cancry | backdated to before the heist

[Wolfsbane's been training in the back alleys of the residential district almost constantly. She strikes at a dummy with her axe over and over, splitting it with a scream, and follows up with a fireball shot at a disposal bin that lights the contents on fire. Seething, she stares at it.]

I'll show him to say that rubbish about me.

[She finally does have to stop for a moment, though, and that's how she ends up in the Neon Light Graveyard, staring up at a giant sign for something called "Old West Casino," complete with sexy cowgirl posing with blinking light-up eyes and a neon lasso that moves up and down.]

That must have been a whole theme, until they got tired of it. Always looking for something new to keep their attention, aren't they?

[Why is she here.

Speaking of casinos, though, she'll show up at the Et Voila Casino again, just to check out what the Spectres are saying about the calling card. Though she pauses in front of a slot machine with a weird name, shakes her head, and walks away, muttering to herself.]

You're famous, Mona.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yes. [She grumbles and glares at him.] That isn't going to help if we're in the middle of a fight, though, is it? I need to get stronger before anything else if I'm going to shut up that insufferable alley rat.

[And up bob his eyebrows.]

Not to put too fine a point on it, but the only one I see playing about in city backalleys is you.

Why do you think that is? He's been hoarding the training area for days now.

There's plenty of room.

Tell him that the next time he makes an unsolicited comment that I'm being too reckless by existing at him.

Is that what he said.

He's got it in his head that I'm going to end up hitting an ally one of these days. The nerve. As if I don't always know what I'm doing.

Do you? [He presses a hand to his chest.] Why, even I scarcely know what I'm doing from time to time. How very fortunate that you've a much better grip on everything than the rest of us.

Oh, don't give me that. Aren't you the one who's always in everybody's business for the mission?

...Am I? [That one is genuine.] Well...if I am, no one's commented on it before now, positively or negatively.

None of which negates the fact that we're all just making it up as we go along. Even him. Even you.

At least I plan. Isn't that what we've been doing, gathering as much intelligence as we can?

We are most certainly in the midst of planning, yes. At what point does that contradict the idea that we're all still just making it up as we go? Rei knows more about [general shrugging motion to Everything] all this around us than anyone else, and she still doesn't actually know or understand it all.

[ughhhhhhhhh]

So in this scenario of yours, how likely is it that the plan goes off well? Or is there something else you're trying to tell me?

I think I'm going to wrap this back around to being a conversation about you instead of you manipulating this into a conversation about the plan.

So let me be blunt. What is your problem with Sword?

My problem with Sword is his problem with me. Ever since we picked him up, he's singled me out as somebody he likes to either insult or ignore. He insists that I'm reckless and going to hurt our own side when he's got nothing to back that up, and I can't so much as roll my eyes at a minor thing that's got nothing to do with him, because then he turns it into a big production.

I could dispute several of your claims, but I don't think it will do any good. One of the problems I see here, however, is that neither of you seem to be familiar with the concept of deescalation.

You don't have to like each other. But you could stop getting into each other's faces.

He's the one who started it. I don't know why everyone's decided it's for the best to keep him around.

No one started anything, you just have similarly determined personalities and the inability to back down. What would you have us do, toss a perfectly acceptable Executor to the streets because - what, you don't like him?

Would we have a team left if we got rid of people you didn't like?

[She scowls, but stops short of saying something. Thinks of the conversation when they'd just gotten to Avaritia, that memory at the gates in the rain.]

...I suppose not. But he's been going about acting like I'm the one you all ought to leave behind, when I'm the one who's proven my worth over and over and I was here first.

I think he genuinely just wants you to leave him be and let him train until he collapses, or at least until Phoenix entices him to take a break for food.

Speaking of. [He rummages in his coat and pulls out...tupperware with something Phoenix cooked up.] To preempt him.

And you say you aren't in everybody's business. Why is it you're doing this?

Because it's frustrating and childish, and gods forbid you two end up having to do something in the same room together and tensions boil over. So here I am, mediating, even if it's just on one side for now.

And making sure you're both looking out for yourselves if nothing else.

I have to look out for myself, don't I? Even if he weren't trying to replace me.

[did chiron not just say that's not what he's doing]

...

You're serious, aren't you.

What would you call it? He comes in out of nowhere and immediately has an issue with me and starts making up reasons why I can't be here, even though I was here at the start with the rest of you!

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