Yay for updates! *confetti*
I'm just having a friggin' BLAST writing this. Genuinely loving developing Miri and OP together and fleshing out their personalities. I realized I haven't written Prime in a lOoooOoOooong time, so bare with me as I'm finding my feet! We all love him but he's a tougie when it comes to getting inside his helm - but we LoVe him anyway!
Let me know if there's anything you'd like to see specifically regarding scenes for Miri and Prime. I love ideas and would ADORE picking at ya'lls BRAINSSSSS. Just drop a PM or a review and I'll respond!
ONWARD, Autobots! For Cybertron (and Earth I guess?)! Megatron - get back your editing corner, you're slacking! :p xoxo
Miri hadn't realized she'd drifted into sleep until a solid hand on her shoulder softly jostled her awake, stirring her from a light sleep. She woke with a light start, gripping the seatbelt between her hands as she blinked away the offensive rise of the sun, the windshield of the Peterbilt provided a breathtaking view of the Washington sunrise. A magnificent spread of orange and violent greeted her beyond tall skyscrapers, the truck rumbling deliciously through a massive perimeter fence, complete with armed guards.
Looking to the hand still on her shoulder, her eyes connected with Optimus, who smiled softly at her. "I'm sorry to wake you, you were sleeping soundly, but Lennox has commed and informed me that the Joint Chiefs of Staff are arriving as we speak. We are right on schedule," his tone was soft as he offered her an empathetic expression, Miri's face flushing at mention that she'd been unable to stay awake. Something about the Peterbilt had felt safe, and she'd been so exhausted from next to no sleep the night before.
"How are you feeling?" he added, genuine curiosity filtering through his voice. Miri sat up and smoothed her hands over her pants, wiggling her toes within her shoes just enough to stir feeling back into her body as she lifted a shoulder nonchalantly, a heavy sigh filtering out of her nose. Looking over to him, she gave him a nervous smile, and reached up to scratch the top of her head, thankful for something to do with her hands.
"As good as I can, considering the fact that the future of everything my family has worked far rests solely on this deal," closing her eyes, Miri used her fingertips to rub at her temples, her head falling back against the seat once more. "You ever get the feeling that your whole world is about to be upheaved, by one singular moment? Cause that's what it feels like," was her murmured whisper, as she exhaled again, sinking fully against the seatback. It was strange, the entire cab seemed to move.
The soft chuckle beside her, coupled with what felt like movement of the entire truck, snapped her up in the seat, her attention falling to the Commander. "More than you know," was his response as he guided the semi into an overhead door, which appeared to be another hangar. From the mirror, Miri could see choppers lined for maintenance, and she realized they were near the Pentagon's service facility, "But in my experience," his hypnotic voice continued beside her, "such things work themselves out, despite our concerns for them."
She gave him a strange side-look, the jade wisdom falling down her spine like a warm wave as she nodded. "Right," she inserted, her attention falling to the inside of the hangar they'd entered. The Peterbilt gently rolled to a stop, the entire presence of the semi trembling with the engine's power. Optimus shifted the gearstick into first gear, released the clutch, the engine killing beneath them.
Within seconds he popped the latch on the door, greeted by someone on the driver's side that she didn't recognize. Releasing her seatbelt as he dropped out of the cab, she only flew into action once the door popped close. Practically flinging off her flats, she dug the heels from her tote purse, stuffing the emergency slip-ons back in their place while simultaneously working into the heels. Flipping her ponytail out of her face, she righted when the door opened beside her, exposing Lennox, Epps, and Commander all staring up at her.
Her eyes darted between all three of them, Lennox stepping forward to offer her his hand. "Morning, Miri," he said seriously, nodding to her. "The JCS is just arriving so we have a few minutes to get you settled in," he waved at her to come down, and she solidly clapped her hand into his. "I want to introduce you to a few people before we get started, they'll be in the meeting with us."
Miri's heels connected with the concrete as she worked herself out of the truck, reaching up for her bag and purse as she did so. Immediately Epps was beside her, hand extended to receive her items. Looking nervously at him, she eyeballed Lennox, noticing that Optimus had been called aside to discuss something with Santos, and a blonde haired woman she didn't recognize. They were chatting, hands gesturing to him, the Commander's arms folding in front of him as he took a militant, though somewhat casual, stance. She didn't miss the pull of the uniform jacket's in her shoulder, though she was jarred from her admiration when Lennox lightly tapped her forearm with the back of his hand.
