tilting her head slightly. "...Will you pursue?"

Cressida has posed:
Cressida arches a brow as Valos suddenly blurts out his apparent treachery to the church, and his warning not to associate with him after this. She doesn't try to stop him when he leaves, but just watches him thoughtfully as he takes off after such a...STrange confession. And after the profession of apparent affection at the least, towards Morrighan. It has her curious.

"Well...Wasn't that interesting. I wonder why he would so willingly profess his sins so openly to us. Unless..." Unless this was some sort of game he were playing. Or was he truly remorseful for his actions? It's all so very strange, but she has no reason to hide this truth from the Bishop. "Indeed, I just might..Good day, Milady.."

Cressida bows again to Morrighan, before taking off after the Count..

Count Valos has posed:
As Cressida cracks the door open to Morrighan's place, perhaps to the surprise of both, Count Valos is not actually gone, but is instead, still there- and even more interestingly, despite the fact that he claimed he'd seek neither of them out, he has returned within just a couple minutes' time. Entering of his own free will, this time, before Cressida can lunge out the door, Gidarch Valos bows, "I am now breaking and entering, so confession or none, I have certifiably engaged in criminality." He takes from his pack, which he'd left outside, a pair of manacles that look to be brownish and translucent in appearance, which he throws to the floor, near Morrighan's feet. "If I do not have you at all figured out, then why would you have any reason to become riled, or especially defensive about my argument, which could very easily be dismantled with the simple observation that I am incorrect? I believe you yourself utilized very similar logic against my unwillingness to give a straight answer, during our little stroll wherein I'd made a fuss over the fact that people might presume us to be mutually invested in one another; you asserted that I had no reason to get so worked up about the matter, as I recall....."

He shrugs, almost lifelessly, "Those are amber shackles, made from special tree-sap, and then reinforced with mystical properties, which are useful for capturing drow who carry the skill set that I possess. You see.... if I ever came across one of my enemies from my world, I'd need to either kill them, or restrain them, and they would have nary a degree less of persuasion over metals or stone than I, thus, I keep these in the event that I need to subdue one of my..... pursuers." Apparently, Count Valos had some adversaries in his world- but does he go into detail about them? No. He sees it as irrelevant, for the time being, unless somehow, Cressida or Morrighan can legitimize the pertinence of said information being disclosed. Gidarch points at the restraints, "I am not seeking you exclusively on a personal level, Officer Alazne, so I am not seeking -you- wholly as an individual person, but rather, as an enforcer..... thus I'm technically conforming to my claim that I'd made moments prior to now, that I would not seek /you/ out again. Right now, you are merely an extension of the system of law of Glabados." The grey one nods, "I am submitting myself to you, Officer Alazne. You are authorized to take me into custody, whereas you, Officer Cressida, will receive resistance if you try to apprehend me. I am atoning for my wrongful imposition I made upon you, Officer Alazne, by breaking into your domestic quarters."

Not to mention, because he forced himself on her in a sexual manner- but that doesn't need to be emphasized further, lest Morrighan choose to pour salt on his wounds, if she is the type who succumbs to schadenfreude! The Count turns to face Cressida, "Since Officer Alazne is not in the condition to carry out her prisoner transport duties, at this time, you will receive part of the credit that will be due as a result of my apprehension, by delivering me into the hands of the authorities, where I will receive justice...... but Officer Alazne is to make the actual arrest, itself." He steps towards Morrighan, and kneels before her feet, so that he's more vulnerable, being unable to perform any miraculous stunts from this position, considering that he'd need to arise to a standing position first, to be more combat effective, "Officer Alazne.... the ranking overseers will promote you, in addition to rewarding you handsomely in a monetary way, for having assisted in my capture, after I broke into your home. You have no choice but to arrest me, though, because if you refuse to administer justice, you are effectively aiding and abetting a wanted man by having me in your household, courtesy of the fact that you have full knowledge that I am in violation of Glabados' code of justice, for having fueled Ramza Beuolve with information that was damaging to the church's plans to....." Gidarch shakes his head, "....the rest is not important, in any respect, so digression would be pointless..." He nods his head, "If seeing me suffer is the only way to rectify this situation and the only way to soothe your pain, for what I've done to you moments ago, then let this be my attempt at penance, whether it is an act leading to my finality, or otherwise....."

