How To Get Blood From A Stone

How To Get Blood From A Stone
Date of Scene:	12 January 2013
Location:	Goug - Shinra HQ
Synopsis:	Rhiannon strikes a deal with Valos after having subjected him to a game of Twenty Questions.
Cast of Characters:	Count Valos, Rhiannon Zellen

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Rhiannon Zellen has posed:
It had been a couple days since Megavolt's capture. He had done quite a number to the reception area, but with ShinRa's resources, it wasn't long before the place fixed back up to a nominal level of functionality. It was on this day that the front doors to the building slid open, revealing the form of one Rhiannon Zellen. Dressed in her usual getup consisting of a wutai styled dress, black leggings, and a white lab coat.

"Mmmn..." She mumbled to herself, stretching her arms above her head and producing some light cracking sounds. "...How long has it been I last saw the outside world?" She asked no one particular, opening her eyes then to watch as various people, mostly moogles, populated the streets on their business.

Ah, it always was interesting to see them go about. A shame that not a single moogle to date has agreed to be a test subject. And why not? She always promised to be gentle! Harm was totally never in the equation!

...Okay that was a lie. But regardless!

The scientist contented herself with just people watching for the moment, apparently just catching a quick breather from being holed up in her lab for so long.

Not that she ever minded.

The pursuit of knowledge came with sacrifices after all.

Count Valos has posed:
Gidarch had only recently arrived in Goug, having been preoccupied with his studies in Mullonde for some time- he heard rumors of a more technologically contemporary city that sounded appealing to one of his orientation. The Count also heard a few fragments about the story of Megavolt attacking the ShinRa building, but it didn't mean much to him, at least not consciously. Economics being what they are, and life being fast paced, soon the prices would have to rise because of the problem Megavolt caused- the fact is simple..... fixing property damage costs money, and money comes from taxes; it goes without saying that the community would suffer in the long run, and have to raise prices.

In fact.... /just/ as the dark one left a particular store with a bag under his arm, he randomly peeked over his shoulder to look at what else was around him, and saw an employee changing a price-tag on something. The cost was raised a good five percent, which in turn caused Gidarch to raise a brow curiously, "....Such is the toll when barbarism runs rampant in society...." Of course, he's only speculating- maybe the store-owner is a money grubber who simply wanted to charge more, but the odds were, an anticipated tax-hike might be why the proprietor has decided to take initiative and start inflating costs of their products. Leave it to a cynic like the dark one to assume the worst of mankind; and if he overheard Rhiannon requesting people enroll into her experimentation program, he'd probably assume the worst of womankind, too! They shared one commonality, though.... both pursued knowledge, albeit, not the same kind, mayhap, but they both aspired to advance their understanding of the world around them; Gidarch was /not/ content via passive entertainment through things like banal sitcoms on television.

Just by coincidence, the drow meandered towards a stone wall, and seated himself upon it, not too far off from who might qualify in some people's books as one of ShinRa's most notorious quacks.... Rhiannon herself, and though she was likely in earshot when Gidarch emitted his condescending assessment of the nature of humanity, he verbalizes his thoughts a second time while seated within even closer proximity. In the event that she were to feel inclined to seek information of some kind from him, using his most recent remark might prove a useful hook to snag onto, if the former was insufficient..... if she doesn't see fit to speak to him, on the other hand, they may just be two strangers passing each other in the day, destined never to know the other's warstories and woes.

Promptly after taking respite on the stone wall, Gidarch plucked a toy-sized electric motor from his bag, and began to inspect it, "....The question is.... how much impact can it endure before it ceases to function....?"

Rhiannon Zellen has posed:
"Hmmm?"

Rhia's violet eyes found themselves drawn towards a certain man passing by. He was rather tall. Well, rather was a terrible word to use. He was EXTREMELY tall by her standards. And those ears...that skin tone. If the Count had taken any measure of time to look, he'd almost see sparkles in the woman's eyes right about now. "...I do believe I found myself a much more interesting specimen~"

Having said that mostly to herself, the scientist turned and walked off towards the man, a rather pleasant smile on her face. "Well hello there." Rhia greeted, eyeing the little engine that Count Valos was inspecting with minor interest. It was small. Likely something used for a toy or something similar.

But that engine was not what she was interested in at the end of the day.

Recalling the incident with Sable, she decided to hold on mentioning test subjects and research right off the bat. Though a part of her figured that his reaction would have been quite humorous nonetheless...

But alas. Time and place for everything, yes?

"I couldn't help but overhear your little monologue about barbarians and such." The woman's smile remains in place as she addresses him, looking upwards to meet his eyes, should he choose to. "You seem to have built up quite a bit of experience in that regard, if your words are anything to go by now."