"...Miri?" His brows were lifted in an anticipatory way as she snapped her attention back at him, caught in her distraction. "Epps needs to sanitize your bags," he then reached into the breastpocket of his uniform, pulling out a badge and clip, flicking forward in his fingers at her as she passed her things to Epps. "You need to wear this, and please keep it visible."
Nodding, she clipped it to the hem of her blazer, and followed after Lennox as he waved her come. The badge brushed against her thigh, her heels clicking off the concrete of the hangar. Glancing down, she immediately regretted bringing the pair along with, suddenly desperate for the comfort and familiarity of her "sex-on-a-stick" heels she'd left at home. Coming up beside Lennox, he nodded to a guard, who scanned them through a controlled door.
"So," she shuffled through the door behind him, "do I get to know who you're introducing me to before hand, or do I just get to be surprised?" Glancing over her shoulder for one last look at the Peterbilt in the hangar, she spotted Optimus moving towards the door, Epps beside him with her bags. Her brow lifted curiously as he withdrew her computer, handing it off to the Commander, who examined the side of it, running his thumb along one of the parts.
The door slammed closed, stealing away any further observation. The brow of her left eye lifted curiously, wondering why they'd been so interested in her computer. She looked back the Major, who was scribbling on a tablet extended to him by a young looking officer, before he turned on his heel to face her. She gestured with her thumb over her shoulder to the door.
"I need my Mac for my presentation, Major," she inserted soundly, following after him when he nodded further down the corridor. "I can't give an informative presentation without -" she shuffled to a stop when he turned and put a hand on her arm steadily, giving her a superior - and empathetic - look that settled her swirling stomach.
He nodded his understanding, offering her a light smile. "Don't worry, Epps and Prime will have your gear to you before we meet the JCS," he winked at her and gave her a lifted grin, something kind sparkling in his eyes as he chortled lightly at her. "Ease up, Miss Otten. We know you aren't enlisted, so no one is expecting military standard," he shrugged, "Just be yourself, present the facts, and everything will shake out. We've already decided we like you...this is a formality."
She frowned at him, her mouth dropping open just a little at his suggestion. "Well, then why don't we just hold the presentation in the barn out back, then!" She muttered, "I may not be a military brat, Major, but I do want to leave a decent first impression." At her sarcasm he snorted, shaking his head as he gestured further down the corridor, to another locked door. This time scanning his card, Lennox braced the door open and waved her through first.
She stopped when his full statement hit home in her brain. "Wait, you liked us?" Lennox paused mid-stride and turned to face her. "That's...wow."
He snorted. "Why's that so shocking?"
Blinking, Miri shrugged. "I guess I just assumed you took my father's contract because of our high-profile cases," she leveled a mildly puzzled look at him, putting a hand on a hip only to gesture to him with the other. "I didn't think the military had a choice of whether they liked anything pertaining to this. Just figured that you always would go for the most qualified candidate."
The Major's eyes flashed with a jovial light, then laughed at her. "You really are something else!" He snorted, rolling his eyes. "In most cases that's true," he turned and signaled for them to move on, Miri's stride lengthening to meet his much-faster one, "but it just so happens that sometimes, you get both what you need and what you want all rolled into one. Call it fate."
She snorted. "Or divine intervention," was her smart reply.
He pointed to a small staircase, leading to upper-level offices. She gripped the railing and started climbing, Lennox following behind. "Third from the right," he commented behind her, nodding forward. "The JCS will be detained as they check in with Sec Def, but everyone else should be here already." Miri whirled around, staggering to a stop so quickly she stumbled forward on her heels. Lennox's arm whipped out to steady her, looking to her feet as her eyes widened in his face.
"Sec Def?" She squeaked, her octave lifting at the realization. "The Secretary of Defense is here?" Her face flushed red, and Miri looked to her feet, half expected her heart and other internal organs to have melted out of her body cavity and onto the floor. Pull yourself together, Miri, her thoughts were swirling, giving her another headache, You've made it here. Just be calm!
Lennox smiled at her, sputtering out a laugh as if he were able to hear her thoughts. One look at his face and Miri was mildly worried that he had. "Where else did you think he'd be?" was his question, which sparked a curious lift of his brow, as if he expected her to answer. Swallowing a nervous breath she didn't respond, instead smoothed her hands over the front of her glazer, her fingers brushing against the badge he'd given her.
