"Cease your tomfoolery at once you damn brat!"
"Pft, ha, no." Mimi snickered as she set up a domino piece near Ares' head and ran over to the start of the chain to set his embarrassing fate in motion. "Also, why are you speaking like an old man?!"
Barely managing a shrug in his current state, Ares sighed and responded half heartedly. "Keeping myself entertained, I guess? Getting bullied for an hour straight gets a bit boring after a while... Wanna swap positions?"
"In your dreams golden boy." Mimi flicked the snake eyes domino at her feet and watched in ramping glee as the chain took a circular route, winding inwards, until finally the last piece fell and lightly bonked Ares' cranium. "Hehehehe." Unable to stop herself from cackling at the sight, Mimi picked up the phone she'd left on a tripod to record this humiliation ritual and rewatched it over and over again until she was finally satisfied. "Definitely posting this one on social media. A bit of hazing for the new recruits is perfectly fine no? you wouldn't begrudge your senior this would you?" Mimi's charmingly innocent questions were spoken with a vicious glimmer in her eyes and Ares wanted to break free from his lethargy and set her straight! Alas, it was simply not possible so he could only endure as best he could.
"Tsk, if I didn't know any better I'd think you were a revenant. You're pretty good at riling people up, you know that?"
"Ha, well I guess that's normal. I'm not a revenant but I'm not a human either." Mimi flicked a strand of hair to the side and shrugged as she began setting up whatever manner of insulting stunt she had planned next.
"Oh? Not a human? Lemme have a look and see what's what then..." Ares tried to activate Omniscience and uncover the truth of the matter but Mimi chucked a piece of thick cloth over his face and blocked his line of sight. She'd been extremely careful about Ares' Omniscience as her sixth sense must have warned her she'd be exposed if he was able to scan her with it. Her intuition was rather keen and Ares couldn't fault her quick reactions to his methods. Even if he spoke his intentions out loud, and made his goal obvious from the start, it didn't make much of a difference as she seemed to be aware of the shift in his facial expressions before he even decided to try and oust her with Omniscience. She was prepared already and didn't need a warning. Mimi could read it in his eyes, and via the slight curve of his lips, that Ares was about to try and dismantle her disguise so she acted with impressive reflexes to stop it. Also, as an aside, Ares could have sworn this cloth covering his face was pretty high quality stuff. He obviously didn't know what it was, something from a higher domain most likely, but it somehow blended softness with firmness in a way he couldn't quite put his finger on. Why Mimi had a material like this on her person he didn't know. Maybe she'd picked it up in an auction, or from a legacy tomb, and was going to ask the sect's blacksmith to make something out of it for her?
"Tell you what," started Mimi. "If you can guess my race without using that golden eye magic of yours I'll give you a reward. If not, if you guess wrong, you'll owe me a favour. Sound good?" Mimi removed the cloth once she sensed Ares' golden eye magic was gone and directed a smirk his way as if to challenge him to a bet she felt highly comfortable winning... And there was a good reason for that...
"Tsk, you really do take me a fool, huh? I'm glad my acting skills are getting the recognition they deserve but I'm not actually stupid enough to take you up on that bet even if you might think otherwise. There's nothing I have to go on, no hints to clue me in to whatever it is you really are, and there are quite literally millions of races out there most of which I haven't even heard of, so this just seems entirely unreasonable. There's no realistic way I can guess that! Also, what reward could you possibly even give me anyway? Aren't you just going to pilfer the sect's treasury, give me something I could have accessed myself anyway, and call it a day?"
"Bah, wrong! Wrongly wrong! Wrong on all accounts! I'll have you know I'm plenty talented enough to give you a fitting reward, one you definitely won't regret winning if you actually can. I'm many things but not a liar!... A swindler occasionally, maybe, but not a liar! Also, no, what I'm offering is something you can't get anywhere else, no amount of rummaging around in the sect treasury will get you what it is I'm offering here so think wisely... Not that it matters, you won't win the bet anyway. Better yet, you won't even take part because you're too much of a coward, rig〜ht?"
"Nuh-uh, don't you reverse psychology me. That won't work! It won't! Absolutely not! I'm tempted but it won't!"
