This hallway stinks of fear. Frightened mice smell of fermenting vinegar in such overwhelming quantities that it burns Bella's nose just to breathe it in. There notes underneath it too, the telltale savory line that every creature that's resigned itself to the life of prey carries, but there's something else besides. It's sweet. It's incredibly sweet, even refreshing, like honeysuckle spreading across her tongue after a bitter pill choked off her sense of taste. 

Bella tilts her head, and her lips curl into the smallest and briefest of smirks. Then her eyes settle on the girl's collar, and her entire face darkens. What a shoddy thing. Look at her frail little fingers clutching at it. Pathetic. She can feel her chest tightening more and more the longer she watches. Her mouth goes bone dry, and she licks her lips just to make anything happen to wet it again. The mouse-girl half squeaks in that awkward way of hers that's permanently stuck at the boundary of bravery and cowardice. 

Bella blinks in surprise. When she puts her hand on the girl's shoulder, she's softer than she realized she could be. Her tail flicks its approval, making her shirt flutter tauntingly in front of what passes for her army. 

"You know damn well why we're here, so don't bullshit me. We're about to deal with an infestation, and you little twerps are the only thing standing in the way of this ship getting picked clean. Lorventi's so far out of it she can't tell her ass from the infirmary bed she's tied to. And the rest of my so-called 'warriors' are [i]apparently[/i] too busy feeling sorry for themselves to notice we're being attacked by fucking pirates."

She scowls. In the gathered light of the lanterns, her eyes glow like horrible mismatched embers burning with some sort of dark and evil power. She makes no effort to conceal her fangs, which flash and sparkle in the shifting lights. And even still, her hand is as soft on the girl's shoulder as if she were holding her own kitten.

"Bunch of fucking parasites? Know why they're coming? They think we're weak. They think we're [i]easy[/i]. They think they've found a juicy little morsel to slurp up, and all it's gonna take from them is some theatrics from a bunch of clowns and they'll be rich enough to drink and fuck their misery away for another week. That's so insulting it makes me wanna..."

Bella spits on the ground with disgust. She flashes her talons, and a wave of power washes over the hallway with her as its source. 

"This is Her Majesty's vessel. And all of you are servitors of the Empire. I don't care what you believe, that makes you better than some random space trash. And since you're the ones who come when I fucking call for you, that also makes you the best army on this ship. Today, you're the will and pleasure of Empress Nero IV Acontecimento Azurius, and I expect you assholes to act like it. We're going to greet our guests, and we're going to teach them what happens to anyone who's stupid enough to try and rob the [i]Anemoi[/i]. Don't you dare disappoint me; if any of you let them leave her carrying so much as a spare nut, I'll kill you myself."

Her face splits into a feral, predatory grin, and she leans low into the mouse-girl's ear as she turns her to face the coming fight.

"And as for you," she purrs, "I want you to tell me what the fuck I'm supposed to call you."