A Slightly Dim And Not Quite Stormy Afternoon

[whatamithinking]

It is a fairly typical rainy August afternoon. Edie is lounging in civvies with a good book, and Emily is snacking on some leftover birthday cake while transformed and working on a metal sculpture.

"I don't know why you're bothering," Edie says of the copper-and-verdigris design. "I mean, the rest of it is going to go green too eventually, right?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Emily says stubbornly. "I could coat it with clear paint or something to prevent oxidation."

"Fair enough," Edie says, and returns to perusing her book.

Comments

[whatamithinking]

"We have a map to the prisoners, so that should be relatively easy. ...Unless they moved the prisoners after the breakout, I guess."

[thisbrokenworld]

"And I want the prisoners out before I start trying to collapse the maze, and it doesn't seem like you have a good way to take down these walls one at a time without potentially harming whatever's on the other side."

[whatamithinking]

"Yeah. Okay, weird question, how good are you at learning codes?"

[thisbrokenworld]

"Extremely, why?"

[whatamithinking]

"The Si Vales Valeo is a healing spell that lets the caster know any damage that happens to the target's body. So we have a code--we put the spell on and then bite our hands in coded ways in order to communicate. Unless you want to take one of us with you we couldn't give you information that way but a one-way line of communication is better than none." She bites her left ring finger at the second knuckle to demonstrate.

[thisbrokenworld]

"Clever. But depending how it works exactly, you might not like to cast it on me just now."

[iamnotpolaris]

"...Feedback and 'also feeling the pain' are different or I'd've been screaming when she hit the wall."

[thisbrokenworld]

"How different? Well, you can if you like, anyway. But if screaming is a risk, you're risking it."

[whatamithinking]

"It's not." She pokes her forehead and says, "Si Vales Valeo." A silver dot appears on her forehead. She blinks. "...Do you want me to fix that?"

[thisbrokenworld]

Shrug. "If it's bothering you. I'm used to it."

[whatamithinking]

"You're used to it? When did you hit that wall?"

[thisbrokenworld]

"Just before I stabbed him. I will be fascinated to discuss the particulars of your spell after we're done here. What should I know about your code?"

[whatamithinking]

She gives a brief overview of the basics of the code.

[thisbrokenworld]

"All right. Let me see your map?"

[whatamithinking]

She proffers the folded piece of paper.

[thisbrokenworld]

She studies it intently for a few seconds, nods, hands it back, incants something in a foreign language, and vanishes again.

[whatamithinking]

Alright then. So the prisoners were down this corridor over there, and then...

[pythbox]

The alarms are still blaring, and there are two full squads of guards stationed along the last stretch of corridor leading up to the prisoners' enclosure.

The entrance to the enclosure has been sealed by an extra wall.

[iamnotpolaris]

"Magnetic Field Manipulation"

It's much more difficult for guards to be a problem when every piece of metal on them is under someone else's direct command!

[whatamithinking]

Probably not a good idea to just kill them.

"Ironwill Shield IronwillShield IronwillShieldironwillshieldironwillsheild," she mutters, repurposing the defensive spell to imprison the guards. "Emily, I don't think an EMP is probably going to take down that wall, bu we don't know that it won't and it's the option we've got with the least chance of collateral damage right now."

[iamnotpolaris]

Nod. "Disruption Pulse."

[pythbox]

The wall is unaffected.

[whatamithinking]

Well, the walls aren't soundproof...

Edie walks as close to the wall as she thinks she can reliably get away with, and calls, "Hello? Can you hear me over there?"

[pythbox]

A few seconds of silence; then a muffled voice calls back, "Who are you?"

[whatamithinking]

"I'm Psychic Maiden Cerebella! My sister Iron Maiden Magnetar and I are Janine's magical girl friends!"