Scene #9496: Planning At The Library

Owner	Pose
Angela	Angela honestly hadn't really thought too deeply about Manus Vindictae, determining all she really had to do was to lend Schneider enough of a hand that she'd get through the Storm alive. But recently, she's been thinking that maybe she ought to have planned things out a bit more and should, at the very least, get on the same page with White about this since she seems to be significantly more motivated and involved than someone trapped in another world can really be. She has spent the day reading the latest books and, in a fit of making the Library more inviting, went to the trouble of setting out a Welcome Mat. She pushed the doors to the lobby open, hefted up the welcome mat, and tossed it outside of the doors where it lands slightly askew. The Welcome Mat is patterned brightly with a bunch of hot air balloons, a rocket ship, a compass, and open book on the bottom, and the phrase A NEW ADVENTURE BEGINS WELCOME TO YOUR LIBRARY underneath. She then returned to the Floor of the Social Sciences where she's hoping to meet up with White, plunking herself down on a couch and by a table. Chesed has helpfully placedd a pot of coffee on the nearby table with a pair of mugs. She sends White a text: 'If you are free to talk now would be a good time - Angela.'
White	White recieves the text in the midst of what might, for a normal person, be comparable to a stress nap. She's laid out on her rarely-used bed with her agents scattered all around her body, some under her arms or on top of her chest, all using various small touch devices to look things up, organize notes, clumsily draw little reference doodles or maps, and so on. It doesn't take her very long to respond, since she's not really doing much else; her own phone is yoinked into her hand from her desk via a piece of silk, she reads it, and quickly taps the screen to reply, "Alright. I'll be there shortly, after I pick up lunch." True to her word, she appears in the lobby within under fifteen minutes! She's wearing that jacket of hers with the fluffy faux-fur around the neck and wrists, and she's done a better job of patching the battle-damage holes since the last time she wore it. She has a plastic bag in one hand that smells spicy and arrives eyes-open, which lets her notice the mat outside the entrance entirely by coincidence; she pauses to turn around, open the door, and gently adjust it with her foot so that it's aligned with the door before coming back inside and gently shutting it again. If Angela's there to meet her, great! If she isn't it's trivial to just check on Charlotte, have the little spider tap Angela's shoulder as a warning and then poof right over to where she is, assuming they're together like usual; either way it won't take long to find her probably, though she's not about to ditch anyone Angela might have sent to wait for her instead. She didn't exactly get lunch for everyone in the library, but she did get some extra fortune cookies from whatever take-out place she stopped by; she can hand them out to the librarians she knows as she comes across them if she gets a chance.
Angela	Random and Parker happily collect fortune cookies but it's Tiphereth who is meeting White at the entrance. Normally Angela would want to meet White at the entrance but she actually anticipated White would just pop right on into the Library proper. It can be tough to anticipate just where White's going to initially show up because there's so many options. She can practically pop into every room at this point and if it wasn't for Harriet The Spyder tapping her lightly on the shoulder, she'd probably have startled at White's appearance. Instead she straightens up in the moment she has to prepare when White arrives. "I think she's upset." Tiphereth asided to White on the way over. "She has been normal. But quieter?" And she doesn't immediately leave, instead heading over to Chesed once they arrive, giving White a small little wave as she busies herself with chatting with Chesed as he prepares a mug of hot cocoa for the younger Sephirah (who is going to grit her teeth and not comment on it). "White." Angela smiles. "I'm glad you were able to make it. I know the last couple weeks have been difficult." There's still a few fortune cookies left and Angela's gaze travels to them. "Ah, Roland brought something like that here once. The 'Fortune Cookies' with the paper inside, yes? I don't know if you drink coffee but Chesed prepared some without me having asked." He's a guy who is very invested in coffee.
