[b][color=f6989d]Sister Marta Rocha[/color]

Mission Four - Knives in Phnom Penh

The City of Phnom Penh - 11/11/2022[/b]

It is much easier to deal with the effects of politics, thought Marta, than politics themselves. An invading army can be fought, a destroyed town can be rebuilt, and hungry people can be fed, but a battle waged with veiled threats, hidden compromises, and honeyed words weighed down by the sickly sweetness of double-triple-meanings was not that. If it weren't for the likelihood of escalation, she'd almost have preferred if their brazen foes had just punched her in the face - that she could deal with - something that could be handled with touch and feeling.

As she was, the stress and thumb-twiddling had left her already fatigued - but more than that, she was [i]bored[/i]. Even with the high stakes and potential dangers, nothing had gone catastrophically wrong - yet - and her delegation had been reasonably well-behaved, all things considered, leaving her with no recourse but to stand there and listen in on all the complex talk of intrigue and politics. Her incredible ability to fall asleep in any situation turned against her, the Sister was already starting to feel drowsy.

...

...

She jolts with a start from her position, leaning against the wall. She'd almost fallen asleep standing right there... that probably wouldn't be too responsible. Her Right Hand could put her back into action immediately, washing away fatigue and inflammation faster than any caffeinated beverage, but beyond seeming ill-advised in this context, using her powers for the equivalent of an energy drink just felt so petty.

She rubbed the bridge of her nose and did a few stretches before leaning back against the wall. [i]Ugh, this pernicious somnolence... Keep it together, Marta; This is your responsibility, too. [/i]