"Hypocrite! Don't think I don't know what you're doing. Trying to get me to reveal what I can offer you, what sort of reward you can get from me, so you have a better chance at grasping my race." Annoyingly, Mimi was right. Reverse psychology appeared to be the name of the game for both of them. Dwarves were usually good a blacksmithing, elves at runemancy, dark elementals at turning invisible and blending in, etc... Races had very specific traits that were almost always applicable and so Ares trying to figure out what benefits Mimi could provide him with specifically might be the key to unearthing her secrets. After all, the only way she could promise Ares a reward he couldn't get anywhere else is if it was a direct result of her own talent creating it. That already narrowed the potential options down somewhat... Maybe. It wasn't ironclad that every single blacksmith was a dwarf, every single elf was a runemancer, etc... It was actually rather dangerous to think like that as it wasn't a broad perspective and might lead Ares to make costly mistakes in the future. As if to prove this precautionary thought correct....
"Besides, I'm special see? Even if you knew my talent, it wouldn't help you figure out my race. I'm quite different from the rest of my kind, far more intelligent and capable in fields we don't usually specialise or excel in." Mimi's playfulness and cocky attitude had taken a back seat temporarily as it seemed like she was capable of getting very invested in whatever her talent was. It was something she seemed to enjoy enough to talk about it seriously and stop bothering immobile Ares for a few minutes. Whatever her talent was, she was clearly very proud of it and understood that joking around would lower Ares' estimation of her skills so she held her tongue. It was actually somewhat shocking to see the drastic change in her tone and attitude but also somewhat admirable because there was a level of restraint Ares hadn't initially expected from this free-spirited brat. Maybe she wasn't all fun and games after all. "Hmph, you know what? Fine. You'll figure out what I can do eventually anyway because we're in the same sect after all. My services are in high demand from the other members constantly and there's no point hiding it. My reward to you, if you can guess my race, will be the same thing everyone else wants of me and I don't usually hand out my spare time like free candy. It's definitely a worthwhile reward to chase after. Also..." Mimi's playful smirk returned and it didn't take Ares more than a split second to realise she was back into full-brat mode." I'm sure you want to know who your tormentor was so you can leave a five star review, no?" Mimi spoke as if Ares had every reason to be thankful, kneeling and worshipping her with tears in his eyes, for the way she'd been messing with him. There was a deep seated genuine quality to her tone and flowing movements, as if she were a noble lady whose words were stating the most obvious truths in the universe, but it was all fake and a load of rubbish!
"Zero stars! Zero! That's my review! I hope you get fired!"
"Oh? Then I guess there's room to improve and I'll just have to torment you even harder!" Mimi leaned over Ares and her grin widened exponentially, her words becoming sharp and slightly demented as she was rather proud of seamlessly slipping her own twisted logic into the conversation. More than anything, Ares' inability to stop her from doing whatever she pleased while he resisted verbally was its own excitement for her as it was a kind of challenge; a resistance that just made breaking down his barriers and driving him to beg for mercy all that much sweeter when she finally achieved it. She didn't care about the end result, she was sure him surrendering was a given like all the others she'd messed with, it was the process of going back and forth. Letting the other person crumble was a feeling she couldn't get enough of and the tougher they were, the greater the inevitable fall would be. She could toy with the person who's very existence bothered her to no end to so this was the ultimate prey that had very conveniently fallen right into her lap. His talent was superior to hers, there was no way she couldn't acknowledge it if directly asked, and so he deserved to be bullied a bit for making her feel inferior for even a single mere moment! Mimi was slightly sadistic, proud, and a tease at heart, all of which combined in the perfect way so as yo make Ares the juiciest target she'd ever seen. His talent wounded her pride, his willingness to engage in improv-acting-esque amusement, even if he was the butt of it, stirred that sadism, and his revenant personality that could respond in kind to teasing, and even fire some back her way, made him enjoyable to speak with. Mimi had found a good junior that really suited her tastes down to a tee... "Without further ado..." Mimi stood tall, turned, and walked about seven steps away from Ares before pivoting and taking a seat on a sleek and thin bronze barber stool she pulled from her spatial ring as her true form revealed itself.
Ghastly light blue-grey. That was the first of two colours that jumped out at Ares. A top down analysis of Mimi's true appearance was perhaps the most jarring way of going about viewing her because of the highly conspicuous and prominent hairdo that possessed a light and ethereal weight to it. Mimi's hairdo, or current hairdo anyway, was that of a pinwheel bow, the kind fashioned from ribbon, and really stood out with its curvy design and perfectly measured gaps. This section of her hair would likely change frequently and be styled after other types of bows as well as there were signs of repeated tampering with the exact length and shape it took. Mimi clearly cared a lot about her hair and was rather careful with it. There was more hair beneath the bow, falling down to her hips give or take, but there were only a few loose strands so it was more of an accent to her form than a highlight in and of itself. There was also a short butterfly haircut towards the front of her head with the remaining hair, all of which that same haunting bluish grey that made her feel less like a living creature and more like some kind of wandering spirit. As for the face that followed, she looked young... But there was a wisdom and clarity in her dark blue eyes that betrayed a more aged cultivator. The contrast between eye colour and hair odour served to ground her in the realm of the living and provide a sharpness to her otherwise smooth facial features. Thin lips, a soft face, and a slightly curved nose all gave a highly youthful appearance but, again, the eyes, and the dark lashes around them, anchored her not appearance wise, necessarily, but gave her a charm that was only possessed by woman who were capable of navigating and understanding the nuances of their own style ona deeper level. In particular, Mimi's arrogance was amplified ten fold by the condescension radiating from her eyes amd the sneer of her lips unintentionally revealing a flicker of the brilliant white teeth behind them.