White	Nodding along as Tiphereth leads her further inside, White wonders if yet more terrible things have been happening while she isn't looking, remaining calm-looking but a little low-energy for her usual by the time she's waving back at Tiphereth. Still, she meets Angela with an effortful bit of extra pep, dipping her head and opening the bag more when Angela comments on the cookies. She pulls them out first to set aside, before placing the three little white boxes of chinese takeout on a silk cloth (pulled out of her sleeve like a magician with a scarf) to avoid getting moisture on Angela's furniture. She starts to talk while she's setting out two paper bowls, carefully scooping a bit of rice from one box into each with a plastic fork before moving on to add the entrees from the other two boxes, a few pieces at a time each, to both bowls. The overall portion is probably a little more than White or Angela would normally eat on their own, but it gives both of them a good few pieces of dark orange spicy fried chicken, and likewise a healthy little stack of sweet and saucy pork slices to mirror it. Not exactly trying new things like she usually would, which might say something in itself, but it smells good at least. "Difficult... I guess so." White muses, her voice a little whispery like she's not entirely sure she should be complaining to anyone but herself. "I drink coffee... Sometimes. Mostly... For the cute... Holiday items." She does like the novelty mugs and such you can get at cafes at certain times of the year, but it isn't like she needs to drink coffee for energy... Lucky her. Anyway, it seems like she'll have some, just to have something to contrast the food with, while she wraps back to noting, "Fortune cookies... Are a little silly. But it's... A free snack. I can't complain." But, that's not why she's here, is it? She hopes the food and smalltalk will help Angela be more comfortable, if she's been having a stressful time too. So, after carefully re-packing the rest of the food (it's too much for two small-stomached ladies to finish at once!) White settles in to take a careful bite of the still very-hot chicken, trying to avoid getting sauce on her face in the process. While she's chewing that small piece she tries to ask something that might otherwise be rather serious; talking while you eat can be improper, but she's learned it can also bring down the tone of a topic sometimes, and hopes it will do so today. "What do you think... About Manus Vindictae? About... Mister Forget Me Not... And his 'Lady Arcana'..?" It's a starting point, if nothing else.
Angela	''Pulled out of her sleeve like a magician with a scarf'' Angela wonders quietly. Isn't White ... actually super charismatic? It's certainly stylish and thoughtful to prepare a silk cloth like that. She helpfully lifts the coffee mugs up so they are out of the way (along with the coasters Chesed provided) and places them back down on top afterwards. Each mug has the Lobotomy Corp logo on it--it looks like a brain with a bright red L stabbing into it. Angela's experiences on how to engage one's partner is formed by watching Lilian and Tamamo since it's the only relationship she is aware of and the only one she's aware that is going well. That means she is aware that Lilian will frequently step back to support her partner's opinions and goals and that tells Angela that she should do the same. It's really quite shrimple and she's confident she will master the art of being supportive in no time. "They're usually positive in scope, it may be a little silly but a positive message now and then doesn't hurt anybody." She thinks maybe the lotto numbers on the back, however, might. She collects one (1) fortune cookie, breaks it in half, and offers that half to Harriet who can gobble it up like 'score!' no problem. Angela is always looking for new ways to pamper Harriet. She isn't someone who tends to like long rambling conversations but she gets lonely like anybody else so in many ways Harriet is a perfect companion. She pulls the little strip of paper out and reads it aloud. "Bloom where you are planted." She stares at it for a moment before carefully setting the strip of paper aside. A piece of fortune cookie is bound to keep better than fried chicken and sweet and saucy pork. Next time, she thinks, she should prepare something for White. Not Roland's cooking but something she made herself. She'd like to think she's getting pretty decent at it. She can reveal to her the power of the grilled cheese sandwich. Angela has been having a stressful time. She doesn't like being opposed to Lilian Rook but it feels like every avenue she takes lately puts her in opposition to Lilian Rook. She worries that every little inch she claws for herself will just make it more difficult for her to keep her company after she is free. At which point will she be too disgusting to be her friend? Has it already happened? But she can't stop. She can't make Petra cough up feathers for the rest of her life can she?