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
"Indeed, do as you will--" Morrighan had spoken to Cressida, watching as the templar was making to leave, but then suddenly, here was Valos again! Why did he return? And after he had made quite a show of leaving too! This game he was wrapping himself up in was no longer entertaining now. And it like was going to get much worse.

"...now..." Sigh. "Are you serious? You are going to call this a crime?" It was laughable. He was grasping at straws as far as she was concerned! But her eyes at this point were drawn to the restraining implements that have been thrown to her feet, raising an eyebrow at them with a fair bit of incredulity. "You want me...to arrest you? Is that it?" Narrowing her eyes then, Morrighan brought a hand to her mouth, breaking out into a fit of giggles. "Pffft--! Ehehehe! Truly, you have lost your mind now! You expect I, a mere mage with little in the way of strength to take you in? Preposterous!"

Continuing to laugh, she added. "I may be a member of this church, but I choose to be so in a manner that is entirely devoid of 'enforcing' as you have so eloquently put it." That said, the elven woman crossed her eyes, eyes narrowed as she stared down at the man knelt before her. "I refuse." Simple and to the point. "I am not going to arrest you. Whatever validation, redemption, apologies, or whatever else you seem to seek from displaying yourself before me with such a request; I am not going to give you the satisfaction."

Huffing in irritation now, Morrighan turned away, considerably lengthy hair swaying behing her as she strolled past Valos and over to a nearby window, staring up at the sky outside. "Someone once told me; it is not so easy that you can just throw yourself to the mercy of others and expect everything to be well and satisfied." She turned and glanced at him after, shaking her head. "Therefore, I will not. So get out of my house. And take your needless redemption with you. Whatever the church decides to make of me is my concern only. And I maintain that I have done nothing wrong thus far."

Having said that, the dark elf glanced at Cressida. "Is that not right?"

Cressida has posed:
Suddenly Valos turns around and asks - more like begs Morrighan to arrest him. Cressida's eyes narrow and she too, turns around, shutting the door behind her to cut him off from behind.

"Hmph, what manner of game are you playing with the lady, Count? Is this another pathetic attempt at earning her affections? To make such wild claims against the church, and then to tempt her into the potential benefits that might be bestowed upon her should she comply? You truly disturbed, Ser Count."

Still, Cressida is herself a relatively new member of the church, and she doesn't have much authority to arrest him without proper evidence. "Count Valos, I do not wish to fight you, however I will ask you to kindly come with me to answer to Inquisitor Ophelia with your claims."

She picks up the handcuffs, although she doesn't yet put them on his hands or attempt to do so, not should he comply with her. "Will you come willingly or must I use force? Remember, if you attack me first, then I will have no choice to use force against you. Whatever game you are playing, I only see this causing further trouble for Lady Morrighan here.."

Count Valos has posed:
The Count shakes his head, and remarks, "You are perfectly capable of making a citizen's arrest, if nothing else, Officer Alazne. If you do not consider my forced entry vandalism, and you do not take it upon yourself to take me into custody, then your belief system is utterly self-contradictory." He nods, and remarks, "You assert that you have no interest in my welfare, and only in profiting off of others, including this institution known as Glabados, yet you refuse to use a known felon as a medium through which to enhance your station, as well as your income." He begins to stand, and turns to face Morrighan, pointing at her, "Do you know what I believe? I believe that you fear me." With that, Gidarch adorns a flat-lipped, vacant expression, "Do you know what I see, Miss Alazne, when I look at you? Since you're no telepath, to my knowledge, I shall tell you what I perceive."

He folds his arms over his chest, and begins to pace, "I take sight of someone who needs help but who is too proud to ask for any of it. I see someone who does not know who she can turn to, yet she meanders around, forming and breaking alliances in the hopes of finding some force in which she can feel secure, and safe- she is looking for a confidante. I see someone who is lost and wants to find her place; someone who wants to belong somewhere, but simultaneously, someone who is losing hope as the days go by, causing her to become bitter, and jaded. But who could blame you for not having loyalties, when I gather scant in quantity are those who've been loyal to you, else those that were, have been so indolent that they weren't reliable enough to've warranted the acquisition of your trust? But you may deny this if you wish; however, just be sure to tell me I'm utterly incorrect in my interpretation, and all the while, look me right in the eye as you refute its validity. Better yet.... if you do elect the course of demeriting my views, why don't you allow me to press my ear to your abdomen as you speak, so that I will be able to ascertain from the sounds of your heart rhythms whether your answer exudes confidence, or nervousness, if you dare....! My auditory sense far exceeds that of my knack for reading visual cues, as you've probably guessed, by now...."