Count Valos has posed:
By her standards, it was a distinct possibility that Gidarch was lofty in stature, but by those of the drows from his world, he was only above average by a modest caliber..... alas that many dark elves were either slouched if not hunched over completely, making them appear hideous; this being true also arguably by human standards! Nevertheless, he'd caught her attention, which he has a habit of doing independent of any effort on his own part, so as he handled the engine lightly, he heard Rhia approach before even seeing it- being a creature hailing from the darkest of realms, this former cavernous-dweller uses auditory nerves even more than ocular ones, so combined, it was hard to encroach upon his person with him bearing obliviousness to the ordeal.

Turning sideways, he looked at her face to face, for while seated, they were presumably at eye level, and he blinked, "I am grateful to hear that your greeting is not mandatorily a sickly one." Undoubtedly, he's either making a joke, or he doesn't comprehend human conventions with ease, the whole 'well-hello', to him, may mean that she's not feeling badly, and that she's saluting him while in a healthy state of mind and body. Her condition /seems/ to be sufficient, so why wouldn't he assume she was admitting that she was willing to, and able to offer her best at this time? Deciding to give her more attention than the motor for the time being, since he could examine it at his leisure, he inserted it back into his sack, and then closed it up, leaving the rest of the contents inside to the imagination of anyone who didn't see what he purchased at the store, minute prior- but given Rhia's forte is more in the physiology of abnormal 'specimens' right now, it's probable that her intellectual musings are zeroed in on the dark one's makeup.... and quite unbeknownst to him; it had been said that he gravitated towards hearing more than seeing, so he didn't happen to notice that questionably devious sparkle in her eyes seconds ago.

He suspects very little, save for the fact that she wants his attention for some reason, else she'd've abstained from engaging in her intrusion, "If you could not help from hearing it, that suggests to me that you either have uncanny hearing, or that my volume is of such degree that eavesdropping is nigh unavoidable." But before admonishing himself, he proceeds by annexing something that relates to her next statement, "I shall presume that I am absolved from the obnoxious ranking that I could have been assigned, by way of concluding that your enthusiasm on the subject demonstrates that you have found approval with my ascertainment. Would you say this is a sound conclusion.... Miss....?" At the end of his comment, he adds an octave to imply that he seeks a name by which to address her. Normally he doesn't barge into other people's affairs, but since she approached him, he feels himself justified in seeking an appropriate designation! Now.... if she gives him a false one, he won't be the wiser, but that doesn't stop him from issuing his query, despite.

Rhiannon Zellen has posed:
Blink.

Did this man just treat her greeting as an indication that she was...well? "Pffbt--! Ahahahahaha!" And abruptly, she burst out into laughter, finding this to be much to entertaining not to. "Oh my, did you think I was telling you that I was okay now?" She asked, managing to sober up eventually as she brought a hand to her cheek. Her smile widened considerably as she regarded the elven man before her. "Well you should know that I was doing no such thing. As amusing as the thought may be~"

Without even asking, she walked right up to the wall the rest of the way and hopped up, having herself a seat by him. Count Valos' next statement is met with a similar expression of mirth, though it is less pronounced this time. Perhaps from already being subjected to it. Of course that did not lessen the entertainment value now.

"Weeeelll, my hearing is more acute than a normal human's may be, but moreso than that, I would say that you were simply close enough for me to discern what you were saying!" Explaining that rather obvious statement, Rhia wagged a finger as if she were teaching some manner of lesson, that eternal smile continuing to play across her face.

"Indeed, I would say that you have managed to free yourself from the shackles of that dreadful ranking now. Congratulations~" Replying in what seemed to be good cheer, the scientist brought a finger to her cheek, tapping it tthoughtfully. "Ah, a name! A name, a name, a name...what was my name now?"

Now of course Rhia knew her own name. But considering the total lack of understanding in regards to human mannerisms and customs, she couldn't help but try and see if he was able to detect sarcasm or not.

It looked like the experiment was already beginning even outside the lab.

Count Valos has posed:
Maybe to her surprise, or maybe not, Gidarch had indeed interpreted her statement as one declaring her being in good health, and that her greeting was in an optimal status, yet once she starts laughing, the dark one stares vacantly at her, trying to determine why she's so jolly. Once she admits to the fact that she wasn't doing as he had gambled on, he tilts his head to the side, concernedly, wondering if she is the sort of person who has problems conveying herself properly- but since people had unusual customs, he chalks it up to misunderstanding, which he suspected there would be plenty more of in store for him within the future.