Going further down revealed the first splash of the second abundant colour, and only other colour she wore, to grace her flesh as a black collar pulsed with a faint glow that indicated it was some manner of treasure or artifact. Either way, it was tight and shaped the lines of skin around it, sinking the outermost layer of flesh inwards a tiny bit which only made her relatively small neck look even thinner and gave it an almost fetishistic allure. As for everything below the neck... Well there wasn't much to talk about. Mimi's outfit was... Revealing, to say the least, and even that was probably an understatement. She wasn't particularly tall, only around five foot, and it appeared she wouldn't grow any taller. At least that was the rough impression one would have when contrasting the apparent wisdom and associated age with her current stature. It might have been possible for her to change it, as cultivators could adapt their bodes fi they put in the effort, but she couldn't seem to care less about her height and so relatively tiny she would stay.
As for the body itself, about 60-70% of it was bare and revealed but it was done so in an unusually careful and meticulous way. It wasn't overly lewd, surprisingly, but rather calculated and measured via a strange dress that seemed to curve around her in a diagonal pattern and interrupt sightlines to her form periodically. Stripes of pure glossy black, almost shadow-like gleaming lines of some silky material wrapped around her chest and waist. Between them were visible strips of pristine flesh and snippets of the underside of her small, prim and proper breasts could be seen clearly. Her forearms and onward, all the way to the tip of her fingers, were also coated in this strange black material, gloving her entire hand and further contributing to the unusual gothic dress style that both bared much and showed little. As for where the dress ended, that was just below her waist and there was seemingly little else there. Though it was highly likely she wore something underneath, it was barely not possible to view that forbidden area as the hem of the dress she was wearing was rather flamboyant, like a petal in bloom, and the bronze-brown layering on the inside obscured anything that lay hidden. The only other piece of clothing worn were a pair of high heels but they were so far withdrawn from any other piece of clothing, because the entirety of her legs were completely bare, that they almost felt like they were a natural part of her body and one with nature. One would have to triple check to make sure they were there which was odd because of how tall the heel was, so much so the feet inside the shoes almost looked like they were near vertical. And yet they managed to remain completely unassuming, despite how much it should have stood out, as the shine they gave off wasn't quite as resplendent as the dress and bare skin that attracted attention up above. It was a striking addition subdued by less tame boldness elsewhere.
This whole setup was unquestionably a strange ensemble, one meant to tease and frustrate peeping Toms. It gave away hints, and encouraged desire, but ultimately blocked and halted any who sought it thoroughly and without mercy. One could look, but they could not touch. Given Mimi's personality, it was unsurprising she had the habit of wearing clothes like this, that would accentuate her charm and prompt certain feelings in victims who saw it and were left enraptured. Even as she was seated atop her flashy bronze stool, she was folding her legs, and altering her posture to face Ares sideways, so that he could see just slightly more flesh than he should realistically be allowed to through the faintest of cracks in her curves; all the while that coy smirk betrayed the fact she was enjoying his digging gaze. If he wanted to look deeper, the option was there but he'd have to openly admit through his penetrating gaze that he'd chosen to look like a desperate pervert seeking even a single extra inch of skin.
More so than any other woman Ares had ever met, this one was trouble with a capital T. Even the succubus wasn't quite as mentally draining and she had inherent advantages. Mimi was a seductress by nature, it seemed, and not because she was a heavy flirt but simply because she got a kick out of the reactions, out of luring people into something unobtainable. Watching men fall over themselves for something they couldn't have, after ruthlessly stimulating them to the point of madness, was a joy to her and was the true essence of her playfulness stemmed from this wicked obsession. Her sultry charm and elegant mystique was a stark difference to her youthful features and, all in all, it prompted men to want to break that disciplined form down. It felt almost too perfect and arrogant for someone who looked like they had no business understanding these sorts of things. Like the mind and pervasive gaze of a classy, highly chich and sophisticated woman had somehow infiltrated the body of a cocky girl and weaponised it. There was an oddly aggravating air around her because the implantation of this idea was perfected to an unnatural degree. Her sideways glance at Ares, with the faintest curve at the tip of her lips, and tthe downward cast glance with soft amusement dancing in her iris, while her folded leg and tip of her high heel's toe box pointed directly at his forehead... It was pretty deadly and would cause even the most hardy of men to gulp and have thoughts of betraying their partners.