Stretching his arms out to the side, as though elaborating, "Now, when I gaze upon someone like Mister Faruja Senra, I see one who holds a grudge against individuals who are like-minded when measured against those who destroyed his home, who are propagating in swarms at rapid speeds as we speak, consuming worlds, causing him to feel the desperate need to stave them off, to make up for what he evidently couldn't stop in his own world. I see a Burmecian who has put his faith in a deity who he thinks will save him, because he is worried that on his own, he can't save himself. He hangs onto but a mere shred of hope which dangles by a thread, but that hope is based on an organization that will ultimately fail him, in defiance of what hope he lodges for them, and in spite of what lengths he'll strive to ensure it reaches a goal which is most certainly a front for that which Glabados most likely, truly stands. He is a yes-man who has invested his soul in them, and they will disappoint him in the future..... thereby causing him to become like an imbecilic, and uglier version of you. Someday, his hand will be bitten when he goes to feed them, and he'll know what it's like to be ousted by his own ilk; his heart will sag, because he'll only have himself to blame." Raising a finger, the grey one cites one more example, "When I see Mister Garland, I see a dunce who is in a state of self-denial; a man who thinks himself impervious, and fearless, yet he quakes in an unprecedented manner when someone so much as lays a finger on one of his precious possessions, the trinkets that he feels empower him."

Gidarch waves his hand dismissively, "I have stood testament to his methods of asserting supremacy, and they are the most boorish instruments of any other megalomaniac whose endeavors are fueled by primal rage- plain, old, stereotypical.... torture. The compulsion to induce fear in others is a standard byproduct of one who experiences it within themselves on a regular basis, and thus giving one an overwhelming comprehension of its effects, and an inclination to employ it to achieve their ends when mediums of verbalized, allegedly-logical retort have resulted in mediocrity. His delusions of grandeur allow him to perpetuate the myth that gives him confidence that he has a chance at securing dominion over all that he surveys, but what he will never have dominion over, are his own insecurities, and his need to try to try and control the external, in order to assuage the internal. He thinks his materialistically-bound parlor tricks and his shiny gadgets will avail him in realizing what he hopes to stumble upon in the nooks or crannies that he engulfs, when they are brought under his command as he wages his imperialistic war. The scurvy knave may have himself fooled, but the guises he drapes over his campaigns to shield his own mind from the factuality of his shortcomings are very much indeed transparent to the scrutinizing nature of my vision. He undoubtedly combs all the wrong places for that which he thirsts..... But I wager you are already insightful enough to recognize this?"

Count Valos has posed:
With this, Gidarch actually /grins/, not widely, but it's more emotion than he's shown in a good while, "But have any of the three aforementioned persons figured /ME/ out, with the inclusion of the motivations beyond those which I've already made blatantly obvious, of my own free will? Does anyone have any idea what my agenda is, and why? Do you think you can surmount my caliber of mental prowess, psychoanalyze me, and demonstrate that I am just a paltry plaything in the palm of your open fist, whose every move you can anticipate? If so, then, test me! Come forth, and reveal your foreknowledge of my cognitions by showing me that you can gauge the logistics of my machinations; I've still yet to cross anyone with a broad enough wit to pigeonhole me with a reasonable degree of accuracy, even while I, in turn, pierce through the souls of the vast array of those who I encounter, with the greatest of ease, as though transfixing my optics on the blueness of the ever-present sky on a clear day! My original assertion was that you fear me. The only reason you'd refuse to accept this offering is because you have.... absolutely.... no idea what I am about. You probably think I have some ulterior motive that is beyond your ability to foresee, and you want no part of it. Yet, here I knelt before you, willing to allow you and Officer Cressida both to subject me to the judgement of Glabados, who may very well kill me. Did you see fear in my eyes when you asked me to help you with your plan to exhume Lich? Did I even ask you for any reassurances beyond that of being privy to the guarantee that my cerebral fitness would not be impaired?" Clearly, Gidarch Valos feels like he is on a roll, "Do you believe that you see through me?" He asks Morrighan, plainly and simply.

