What a fine mess this is

As expected, Rogue didn’t appreciate her intrusion of his brooding alone time. The look on his face was confirmation enough; the way he glared at her with those piercing amethyst eyes, his lips drawn into a tight line and the tension between them thick with unspoken emotion. She knew he was ready to lash out, she could feel it in the air; that thick, palpable tension that was mixed with frustration and disapproval, as he was undoubtedly upset about the loss of Ashen.

Of course, her intrusion wasn’t the only catalyst - Rogue had his reasons for brooding all alone next to the lake - but because he was scrutinizing her so openly, she took offense to it.

But he scoffed, outwardly amused by her suggestion, smirking at her and asking if she wanted to get cut again. Memories of his sharp quills pricking her paw came to mind, the bitter reminder of her loss bubbling up from her belly, leaving a nasty taste in her mouth. Someday soon, she would redeem herself against him, now that she was better prepared and knew what she was up against. Stay away from the quills and the claws.

“What, don’t feel like getting bit again?” She’d retort, pulling her lips back into a smirk that revealed her small, needle-like teeth. They gleamed in the low lighting, creating a mesmerizing yet eerie sight, as they were cast across a backdrop of dark, inky lips. “Maybe I do, maybe I don’t.” Another retort, but this time, there was a sharpness to her words, and it was meant to cut through the veil of civility between them. “Either way, I can take whatever you’ve got to throw at me.” She was clearly trying to provoke him, wanting to expose and explore the raw emotion and vulnerability festering inside of them both. Afterall, this was the only way she knew how to navigate foreign emotions.

All she knew was to fight.

And when he asked why she was still here, she’d ignore the question. For now anyway. Instead, she’d cock a brow at him, seeking to lock their gazes together as she issued him a silent challenge. Every glance stoked the flame building inside of her, the tension between them festering and growing until it imploded inside of Nimue.

In a single, decisive moment, she attempts to lunge forward, having been perpendicular to Rogue. A rush of cool air filled her lungs, her eyes locked on her target, as she attempted to grab him by the side of his neck, where his fur was bunched up and lacking quills. She knew better than to try and bite those.

And, whether she was able to grab a mouthful of skin, or if she failed and spoke into the air, didn’t matter. She’d still continue to taunt him, wanting to provoke and annoy so he’d unleash that pent-up frustration with her. "You wanna know? Beat it out of me then!" She said, ready to take whatever Rogue had to ‘offer’, as he said before. He may have been bigger. Stronger. More experienced in battle than her. But Nimue was a force to be reckoned with, a marvel of strength and agility packed into a diminutive frame.

"Nimue Vasanti"