Ares was pretty shocked, actually, as he hadn't expected this. He didn't know what to expect, actually, but certainly not this and it hit him like a runaway freight train. He thought she'd just be some annoying teenager, or maybe actually a child who was just extremely talented, that or an old woman who was way past her prime acting like she had youth left in her old bones... But this was definitely not on his bingo card... And yet he sort of understood why this was possible, and what her race was, almost instinctively... Because it felt extremely similar to an existence he already knew. That hair and the almost transparent presence... Before he could speak his mind out loud and confirm his suspicions, Mimi interrupted his thought with a smooth, creamy voice.
"Allow me to reintroduce myself." Her straight-laced and refined start to her speech informed Ares she was going to be mentioning her method of contribution to the sect because it was the only time she ever took a break from being a brat. He'd already roughly understood how she operated and knew what turned her gears. After all, he was the same. He was this proud of his own magic and could discuss it for days on end happily if given a chance to. "I'm Mimi, your highly respected senior and the Brotherhood sect's officially designated blacksmith. You may worship me as is necessary." An upward flick of her chin, and a slight widening of her grin, gave to understand that her work really was as impressive as she immodestly insinuated it was... Though this was still extremely bizarre...
A blacksmith?
Someone so lithe, and petite, was a blacksmith?! Ares remembered all the forgers in Dabble's workshop back at the sect and most were men, gruff and packing muscles... And yet this flimsy and delicate twerp in front of him was somehow a blacksmith!? Renowned no less! He believed it, she was showing off and really excited to mention it so there was no chance she was lying, but it was still impossible to understand from his perspective. She must have been good, really good in order for the sect to take her on officially, but he could not see it for the life of him. She looked like she'd be good as an assassin, her control over her limbs was exceptional, even if she used it to lure and attract, and she could seemingly mask her presence well. Plus her control over light weaponry, like knives, strings, and wires was brilliant as he'd seen it before during the tryouts... But a blacksmith? Really? "Pffft. I can see that look in your eyes. Don't worry, everyone thinks the same when they first hear about my role in the sect." Mimi gracefully chuckled with a hand at her mouth, one finger resting lightly on the bottom lip and dragging it down to reveal a shiny wet spot, and shook her head. "It's true, though. I told you I was different from the rest of my race... Speaking of, have you figured it out yet?"
"Yes..." Ares narrowed his eyes but there was still an uncertain twitch in one of his raised eyebrows as he took a swing for the fences. "You... You're a shade?" The vibe Mimi gave off was distinct and reminded Ares of his sweet little adorable daughter, Appa. That ghostly appearance, the hair that seemed to drift in and out of this world as though it were in transit between multiple dimensions, the overly light presence. She was a shade that had learnt how to turn into a human... As for which type of shade, there were too many out there and Ares didn't know the details of them all. This was a type of shade that probably excelled in trickster type magic, be it illusions, invisibility, and other such prankish magics. She was a spirit with a playful and impish personality that roamed freely for no reason other than to satiate her own desires, whatever they my be... Which just made the fact that she was a blacksmith that much harder to comprehend.
A shade blacksmith?
How did this even come to pass? And how was she able to become humanoid!? There were a lot of questions Ares wanted to ask so it seemed like this conversation might go on for a little while longer. Also, his guess about her race was correct, evidently, as Mimi kissed her teeth and rolled her head counter-clockwise with puffed cheeks. It seemed he'd be getting the reward he was offered a chance at as well. Still, this was a good opportunity to learn about his fellow disciple and senior, and he had time left until he had to return to the barrier, so staying here a little longer was perfectly fine. Though Ares did wish she'd stop fiddling with the position of her legs, it was incredibly distracting. The worst part of it all was that Mimi knew it was hard not to look and was manoeuvring her limbs gracefully on purpose to entice him while he was stuck on the floor and unable to really move his head or shift his gaze. Honestly, this woman was really asking for it... The exact feeling she wanted to well in those who looked at her was in fact welling in Ares too but whether she'd be able to keep him tame and at bay was a different issue altogether. Some men should not be toyed with.