ic contact;

[originallutece]

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[roseblooms]

Simply enough, really; most of the time I avoided being seen on entry. On exit was something quite different.

However, when I say I was powerful...

...Let's try this. You're familiar with the wargs here, correct?

[originallutece]

[It seems rather a shoddy job, but she's the scientist, not the thief. She'll defer to his experience.]

Well enough.

[roseblooms]

For the purposes of the analogy, let's use a warg as a standard unit of measure. Let's also rank the warg approximately where the scale of measure I'm familiar with would likely place it — an E-class demon.

A D-class demon would be reasonably capable of defeating one warg in any given encounter.

A C-class demon would be reasonably capable of defeating a D-class demon in any given encounter, so let's call that two wargs simultaneously, for ease of math.

A B-class demon, however, is an unusually large jump up from C-class. So much so that I would say it would be reasonable to assume a B-class demon could defeat five C-class demons reasonably simultaneously — so, about ten wargs.

An A-class demon is approximately the human equivalent of a demigod of legend. Again, their power level jump is immense; let's be conservative and say that one could wipe out ten B-class demons reasonably simultaneously — one hundred wargs.

...An S-class demon is powerful enough that it could feasibly destroy five hundred A-class demons with relatively little effort. Fifty thousand wargs.

I was very powerful, is what I'm attempting to express.

[originallutece]

[--good grief. Rosalind stares down at the watch for a long few seconds, blinking in shock.]

And now?

[roseblooms]

[Ah. And now, it's another solemn bout of Honesty Hour again.]

Considerably less so. I was badly injured. Grievously enough that escaping my hunters meant expending a great deal of the power I'd spent so long accruing.

I very nearly died. Most people assumed I had, and I saw no reason to dissuade them of that notion, because it meant no one would look for me.

...I suppose that was one of the drawbacks of a life spent independent. I was mortally wounded and had no one to run to, and nowhere to go, and no one but myself to count on.

[originallutece]

It is a life with occasional drawbacks. Though I'm glad you chose what you did, reduced power or not.

[She pauses. Should she say more about that? But it's the truth.]

If ever you'd be willing to demonstrate your powers, I'd be delighted to see it.

[roseblooms]

Power can be regained. Life, unfortunately, isn't so forgiving of its loss.

What would you like to see? You've witnessed my sunflowers, my vines, and the Sinning Tree.

[originallutece]

Anything you would show me. Though here and now, I had a few questions about your Sinning Tree.

[roseblooms]

You know you're always welcome to ask me questions.

I have other plants with similar...unusual potential. I'd let the ojigi out for you, but then I'd have to concern myself with what to do with it for the duration.

[originallutece]

Well, now I have two questions.

1. The Sinning Tree has two parts: it causes its victim to hallucinate, and then it consumes them. Is it possible for you to extract whatever venom causes said hallucinations?

2. What precisely does the ojigi do?

[roseblooms]

1) ...That's an excellent question. Yes, I suppose that would be possible; it's a secretion of the plant that it distributes into its victim as its roots take hold. In theory I suppose one could milk it, as it were, for that purpose. Why?

2) It hunts. The ojigi is exceptionally sensitive to movement; it's...rather like a Venus flytrap, if a Venus flytrap had mouths with ten-centimeter fangs at the end of every stem, and a tendency to actively chase flies around instead of waiting for them to land.

And if the said Venus flytrap were approximately the size of a small house, of course.

[originallutece]

1. There are quite a few purposes one could have for hallucinogenics, but given it originates from a demonic plant, I'd firstly like to simply study it.

2. Could you make it smaller?

[roseblooms]

1) Is it only that you want to study a demon plant, or is there something to the Sinning Tree in particular that's caught your attention?

2) A miniature ojigi. Yes, I suppose I could.

[originallutece]

1. I've never seen something enthrall a creature so completely. Though I wouldn't pass the chance to study any other demon plant, I suspect you can imagine the reason why this one in particular has caught my attention.

2. In that case, I would most certainly like to see it. There might be mild danger to my ankles, but with thick boots it seems safe enough to study.

[roseblooms]

1) I suspect I can make a reasonable guess at it.

[Briefly, he recalls the sight of her hacking away at the wendigo's throat, and how it didn't even notice it was being murdered from how engulfed it was in its delusions.]

2) You are without a doubt the recipient of some of the strangest bouquets I've ever assembled, you know.

Sometime, please allow me to give you a gift that has nothing to do with your studies, if I may.

[originallutece]

[All right. Good, she thinks, and allows herself to relax once more.]

I have an inclination to study everything. But I would not refuse it, if you wanted to try and find such a gift.

My poison garden has moved from the planning stages to the initial plantings, by the by, if you're interested.

[roseblooms]

I'm very interested, if that's an invitation to come and see it. I'll even promise not to cheat and stimulate their growth, if you'd prefer to go about it entirely on your own efforts.

As for the gift...the last thing I would want is to discourage those inclinations. But I would hope that you don't go without things that have little to no scientific value for the same reason that you went without developing cooking skills.

[originallutece]

[Oh, well, that's her called out, isn't it?]

I am unused to them, I admit. But I wouldn't reject it - not from you, in any case.

[roseblooms]

Exposure is the first step toward building up a tolerance, as the principle goes.

Perhaps I'll even steal it, as an example of my prowess.

[originallutece]

Now that I would dearly like to see. Perhaps you can teach me how to be a thief, hm?

[roseblooms]

[...Uh-oh.]

Would you enjoy that?

A background in lockpicking and safecracking is never a bad skillset to possess.

[originallutece]

I would, actually. It's been a long time since I've been anyone's student, but I think I could pick it up fairly quickly.

When can we start?

[roseblooms]

Give me a chance to accumulate some locks.

[...Hmmm...]

And some gifts to secure behind them.

[originallutece]

I don't think there's any greater motivator than curiosity, well done.

Is that what it takes to be a good thief, then? Lockpicking and safe cracking? Or is there more to it?

[roseblooms]

Those are the skills of a good thief that CAN be taught. There are many more that can't.

Patience. Observation. Cunning. The ability to make split-second decisions still founded in fact and reason.

I had an associate once who wanted very badly to be a good thief. But all the technical skills in the world couldn't have made him one.