Exiting the hot cooking surface and entering the burning chemical reaction

Samara would score that another success, drawing even half a smile from the man. She'd always thought of herself as rather clever and prided herself on a decent sense of humor when among her family but she rarely got to flex those muscles away from them and it felt validating to know she could turn a frown even outside her siblings.

Rhyme said he hadn't seen her sister and Samara nodded, even allowing some of her real dejection into her expression. The woman hadn't expected much, it'd have given her good reason to pause if Jekyll or Hannibal hadn't made themselves at least somewhat known at this point, it would have meant they were either injured or worse yet, plotting something big and dramatic and likely to force her to make her allegiances known... it wouldn't have been the first time. But Deathbelle was a cut above, smart enough to know how to fly just under the radar.

Still Rhyme's comment summoned a peal of laughter from the woman. I'd never have guessed that Mr. Rhyme. Never in a million years. She emphasized his name, tone light with humor. Samara watched him as she spoke, aware of how much you could glean from someone when they were listening, when they weren't as focused on the image they projected. I have reason to believe she's here, or at least was, caught faint traces of her scent in the desert but it's hard enough to track over shifting dunes before the sand is all blown away, even more so when it can take all day for you to breach a single sandy hill. She could imagine the long limbs of her sister carrying her through the sand with ease, sinking only to her ankles if the sand tried to swallow her... Not Samara though.

That thought was allowed to drift however as they finally drew before the shade Rhyme had helped her hobble to. Samara lifted herself off him and awkwardly waddled to the base of one of the trees, keeping her treated ankle lifted to her chest. She slowly and carefully lowered herself onto her side, turning her gaze towards the man and gesturing for him to join her.

Speech