Definitely more vivacious than most others he'd encountered before, the drow wasn't too astonished that she stole liberties and positioned herself next to him without asking how he felt about the matter; then again.... this wasn't his property, so he decided it wasn't an effrontery to his privacy.... if he were obsessed about such a thing, he'd've already sent her on her way for merely addressing him, but at least he's evolved to the point that he's learned people approaching others doesn't constitute an automatic incursion. The Count's eyes are a little more open than usual, taking in Rhiannon as she speaks, trying to process what she says versus how she behaves; though as was the case with a dark elven female who Gidarch met in some marshes awhile back, his pupils show no sign of increased dilation, suggesting that this woman isn't more or less attractive to him than anyone else in the vicinity, male or female alike- she might as well be a machine.... now, given her unannounced code of ethics, she most certainly qualifies as a machine in many other respects, too. When she explains that he was within auditory range, Gidarch scratches his head, despite her wagging of the finger, scoldingly, "Ah. When you stated that you could not help but to overhear the content of my self-directed commentary, I assumed that you were making note of the fact that you were incapable of eluding its deciphering."

Which is to say, if she said 'I didn't help but overhear', that would have implied a choice in the matter, negating the contingent of inability to dismiss it; however.... the latter is not a heavily commonly employed phrase in orthodox society, and wouldn've warranted confusion from almost anyone other than the dark one. He refrains from lecturing her on the difference, though, because he feels it useless digression; the fact is, he is not guilty of disturbing the peace, and there's no sense in arguing over a moot point. Unaware that she was already testing him, in her own resourceful manner, the dark one listened to her try to recall her name, and he raised a finger, as if to object, "....May I recommend that you consider establishing for yourself a new handle, if the name you currently heed is such a trifle to recall? If you would rather not impart unto me your designation, that is tolerable, in any event, so I reckon that it would be better for me not to impose by evoking such strain on your mind. How about if I assign you an arbitrary title, for the course of this discussion, and if it should so happen that we meet again while possessing the same perception of self, that I reuse the name once more?" Apparently he has factored into the equation the potential for persons having their memories and identities wiped, or else altered in some way, hence his reference to her 'perception of self'. Evidently, his ability to interpret sarcasm was not yet perfected, either..... and what a tragedy, for it may turn out that Rhiannon is quite the snarker!

Rhiannon Zellen has posed:
Hmmm...So rather just simply not understand human mannerisms, this man seemed to also take whatever people said quid literally to the letter. Figures of speech were utterly lost on him entirely. How intriguing really...

Of course his response to her ploy at forgetting her own name only managed to draw another laugh from the woman. "Oh dear, you actually thought that I had forgotten my own name? Ahahahaha! You really are completely inept at human interaction! How entertaining!" Indeed, it was. but for the sake of his own reference, as well as to let up just a bit, she decided to actually introduce herself.

"In any case, I am Rhiannon Estellise Zellen. But that can prove to be quite a mouthful. If you find it easier, you can just address me as Rhia or Rhiannon~" With that said, she leaned towards him, apparently studying his features closely.

"Fascinating...you clearly are not human..." She mused aloud, reaching out to try and touch one of his ears rather brazenly. "So what are you? Some sort of fantastic magical creature? Is your blood red? Or is it blue? Maybe green? Ah! And your height! It must be trouble having to hunch down all the time! Is is normal for your kind? Or are you some sort of anomaly?"

Oh boy, and here came the flood of questions.

"Aha! I have a wonderful idea!" Rhia announced rather animatedly, lightly pounding a fist into her other open palm. "Why don't you come with me back to my lab? This requires more in depth analysis~!"

And just like that, she just straight up asks.

And no, apparently she wasn't going to ask for his name.

Count Valos has posed:
When Rhiannon guffaws, Gidarch shakes his head, "I did not think you had forgotten your name. I thought that there was a strong possibility that you had forgotten your name. I can not form completely doubtless beliefs based on a lack of ability to scan your mind- this is why I made the recommendation that you consider an alternate name /if/ it was the case that you had such difficulty in recalling it." Once more, the dark one finds himself having to stress the difference between what he said, and how others understood it- Will Sherman, Faruja, and the others all didn't seem to care for the nuances in his fastidious wording. It may be transparent now as to why he doesn't fathom the humor or even the reasoning for humor; it doesn't relay accuracy in one's meaning, and for him, precision in everything is the cornerstone of efficiency. Troubles are bound to arise for him in a world infested with people who have a desire to feel and express their joy, including the implementation of facetious quips- something that escapes the dark elf, the majority of the time.