But with Gidarch, nothing is ever lacking wordiness, so he proceeds with a bit more banter, "If so, what do you see, besides a lovesick puppy who has shown but one singular, brief moment of fallibility, when placed in the face of the opportunity to sample a taste of something with unrivaled delectability?..... Or, can you scarcely tell what my inner workings embody, if, say, you were to arbitrarily shelve the feelings I allegedly harbor for you, which, by the by, are quite genuine?" Shooting his gaze at Cressida, Gidarch scoffs, "I did not give those shackles to you, Officer Cressida. You have stolen them, I temporarily offered them up to Officer Alazne, and your seizure of them is theft. You will either be expected to use your own contraptions of restraint, or you will escort me untrussed to the authorities; I care not which option you select, but seeing that Officer Alazne has demanded I leave, I have no choice but to leave. I will do so without providing hostility."

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
And then here comes the banter than she has recently come to grown rather tired of. It goes on and on and on. It takes more effort than usual for her to not let his words simply filter through one ear and then flutter out the other unheeded. But she managed it. Stupidity was not something that Morrighan was familiar with after all. Among the plethora of other flaws that she may possess anyhow.

A deep breath, and then a sigh.

"You are correct. I am not a mind reader. I have absolutely little idea of what you are thinking. And I am not quite arrogant enough to assume. You speak as if you understand every facet of my very being. And that irritates me to no end. I am not a subject to be placed under a looking glass. I am not a paper cutout with their archtype and role already decided. I am Morrighan Lachesis Alazne. And I am me. That is all!" Narrowing her eyes into a tired glare, she actually continues to speak. "I do not need you to analyze me in any capacity. I do not look for a therapist to pick apart my very soul." Lowering her gaze somewhat, the elven woman's voice lowered to a scant whisper. Inaudible to any human. But likely Valos could hear it. "I just want to be happy. But how...?"

Her own words seemingly have drained her of energy and she just stood there, looking strung out. All of this...everything. It was just becoming too much for her. Centuries of stress, struggle, and pain almost seem to make themself apparent on her form as she just dropped all pretenses of elegance and poise. "........" But after a moment, Morrighan shook her head and raised her gaze, looking at Cressida as Valos addressed her taking of the cuffs. "Cressida. Return those cuffs to him. I trust that Count Valos here is a fine enough man to go along with you without the need for them."

Having said that, the dark elf turned away, stepping out to an open portion of her living space before raising an arm forward. Immediately after a dark corridor opened itself in the air ahead. Forming a pathway for her to simply travel through. "I require time. Time alone. Time to think. Time to do as I wish away from the prying eyes of /people/." Turning her head slightly, she glanced at the two in her home from the corner of her eye. "The house is enchanted to secure itself if I am not here. You may leave now." She did not step thought however, staring at them a bit more. "And I must say, you are mistaken in one respect; I never sought to judge you or attempt to belittle your existence. If I came off in that manner, then I suppose I should offer my apologies."

Cressida has posed:
There is the slightest flicker of amusement reflecting in Cressida's cold aqua eyes as the Count rambles on. And on. And on. And on, and.....Oh dear, will he ever shut up? What was once amusement quickly becomes impatience although she is good at keeping her facial expressions appearing cool and detached for the most part, unlike Morrighan who seems quite frustrated with this man by now.

Still, when she asks her (or orders her?) to return the cuffs to Valos, she merely shrugs and offers them to him. "Very well, if you trust him so." she glances over at Valos, her tone inflecting just a bit. "Well well, you seem to have us all figured out, hmm? And yet, you believe yourself so clever because no one has yet figured you out. Well, I cannot say I know you well enough to out logic you just yet, but.."