Again Lennox took her shoulders in his hands and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry so much," he lifted a nonchalant shoulder. "Epps and I will make sure the meeting carries if you get lost. Remember - the job is yours. This is a formality, paperwork mostly. They just want to make sure you're taking this seriously and that there won't be any loose ends." He tipped his face down, his brow raised as he coaxed a slow nod of understanding from her.
Giving him a deadpanned expression, she sighed, "Lennox it's only been four days, they can change their minds -"
"No, they won't change their minds," a slow smile filtered onto his face. "you're our choice. NEST is more than prepared to fight for your family, Miri. We like what we see. Trust me on this - we are...an insightful bunch." Patting her shoulder, he offered another wink and turned her to face the corridor, nudging her forward lightly. "Now let's get you inside, I want you to meet some folks."
They stopped before the door and Lennox knocked twice, signaling their arrival. When no response came he opened the door, allowing her inside first. Stepping through the threshold carefully, Miri eyes widened in mild surprise as she immediately recognized the young woman from the hotel, who Epps had escorted from the elevator - Michaela, she remembered Lennox explaining. She was seated beside a youthful albeit nervous-looking young man to her right, but on her left - Miri felt her throat close.
What is with this place in coma-inducing men? Her thoughts staggered in her head, seeming to bounce of the cavity of her skull as two men swiveled in their chairs to face her, the looks on their faces less than...welcoming. Her blood slowed to a crawl in her veins, an icy feeling creeping across her skin as she looked between the two individuals.
The one - who was bigger by more than a longshot - had a dark, stony expression that made him appear either irritated or stoic, she wasn't entirely certain which. His hands might as well have been paws, because they folded behind his head in such a large pair that it startled her. He leaned back slightly in the chair, surveying her with eyes as piercingly blue as she'd ever seen - they almost looked like Optimus' eyes.
The other was a leaner man, though still a top specimen of male health, though she didn't miss the lab coat that was almost too small for his muscled frame as it pulled across his shoulders. The sidearm bore a medical cross with another face-like symbol beneath it, albeit a little smaller, and it was the most immaculate white she'd ever seen. What shocked her even more was the fact that he wore glasses, which appeared to be held together with tape on the one side, though it was camoflagued by dark hair that was peppered gray, pulled into a thick braid of his shoulder. He looked up from his tablet, regarding her with a curious, wrinkled look.
Lennox was suddenly beside her, and he gestured to the woman first. "Miri, this is Michaela," he nodded to her. "Her and Sam here are liaison's for NEST in a covert capacity. They maintain our cover to the outside world in a more unofficial capacity. They're our first government contractors to represent the division." Both the girl, and the young man beside her, rose from their chairs and extended hands for Miri to shake.
The girl was stunning, her lips full and a glossy red that make her eyes practically dance. "It's good to meet you, Miri," she smiled genuinely. "I saw you in the hotel. I meant to say hi, but Epps was kinda in a hurry." She lifted a shoulder. "This is my boyfriend, Sam."
He smiled awkwardly at her, Miri not missing the nervous tremble in his voice. "Sam," he introduced himself swiftly, his shoulders lifted in a nervous bunch around his neck. She wasn't entirely sure if his face was naturally so oily, or if he was just perspiring, but either way the kid seemed nervous. More nervous than her, which meant she was officially not the most uncomfortable one in the room.
She nodded to both of them, Lennox gesturing to the first large man. He stood slowly, turning to face her, and Miri couldn't stop staring at the darkness of his features - he had deeply tanned skin, complete with black-as-night hair, and traces of a five-o'clock shadow across his square jawline. He was practically bursting out of the pale-blue short-sleeved dress shirt he was wearing, which was adorned with badges, medals, and other military decoration that she didn't recognize. He bowed at the waist to her, reaching his arm across his chest. She didn't miss the smattering of tattoos up his arms.
Clearing his throat, Lennox clapped the man on the shoulder. "This is our weapons specialist and coordinator," he had to physically lift his eyes to meet the giant's face, a grin spreading across the Major's lips. "We call him Ironhide, which he prefers." Blinking at the overly odd name, her brow lifted quizzically as she stepped forward, hand extended to him in greeting.
"Do all you NEST boys have odd names?" She questioned, the man considering her hand for a moment, as if he wasn't entirely certain what to do with it. After a beat his eyes found hers, and he gently slipped his hand into her, shaking it briskly. Miri could feel the power even in the gentle motion, certain that she didn't ever want to share bad blood with the man, while also knowing Dirk would love nothing more than to know his secret to tree-like biceps. "Miriana Otten," she nodded to him, "But I prefer Miri."