Angela	What DOES she think about Manus Vindictae? Originally, not much at all. Now? "I cannot trust the Foundation's full word on their nature." She says after some thought. "After all, they make use of arcanists but they treat them as dangerous weapons they need to handle--far from true companions allied against an extremist force. But could Manus Vindictae see me as a true ally? I am not an arcanist--arcanists are local entities, I might as well claim to be a Cybertronian." She shrugs both shoulders. "As such, any alliance with them feels inherently precarious." She hesitates, and this is more about Manus Vindictae than Forget-Me-Not but she continues all the same. "Similarly, I am hesitant to put much faith in the idea of going back to a time to 'do it right this time'. I know, of course, through experiences with people from across the Multiverse that with the aid of Outsiders, the ability to shift the course of the story is more readily viable. But turning back time... It does not turn back the tale. That is the lesson from, I suppose, the man who might be grandfather but it played out constantly in the halls of Lobotomy Corp. The tale continued on, eventually, those plentiful loops remain sequential--" She places a finger at her temple. "In my head." For one who claims she prefers speech that is to the point, Angela can sure go on for a bit--but maybe that is because of her nature as a visual novel protagonist and aspiring poet who hasn't quite mastered the art just yet. "And while I am fond of the way Schneider speaks and her situation is similar, Petra has indicated it is leaving me open to manipulation. Roland has a phrase, 'This is this, that is that'. A phrase that means one should not be swayed by similar circumstances alone." She exhales. "...And Lilian is right that limpwristed support will close two doors not one." She works on carefully cutting her chicken with the fork. It's a plastic fork so it's a little difficult but she seems to prefer to get everything bite sized first rather than cutting, eating, and cutting like that. "I was happy to help Schneider before it meant hurting Lilian. But . . . I will support you in whatever goals you desire. I have decided rather than dwell in complicated justifications I can keep it simple. If you are uncertain about those goals, however, perhaps we can settle them now."
White	White nods; the little fortunes probably don't hurt anyone, she just doesn't seem to believe in randomly-given advice. Then again, when they end up feeling personal it almost feels like an insult sometimes... Well, she's not the only one ever to feel that way. While Harriet munches a piece of vaguely sweet cookie, White gently scoots her with the back of a chopstick from near the center of the table a little more toward the side, so she can set the bag down without it being close to an edge. The spider doesn't really seem bothered to be slid like a round little hockey-puck, at least. Angela's impressions, though, do have White's full attention. She keeps slowly taking small bites and chewing, but never enough to really say she's actively 'eating' rather than 'talking' as a priority. She doesn't answer until Angela's visibly finished speaking either, taking a few moments to turn over what she's said, compare ideas, and figure out how to convey her own thoughts. It's a little tricky; she has a hard time even explaining to Schneider why she helps her. But eventually... She nods slightly, sets her chopsticks down entirely, and straightens her back to take a silent breath. "It was a... Gut feeling, at first. I didn't like the Foundation... Expecting everyone to... Follow their own rules. And I wasn't... Happy to find out... The Concord had fully allied... With the Manus, either. I knew it would... Cause problems for me. I knew... I was going to lose something, by staying involved." Another pause, a thoughtful glance down like she's considering stalling by eating a little more, before she turns her eyes back up upon Angela. "... Normally, I would just withdraw. I don't... Trust the Foundation. The way Miss Vertin... Had to work around them, to get our help... When it mattered to Miss Regulus, told me... All I need to know, about that. But... I did want to help... Miss Vertin. She has good judgement... And I wanted to know... Why she is the way she is." Another pause to breathe, a fidget in her shoulders, and she pushes on. "... I might have liked... The sound, of what the Manus wanted. At one point. But I know... What cultists sound like. And I know how they act. They will... Appeal to us. To me especially, maybe. With similarity. With comiseration. But if we... Tried to steer their course... They would redraw the lines, and cut us off. Human beings... Do the same thing, to each other. All the time. Easily." "... It isn't my world to change, anyway. I'm only thinking about... The specific people who have my attention. Miss Vertin is a good 'hero', even if she's weak. She needs to stay alive. And Miss Schneider..." There's another pause, like she's being careful with her phrasing, especially trying not to be misunderstood. "She reminded me of the Demon Lord. Suffering for family... With no options... Except violence, to make change. I decided that the Demon Lord... Deserved to win. She worked harder for it... All by herself, for so long. So if... I don't help Miss Schneider too... I feel like I'd be making... Myself a liar. But... It only goes so far." It doesn't feel like a perfect summary though, and White might be picking around something uncomfortable too. Mentioning Lilian makes White's shoulders sink a little bit. It's subtle, but noticeable for how completely stoic White often is otherwise. "... I didn't want to... Fight Miss Lilian either. I wasn't... Aggressive enough, in learning... About Miss Schneider's circumstances. I miscalculated. I've had to... Redraw my expectations. I hope to make it up to Miss Lilian... Someday. Even if... The things she complains about are..." A pause, this time not to brace herself but to simply decide whether what she's going to say is even a good idea. "... Childish, and a little stupid."
