Nina Stenet
"Great acts are made up of small deeds." - Lao Tzu
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Player: Avalikia ~
Registered On: Nov 4, 2010 0:01:40 GMT -5 ~
Posts: 696
~ Relationship Status: Single
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Post by Nina Stenet on Feb 3, 2011 19:42:40 GMT -5
Perhaps Nina's words had been a bit rash, but she'll be very slow to regret them because of how The Riddler reacts. While they do give him just one more clue that she didn't need to give him, they also give her a clue about him. Arrogance - even after being told that she has the potential to be lethal even in this situation (and believing it, it seems), still the arrogance. For a smart man, that's an incredibly stupid, she notes to herself, Thinks so well of himself that he underestimates me by comparison.
The use of the wrong prefix does not irritate Nina in the least - the only reason she corrected him the first time was because of the possibility that it had been an error on his part, but this was obviously intentional and therefore just as meaningless as his other opinions of her. While she does have some sense of pride in her accomplishments, she hardly feels the need to be recognized for them, especially by him. He probably assumes that she's much more like him than she is.
Similarly, her reaction to the look of understanding on his face is probably underwhelming: And just what does he think he's figured out? she has to ask herself, but it takes her a moment to figure out exactly what realization he's made - the strength of his reaction misleads her into thinking that it's something greater than it is, So he thinks that simply knowing I can do something that other people can't is that big of a game changer? Oh there's far more to it than that. Don't think you've climbed the ladder when you're only on the second step, Riddler. And if he does intend to investigate further, these sorts of misjudgments on his part this early on is a definite sign that he won't be careful enough.
And so The Riddler's words have what just might be the opposite effect of what he expects: Nina relaxes a bit further as her fear of him lowers, quickly replaced by self-confidence. It's not the cocky sort of confidence the Riddler has, just the self-assurance of one who feels that they are probably not in over their head. "Nice to meet you, Sherlock," she says quietly when it becomes apparent that they're about to leave, her voice hinting just the slightest bit at humor even though her face remains passive. If you'd told her she could even have a sense of humor in a situation like this she'd not have believed it before - this is an incalculably more dangerous situation than she'd ever imagined being in, and she's surprising herself a great deal by how well she's taking it.
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Registered On: Apr 25, 2024 7:19:46 GMT -5 ~
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Last Edit: Feb 4, 2011 0:50:54 GMT -5 by Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2011 0:05:40 GMT -5
He wouldn’t state that he was stunned by her expression because well...he could predict and prepare for just about anything, but he was severely disappointed.
Nothing.
No reaction at all.
She appeared even more calm and collective then she did before. He had just determined a large part of her secret, and she looked like he had just discovered the blue sky. Did she know who he was? He was the Riddler! The world renowned Master of Puzzles! The French even called him the Sphinx! Yet her relax expression and almost tilt of a smile proved that she didn’t believe him to be a threat. He tried to brush off the lack of fear or surprise on her face as something else. Maybe she wasn’t as smart as she appeared. It was possible that she didn’t even realize that he had determined part of her secret. She was showing relief over the fact that he was leaving, and she would be in a safer environment. Yes, he would have been glad to think that way until that snippy remark left those lips of hers.
The first time she made reference to the great detective he took it as an expected compliment, but she was testing him right now. She had realized that he had figured out part of her secret and was taunting him with it. Oh a kindergartener could have pieced his building blocks together in the time it took you to figure this out, she mocked with her small words and relax features. He felt his grip tighten on his cane, and his head lower slightly so his bowler cap covered part of his face. If she wanted to play a game of chess with him he would take her offer. She would lose.
He smirked as he spoke, “Можно полагать, что Вы следующего Фишер, но поверьте мне, я играл в эту игру гораздо дольше, то у вас есть. Совет совет, волк всегда ест ягненка.” His accent was slightly harsher then he meant it to be, but it still left his mouth in a perfect rhythmic flow. He lifted his head back up to smile at her as he reached out for her hand quickly. Before she could protest, he shifted the gun in his hand so he was still able to grab her hand. He brought it up to his lips and gave it a quick kiss, smirking against her skin. “Nice to meet you as well,” he stated politely before letting go of her completely.
