"This kind of cubegel is more than just, like, instructions to your body, man," said Stripes cheerfully, plugging its arm back in. "It's fuel source as well. It's like -"

"Nanomachines, son!" said Mess.

"Yeah. Costly energy budget wise," said Stripes, flipping back onto his feet. "It's a whole thing. There's a mixture of -"

"Don't think of it as something you are," said Machia quietly from her perch. "Think of it as something you drive. Like a vehicle. Don't fight it, [i]steer [/i]it."

The Dakinis have both produced long bo staves from somewhere, circling around cabinets in unison. There is a painted scoring zone behind them - [i]you want it[/i] - and they're holding stance defensively. Their Placer pattern - all about hooks, sweeps and delays, not looking to get in a fight so much as a time consuming tangle and sweep that ends with everyone where they prefer. The model is the original Placer Star 8-Ball, though lacking all of the bounce and panache that made 8-Ball a fan favourite and dangerous opponent. The exemplars of Cs in everything.