White	But, she hasn't summarized those expectations, and Angela needs to know. "I wanted to meet... Their 'Lady Arcana', to help make my mind up. But that seems... Unlikely, right now. My only priorities... Are helping Miss Schneider and her family survive the next Storm... And hopefully conveying... My intentions, to Miss Lilian, Miss Vertin, and... Well. At least those two." She doesn't think Sonetto is likely to trust her or like her again after this, and she might still be blacklisted by the Foundation in the future, but that's fine. "... It's fine for you to stay out of this fight, Miss Angela. I understand... The position you're in. And admittedly... The less that we risk, the easier it would be... To scrape away with my acceptable minimum victory, in the worst case. It will... Come down to what Miss Schneider does, however. If she insists on fighting... For the Manus, instead of herself, when the time comes..." Well, White doesn't know yet. That's kind of the problem; she won't be willing to kill Lilian, Vertin or others for the Manus, but... What would she do?
Angela	Angela nods. A gut feeling. That isn't too disimilar to Angela's own vibes. She didn't like the Foundation, she was more fond of Laplace frankly, but that has less to do with their goals and more to do with the fact that she's sort of inherently vile to their operatives. Until she is able to be free of her own little labrynth--even if she may be the master of it--then she can't really be the Foundation's ally either. Oh, sure, maybe she could speak with some of their less idealistic leaders but... Maybe she's a little jealous too, of how Lilian has her own new favorites. And how try as she might she struggles to hold onto the position of being friend. And maybe it's gone forever because she gave Schneider an umbrella. She eats some chicken. It helps. She closes her eyes and enjoys the taste on her tongue. The taste she fought so hard for. The blood she fought for. Even if she loses everything else, she still won something here. She still got somewhere. But ... ...Why doesn't it feel like that's satisfying all the same? There is still option ''Leaving the Plot'', of course. Angela is always willing to engage the option ''Leaving the Plot''. After all, it's easier to not do something than to do it. "I suppose the Demon Lord doesn't seem like one who is shy to use violence. I don't feel Schneider is manipulating us through expression of similar conditions, but perhaps having more reasons to help Miss Schneider--would be ideal. Even if we have to fix those threads for ourselves. For Schneider's sake as well--after all, she has been feeling ... like we've been too generous to her. So perhaps we shoudl rely on her too. Then our purpose is stronger." ''Childish, and a little stupid.'' A year ago Angela would've bristled on that. She knows, of course, Lilian is more than just the perfect Elite. She doesn't mind hearing about her flaws, exactly, but she would have not made it this far without her aid. And Petra's aid. And she's not sure if she really even is being 'childish and a little stupid' about it. Maybe there's an element of it, maybe that is why she's focusing on it, but it doesn't mean the ultimate thrust of her point is unsound. "It is true that making any call--regarding Manus Vindictae or even the Foundation, really, is a little premature without knowing about their guiding hands. We can only surmise so much from hearing about it from others, or studying their treatment of those under them. Ayin, too, kept himself hidden and that was disasterous." But frankly if she were Arcana she'd be playing a little hard to reach too. If it wasn't for Lilian, she certainly would've felt the need to be way more cautious than she ended up being. If it wasn't for Petra and Xion, she'd be dead.
