Xaviers!

Gemma's foot was tapping incessantly as she sat on one of the couches, reading a book and sipping at a cup of coffee. The tapping had long since driven off everyone sitting near her, even though it still managed to have a musical rhythm to it.

((Open))

"...now I know how I must sound to people," Sam remarks as she nears.

As Gemma looks up, Sam gets a sort of weird double-vision. There's the pointy-eared young woman sitting their in traditional lazy college student garb of jeans and sweatshirt, but over that is chain armor of some sort of metal that shifts colors with each subtle movement. She's not wearing a helmet, but Sam can easily see that a sword hangs at her side and a shield on her back. The shield is translucent, but of the same shifting colors as the armor. In between blinks, the overlay disappears and she's left with the pointy-eared young woman. Unbidden, one of Sam's ravens flies over to rest on the young woman's shoulder, but it doesn't seem to bother her. She glances around at the other couches, noticing the wide berth for the first time, "I'm sorry. Someone should have said something, though I guess you are."

Sam blinks a bit in confusion, steadying herself.

"Well I know how it feels to get a rhythm stuck in your head. You must be Gemma."

"I am. You're..." She seems to struggle for a moment before she says, "Samantha."

"...I'm sorry. Am I making this weird? I'm probably making this weird."

"Why would it be weird? I long ago made my peace with the Morrigan, but I'm given to understand that you're not fond of the title."

"Well I'm not... here to snatch you up or anything."

"...why do I feel like you're wearing armor?"

"Because I could be, if my magic weren't tied up. I'm sure Vivienne could explain more than I'm allowed to."

"Just like that, eh? From casual to combat?"

"One has to always be prepared for a fight. Your opponents will not wait for you to equip yourself typically."

"I can sympathize with that, too. I've been trying to be more prepared myself."

"I would have thought you were prepared at all times."

"I don't know what you've heard, but anyone can be blindsided."

"Really now? I'll have to make a note of that." She smiles at Sam.

"...oh, that looks like I just gave you an awful idea."

"It might have been useful information, had you not made up with Vivienne." She seems to struggle to just say 'Vivienne'.

"...well the last one who tried it came to regret the decision."

Gemma can't seem to help herself. "Someone actually blind-sided the Morrigan?"

"A shapeshifter that impersonated my girlfriend."

"Ah, the werewolf," she says as if she's avoiding an elephant lounging about the room. "Shapeshifters are an excellent reason to always be on your guard."

"I won't take that personally," she smirks.

"I wouldn't have said it if I thought you would. Besides, it's not as if you frighten me."

"That's... actually kind of refreshing?"

"I mean, there's a lot of people who just think I'm crazy, and a few that believe me and make a big deal out of it."

"I'm guessing Vivienne is one of the ones who makes a big deal out of it?"

"Aye," she nods.

"It's a bit overwhelming to be talked about in those terms."

Gemma seems to choose her words carefully, "No offense to the Lady, but she's... not a warrior. Trained yes, but not the way I was. We... have to make our peace with the Morrigan as a part of our training. If someone can't do that, they can't be counted on. They step back at the wrong time, they flinch or drop their guard because they're afraid of dying and they cost more than their own lives."

"...kind of reminds me of a song," she says as she fishes out her phone.

Sitting down, she spends a moment fiddling with it before setting it on the table as music comes out of it.

Much like Gemma was earlier, she keeps time with her hand on her hip.

Gemma listens quietly, her foot tapping in response as she picks up the rhythm of the music. As it ends, she adds, "Wise words." She glances at the phone carefully without touching it, "This is some sort of worship song from some sort of cult?"

"What? Oh, no. That's just the band name. People always like to name their bands cool shite."

"Ah, of course," she says, nodding. "Sometimes things like that still confuse me."

"I've been trying to start one myself, with my girlfriend. It's okay to be weird if you're a rocker, pretty much."

"I would hazard to say that you can't help but be strange, so maybe a 'band' would be the way to go."

"You've got pretty good rhythm. Do you play anything?"

"I was taught flute and harp as a part of my training."

"I'm... not sure that would really work with what we're going for. No offense."

"They really expect you to play an instrument to be a soldier?"

"Discipline. Practice. And being court presentable. Why? Do they not expect that of soldiers here?"

"I've never been in the military. I mean, I assume the discipline part is there, but they don't go to royal courts so much."

"Perhaps they should. One should be a well-rounded warrior."

"Well I guess, if one's going to rescue the fair princess and get a kiss at the end of it all."