Following a dinner meeting at Moxie to form a 'faux' cabal, the Guardians of the Veil Cut and Ozymandias meet at Capitol Park.
En Passant
Deciding to explore the new city, Cut invites Ozymandias to join him on a walk-aboout, so that the two can become better acquainted -- joined by the common ties of Order and cabal. Eventually, they stop for a break at Capitol Park. Mandy teases Cut about his new found interest in jogging, and his motivations.[1]
- "Have you been stretching and warming up before you go showing off to the pretty Arrow ladies, lately?" - Ozymandias
Cut accepts the teasing gracefully, and attempts to turn the conversation to Mandy's interests. Mandy, however, chides him on his lack of knowledge of physical activity and offers advice on how best to pursue his interests in women. A bit offended, Cut decides to prove a point: that he isn't entirely hopeless when it comes to making his interests known.[2]
- "I'm not trying to get their attention, Mandy. I'm distracting myself. From you. Because... I don't know. I got this weird feeling every time you talk to me. But, I figure I didn't have a shot. You know? Because you're smart, and educated, and I'm like... so not. But it's you. I can't help it." - Cut
Whether Mandy is swept off of her feet by the declaration, or is playing 'chicken' is unclear, but her response is immediate and aggressive; initiating contact by kissing the other Mage. A bit taken aback, Cut is leery of starting something under false pretenses and admits as much.[3]
- "Ummmm, you know I was bullshitting, right? But I'm totally down if you just want to hook up." -- Cut
Mandy's response is surprising and emphatic.[4]
- "Bullshit me like that again, and I'll shoot you. But I assure you, I'm not some relationship sort of girl. I like to fuck. I already told you folks that I don't plan on sticking around very long. Get that through your head, and maybe we can get to the part where I teach you how this goes." -- Ozymandias
With both parties clear on the ground rules, the Guardians get to know one another -- in the biblical sense.
Queen Side Castle
After concluding their public tryst, the two Guardians resumed their conversation. Cut inquired about numerous statements Mandy had made in the short time he'd known her about not planning to stay in Sacramento.[5]
- "So, ummmm, you're not sticking around long? Is that like a whole avoiding roots thing or you're on some sort of schedule?" -- Cut
When she replied that she went where the discovery of artifacts and such took her, he asked about her choice of Orders. Mandy was clear that not all things discovered should be kept.[6]
- ""I don't care about these sorts of things existing, what I care about is the danger it poses to everyone - especially the unsuspecting. There are some things that just shouldn't be known. There are some secrets that don't need to be kept, they need to stop existing. There are some things... that information alone doesn't solve." -- Ozymandias
She also asked Cut about his choice in Guardians, and then the talk turned to the two Arrows they were seeking a Hallow with -- Asp and Avis. Mandy spoke of the extra dangers of having more people involved in tasks, but Cut rebutted with the additional security they offered. From there, the talk turned to the martial prowess each possessed.[7]
- "I've got a couple of 'oh shit' cards to play, but I probably can't beat anyone heads up." -- Cut
Surprisingly, Mandy professed proficiency with firearms, and pointed out that Cut couldn't always rely on having backup nearby.[8]
- "Given that you've chosen a gaggle of girls, you're bound to end up alone at some point. Unless communal showers with ladies is your thing, and they're okay with it." -- Ozymandias
Cut agreed at the wisdom of her words, and she offered to teach him to handle a firearm. As the conversation wound down, Mandy expressed a bit of sentiment beyond her usual aloofness... in her own pragmatic way.[9]
- "The more useful you make yourself, the less time I'm going to have to spend concerning myself with keeping you alive." -- Ozymandias
