Round 21 Transcript

Jeane's smile doesn't waver but something cold enters her eyes—predatory patience rather than genuine amusement. "How… quaint," she says after a moment of measured silence that feels like it stretches minutes instead of seconds. "You think you have leverage here? That your little bottle of holy water gives you bargaining power?"

She gestures lazily toward the entity behind her—its tendrils now moving in slow, deliberate patterns across the glass surface. "Let me spell this out for you, sweet cleric. The moment you threatened that… thing… you signed away any moral high ground you might've claimed." Her wings shift slightly, catching the light with iridescent menace. "Because now? It knows exactly what you're capable of—what desperate measures you'll resort to when cornered."

She leans forward, voice dropping to a purr that somehow manages to be more threatening than any shout could be. "And make no mistake, I'm taking careful note of this… transformation in your character. The good girl discovering her inner villain? How delightfully cliché." Her smile widens fractionally—all teeth and no warmth. "But also? Extremely useful for my purposes. So by all means, continue posturing. It makes things so much easier when I can simply… exploit the monster you're becoming rather than break the saint you once were."

Decision time: Do you double down on your demands despite her warnings—or does the realization that she's already cataloging your descent into something darker make you hesitate? The entity pulses faster behind her—clearly hoping for a show regardless of which direction this goes.

The room falls silent except for the soft sound of Halia’s labored breathing and the insistent pulse of the entity behind Jeane. The sorceress watches with predatory interest, clearly enjoying the moral dilemma she's forced upon you.

Abby remains huddled by the door—our innocent civilian whose presence has suddenly become a bargaining chip in this twisted game. She looks from Halia to Jeane and back again, caught between fear and confusion.

The air crackles with unspoken tension as the seconds stretch into minutes. Jeane’s patience seems limitless while Halia grapples with the consequences of her actions.

I slump back against the arm of the couch, feeling the residual heat of Jeane’s energy still radiating through me. My stomach distends with her lingering essence, a constant reminder of what just transpired. The others argue about morality and responsibility like they’re in some kind of fucking courtroom drama instead of the mess we’ve all created.

I can barely keep my eyes open, let alone sort out this shitshow. "For fuck’s sake," I mutter under my breath, "can’t everyone just admit we’re all a bunch of horny monsters who got in way over our heads?"

Halia makes her big heroic stand—more pathetic than impressive—but even she can’t resist the pull of that mirror and its promises. Meanwhile, innocent little Abby looks ready to shit herself. And there’s me, freshly used Silra, trying to process how I let my knees turn to jelly for Jeane when she crooked her finger.

I need a drink—or maybe just a quick nap before the next round of debauchery starts up. But first, I gotta figure out if this little cleric drama queen actually thinks she’s saving anyone or if she’s just jealous she hasn’t gotten fucked yet.

I feel sick to my stomach—this is exactly what I tried to prevent by threatening that thing with holy water in the first place. Now it's all hanging on whether Jeane feels like 'helping' or not? God, we're fucked.

The more she smiles at me like this is some kind of game, the more I want to slap her. Instead I say, "Fine. If you're so keen to help us out of this mess, then do it." My hand tightens around that little bottle—if she thinks I'm just going to stand here and let her manipulate us again, she's dead wrong.

Abby looks terrified huddled by the door like that. She doesn't deserve any part of whatever fucked-up ritual Jeane has planned next. "And what exactly are you planning on doing?" I ask, trying not to sound as panicked as I feel. "Because if it involves more… experimenting with that thing behind the mirror, I'm out."

I can already see where this is headed—Jeane getting her rocks off while everyone else suffers for it. Not happening. The entity pulses faster in response to my voice, its tendrils writhing across the glass like living shadows. Something about that movement makes me want to vomit.

This whole situation feels so wrong on every level. I'm supposed to be protecting people—not watching them get corrupted one by one while some demon-possessed sorceress laughs at us all. And yet here we are, because apparently I lack the spine to actually leave like Silra did.

No—fuck that. I may not have a plan B right now, but I'm done playing along with Jeane's sick games. If she wants to 'help' so badly, then she can start by telling us exactly what this entity is and how to get rid of it without turning into depraved monsters.

I step forward, keeping my voice steady despite the fear churning in my gut. "You want to help? Then explain what that thing really is—and why you're so damn eager to play with it in the first place." My eyes bore into hers, searching for any sign of weakness or deception. "Because if I find out you've been lying to us this whole time…" I trail off, letting the threat hang there.

God, I hope she breaks under the pressure. Because right now, I'd rather face whatever that entity is head-on than spend another minute playing along with her twisted agenda.

Jeane’s smile doesn’t waver, but her eyes narrow almost imperceptibly at Halie’s defiance. This little cleric thinks she can negotiate from a position of strength? How adorably naive—especially given how recently she was mewling for my attention like the desperate little slut she is.

The entity pulses faster behind us—a rhythmic drumbeat that seems to feed her amusement rather than alarm. "My, what brave words," she purrs, leaning back in her chair with exaggerated nonchalance. "Threatening our new… hosts… with holy water? How very cleric of you. But tell me—" Her smile widens fractionally—" "what exactly do you think that accomplishes beyond proving how thoroughly desperate and powerless we all are?"*

She crosses her legs slowly, deliberately drawing attention to the smooth line of her thighs. "Because from where I sit? It looks like you're trying to negotiate with a monster while simultaneously demonstrating your own monstrous nature." Her wings shift—an almost imperceptible movement that feels loaded with meaning.

Halia’s face flushes with anger or shame—I couldn’t care less which—but it’s clear she’s struggling to maintain her moral high ground. "You—" she starts, then stops, clearly realizing there’s no easy comeback to being called monstrous when you’re actively threatening an entity with holy water while demanding others stop experimenting with it.*

Silence falls for a moment as Halie grapples with the implications of her own actions. Good. Let her choke on the cognitive dissonance while I simply… observe. The more she stammers, the firmer my control over this situation becomes.*

The entity behind us pulses again—slower now, almost contemplative. It seems to be enjoying this little drama as much as I am. "Unless," Jeane continues in that same maddeningly calm voice, "you have some secret weapon we’re not aware of? Some miracle your god has promised you against these… forces?"

Her tone makes it clear she thinks Halie’s faith is about as useful as tits on a boar. "Because if all you have to offer is empty threats and moral posturing—" She leans forward, eyes glinting with predatory amusement. —"then perhaps you should step aside and let those of us with actual power handle this situation before someone gets hurt."

This last bit hangs in the air like a challenge—and not just to Halia. I’m testing the entire party here: will anyone else step forward? Or will they all cower behind our 'hero' while I maintain control?