When she finally introduces herself, Count Valos shakes his head, "That is unacceptable. To refer to you on a first name basis might imply to onlookers or listeners that we have some familiarity with one another, whether that be the embodiment of negative or positive association, it would mislead the public. My inclination towards you is a mostly impartial one, enough to the effect that it would be proper to address you by your surname, preceded by your preferred gender-related honorific." He nods, and looks her up and down, then makes a clicking sound, as if to get a broader 'picture' of her- inwardly processing the vibrations, he decides it's almost certain she's female, "I shall either refer to you as Miss, or Miss Zellen. You may elect to show partiality towards either, so that I may accommodate accordingly." When she reaches out to touch one of his ears, his shoulder jerks as he instinctively goes through the process of countering her action; but he restrains himself, as he realizes she means no harm. It may be providence that caused him to stay his hand, or else the she-scientist may've had to parry rather craftily to retain the use of her arm, for Gidarch is versed in the art of disabling body-parts.... something Faruja had experienced firsthand, and that about which he wasn't especially delighted.

Permitted to touch his ear, she'd notice it was almost as hard as stone, not like traditional flesh of animals, but something of a fossilized organism seen in trilobites and petrified trees. "You ask many questions. I suppose it is fair, because I hinted at the desire to know your name." The Count shrugs, and blinks in multitude of succession when she pounds her hand into her palm, the sound of collision causing a near-sensory overload because of his hypersensitivity to sound; no, it wasn't that vibrant or shrill, but it was unexpected.... and disrupted his train of thought. Regathering his wits, he holds up a hand palm facing her as if to push her away, but he doesn't actually make physical contact, "Wait a moment. The word 'wonderful' insinuates that there is something promising about the prospect of my visiting your laboratory....." Though not one to rejoice in drawing conclusions without information, he assumes 'lab' doesn't refer to her pet retriever, where said dog can analyze him through sniffing and barking. "....You have not explained how /I/ stand to profit from accompanying you to this place, nor have you elaborated on what an in-depth analysis entails."

Again, a non-conformist, he doesn't follow custom and offer his own name, since she didn't ask it; if she wants it urgently, he sees nothing preventing her from issuing the inquiry. Folding his arms over his chest, but without adorning the standard disapproving gaze, he waits for the quite-eager Rhiannon to convince him.

Rhiannon Zellen has posed:
Alas, she was hit with more utterly precise replies. Actually, no. Not alas. This is hilarious! Just the act of hearing him talk seemed to do nothing but amuse the scientist to the core. Ah, other races were so interesting! "Very well then, Miss or Miss Zellen. Whichever strikes your fancy then." A nonchalant shrug is given then as Rhia does not seem to mind either or.

Of course one could believe it too. If they knew how she operated elsewise.

In the act of reaching for one of his ears however, Rhia seemed to be quite well aware of how Count Valos was reacting. Or rather, how he had stayed his hand. Despite her debatable sanity, she was quite well versed in various martial arts.

For all her humorous bluster, his counter would likely have been met with one of her own. Ah, martial artists...

But hey, she actually got to touch his ear. Rhia's eyes widen just slightly. Not in surprise at the texture of the ear, but more that she actually was permitted to. Usually this was the point where someone would have pronounces her insane and then made a hasty escape! "Oh my...this is rather hard..." Musing lightly, the woman seemed to be taking mental notes already.

Upon hearing his response to her offer to come to her cozy and perfectly safe(not) laboratory, Rhia simply smiled and lowered her arm. His reaction to her little action with her hands was also duly noted. Only a brief recalling of his reaction rather than any concrete conclusion. The details would require further examination...

"Weeeeeellll, how would you profit, hmm~?" Repeating the Count's question, the scientist brought a hand to her chin, feigning deep thought on the matter. "I do not suppose that a sense of fulfillment that comes with the advancement of knowledge is adequate enough~?" She asked in a carefree tone, waving an extended finger. "Hmn, perhaps not..."

More deep thought.

And then she remembered that tiny engine he was examining earlier on. An idea sparks from that. "I suppose I do have some things you may find interesting within my little lair of knowledge. I have many different types of technology that you could examine at your leisure."

This sounded like a trap.

"Sound good~?"

Definitely a trap.

Count Valos has posed:
In all fairness, Gidarch was not very similar in mindset to that of his ilk, which wasn't to say he purposely strove to be unique so as to assert his identity as superior in its difference, but unbeknownst to Rhiannon.... it is not by decree of racial attribute that he behaves as he does, though some of his magical and physical powers were definitely courtesy of his biological lineage. The Count isn't aware that Rhia is a martial artist, though expertise is a necessity when blocking Gidarch's attacks, particularly because he's made almost of pure stone- standard parrying usually results in limbs that need nursing, but if redirected with precision, even a man with the magnitude of vigor that the dark one had could be deflected; it may be possible Rhiannon has such prowess.

