Sigma opens his mouth, lifts his finger to retort that he came plenty close- probably!- ...until her dig at his position. He flinches; only one of them knew exactly how he'd been promoted and Sigma withdraws at once, pretending to be taken by the scenery. They were pretty high up, weren't they? One strong gust could knock them easily from their perch...

"...You know what? Maybe you're on to something," he stammers, unwilling to joke at the Initiate's expense. His stomach twists into a tight knot - the shrimp smell is suddenly intolerable. If he didn't tell her, Phi would find out on her own, but there's no way to broach the subject with his lack of nerve. "There's gruntwork in Gamemaking that may ruin an Arena if done incorrectly. You can imagine the consequences. May as well have the Offworlder do it..." Then, pretending this was still a part of their routine, he smirks, dismissing the gravity of his statement with a wave of his hand. "Perhaps you should consider yourself lucky."