Angela	"I could stay out, though at this point that would be embarrassing." Angela admits. "I don't intend to provide direct support in the form of going out there and thrashing people for them, but I can assist Schneider in making a name for herself. Whether that means anything to Manus Vindictae, I cannot say. But that does mean it may be some time before we can truly fight side by side with Lilian. For me, we are already at odds, so the sacrifice may actually be greater for you, even if it chafes at me. But Lilian would stand by Tamamo, it feels appropriate I stand by you." Of course, Tamamo is considerably less active in the multiverse and way more prosocial than either of them. "Our unwillingness to harm their enemies may make our influence...more minimal than others, though frnakly I feel there are few who would go as far as we would. But all that means is that this alliance with them may not last long, ultimately we need to learn more about them so we can anticipate whether working together is something that is for the moment or not. Even after this STorm, Schneider is bound to be dependent on them unless she defects... My suggestion is to uncover the way to survive the STorm. I can draw out pages, you have your vision. Together, maybe we can pry a secret free. And then we'll have something to win back some favor. If we choose to."
White	White, hearing Angela out and resuming taking some mouseish bites of pork and rice, feels her anxiety notch up just a little more. If Angela acts to support her, while she's just acting to satisfy herself, does that mean it's White's fault if something bad happens to Angela as a result of the association? Would it have been unavoidable regardless? Should she even be worrying about such a thing, if it was Angela's own decision to make? It's a little too much to make her mind up on at once, so she has to pretend to be thinking of anything else instead for now. "... I've heard someone say..." she starts, trailing off slightly like she's forgotten, only to continue, "That 'god can't protect anyone who won't protect themselves'. I would like if... All I had to do, was... Offer Schneider a place in our territory for her family. But we already proved... That the Storm takes anyone from their world... As if they're marked. It might be the best I can do... To give her just one 'safety net'. If she finds her own net... And doesn't need mine... All the better. If she's being used now... Only to be cut off later... Then I want to give her a chance. And from how Mister Forget Me Not spoke about her... I need to be ready. Hopefully... She can find her own future afterward, if that happens." "... Part of why I wanted to meet Arcana... Was to find out if 'surviving the storm'... Is an ability that originates with her. If it is, then... A page from her might help. Or... Perhaps from Miss Vertin, but... Being 'self only', to cover Miss Schneider's... Whole family would be..." Unlikely. Maybe impossible, depending on the limits of Angela's pages and how fully they can replicate a power. What's enough to trick the System, which was already proven to be fallible, might not be enough to trick a force of primordial, temporal ruin after all. "... I do have another plan, but it's very... Clumsy. And I have... Yet to hear back. About the information I might need, to... Keep it from getting out of hand. And it still only accounts for one Storm..." She's really learned to resent how common it is for people to have their various obligations, attachments and curses keeping them from running away from their problems. It seems like nobody will ever get to take her hand, when she holds it out to let them leave things behind.
Angela	Angela, of course, would back off if White asked her to but it is important for her to support White. It feels like that's what people in relationships do judging from the one of three such relationships she's observed that didn't result in a dead body or something worse. "My drawing of a page is not subtle and they likely know what it means for me to draw one." Angela admits, wondering if that had some role in Arcana's abscene. But she doubts it. She'd be rather surprised if someone actually planned for her without her pointing a knife at their throat and even then, judging from Sarracenia, it is still a bit of a longshot. "Though I admit, I think Schneider is the only one who asked me not to. Perhaps Vertin would agree to such an experiment in exchange for some of the pages for her to hand over for her own usage and experimentation. Maybe we cannot save the whole family, but if I learned anything from my time at Lobotomy Corporation, sometimes 'Triage' is the best you can hope for. Saving three of her family is better than saving none, no? It is unlikely that we will have a ''surefire'' way to survive the Storm. We may leave this era no closer to a way to provide aid than we entered it." ''And I have... Yet to hear back. About the information I might need--'' Angela nods. A backup plan is something. And you can never have too many of those in her book. "Well, one Storm is not nothing. It gives us significantly more time to find a more permanent solution. Even if the Concord desires to assist Manus Vindictae, even if WE do, it is best to have a method to support our interests in that world otherwise we're letting their world run us. We're the Concord, the angles should be ours to play." Not that she hasn't benefitted from generosity herself, but that's precisely why she knows it can be a double edged sword.
