Conversation Space: The Ultimate

[powersthatbe]

You feel as if you've stepped through a door.

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Heck yeah harassing time

[breakaleginhalf]

Gil steps through the portal, and there's a dry grin on his face when he sees they're in the right place. He still kind of hates the Arcana as a concept, but when that initial shock had worn off at least his own patron has an aesthetic he can appreciate.

"Alright, nice." He looks back over his shoulder at Matthew. "Welcome to casa de Extra As Fuck."

[comebewe]

Matthew follows soon after, closing the portal behind them. They look around, curiously inspecting their surroundings.

"You'd think she was about to pull a rabbit out of a hat," he remarks idly.

[powersthatare]

"...I need to change my locks," an amused voice says, and ROSE saunters into view under a rose-tinted stagelight, dressed in a material like black neoprene with cyan LED strips lighting it. It strongly resembles her usual white-and-blue outfit... but doesn't match it completely. "What's compiling, Programs?"

[breakaleginhalf]

Both ears flick back towards Magician before Gil can turn to face her, but they only stay that way for a moment before they perk back upright and Gil shoots her a beaming grin. Acting. "What's shaking yourself, babe? I was wondering when your turn was up - we heard it was you versus Empress this round over."

[comebewe]

"On your old stomping grounds, even," Matthew says, watching Magician closely. They've never been to the Grid - but from the chatter on the network, it's pretty clear that those who have are pretty sure that's where they're going.

[rosewater_path]

"You boys are so ahead of the game it's a wonder you need to consult me at all," she says, sounding approving at the notion. "Which is good. Mei's popular. Beating her isn't going to be easy. Fun, but not easy."

[breakaleginhalf]

"Think you've got any tips for us on how to tilt the odds in your favour a little better?" His eyes flick over her new outfit. "Or is it all just 'be harder, better, faster, stronger'?"

[comebewe]

"I've got a better question," Matthew says. Their eyes bore into ROSE's; hers so similar to their own. "Why should we tilt the odds in your favour? Why you over her?"

It's not that Empress is his favourite. Far from it, actually. But that doesn't mean ROSE get's a free pass. He's not going to back ROSE without good reason.

[rosewater_path]

"Because Her Majesty is a wonderful mother," ROSE answers, cynically. "But most of you lot aren't in short pants any more. Because choice is the most fantastic thing in the world, and I won't make yours for you. But hey - you do what you want, Programs. That's my win."

[breakaleginhalf]

Gil can't say he was expecting much more than that. But it still gets a slight flick of his eyebrows as he glances over at Matthew. That had been a good question.

"Well, yeah, that's all well and good to say. But half the time your lot throw us on the Walkabout instead, when we could be actually 'doing what we want' and helping on your Jaunts."

He might still be a bit pissed off about being thrown into World War Newport.

[comebewe]

"Yes, well. What we want doesn't really factor much into any of this, does it?" Matthew says. Is he bitter? He totally isn't bitter. Not one bit, nope.

[rosewater_path]

"Yet, Cupcake," ROSE tells Matthew cheerfully. "Yet."

She swivels, turning to Gil, biting her lip in a way that looks both hesitant and flirtatious, hips swaying a little.

"Diversions are... like the little sticky-out bit on a boat," She explains. "They run parallel and keep things stable and on course. But none of us are fond of them. They're just a thing we have to do to get the Big Stuff done."

[breakaleginhalf]

You can shake those hips all you want, ROSE, it's a hundred percent barking up the wrong tree. And that answer gets Gil's ears to prick up slightly. "So what, you guys just shunt off everyone who's not necessary to your-" and he lifts his hands to give her some big ol' air quotes. "-Big Picture off that way?" He's still a little bit offended, but mostly he's curious.

[comebewe]

That's not what they want to ask about most. They want to know what she means bu that 'Yet'.

(They also want to indignantly ask why she's calling them Cupcake.)

But Gil's question is, Matthew has to admit, something he wants to know about too. So he stays quiet, and just looks at ROSE, waiting to hear the answer.

[rosewater_path]

"It's cute that you think we're that precise and deliberate," she says, huffing a showy sigh. "We will be when I'm calling the shots. Right now it's messier. Not 'everyone unnecessary' but 'nobody necessary' with a side of 'anyone misaligned,' if we can tell. Usually we can't."

[breakaleginhalf]

Gil frowns. "So you guys can tell in advance who's gonna infiltrate as someone important?"

[comebewe]

"Define 'important'," Matthew says. He can make a few guesses, sure, but that doesn't mean his guesses will match up with how the Arcana think of things. "And, for that matter, define 'necessary'. Who counts as necessary?"

[rosewater_path]

"It's not really like that," she tells them, frown flickering on her face. "It's not a matter of choice or perception. It's... a Jaunt has a shape. Not a fixed shape, or a visible shape... but it has holes in it. We have praxis that mostly filters people with complementary shapes into the holes, and hopefully people who would get squashed by the holes go elsewhere, so they don't go out of ambit as much."

[breakaleginhalf]

He folds his arms. "It must be so frustrating for the personification of choice and independence to be hemmed in like that, huh? Not getting a proper say in how any of the shit you're being thrown around by plays out."

Can you hear the sarcasm just about dripping from his words?

[comebewe]

"It must be so hard for her," Matthew says, so very dryly.

Who'd have imagined it, huh? Matthew and Gil, actually kind of working together.

[rosewater_path]

"Which is why I want it to be better, for all of us," she says, rolling her eyes. "Look. I can't just wave my wand and get my way. And if you think I'm not being watched very closely to make sure I don't cheat this time, you don't understand us at all. If I could come out and tell you what I needed to win, that would have been almost the first thing I did."

[breakaleginhalf]

Gil maintains his unimpressed expression, but one ear twitches back up to 'relaxed' position. He can understand that, at least.

"What about Hot And Cold? Is it still cheating if we make wild-ass guesses and you tell us if we're completely off the mark?"

[comebewe]

Matthew's eyes flicker to Gil for a moment, and then he asks: "Watched how closely?"

[rosewater_path]

"Tediously closely, Cupcake," she assures Matthew. "You can do whatever you want, but my replies? Those are being sifted very carefully."

[breakaleginhalf]

Now both ears are flicking back in annoyance, and he shoots Matthew a faintly frustrated look. Then his gaze goes lower, turning thoughtful; and he reaches an arm over his shoulder to scratch his own back, remembering the Mark that sits between his shoulder blades. "What about one on one answers?"