Whatever the case may be, he pulls his punch on this occasion, oblivious to the fact that his 'opponent' is also familiar with bare-fisted warfare.... but the touching of his ear may be the only concession she'll get, when he factors into the equation that she's delved into the details of what she'd offer, but not what an 'examination' consisted of, "You seem.... hesitant to yield the particulars of how you intend to analyze me." The dark one narrows his eyes,.... he may not be all too knowledgable on human conventions as far as behavior, but universally, when people dodge questions while offering glittering treasures, it wreaks of trickery, and with a mind like the drow's, metallic mannerisms go hand in hand with his mechanical cognition. "I am not intrigued by your offer of getting to investigate trinkets, and I am not impressed by your lack of reply in regards to my wish for a clear definition of what an analysis refers to; it is unwise to toy with something whose parameters one does not fully understand."

At this point, his tone darkens just a smidgen- again, there isn't enough emotion to suggest he's feeling hostile towards her, as one might gather from a person who is posing a sincere threat. Gidarch is merely offering her information that will allow her to select her future decisions more cautiously; if he were a normal person who had a greater penchant towards allowing feelings to handle the reigns, then it might be mistakable as a warning, or threat. Again.... his voice is still calm, for the most part- but there is a diminutive trace of displeasure lurking somewhere inside of an otherwise utterly deadpan tone. "I will tell you what I want, but first I want you to tell me what you wish to subject me to, before I consent to anything- and I assure you that if you try to betray me,.... then... your.... machines.... will not be of much avail to any retribution I might see fit to enact." He's only guessing that mechanical enforcers are her means of reinforcement, being that he's in Goug, the city of industry and robotics. The dark one doesn't really enlighten her as to /why/ he's unafraid of machinery, but needless to say, he's warning her that if she is using that as her hidden ace, she's bound to be disappointed; on the other hand, the fact that he's warned her is yet another piece of ammunition in her arsenal, if she knows he can deal with machinery, she can at least -attempt- to prepare for a certain angle of attack, from Count Valos.

"Now then. I will afford you a spell longer to let your prospects be relayed unto me, and if they resonate with my sensibilities, we,.... /might/ be able to arrange something....." He taps his foot at this point, the first sign of impatience he's yet shown during the course of the conversation.

Rhiannon Zellen has posed:
Oh this was only becoming more and more amusing. The reply was an expected from the fron the good Count. Was she being purposely vague for the sake of reaction? Highly likely. "Oh dear, my generous offer seems to have been rejected~" Rhia spoke in a playful tone, not at all seeming to be insulted by the matter. How easygoing.

"What do I want with you?" She repeated, tapping her cheek lightly with a finger as she feigned ignorance to her own plans. "Well, what I want from you in particular...would be a sample of your blood and an X-Ray~!" Seemed simple enough, if he knew what an X-Ray was in any case. She didn't seem to care whether or not he did in any case.

Count Valos' growing hostilities, though subtle were taken notice of...they just were not heeded in the slightest. In fact, her smiled endured despite all that had transpired thus far. How strange indeed. "It is all very simple in the long run really."

She crossed her legs then, staring upwards at the sky for a moment and realizing that she had spent far more time idling outside than she normally would care to. Ah, how troublesome really. Time for research was just being wasted now.

"And I suppose I should also let you know that my 'trinkets' are more than what you seem to think." Knowing her, that was probably true. "Regardless, your answer~?"

Count Valos has posed:
Her offer wasn't actually rejected, though Gidarch was seemingly growing more impatient, which was evident by the foot-tapping. No, it wasn't that he hated the woman for trying to fool him, but what he -did- dislike was having his time wasted.... that was one of the few things in the world he despised, and when people stalled, he felt that he was being disrespected. It would've been one thing if he'd approached her and she frittered away his time- he's liable for his own actions, and if he'd approached her.... he'd only have himself to blame, but -she- solicited /him/, so the fact that she wasn't forthcoming was insulting to his intelligence. One thing is true of Count Valos, he is yet to reach the enlightenment of 'true' monks, and there's still a shred of narcissism left in him, such to the extent that when someone treats him like he's their plaything, he loses his tolerance for their company rapidly.