Eyes narrow coldly, "The fact is, you made a serious allegation against the church, plus, you are now beginning to harrass Lady Morrigan. Since she asked so nicely, I will not steals these cuffs that belong to you, but you will come with me. Let us be on our way, hmm? Unless you wish to pile more charges against your self. It seems that Lady Morrighan is finished here as well.."

Count Valos has posed:
Gidarch Valos listened to Morrighan speak her part, and he adopted a countenance depicting a man with utter patience, and when she declares that she is herself, Gidarch queries, "....You claim that you are you, as if to be some manner of infinitely complex, immeasurable, unique being.... but who -ARE- you? Do you even know who you are? If you knew, why are you so discontent with life, and unable to rid yourself of the insecurities that prevent you from being able to let go of that heavy wall you lug around with which to protect yourself from making bad investments by concerning yourself with others?" He shakes his head, but then she calms down, and admits almost beyond the scope of even the grey one's ears that she wants to be happy, and he smirks, facing away from Morrighan so that she can't see it.

He already knew she wanted to be happy. He knew /everyone/ wanted to be happy. Those seeking power? They did it to feel in control, so that they'd feel happy. Those seeking money? To bring themselves luxuries to supposedly grant them happiness. Even masochists who inflicted /pain/ upon themselves did it to achieve some degree of 'happiness', by way of a counter-balancing psychological pleasure. The fact was, in Valos' mind, she was not much different than anyone else, and just like practically everyone else, she was haphazardly scrambling towards her ultimate destination in a zig-zagged pattern, whereas Gidarch was of the opinion that his own method was much more direct, and efficient, even if he hadn't yet /quite/ found pure happiness. In spite of this, he was willing to sacrifice his life for another to profit? Surely.... he had -some- degree of contentedness that a self-serving behavior-inclined individual could have stood to reap, in order to feel more satisfied. The grey one finally turned to Morrighan and stated, ".....I'd also like to point out that earlier, I'd said I had wanted to soothe your pain by allowing you to see me suffer for my error. I did not say I wanted you to relinquish any affections in -exchange- for my attempt at lessening your suffering. I asked for naught in return."

This was yet another misconception of Morrighan's and Cressida's- Valos did not aim to be an exploiter, he tried solely to be a benefactor; for those he cared for, at the bare minimum. "Your interpretations of my reasons, if you've inwardly done so, are probably inaccurate, so by having presumed to accuse of me trying to extract forgiveness was.... an act of prematurity, in my view. All I sought was to be of assistance to you, which was /precisely/ why I avoided you to the degree that I've done thus far; there was never a time I was with you that your ravishing appearance did not seduce me, to some extent. You see, Miss Alazne, when you offered yourself to me the other day, you have no idea how arduous it was to resist taking you up on it- yet, today, I took from you without there having been any sort of proposition yielded from your end, which is an undeniably transparent sign that my willpower is eroding in your presence. I came hoping to..... Well, it doesn't matter what my intentions were; you're free to think the worst of me, and there is not a person qualified in this world to try and revoke that right, nor should they desire to. The fact is, I did what I did, and I take full responsibility for it."

He nods to himself, and stares upwards, making a mental note, before speaking again, "Since seeing me no further appears to be in your best interest, that is what I shall do, henceforth, I will seek you out no more, lest you request me..... But I -WILL- thank you for insisting that Cressida return my property to me, before I depart." He bows to her, then looks at Cressida, who is eager to bring him to justice, and remarks, "I do not fear death, Miss Cressida. Yet, by the same token, because I am certain that the delegates know this to be the case, they'll probably find some other way to exact vengeance on me, that, in their view, will be much more beneficial to them since they've little recourse as far as being enabled to evoke anguish within my person. Glabados is resourceful, and adaptive- they will find some way to inconvenience me, for what I've done to them, and you will be rewarded for having illuminated them to my deeds, since you heard admissions from my own mouth, on this day. No, I am not harassing Miss Alazne, in a legal sense- she did not expel me until this moment, and now that she's made the bid for my eviction, that is precisely what will happen."

He tucks the manacles away after Cressida hands them to her, and he heads out the door, as he did before.... presumably, never to return.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
Morrighan just shook her head. Within all these misconceptions, there was one more on top of it all that he himself was making. "If we are going to talk about misconceptions, then let me correct one of your own." There was a pause and a meaningful stare. "...You should have just asked."

