Matthew answers, before Magician does. "A few. Assuming you believe them.
Assuming they're telling the truth. Assuming that everything we've heard
about Moebius isn't the Arcana's attempts to scramble some kind of bullshit
justification for it out of the hopes that we'll actually play for
them. Because that's what you all want, isn't it? You all want us to win
your game for you. You want us to be nice little pawns, who trust that
you're the best ones to win the World, no really, honest,
cross our mystic little hearts and hope to die."
"You got it, Cupcakes," she says, body language slow, restrained, deliberate, eyes wide and gaze fixed. "That's what we want. What we really believe. And all but one of us who have any kind of scruples about what we'd try to win are dead or knocked out of play. And I don't mean me. I would and will pull every trick I can. So will my Honorable Opposition this round."
Gil's ears flick back, and his tail twitches. He fully understands that Matthew's pissed, and rightfully so: but that sort of confrontation was very clearly not going to work. It was like Matthew went and kicked Magician into Safety Mode.
He shoots Matthew a pointed glare. "Okay, so. That one's too close to home right now. Maybe we can come bother you again when it's not your round. And hopefully the gag order's a bit less anal-retentive."
"Kinky," she says to Gil without missing a beat, "but we can try it. And as for you, Cupcakes, I've been telling everyone I would do anything to be first all along. If the 'you' is plural, take it up with somebody else - maybe even someone who didn't almost throw the game to save a friend."
Gil's openly staring at Matthew now, with open annoyance. But his words are still directed at Magician. "I'll make sure to hop by after this round's over."
They shrug. Still ignoring you, Gil. "We hadn't spoken to you before now,"
they say. "But if you'd do anything to be first, why almost throw the game
for Hermit?"
ROSE does something she doesn't do much: she stills, staring at Matthew in silence.
"I would have thought a mortal would get it," she says, at last. "Motivation. Some things are important - they're worth bigger risks than others. Ix is one of them."
And then Gil's gaze turns to Magician; softer than he was glaring at Matthew, almost sympathetic. On the one hand, of course ROSE would be one of the ones that understood relationships. But, on the other...
"You don't let people you care about just- get killed," he says so quiet that it's almost to himself.
Matthew shoots Gil a faintly puzzled look - as far he knows, no one was ever talking about killing Hermit. Imprisoning him, yes. Dead? Not so much. In fact if anything the impression he got was that, by the strange rules that make up the Arcana, Devil and Lovers needed him to still be alive.
"Was anyone trying to kill Hermit?" they wonder. "But I...understand, yes. We know that some things are more important. But I'm mortal. You're not. I mean, you do a good job of trying to pass as one, sure. But you're still ideas and idioms given a functioning personality. It's not exactly clear whether you can act outside your own idiom, even when it's what you need to do. Even if you want to."
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Matthew answers, before Magician does. "A few. Assuming you believe them. Assuming they're telling the truth. Assuming that everything we've heard about Moebius isn't the Arcana's attempts to scramble some kind of bullshit justification for it out of the hopes that we'll actually play for them. Because that's what you all want, isn't it? You all want us to win your game for you. You want us to be nice little pawns, who trust that you're the best ones to win the World, no really, honest, cross our mystic little hearts and hope to die."
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He shoots Matthew a pointed glare. "Okay, so. That one's too close to home right now. Maybe we can come bother you again when it's not your round. And hopefully the gag order's a bit less anal-retentive."
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"At least you admit to it," Matthew says, grudging. Gil, for now, they ignore completely. "We would prefer it if you didn't pretend otherwise."
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They shrug. Still ignoring you, Gil. "We hadn't spoken to you before now," they say. "But if you'd do anything to be first, why almost throw the game for Hermit?"
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"I would have thought a mortal would get it," she says, at last. "Motivation. Some things are important - they're worth bigger risks than others. Ix is one of them."
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"You don't let people you care about just- get killed," he says so quiet that it's almost to himself.
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"Was anyone trying to kill Hermit?" they wonder. "But I...understand, yes. We know that some things are more important. But I'm mortal. You're not. I mean, you do a good job of trying to pass as one, sure. But you're still ideas and idioms given a functioning personality. It's not exactly clear whether you can act outside your own idiom, even when it's what you need to do. Even if you want to."