Nonetheless, when she mentioned that she wanted an X-Ray and a blood sample 'in particular', he rubbed his chin, thoughtfully. Being the wordsmith that he was, 'in particular' meant that there might have been other ambitions in store that she wasn't bringing to light for the sake of pulling a fast one on him, and it needn't be stated that when listening or speaking, meticulousness was pivotal to not being ensnared. "I would agree to.... one blood sample, and one X-Ray, and just those things in exclusion, in return for assistance with tracking down, and keeping tabs on the location of someone whom I wish to avoid. She..... disturbs my train of thought, which I assure you, is not easily accomplished." Even Rhiannon, for all her conniving and circumnavigating of the truth, only barely scratched any emotion within the still waters that comprised Gidarch's predisposition. Yes.... there was one person in this world who affected the drow, and this person was of his race, and he didn't trust himself to be able to maintain equilibrium in her presence, aside from the fact that he owed her a favor; thus, the dark one needed to elude her, even though she wasn't actively seeking him!

Unfolding his arms, a bit less defensively, he chimes in, "You will need.... tools with substantial structural integrity to pierce my skin, if you intend to get a sample of blood from my person. An ordinary needle will do naught but buckle and bend if you press it against my 'flesh', or my equivalent thereof.", he shrugs indifferently, as though it were of little consequence. "As far as the glamorizing of your trinkets is concerned, I would appeal to your sense of rationale, if you have any.... by denoting the fact that unless you are able to pierce my mental core, your assertion that your trinkets are more than I think is quite a presumption. I doubt you are aware of the level of technology to which I've been exposed over the duration of my life.....", at this point, he wags -his- finger warningly, repaying the favor she granted him earlier. "It is much more logical to speak from confirmed knowledge, than from mere suspicion....., in my experience.", he tacks on the end.

Rhiannon Zellen has posed:
An eyebrow was raised at the mention of tracking down a particular person. "...Oh? Really now? Well, with the wide breadth of information aafforded to me, I suppose it woud be no trouble to locate this particular individual, buuuuuut..." She grinned, tapping her cheek lightly in thought as she drew out the statement. "Someone whom you wish to avoid so badly? Someone that 'disturbs your train of thought?" Her grin widened at that.

"And finally 'she'? ...Oh my~ Ehehehe~" Cue a fit of giggles from the scientist aS she mulled over his words in her mind. "If I did not know any better...I would say that you are harboring some manner of infatuation with this individual~" So much for helping. It seemed more like she was just making fun of him now. Oh wait, she was. "Are you sure you do not actually want to see her instead? Hmm~?"

But then, in all of this, there was one pertinent question that had yet to be asked. "...Does 'she' have a name in any case?"

With those questions asked, Rhia retreated into the depths of her mind to consider what Valos had said after. His skin was really that hard, hmm? ...It looked like a simple needle wouldn't do. ...But she had an idea. Well, more like a hypothosis. But it was better than no idea whatsoever! This would require a more...close up examination. But first off...

She needed to know the details of who and what he wanted. A deal was a deal after all.

Count Valos has posed:
The Count was indeed affected by someone, and for this very reason, he felt it best to elude the woman- the fact that Rhiannon was making light of his plight caused him to wince a little bit; Gidarch had enough of an ego that he could still feel shame when his defects were emphasized. Keeping as much of a serious expression as he can, while listening to Rhiannon's request to know the name, and hoping she wouldn't exploit the information as leverage, thus causing his plan to backfire, the drow spoke up, "Her name is Morrighan Alazne. She is a dark elf."

The dark one doesn't confirm or deny the accusation that he's infatuated, Gidarch takes pride in his honesty, so if he couldn't refute something outright, he'd simply leave it to one's imagination whether the suspicions were a reality. Without clarifying what he means by the following statement, Gidarch elaborates on what he means by the fact that this 'Morrighan' disrupts his thinking, "She causes my heart rate to increase mildly, a sensation I dislike." One could interpret this in a number of ways... hatred, fear, or lust; the latter being the actuality, Gidarch wanted to stress the importance of avoiding the focus of his strife, while allowing for there to exist a margin of error in terms of the specific emotions 'seemingly' tied to his troubles. "I am certain that if your technologies are as superior as you assert, you should have scant problems in the detection of said individual."

Now he's going to make Rhiannon put her money where her mouth was!.... assuming she took him up on the offer, ".....Do you deem this acceptable?"

Rhiannon Zellen has posed:
The amusement evident on Rhia's face only grew with Valo's rather short explanation. "Ohhhh~?" She noticed that he hadn't answered the question in the least. But his explanation allowed for the imagination to fill in the blanks. "Well. Considering this, I suppose it would be bad if you two met now~" Yet, in actuality, Rhia would probably pay money to see them meet. But she likely would not be able to.

