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

[honeyedtea]

Does she even go here?!

[kninja]

More like she went here, before us. Did you know she's an Empress?

[honeyedtea]

I refuse to believe that! What sort of Empress would present herself like–?!

[ She just. Gestures to all of Rita. ]

[kninja]

Well, she was trapped in a doughnut shop for a few years. Not a lot of options, I guess.

[honeyedtea]

Even so! A noble woman must comport herself with some measure of dignity!

[ a pause. ]

Welcome back, by the way.

[kninja]

Thanks. Really--it's good to be outta there.

[honeyedtea]

Where were you being kept, exactly? I'm still quite lost on exactly what happened to all of you after we parted ways.

[kninja]

We woke up one by one in some kind of fake ship inside a building. Didn't need to eat or sleep, which somehow made it about a dozen times worse than it already was. It was boring.

[honeyedtea]

You were really just kept there the whole time?

[ She wrinkles up her nose. ]

I'm quite surprised that none of you started killing each other again.

[kninja]

It got a little close there by the end...

[The drama, Mielle. Ugh.]

[honeyedtea]

So I've heard. I understand there was a fight of some sort?

[ she wants the deets, obi ]

[kninja]

[TBH I wasn't paying attention at that point, I was watching Code Geass or something]

Well, Vholran and Dawon maybe kinda almost killed Duke Dandy again. Did you know those two are-- [He makes two circles of his thumbs and index fingers and links them.] --together? Ish? They've got something going on.

[honeyedtea]

Those two?!

[ She sounds taken aback and yet, somehow, not surprised in the least. ]

I suppose they were always the most unpleasant people in the room at every trial. And you know what they say about like calling to like.

[kninja]

I was so sure Dawon had a little crush on Lady Hild, too... oh, well. I can't be right about every potential couple.

[honeyedtea]

... Who else had you predicted?

[ she's gossipy, okay ]

[kninja]

Lady Zinda and Sir Nandor both made their interest pretty clear from the beginning, so that-- [He bobs his head towards the happy, post-proposal couple.] --doesn't surprise me. On the other hand, looks like I was wrong about His Honor and His Grace. And...

[Does he dare. Is he going to say it.]

...Well, you and Miss Mafuyu have gotten pretty close, haven't you?

[honeyedtea]

[ Mielle gets a look on her face that I can only describe as "ptsd flashbacks to a conversation obi was not part of" and has the audacity to look at once surprised and embarrassed to have the gossip turned around on her. ]

Are we really the subject of that much conversation?!

[kninja]

Princess, we could see you during this last trial.

[You ain't subtle.]

[honeyedtea]

And what does that have to do with anything whatsoever?!

[ they really got called 'girlfriends' right to their faces and it just. sailed right over their heads, huh ]

[kninja]

Are you not together? Huh. You looked together. Didn't someone say you were girlfriends?

[honeyedtea]

Well, yes, but I don't see what that has to do with–

[honeyedtea]

[ A literal ten second pause as Mielle very visibly processes those words properly, at last, and promptly has to go through a whole brain reboot before she can even make at attempt at finishing that sentence. ]

WHOOPS done

[honeyedtea]

... That... doesn't have to do with...

[ ... she trails off, wearing an look that can only be described as 'the facial expression equivalent of the italicized oh in a slowburn romance'. ]