[ The ponytail, now secured, swishes back into place, aided by the borrowed ribbon as Gebura breathes out through her nose. She's clearly caught him off-guard, maybe not entirely, but enough. Which doesn't surprise her. A lot of the people in the Nest wouldn't have expected anyone from the Backstreets to speak so bluntly towards them, would have taken their lofty words and their even loftier ideals and tried to dance circles around her, convinced she wouldn't be able to cut them down.

This is the first time since arriving here that she's had someone speak so arrogantly and condescendingly towards her, whether he realized it or not, and it smolders in her chest like a red-hot coal. ]

I'm not one of your people. [ And she stands tall, gaze flickering with the same heat she feels in her chest. ] And if that was something that pissed you off, I'd take a challenge from you any day.

Blame where you came from or how you grew up if you want to, but if you think for a second that I'm accepting that as an excuse to treat me like I'm a joke, then you're an idiot. You want my respect? Earn it.

[ here we are, insulting royalty! Goodness! ]