For one, work mostly kept her firmly situated in Goug. Secondly, the advancement of knowledge was far more important on the ladder of priorities than seeing the man before her squirm. And so with a shrug, the scientist turned away, watching as cars drove through the streets. "Morrighan Alazne. Dark Elf...Hmn." The oriental woman mumbled, producing a tablet-like device from her lab coat and tapping on it a bit. "...I see. Baron. Western continent, extremely long hair...about average height for a woman her age...Actually, her age is unknown, but she looks to be about twenty years of age in human terms..."

A glance is given towards the Count then, smiling slightly. "Does this all sound familiar?" She asked before making a casual amendment. "But this information is outdated. I suppose a follow up investigation is in order. After all, her location is still a question mark."

Count Valos has posed:
Obviously, Gidarch had mixed feelings about Morrighan; he yearned for her, but wished he didn't, and the only way to keep her off his mind was to keep her off his radar. Receiving notifications of her position would surely help him to stay away, and Rhiannon states that she thinks it would be 'bad' if they both met, so mayhap the scientist is under the impression that there are negative feelings between the two drows. Why else would Rhiannon empathize with Gidarch's problem? It could've been sarcasm, but again.... sometimes the dark one couldn't distinguish between truth and facade.

When Rhiannon begins to speak of Morrighan, Count Valos' breath hastens remotely, out of anticipation, and all the more when she describes the drowen female. Mustering what self-control he can, his body tenses up for a moment, trying to flush out whatever 'impure' thoughts go through his head, refocusing on the present, and on the terms of their pact..... focusing on what Rhiannon expected from him made it easier to handle the situation, and his body loosened up as Morrighan left his mind for the moment,.... at least, until he has to answer her question, at which point thoughts of the she-elf come flooding back and the subtlest trace of red splays across his face, "That is familiar. But yes.... if you could locate her, and keep me notified of her position, that would be most agreeable. There is of course.... no need to allow any harm to be brought to her in the process, I would not like that...."

He looks away for a moment, consumed by thoughts of Morrighan, and then he swiftly adds, ".....after all, if harm came to her on my account, and she were to find out, then retribution might be in store for me; so maintaining her health would be advantageous for my own sake." He nods. Although not an untrue statement, there is quite a different reason why he doesn't want her to be hurt, and probably more primary than the excuse he gave Rhiannon. The Count does squint a smidgen when she brings forth a tablet- which piques his interest for a stretch, but he's no more liable to confess his enthusiasm towards the device than he is on the subject of discussing Morrighan; such would insinuate that he was deficient in a resource of value to him, and to admit he needed something he didn't have was to admit that he had a flaw. "When would you like for me to follow you to your laboratory? I am nothing except confident that you have a hectic schedule, so to accommodate you, arrangements must be made....."

Rhiannon Zellen has posed:
"Oho~" Rhia uttered, a cheshire smile on her face as she observed Valos reactions. He hadn't said much of anything at all. Nor did he visibly react all that much. At least to the unobservant eye. But She was no one of them. Each tense, the faint hint of red that displayed on his face briefly, the breaking of eye contact. It was telling. But rather than capitalize on these slips to his detriment, the scientist instead filed the information away. TO be mused upon later.

"Very well then. I will put through a request to investigate her, find out just what she is up to in the meantime." A few more taps of her tablet, likely an email sent out to some other entity, and then the device is stowed away, back into her lab coat. "Surely you will understand when I say that I personally will not be able to locate this Morrighan for you. My demands my attention after all." She then smiled, sliding her arms back within her long sleeves, essentually hiding them. "But you can rest assured, she will be located. The only matter now is; how would you like to be contacted in the eventuality that she is pinpointed? Do you possess a long distance communications device of some sort?" Or course, Rhia could have just said Cell Phone. But...that was a narrow assumption.

"In any case, I am rather busy with a project currently. If I was not, I would have you come in right at this very second. Hmn..." She mused, looking upwards thoughtfully.

After a bit, Rhia glanced back at Valos and smiled. "I will be busy for the rest of the week I wager, any time next week would be good. Normally I would have started on another project by then, but if I know that I will be meeting you, I can hold off before then."

Count Valos has posed:
The Count had a very inhibited way of responding to certain stimuli, but like any organism concerned with its own survival, he had some degree of emotion that activated impulses designed to motivate him towards carrying out one action over another. As such, his nature compelled him towards passing on his genes, which meant finding a compatible mating partner, and for whatever reason, pheromones or otherwise..... in his own mind, Gidarch felt that he was compatible with Morrighan.

