Nerea didn't seem to notice the uneasy look Jacques sent her way as she gently regarded the young Flawed. If she had noticed, it was obvious that she chose to ignore it. The brunette kept her gaze down as she slowly and deliberately ate the sandwich that the man had offered her, trying not to focus on the taste. After so many years of scavenging her food, the girl had long since lost interest in indulging. She ate only because it was a necessity, and didn't think much else of it.
Jacques' reply was polite - flirtatious, even. He complimented her looks, something that did not give her the flattery she assumed he had intended. Rather, Nerea just stared at him, once again forcing the cool smile onto her lips. He didn't impress her at all, and it was painfully obvious. If she hadn't made the promise to Archer to behave herself, by now Nerea would be yelling at the man to leave her be, but the Flawed's words echoed strangely in the back of her head, reminding her. This was her freedom, and she could not jeopardize it. She pretended to busy herself with smoothing her hands together, successfully taking off any crumbs that had remained from the morsel she had just consumed. Jacques continued on as she had expected, not seeming to even care about her silence. After all, as she was very aware, this man only wanted one thing, and it wasn't an emotional relationship. He cared not for how she reacted, only wanted her consent. But I will not give it to him, she thought fiercely, biting down hard onto her tongue. There was the familiar feeling of pain that was almost comforting - how sick, she mused - as the curse had become so deeply ingrained to her everyday life.
His next remark was more subtle. Nerea's eyes narrowed as he began to invite her to come with him, and for a moment she was tempted to slap him smartly across the face. The sudden movement from the sidelines distracted her however, and she stopped dead as Archer lunged at the man's neck, beating her to it. She was on her feet within seconds, a scream threatening to escape her lips. What was Archer doing - had he lost his mind? What had caused this sudden madness that would actually cause him to attack a human? He knew the punishment for that, and it seemed almost within seconds the Flawed gave up, simply allowing Jacques to punch him continuously in the jaw. Over and over Nerea watched the leader bring his hand down onto Archer's jaw until finally, she could stand it no longer.
"NO!" she screamed, throwing herself down into the fight, not thinking at all of the consequences. In her desperation to get Jacques away from Archer, she got hit once in the chest by the leader, who was not paying attention to the woman in his sudden anger towards the man who had attacked him. Nerea threw herself onto the man, knocking down onto the ground a few feet away from Archer. Jacques was strong however, and she was thrown off within a second. Being a woman, it was impossible to hold him down. But her point at least, had gotten across.
"Stop, don't touch him!" she shrieked, her voice undeniably loud as she jabbed her palm into Jacques' chest. "He was having a fit! Are you not aware that this happens to Flawed?" Her words were like fire, and it seemed as though she had momentarily forgotten her promise to behave. After all, Archer had broken his own word when he had suddenly lunged at the leader. "Am I not his keeper, Jacques? You yourself appointed me to take charge of him." She paused for a moment, throwing her gaze over to Archer, who was still laying on the ground, badly bloodied up from the beating. "I decide his fate - I decide how to punish him." Never in her wildest dreams would she have ever harmed him however, despite her words. All of this was to protect him. "I don't appreciate your intervention, sir." She spat out the last word, her eyes like fire as she glared Jacques down.