After having said that, she turned her gaze over to Cressida and nodded. "I presume we will meet some time in the future. For now however, you should go as well. There is nothing for anyone here."

And then she turned away, walking off into the dark corridor. She never looked back at the departing Valos, or the remaining Cressida.

The portal closed after, leaving nary a trace of the dark elf to be found. Where did she go? Who knows...

Cressida has posed:
A slight smile tugs at the corner of Cressida's lips when Valos attempts to explain himself a bit better. Phew, a bit less wordy this time but still a lengthy explanation. "Hmm, so that is what this is all about then? Trying to answer the ultimate question about the human condition? About suffering and the state of humanity? Who are you? Is that what this is all about then? An experiment? An attempt to open Morrighan's eyes to whatever this truth is you seek from her?"

And perhaps...It is a dilemma that Cressida herself has been battling all her life as well. What is her great suffering that she wishes to end? Who is her true self that she must constantly face and overcome? And...Could this Valos fellow be onto something..Perhaps beneficial to herself? Either that, or he's just full of poppycock!

"Hmm, my dear Count, after we have dealt with these little....Indiscretions, I would be interested in discussing these..Motivations of yours in further detail." Morrighan leaves at that moment and she nods her head to her. "Good day to you, Lady Morrighan, til we meet again. My dear Count, shall we be on our way then?"

Count Valos has posed:
Gidarch wasn't entirely sure what Morrighan was referring to, in relation to whatever he should have asked about- there were a number of things he could have asked about, as far as either wanting to know answers, or being given permission regarding the endowment of various privileges. He did ask who she was, so that voided the notion that she had offered to divulge information regarding her true nature. He could have 'asked' as to how he could've helped ease her suffering, without preemptively taking the liberty to surrender to her, and thus given her a more efficient means of assuaging her humiliation, but then.... since he didn't actually seek to be /given/ anything, was it so much of a misconception, if he never imposed on her to begin with, so much as a personal initiative on his part to repair some of the damage done? Possible, but less likely. What was the one thing he did not actually ask for, that he took? Why, her personal space, and a fraction of her body. Having lost control, he didn't see fit to 'ask' for companionship, and merely took it, which may have been otherwise granted if he'd sought permission to be bestowed it, but instead he took, even though, previously, she had rendered the opportunity for Gidarch to have the honor of.... sampling her flavor.

That seemed the most likely, and it truly would have been, in a logical sense, a misconception on the stone-drow's part for having presumed to take, when it may have been an available option all the while, but there is no way to find out what Morrighan meant, for the time being- mayhap he'd never know, if they didn't rendezvous again; whatever the case, as he was stepping through the doorway, he happened to observe Morrighan pass into some kind of nightly gate, which clued him to the fact that perhaps her shadowy powers ran deeper than he'd originally betted upon, even if innate to Time Magic was already that of the 'Demi' spell, sometimes referred to as a 'dark' magic, of sorts.

Peering at Cressida, when she decides to accompany Valos to the precinct, he raises a brow, "The ultimate question has already been answered. The problem is, most people do not understand the answer if they hear it, because they're asking the question for the wrong reasons, thus, even when they do hear the answer, they don't recognize it as what it actually is." He nods to her, and continues on, "Here is a sentiment that you may dwell upon, if you so desire. It is my postulation that the Heartless are only different than any other living entity in that they are simpler in nature, but do you know why the murder of another entity barely diverges from something so seemingly 'innocent' as taking a stroll through a park, whilst knowingly, and willfully attempting to bring no harm to any other form of life, amidst such an allegedly uninfluential promenade? I gather you do not; fret not, though, if your pride feels damaged by the declaration of your ineptitude, for I gather most people do not. That is why my gaze penetrates others, but nobody else's sight has yet permeated myself. My motivation is a quaint one..... to help others to stop thinking with closed minds, and to explore seldom explored avenues. Few have the gall to accept the challenge, because few are able to overcome the one adversary that they are most susceptible to, one whose formidability goes beyond the power possessed by the Shadow Lords, the Princesses of Heart, or even me....."

He folds his arms over his chest, and leans down towards Cressida, emphasizing his answer to come "....Themselves."