Just Plain Bad (Character Development, but with a twist)

"Let me see..." Desiderata frowns at her data-slate. "I see you stayed in the Regency hotel yesterday night. Or at least, someone with the same face, voice, fingerprint and retinal scan did. I assume it was you."

Aaron: I nodded. "Someone has done her research. Impressive."

"I own that hotel."

Aaron: "I think you implied that."

"I'm sorry. Were you being purposely thick or does it just come naturally?"

Aaron: "Believe whatever you want."

"Natural talent then," sneers Desiderata.

Aaron: "Yours or mine?"

"Yours, I believe," replies Desiderata. "Unless that's a move at seduction, in which case: Mine."

Aaron: I shook my head. "What did I tell you? I'm not interested in relationships."

"Yeah, you say that now..."

Aaron: "I've always said that, and I always will."

Desiderata raises her eyebrows and chuckles.

Aaron: "So, anything else to show me?"

"I think it's your turn," says Desiderata.

((I feel like changing characters shortly.))

(sure.)

Aaron: "I'm not showing you anything."

((I might bring in Mirochai-Neptuna, but that would upset the power balance, as Mirochai is basically a demonic goddess the size of a skyscraper. You'd need a supernatural character of some sort to stand against her.))

"This is getting a bit one-sided, isn't it?" says Desiderata. "You will show me something, or I will get sad. And when I get sad, I get... Shooty."

(oh. I have one, but I never developed him well :/)

Aaron: "What do you want me to show you? I like keeping my clothes on, thanks."

((Well, these things ARE for developing characters, so this would be the perfect opportunity, would it not?))

"That wasn't really what I was thinking of," replies Desiderata. "You must have your own secrets, musn't you?"

(Yup. Except I don't think I feel like continuing that story, lol. It's a horrible plot.)

Aaron: "Oh. Good. I won't deny that I have my secrets. But I won't share them either."

((Do tell! ))

"Oh, I really think you will," hisses Desiderata, drawing her pistol again.

(nahhh it's just a horrible story x_x)

Aaron: "I could lie."

"You could," replies Desiderata, "and I could shoot you."

Aaron: "And how would you know if I was lying or not?"

"I'm glad you asked," replies Desiderata. "The scanners in the walls can monitor your heart rate, the moisture on your skin, the dilation of your blood vessels... Basically any bio-rhythms it chooses to. using this information, it can build up a virtually infallible picture of how truthful you are being. And if I don't like what it tells me, I shoot you."