Rose purses her lips at Joshua's theorizing. If she understands his reference to a "prototype" correctly, he's at least partially correct: the Phoenix is clearly a concept that perfuses across the boundaries between realities. Rose herself doubts that the Ancients were the originators of their own archetypes, but it's also an entirely-academic nitpick. What point would there be in saying that such archetypes probably had no original source? It offers no explanatory power that would be of use to Joshua now, or probably ever. It certainly hasn't simplified Rose's own life any.

So she goes, "Mm," and nods for him to continue. Then, as he does continue, her eyes move back and forth as if reading, sifting through possibilities.

"I see," she says finally. "Thanks. I imagine you and your fellow Dominants have your own ideas for how to deal with him, via violence, concupiscence, or both. Given what you've said, if I were him, my highest priorities would be a) securing the aid of someone who understands the simulation well enough to fully exploit Zantetsuken's potential, and b) collecting enough stamps to attempt to summon Ultima in some form. If he's very clever, he'll take measures to protect himself from regaining his human desires. But I imagine you've already thought of all that.

"If there's anything I can do to help safeguard the simulation against a tyrant's ambitions, please let me know. And if not, then I wish you luck. And good reading."