The only problem was, at one time, he'd had a mate, and though she wasn't within the World of Ruin, to his knowledge, his basic instincts were at war with his socialized belief system, which made for a man who needed to put in an active effort to resist temptations, even so much as exhibiting 'natural', outward responses to pieces of data that led him down particular paths of rumination. No.... it still would've taken a skilled individual to see these faint flickers of feeling resonating through his facial muscles and body, but it so happens to be his misfortune that the female scientist before him is perceptive enough to pick up on his involuntary reactions that he's been trying to restrain manually. Providence shines on him though, as Rhiannon draws his attention to other matters, and away from the she-elf, mainly how to keep in communication, to which Count Valos furrows his brow in consideration of her challenge. Not normally one to part with his own belongings, Gidarch reaches into his pocket, and pulls out a very small nugget of some highly peculiar metallic substance.

"This is adaman metal. In my world, it is almost impossible to come by, so it goes without saying that in this nexus of realms, the odds are even lower, when taking into account that only some of my lands were assimilated into this melting pot." He extends his hand forward, offering the tiny hunk of metal to Rhiannon, "I do not have many of these.... but they are unlike almost any other metal known to man, when factoring in its durability; it far exceeds even boron carbide in toughness. I can sense metal, and minerals in my vicinity." The dark one nods his head, as if to affirm the validity of his statements, "You take this with you, and I can find you if you are on this continent. I can not rightly distinguish two pieces of iron from one another that easily, but this has a particular electromagnetic signature not found in standard metals. When you want me to find you, I trust you have the resources available to you that will enable you to send an electrical pulse through that piece of metal. That is what you need to do; I will sense the fluctuations, and I will follow its signature until I find its location."

He raises a finger, signifying his making a point, "I will lend this to you. When we meet again, I will reclaim it." Gidarch lifts his hand evasively, as if to hint that he's not just going to give it away that easily, and that in order for her to acquire it, she has to agree.

Count Valos has posed:
....It must be evident by now that this deal must be quite worthwhile to him, by the fact that he's willing to give up a precious piece of adaman just so that he can be contacted by Rhiannon.

Rhiannon Zellen has posed:
Rhia eyed the piece of metal with interest as Gidarch had explained. She had never heard of such a material before. Perhaps it's origins lie with another world perhaps. "I see...How can intriguing material you have there..." She mused, tilting her head slightly as she observed. A nod is given afterward, though the scientist made absolutely no effort to reach out and take it.

"This is a reasonable stipulation. In the event that new information comes in, I will..." separating her sleeves now, Rhia raised a hand, index finger extended, and began to emit an electric pulse; a weak lightning spell. The visible parts of her skin, which is to say her face and hands, as well as partially through her stockings, briefly glowed white, revealing an ornate array of glyphs embedded into her skin before they faded away once the magic died down. "...Simply run an electric pulse through it. I trust you will be able to sense it then."

It wasn't even a question. It was more of a statement, considering what Valos had said before. No need to be redundant after all.

With all of that confirmed, she finally held a hand out to him, palm open and upwards in a recieving gesture. "Now, I suppose the deal is finalized then, yes?"

Count Valos has posed:
Gidarch nodded to Rhia, and dropped the fragment of metal into her hand, relinquishing it without any other strings attached to their deal; it did take a bit of courage for him to let go of his hunk of metal, because he didn't know her well enough to trust her that easily.... but the fact was, if she could help him to lead himself not into temptation, courtesy of avoiding Morrighan, then the scientist would be doing him a great service. He had faith in his ability to resist, but that didn't mean it would've been especially comfortable for him to confront the she-elf again, only to have to deny his nature. Why subject oneself to teasing, when they can dispense with it altogether?

Being constructive meant pursuing the minimalistic approach to life, and secluding himself when not interacting solely for the benefit of survival-oriented purposes. Until he could completely banish his cravings, or reduce them to the point of near-oblivion, he had to stay away from people whenever possible.... socialization was ruining him; it was his view that only utter isolation would save the day, "I trust that this will not be damaged while it is in your care. I also trust you will not extract samples for yourself..... I am very proficient in detecting the weight, and density of objects, and I will notice the absence of even a sliver's worth of the material...."

He doesn't really add it as a stipulation- but he lets her know that trickery will be hard to conceal from him; at least he thinks so, at any rate. Maybe she believes she can sneak past his radar. The dark one doesn't respond too much when he sees the runes appear on her skin.... his world is filled with magicians who employ arcana of all sorts, and manipulation of electricity wasn't terribly uncommon. But just as she filed away information about him, he sears the event into his mind in case of a later necessity for its recollection. Dropping the piece of metal into her hand as she opens her palm to receive it, he gives but a one word response to her question, "Affirmative." With that, he bows, and comments, "Go now, and do as you must." which is his means of saying 'farewell', in a completely neutral, non-friendly, or non-unfriendly way.