“Grab the artwork,” he snapped back to Allen as he turned to the exit. He tossed back his trademark Green Questionmark card to mark that he was here, but it provided no riddle. His focus had changed, which meant his riddle would change.
“And don’t get your greasy prints on any of them,” he added. He heard Allen mutter something about not being an idiotic possum that Edward decided to ignore. Edward's cane was already scratching against the tile surface as he rushed away in anger and frustration. He still couldn’t believe some normal citizen was challenging him. He had outsmarted the Batman and this one woman thought she had a chance. She would be as easy as a rubix cube. Solved in a minute. His next riddle for Gotham could wait. Batman could wait. Right now his entire attention would be on Nina Stenet, and any person with half a brain could tell you, that is not a favorable position to be in.
“I have a riddle for you Miss Stenet,” he spoke quietly to himself in the darken hallways, “do you think you can solve it?” He then left the museum as easily as he had entered with the only sign of him ever stepping foot into the establishment being the card and the missing paintings.
Ten minutes after the Riddler leaves the lights will come back on. The video cameras will never have a direct view of his face. The white van that left the alley will be caught by an ATM street camera with the Riddler looking irritated in the passenger seat and a small blond boy driving safely but with a worried expression. The license plate is fake reading EN1GMA.
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Nina Stenet
"Great acts are made up of small deeds." - Lao Tzu
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Player: Avalikia ~
Registered On: Nov 4, 2010 0:01:40 GMT -5 ~
Posts: 696
~ Relationship Status: Single
~ Character Profile
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Post by Nina Stenet on Feb 4, 2011 5:21:03 GMT -5
The subtle signs of anger coming from The Riddler surprise Nina. He hadn't seemed angry before, despite the fact that she'd said any number of things that he could have interpreted that way. Instead he'd been intrigued or amused, and now she made what was to her a pretty innocent comment and she'd gotten him upset. What she wouldn't give to be able to read minds - but that requires a different talent than hers. If, as she's guessed, he decides to find her again it would be useful for her to know what makes him angry, but this isn't enough to go on.
The Russian is nonsensical to her - if it was Greek or Latin (actually useful in her field of study) she might have understood. As it is, she can only guess which language that was and guess that it was something meant to intimidate her - she still has plenty of that, thank you. Her hand is limp when he grabs it and she feels her heart skip a beat when he kisses it, but she makes no move to protest - the sudden movement of the gun had too much of her attention. While she figures that if he was going to shoot her he would have done so already, she can't trust that enough to not still be aware of any sign that it may yet happen. She makes no other response to this except a slight pursing of the lips.
She reverts back to passively standing there until after they've left and she finds it difficult to continue to follow that now very familiar nerve in his forearm - a sure sign that he's far enough away for her to consider herself 'safe' again. It's only then she starts to take several large, shaky breaths and try to piece together what just happened here. She's quick to give up on second-guessing pretty much every decision she'd made starting with the one to take the day off - that helps nothing. Instead she tries to piece together everything that she couldn't during the spur of the moment - what does he know and not know? What does she know about him?
She feels like she's hardly begun that process when the lights come back on, and not long thereafter then she's interrupted by the police who want to know exactly what she saw since the cameras were out and she'd obviously been there the whole time. She tells them everything and nothing - all the details that they'll need for the case and completely omitting just how much attention The Riddler paid to her during the power outage. If she were to tell the police just how intrigued he'd been by her, not only were they likely to ask awkward questions about why but they might decide to try to protect her - and having someone else between her and The Riddler when and if he decided to contact her again is not something that she wants.
If a woman with her abilities can't protect herself from him, then who can? Batman, perhaps, but she's hesitant to use even him as a shield. I can handle him myself, anyways. He's smart but he has flaws and failings just like anyone, and he hasn't the slightest idea what I can do. And what I can do isn't even slightly unsubstantial. The only problem is keeping him in the dark about how I'm doing it if I have to defend myself.
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