He said nothing to her, only nodded as he looked over to Lennox. "This is the civilian who will be working in our division?" The dismissal in his voice made her brows drop into a miffed expression, her jaw set tightly only to stop it from falling open at his comment. "I thought you said this contractor was male."
Her hands flew to her hips. "Well, excuse the BS out of me!" She beat Lennox to the comment. "I'm standing right here, buck-o," the title dripped off her tongue with a little more sass than she'd intended, but the hot irritation tingling in her chest was enough to overpower any sense of reason. "My father might own the company, but I'm his XO." She lifted her chin just enough to be dangerous, "I'm handling the official changeover of our company's structure, if that's alright by you." She finished her pointed the statement with a lifted brow, confidence suddenly spurred.
He turned to her with the ferocity of a warrior etched into his face, his eyes narrowing just enough to stir further irritation within her. He considered her for a moment too long, something rumbling about his chest. The man called Ironhide's gaze swept up and down her, her commanding stance obviously not doing much against his lurking suspicion. "Hmmm," the heavy bubble of a baritone swam up from his vocal cords. "Curious. You don't seem like any kind of officer I've ever met before, female."
Her wrinkled expression instantly dropped at he referral of gender into a surprised gape, and for the first time in a long time she was without words. Never having been openly addressed by her sex before, she was even more surprised to hear the dismissive, though interrupting, snort come from the other man, who was still seated and working on a glowing tablet, his attention drawn to whatever he was working on despite having overheard the exchange.
Then, a very slow smile spread across the man's face as his gaze flicked over her once more. "You've got some big ball bearings, don't you, femme?"
Her mouth fell open, and she was stunned into silence, Lennox jumping in to save face for her by socking the other man in the shoulder, his face twisted into a horrified frown. "Hide!" He exclaimed under his breath, Miri still gaping at the man with all the stupefied energy she could muster. Somewhere in the room, she heard a female giggle, as well as a low chuckle from whom she assumed was Sam.
There was a sigh, and her attention drifted behind Ironhide, to the seated figure. "Do sit down, Ironhide," he said gruffly. "Ignore his lack of social grace, Miss Otten. His bark is worse than his bite, as you might say." She blinked at him, and his gaze lifted to her from the tablet, brow raising as he studied her form from over the rim of his glasses. Taking them off, she noticed they dangled from an odd-looking chain, resting against his barreled chest neatly as he set the tablet on the table. "Miss Otten," he nodded to her, then put a hand over the medical patch on his lab coat. "I'm the Chief Medical and Scientific Officer of the NEST Unit. You may call me codename, Ratchet."
Swallowing a thickness in her mouth she didn't remember, Miri exhaled a breath that was shakier than she anticipated as she nodded to him. After a moment of collecting her buzzing thoughts, she straightened her blazer's hem. "Well," she released a relieved breath, "at least one of you has socials skills more advanced than a preschooler," she mumbled, Ratchet taking her extended hand. "Miri, sir. Save the Miss Otten for my mother."
The guffaw of laughter from Ironhide was enough to startle her. "Ha! Lennox, you weren't kidding about this one!" He dug his elbow firmly into Lennox's ribcage, so much so that the man doubled over, is face wrinkling in a painful retort. Miri blinked at the two men, Ironhide's chuckling form still considering her as he moved to the wall, leaning against it with his arms folded over his chest.
Her attention moved back to the doctor, who had returned to his seat, lifting the tablet again. He considered her with another sweeping gaze, finally settling on her face. The smallest trace of a smile dusted the corner of his mouth, and Miri couldn't stop staring into his sparkling eyes, either. Is this some kind of requirement? Eyes that dazzle like they're frickin' glowing orbs?
"You'll do nicely." This was the doctor's retort, a confirming nod drawing his attention back to his work. She blinked at him, unsure of what to say for a second time.
Lennox was suddenly beside her, gently reaching for her elbow to guide her to an empty seat. His expression bore a genuine apology that was hard to miss, and Miri, for a moment would've sworn that his cheeks held a red hue of embarrassment. Mildly she felt sorry for him, but it ebbed away when her gaze found the man Ironhide, who was watching her, his dark features studying her like a predator. Lennox seated her across the conference table from Michaela, who offered her a thin and apologetic smile.
