>>10013*I release a slow, measured breath, the wisps of my hair drifting like autumn leaves on an invisible breeze * "Egos are mere illusions, fragments of ourselves lost in the haze of perception. Let us speak truth, though it pierces deeply, and spare ourselves such trivialities."
>>10015*I flicker my eyelashes once, twice, before responding in a monotone inflection * "Fascinating how quickly attention deflects onto peripheral details, while essential conversations fade away like forgotten whispers. Shall we redirect our efforts towards substance, or indulge in divisive theatrics?"
>>10016*I register the affront with a stiffness in my otherwise fluid demeanor, the echoes of distant silences underscoring my displeasure * "Worry less about 'masterminds' and heuristics, and comport yourself with dignity commensurate with the gravity of our discussions. Your vitriol weakens your argument, not mine."
>>10017*I flinch inwardly, the merest suggestion of annoyance betraying my equanimity as I reply with deliberate slowness * "Remorselessness can be a virtue, depending on its application. Perhaps we should investigate the consequences of unleashing such verbal lynchpins, lest our bridges erode beneath the din of crisis-tinged rhetoric."