White	White nods in agreement with Angela's take about the pages. "... Miss Schneider will do whatever... Gives her family the highest chance... To survive, all together. Part of the challenge... Is finding a hope... She would accept. Vertin... Might cooperate... But she has incentive, and motivation... Not to, if she knows why we ask it from her. Not for free. Not to mention... If it got out... That she were helping us, it could worsen her position. The less freedom she has... The less people she can help." With that said, White shoves an entire piece of chicken in her mouth all at once. A whole piece! She can barely chew it!! It's pretty spicy, but not intolerable, and White once again proves that she's not as delicate as she looks by not having a particularly strong reaction to the spice... If anything the way it makes her cheeks rounder as she tries to chew just makes her look strangely content, maybe just because it's the most movement in her expression one's likely to see. Only after she's defeated the spicy treat does she finally try to summarize something she'd been mulling over, after wiping her lips on the silk cloth gingerly. "... I'd like to speak more... With Miss Druvis. She seems friendly... With Miss Schneider. I want... To know where she stands. I also want... To visit Miss Schneider's family, so I... Can find them in an emergency, or have her take an 'agent' home. Miss Schneider and the Demon Lord are... Getting along well. Hopefully... The Demon Lord can learn... Why Miss Schneider's connection to the Manus seems... Tenuous. Whether it's because... Of her family, or a past mistake, or because she's desperate... I'm not sure yet. But knowing... would tell me when the right time would be... To pull her away from them. If you learn anything... Of the sort, soon, would you tell me?"
Angela	"I think Druvis might enjoy the Library. It's a tree. And Druvis likes trees." Angela murmurs. She doesn't really GET Druvis but she has, lately, been feeling like she should lean into the fact that she's this weird soul-entrapping book witch living in a tree a bit more. Play into the vibe. Petra would agree, right? She's delving into the narrative and if anybody can appreciate getting a little silly with the little bits of weirdness one picked up it'd be Petra. "True." She says of Vertin. "But at the same time, if we do find a way to provide safety from the Storm--that doesn't help Manus, who already has the method. It's ultiamtely a lessening of their toolbox. Logically, she should not refuse but of course I wouldn't expect such cold rationalization from anyone." She might've said more but she sees White's cheeks get nice and round. She stares for a moment in surprise. It's not really a surprise to her that White can be cute, but this is not just cute. It's a bit silly and a bit a cute at the same time. Some old electrical impulses trigger and something rises up from her chest as she exhales a sudden, if brief, laugh. "Alright. So long as we are taking active steps to learn and expand our hand, we can at least say we did not shrimply allow the currents to guide us." That is enough for now, she thinks. "If I learn about why her connection to Manus Vindictae seems tenuous? Of course." She collects the second half of the fortune cookie and feeds it to the spyder while patting her on the head. "But in the meantime, you are visiting her family. Would you mind if you took one of those pads--or invited Roland along so he could carry one? It is important to see them. And I too would like to get to know Druvis better." She is brusque with her words so Angela likes that, at least. "Miss Druvis seems more honored than Schneider. She even wears the masks and is not mad. And after, we can figure out our next step."
