Arialla almost, almost smiled at that description of her. She didn't mind if an Ascended thought she was a hardass, and there was something satisfying about being stone cold to them -- stone might be cold, after all, but it was also invulnerable. No Ascended could get through to her, with words or fangs.
Last chance to try to kill Adam. As he turned his back, Arialla really thought about it. But something still held her back. Yes, she wanted him dead, but she wasn't quite willing to take up arms herself -- to stab a man in the back as he walked away from her. Or something that looked like a man. She did have to remind herself occasionally that he wasn't a person.
Person or not, he wouldn't perish at Arialla's hands, not this time. She almost told him that if she saw him again, she'd kill him, but that was a promise she wasn't sure she could keep. So she said nothing as Adam walked away, just watched him disappear into the distance -- and then headed down to the waves. After this conversation, as after any conversation with Ascended, she had the urge to cleanse herself, to bathe in the salt water until all trace of their sin was washed away. Her dolphin form would help with that.
- FIN
please don't take my sunshine away
