i am a cage in search of a bird

[crocodiline]

[ The figure inside the frosted glass snaps her fingers, and the glass falls away, sliding into grooves in the ground below. Inside, behind additional bulletproof glass, sits a woman, legs up on a transparent glass desk, absentmindedly petting a... whatever this thing is.

Say hello to your mastermind, everyone! ]

Hey there, everyone. Nice to talk to you in person - my name is Cipher, welcome to my city. Sorry I took so long to show up in person. No need to get up on my account - how about we talk business?

[ Let's drive. ]

Comments

[inaclearing]

[Brett - who was literally thinking the exact same thing and we can all see it on his face and also he was talking about it like twenty in-universe minutes ago - immediately becomes a hypocrite!]

Forrest, come on. You're incredibly accomplished already, in multiple fields. I'm sure you're only going to get better.

[crocodiline]

... You're both terrible at self-evaluation.

[inaclearing]

[Brett opens his mouth like he's about to have a long retort - but he's rarely one to just blurt stuff out without consideration, so all he ends up saying is:]

This isn't about me.

[visiblepattern]

I'm not saying I have no skills at all, Brett. I'm saying that in this specific circumstance I can't really see myself bringing much to the table. I'm a cleric from a thousand years ago who likes fashion.

[inaclearing]

That didn't stop you from figuring out like, half the cases here.

[Probably an exaggeration if we were to stop and look at the numbers, but it sure feels that way. Forrest's got some killer (ha) instincts!]

You're smart and you have good instincts. Adapting to this time period's just a matter of experience.

[visiblepattern]

...I suppose.