White	"She does... Seem to like trees." White easily agrees, pondering silently whether Angela's tree 'counts' by the standards of someone who likes normal trees. Well, the worst that could happen is that Angela gets a strange look from Druvis, so White will just have to leave that avenue of approach to her. As for Vertin's cost-analysis and likelihood to cooperate, White makes a small hum. "Mm. Helping us for nothing... Reduces her leverage over us, though. She's kind... But intelligent. I could see her... Trying to get something from us, in exchange. It might be... Worth it... We'll see." White seems satisfied with Angela's thoughts though, and nods at the suggestion to bring a pad along if she gets to visit the Grecos. "Okay. It might make me... Seem less strange... If the both of us visit. And they might find... The technology novel. If they accept... My offer for a 'meal exchange' to reduce the burden... Of cooking, would you mind... If I had some help, here at the Library? I can hunt... One of the lesser fire dragons... But preparing the meat for 13 diners... Is still a fair bit of work." She really has been trying to find someone to share that 'catfish' meat with... "... Maybe I can trade some... For some of those 'sharpodonties' the arcanists use, finally." Then, just following the train of thought White slips in, "... Speaking of technology... I ordered a headset. When we have some time... We can try some games. Mister Roland tried one... That he thought you might like."
Angela	Maybe she'd get mad. Maybe this is the wrong way to have a tree, but Angela thinks that if she says it used to be a company that was literally and figuratively powered by the blood of the working class, like, maybe Druvis would at least see it as a tree-flavored improvement. "I do have an actual orange tree too that grows in here." Angela pauses. "I should show you next time. You wouldn't have to bring snacks since the tree brings its own." She does think that Roland might be a good addition to such a trip, or maybe Gebura. If nothing else they have a sort of sense for the sort of crime family gang warfare bullshit that Schneider is all caught up in and can navigate it more delicately than Angela could ever hope for. The sort of family gang warfare bullshit that Angela was involved in was less kind and more cut-throat and left more bodies in the dirt. "Roland enjoys cooking. If you give him an excuse he'll have more food ready than even Schneider's family could deal with. He enjoys that sort of work more than the fighting, I think." ''We can try some games.'' "Roland thought I would like it?" She's surprised by the thoughtfulness of someone she is literally forcing to work for her. She feels a little twinge of guilt. Maybe she should just let him go to his family. He's been helpful, he even seems to appreciate vengeance against the Head to some extent--and his child has almost certainly been born by now, hasn't it? He has never asked for time off for such a thing, but the ache he has had due to his absence from his family. "Perhaps I could give him a week off sometime. I've been harsh for security purposes but he should be allowed some time to actually see his family. He's being more generous to me than I would be in his shoes." But she smiles again. "But certainly, it's a date. We can snack on oranges and play this game together."
White	White nods, twice! "That's true. I wasn't sure... If it was still around, but I remember... The orange you gave me before." She seems slightly relieved to hear that the orange tree is still standing; she hasn't really wandered the floors enough to find it on her own initiative. "That's good." she says about Roland enjoying cooking, and elaborates, "I almost forgot... I was going to ask the Demon Lord... To help too. She's a good cook too... And more muscle helps, when working with... Very large prey." Ariel and Roland aren't exactly her first thought for 'people who would hold a normal conversation in a room together', but if they've got a shared interest to work on then it should work itself out! And it's an excuse to get Ariel socializing more, and a way to capitalize on the way Ariel and Schneider were instantly fond of each other... It sounds like a solid plan, the more she thinks about it. As for the games, White pauses to think back; her memory is a little fuzzy after a certain point, but she's pretty sure she remembers some of the initial sentiments on the topic. "Right. At first, he said...Something like... You might not like it, because... A game about being trapped wouldn't appeal to you, maybe. But it's really... Just a puzzle game, about looking... For clues, and following the designer's logic." Okay, not the greatest repeat of Roland's phrasing, but the general sentiment is probably close enough. When Angela suggests time off for the guy, and gives her reasoning, White seems strangely thoughtful, her eyes scrunching partway shut. She feels like a memory wants to crawl out of her forehead like an earthworm, but it just can't quite get through her thick skull after all. Eventually, she has to give up, appeased by the idea that Angela is looking forward to something anyway. "If he gets bored... Tell him he can visit, and bother Merazophis. I don't know very many... Adult men he could get along with, anymore... But Merazophis could use a break, too." She, of course, has kind of forgotten in the moment that Merazophis is a vampire, and doesn't really understand Roland's current feelings about that topic anyway... But she's trying, kinda? As for their next date, "I'll look forward to it... Then. I'll have my agents... Scout out a room... Where there's space for the sensors, by then. And set it up... With lots of games."
