[i]What on Nexux had just happened?[/i] Shelly could barely remember. A golem gave up the ghost and then... She looked up from the floor for clues. Her head was still spinning and just moving her head for a better view was stomach turning. A giant steel barricade stood proudly several meters away. That's what struck her when she was distracted. Shelly had been blown back pretty far by the eruption of the defence, her light frame thrown virtually back to where it came from. Her accordion's landing had been softened by her tender flesh, which was going leave a mark, but was a small mercy compared to having her back broken over the accordion's wooden housing and metal mechanics. Shelly noticed the deep impact the barricade on the ceiling, that could have been her, crushed in twain between the two. Her heart raced in her bosom, there was a little pain but the adrenaline was really pumping, she hadn't felt like this since she'd volunteered to be the "sacrifice" for when the Occult Metaphysical Solutions division wanted to capture a lesser God. Just Buluc-Chabtan was then, the Conductor was still observing carefully and was likely on edge as she was now, but less injured. Her wits were coming back to her, she'd almost through to him. Was he about to agree to a truce? Shelly wondered if she'd jumped the gun a little, trying to snatch an easy victory. He wasn't going be so trusting now, he was already very much on the defensive. Shelly guessed Jiang had been spooked too by the golem and then caught Shelly moving in with her little smile in his periphery and thought the worst. Shelly wondered if he could be convinced he'd simply over-reacted to her being friendly.

[color=gold]"Its ok! Its ok!"[/color] Shelly called as she struggled to her feet,[color=gold] "No harm done." [/color]As hard as she tried to sound cheery and welcome, it sounded like some harm had been done. Breathing was a little sore still, making her a little raspier than earlier. She must have landed a little on her right knee, not only was it pretty badly scraped but it wasn't happy with her weight put through it. She couldn't see where her opponent was but presumably he was still behind the barricade blasting out that techno beat. It was catchy, dark but the chord progression gave her goosebumps. Adversarial was the word she was looking for, it was fighting music, maybe she really had ruined things between them. Her major concern was that another drop could mean she was hurtling towards the ceiling, she'd have to pay careful attention to the music and make sure she was ready to move the moment it felt it was building up to something. 

The wall was a pain, not so much that it block her attacks but it ruined his line of sight and stopped her body language having any effect on him. The safe option was to keep the hands up, when he did see her again the Conductor wasn't going to want to see her hands rummaging in her bag, behind her back or anywhere out of sight. She kept them up and stood still, like she was awaiting his instruction again, there would be much he could do without seeing her. No rushing, no loud noises, no sudden movements.

[i]I wanted to shake your hand, but the golem startled me and I lost my footing on all this debris[/i], it was pretty stupid excuse, but it wasn't exactly going to make him think any less of Garbage than he already did, it was a huge gamble to bring it up again though; much too large, Shelly thought. She'd have to though, leaving it unaddressed would make him increasingly uneasy, like she was still hiding something. [i]Confrontation made this so much harder than it usually is[/i]. Think Shelly. Shared experience. Massage his ego. Trust in his good will from earlier.

[color=gold]"That golem gave me such a fright, I couldn't see it behind me and I thought all these spectators had finally turned on us! I just dived for you like I dived for the pillar, I thought you'd protect me. I'm sorry Mr. Conductor."[/color]