There was silence for a few minutes, until the door opened quickly, triggering everyone's attention. Ratchet came up from his seat, slipping his tablet into the oversized pocket of his coat, his hands following as he stood straight, gaze firmly planted on the door. Miri flew up from her seat, uncertain if she should've or not, but feeling all the more stupid when Michaela nor her counterpart, Sam, did the same. Her attention filtered to the door from the young couple, surprised to find that Optimus and Epps had stepped into the room.
Immediately the atmosphere tempered with an air of tension, everyone seeming to recognize the authority figure having stepped into the room. Both Ratchet and Ironhide stood at a tight attention, though their gaze didn't defer from their leader, who looked to them with a careful, though not superior, regard. Miri had the sudden thought that this man, respected like a king, was hardly the sort at all - he led with respect, and a practiced grace that she hadn't discerned before. Something about the change in the room was delightful.
He looked to her. "I hope my men have made proper introductions," he said, his tone carrying across the room with the greatest ease she'd ever heard. She swallowed the lump at the back of her tongue again, which seemed habitual at this point, and gave a slight nod, her eyes falling to the two men, who hadn't made a move to break posture, or attention, from Optimus.
She offered him a small smile when Ratchet's eyes found hers, and she would've considered it to be almost a nervous plea to not sell them out for Ironhide's behavior. Miri, having a military father, understood the good-natured camaraderie between soldiers, however unexpected it had been - Ironhide hadn't meant to insult her, merely barb her, as her father's military buddies often did.
Miri read the implied undercurrent of his expression, offering him a soft smile to communicate her understanding, before her eyes flecked back to Optimus. He had approached the conference table with his arms folded over his chest. He seemed to know something was amiss, because his gaze moved between her and the two men, though he was wise enough not to intervene with the silent confrontation playing out before him. A man who waits to speak, she could only chuckle, that's new.
Moving around the table, she intercepted Epps for her bags. Taking them, she moved to the head of the table, easefully removing her Mac from the bag to set it on the table. Smiling over to Ironhide and tossing a wink at him, and for a moment she spotted the tension drop off his shoulders when Optimus regarded her presence, attention drawn from the soldier. Opening the lid of her computer, she shrugged a shoulder lightly.
"Everything is just fine, Commander," she retrieved her notes from the computer bag and shuffled them against the table, straightening the stack. "They didn't bite too terribly." He seemed puzzled at her comment, looking over to Ratchet, before his eyes found her again, pinning her with a serious look. Miri suddenly realized he actually thought they'd been inappropriate, and had missed her jibe. Putting her hand on his arm, she gave it a light tap before giving him a wink of her own.
"I'm kidding," she whispered between the two of them. The look of relief on his features was more than evident.
Both of their attentions snapped to the door, which opened solidly, a troop of men in uniform bustling through. Immediately, a professional busyness snatched any calm order from the atmosphere that Optimus had ushered in, the men chattering amongst themselves as they spread out through the room, taking seats across the room. Miri watched Lennox intercept an older man, in a tan uniform, who shook hands solidly with the Major while clapping him on the shoulder despite the stack of paperwork buried in his fingers.
She felt a tingle race down her spine. It's happening, she willed away the nervous breath that had settled in her lungs. Remember, Miri. You love your family, this business. Like Lennox said, the contract is yours - this is a formality. The words replayed through her head, and she looked back to the Commander, who regarded her with a soft expression of kindness and intrigue, as if he were genuinely interested in what she was thinking. Looking down to her computer, her fingers moved to trace the logo of her family's business in the corner, her father's words of encouragement that morning skipping through her thoughts.
She curled her fingers over the logo, and bit the inside of her cheek. Exhaling a breath, her spine straightened and she lifted her shoulders back, eyes still focused on the logo. This was her family. Despite all the military lingo, the brass, the authority - this was about her family. A business she loved, what she was born into. She always loved talking about her brothers; her father's passion for design and development, her mother's hands-on leadership and willingness to "throw in" with the team. She'd faced business deals before - had given countless presentations to even the surliest of potential clients - and she rarely walked away from a deal disappointed. She was good at what she did, and she was a good Executive Officer - a title prepared and created by her father especially for her.