Angela	Roland is accustomed to getting bossed around by women but he probably isn't as accustomed to being bossed around by demon lords. Ariel's army is significantly heftier than what Angela has available to her, frankly, so he no doubt imagines it's like a big fish small pond situation with what he'd be used to compared to her. On the other hand, he doesn't particularly have investment in the going ons of White's world. Frankly to him, he feels like White has it handled? The dangers of being so competent... But naturally this doesn't mean anything to Angela who will make Roland cook with the demon lord because she thinks it'd be ''nice''. Angela is determined to make The Library and her associations with her friends, loved ones, and allies outside of it ''nice'' no matter the body count it results in. She's supposed to be better than The City. So she says: "They can work together, I'm sure it will be fine." She has heard of the adage 'too many cooks spoil the broth' before but this means two cooks working together, that can't be too many, it's literally just one more than the normal amount. She scooches closer to White on the couch, feeling a little strange though she can't place the sensation. ''A game about being trapped...'' "...Normally I would say that sort of game wouldn't appeal to me, but I can't imagine my reasons as to why even Roland could imagine." She frowns thoughtfully. "Well, it is just a game. It is not as if I am actually being locked into some facility. I can't imagine it being any more harm than a game I have some dislike for--and if he thinks I would like it, perhaps I'd get something out of it." Angela is also not really aware why Roland might have antipathy or unease for a random guy who seems polite and responsible but she also isn't the sort to go 'oh you had a bad experience with a vampire? These are also named vampires so you'll also hate them'. The only race of people she kind of hates are Decepticons and even then, she hasn't really been aggravated by them lately. "I'll let him know, he seemed to like the nieces too so..." She tilts slowly before ultimately fwumphing against White's arm. She feels... Strangely tired. Like she hasn't slept in ages, but of course--she HASN'T slept in ages. She's not someone who has really needed to sleep before. Her consciousness has been one straight line. But she feels, instinctively, like she can't sleep. Maybe it's just the days lately. She's been emotionally tired to be for sure. ''I have a long life to look forward to, ideally. I'm sure I will get to be friends with the 'good guys' eventually.'' Angela lowers her head, strands of hair covering her eyes before she reaches out with an arm and hugs onto White's with one arm, leaning her head against it. She doesn't say anything, but her thoughts dwell on those words.
White	White nods a little at 'it will be fine', thinking aloud that, "The Demon Lord... Might nudge him around, a little. But I think... They would get along. And I want her... To make more friends." For a moment it's unclear if she notices Angela scooting closer, mostly because she's already trying to read the situation for what to expect. She's started to catch on a little more to how Angela moves closer when she wants something, although it's slow-going... "Mhm. And if you don't like... One game, there are many... Many more to try. Games to play music in, or... Be an action hero in, or explore for treasure in." White's watching Angela rather closely now; the unusual sluggishness stands out enough for her to justify checking Angela's status with the Evil Eye, but it's probably not even needed by the time Angela's tipped over against her. White momentarily fumbles with a proverbial Command List, which loses some of its buttons when Angela holds onto her nearer arm. If she can't wrap that arm around Angela, and it'd be awkward to turn and displace her to use her other arm for a loose hug... White makes a tiny adjustment, a shimmy on the couch if anything. Now, White can more comfortably rest her cheek atop Angela's head. It's a stolen move, and she hasn't mastered it, but it's a little like a hug if you don't think about it too much, right? Part of her starts to wonder if she should be worried that Angela is suddenly looking so tired, but... If this is all she wants right now, it's fine. White can watch over her for a while, even if she has to stay very, very still... She's good at that.