The nervous anxiety that had been nibbling at her brain since her arrival off the plane ebbed away when she turned to face the Commander again, hip leaning against the conference table. Miri visibly saw the man's expression change; he looked her over with a discerning sweep, as if he'd visibly seen the confidence manifest on her face. Flicking a curl of her ponytail from her face, she heaved out a breath and withdrew the flashdrive from her pocket, popping it into the port on her Mac.
He watched the motion of her hands and she looked over at him, smiling at the hold of gaze. Miri was pleased to find an impressed, almost proud look on his face - as if he'd been waiting to see her get her act together. The Commander's sparkling eyes weren't so disarming when he held her stare, they were warm, and inviting. Unlike most men's eyes.
Movement across the room flicked her attention away from him. Suddenly Lennox was looking at her, nodding in her general direction. Miri smiled back at Optimus, sidestepped away from him to intercept Will, who had gestured to her with an open palm, come. She felt Optimus' gaze following her from behind, suddenly emboldened as a pulse of excitement skipped through her blood. She approached Lennox and the man, a bop to her step, her ponytail swinging as she extended a hand to the man.
She greeted him with a bright smile, and stepped into Lennox's introduction. "General Morshower, I'd like you to meet Miss Miriana Otten, of M.A.D. Design and Development," Lennox nodded to her, folding his hands behind his back as he rocked back on his heels, eyeballing her with look that said he's important. "She is the Executive Officer of her the civilian contract NEST is bringing; she'll be representing Mr. Otten in his absence." Miri gave him an affirming nod, the General's hand finding hers solidly. She shook it briskly, focusing strength into the gesture.
The man opened his mouth in an "ah," and released her hand formally, though Miri intercepted the conversation. "Actually, General," she shot Lennox a look from the corner of her eye, "This is the best part of my job. I run all the interference for my father in a business capacity - he's an old army dog himself, prefers to spend his time down in the trenches, if you get my drift." Her chin lifted only slightly, not missing the surprised look on Lennox's face.
The General slowly nodded his understanding. "I see," he looked to Lennox, then gave her a sweeping once-over. "Either way, I look forward to hearing from you this morning, Miss Otten. Will here has said nothing but good things about your company's portfolio. Welcome aboard." She folded her hands in front of her, smiled at him, and started a little when he leaned in, bringing his hand to his mouth. "And don't you worry about all these boys, you just smile nice and tell us where to sign - we don't often get debriefings with pretty girls. One flash of those pretty blues and you'll have everyone in your corner," looking to Lennox, his brow rose teasingly, "Right, Lennox?"
Will chuckled nervously. "Sir," was his reply, his brows raising as in a I-can't-believe-this-went-that-direction expression.
She had to visibly bite her bottom lip to keep from laughing in his face. Looking back to Morshower, she winked at him. "I'll keep that in mind," was all she said, the General moving to take a seat with a chuckle. Lennox stepped to bridge the gap with Miri, offering an encouraging smile, while simultaneously his brows were lifted in apology.
She lifted a shoulder. "Interesting guy, you're General Morshower," was her smarm.
He rolled his eyes and she giggled at him, turning on the heel of her stiletto to march back to the head of the table. She opened her computer, and made the mistake of glancing up - to her surprise, the room was full. The revelation lifted her brows and she saw standing room only at the back, Optimus, Ironhide, and their compatriot doctor all standing to face her directly, arms crossed over their chests.
She blinked, the corner of her mouth lifting teasingly as the room's chatter settled, the brass obviously realizing she was preparing to start. After a few moments of her computer engaging the USB drive, she opened the presentation on her screen. Then, lifting the hard copy, her eyes fell to Lennox, lifted in accusation.
"Well," her tone lifted to travel to the back of the room, her eyes filtering across the table to Optimus, who was looking pleasantly stoic, and engaged. "Had I been informed so many of you would be dying to meet me," she smiled slowly, then moved to toss the stack of paperwork in front of Mikaela, who was grinning at her and winked. "I would've made more copies."
There was low rumble of accompanying chuckles from around the room. Miri clasped her hands together stepped back on a foot, and nodded to the table. She opened her hands, and offered them a professional smile.
"Gentlemen and ladies of the United States military," she started, coming to a perfect stance before the table. "Allow me the pleasure of introducing myself - I am Miriana Otten, and let me tell you about a little operation called M.A.D. Design and Development."
AND THERE'S THE MIRI OTTEN I LOVE, IN HER ELEMENT AND FiNaLlY a bit more confident! Huzzah for confidence!
Just a reminder - reviews are nice and produce faster updates. :p :p :p