Round 10 Transcript

Hera's grip on Abby's arm tightens reflexively at the suggestion—she knows exactly where this kind of thinking leads when they're already in over their heads. "No," she says flatly. "We don't have time to 'find somewhere quieter.' We need to get off these streets and regroup before the authorities expand their search."

She scans the immediate area, looking for a route that minimizes contact with the growing orgy around them. A side street two buildings down looks marginally clearer—fewer bodies writhing in plain sight, more people just standing dazed and confused rather than actively fucking.

"Come on," Hera says, tugging Abby and Halia into motion again. "Stay close."

As they move towards the side street, a new complication emerges: three uniformed police officers are pushing their way through the crowd ahead of them—clearly trying to reach the epicenter of whatever's causing this mass public indecency.

Hera freezes for just a second as she sees them. Then her jaw sets in determination and she adjusts their course, angling them towards a narrow alley that runs parallel to their original route. It's darker back there—shadowed and less visible—but also potentially more dangerous if someone or something is lurking out of sight.

"Move," Hera hisses urgently to the others as she leads them into the alley. "And keep your eyes open."

The brick walls on either side immediately cut down their visibility—what little light filtered through the main street now pools in thick shadows ahead and behind them. Footsteps echo off the damp ground, seeming louder than they should be.

Halfway down the alley, Halia suddenly stops walking. "Wait," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "I hear something."

She's not wrong—the sound of heavy breathing and low moans is definitely coming from around the next bend. Whatever's happening up there in the main area has clearly spilled over into these side streets too.

Hera draws in a sharp breath, hand instinctively reaching for a weapon that isn't there anymore. She exchanges a glance with Abby—who looks both terrified and oddly eager—and then turns back to face whatever awaits them around this corner.

"Stay behind me," she orders the others, moving forward with her shoulder ready to plow into anything that gets in their way. "And for fuck's sake, Halia? No more moral crises unless someone actually dies."

[Silra | Rogue]
Silra moves through the crowds like a shadow through sunlight—slipping between bodies, weaving around groups, always staying just outside the immediate radius of the most intense activity. She can feel the magic hanging heavy in the air around them, thick and sweet and dangerously seductive. This is exactly the kind of chaos she thrives in—opportunity disguised as disaster.

Her eyes scan constantly for patterns, for weaknesses, for ways to use this situation to their advantage rather than just escape it. The police are already starting to arrive, which means they have maybe fifteen minutes before a coordinated search begins in earnest. That's barely enough time to get clear of the area let alone regroup somewhere safe.

She glances back at Jeane following close behind—her sister looks tense but focused, already using small bursts of magic here and there to redirect particularly aggressive groups or create momentary distractions. It's sloppy work compared to her usual precision, but understandable given the circumstances.

Jeane feels her wings twitch with barely contained panic as she watches Hera lead their sisters away through the writhing mass of bodies. This whole operation is hanging by a thread—one wrong move and it unravels completely.

"Focus," she mutters to herself, then louder: "Silra, we need to do something about that police presence before they get too organized."

Her rogue sister glances back at her with those cold eyes. "Already on it. I'm going to create a diversion—they'll be looking for someone bigger and flashier than us. You keep the magic contained enough so no one starts paying attention to two women just... existing in all this chaos."

Jeane grits her teeth but nods, because Silra is right—her control over that lust spell is shaky at best. "Fine. But be careful. We can't afford to lose either of us right now."

Hera tenses as they approach the bend in the alley, every sense on high alert. The sounds of pleasure are definitely coming from around this corner—and with it, a hint of something else. Something... off.

She holds up a hand to signal Abby and Halia to stop, then moves forward slowly, one cautious step at a time. As she reaches the edge of the brick wall, Hera takes a deep breath and peers around—

Only to freeze as her eyes take in the scene before them.

Two figures are indeed tangled together against the far wall—but they're not just mindlessly rutting like so many others. No, these two have purpose and precision behind their movements—they're working together to subdue a third person on the ground at their feet.

And that third figure is clearly not participating willingly.

Hera's stomach lurches as she realizes what's happening here—it's an assault, plain and simple, and the attackers seem utterly unaffected by whatever magic is making everyone else lose their minds. They're focused, ruthless... and if Hera doesn't do something fast, they might very well kill their victim before anyone can stop them.

Her mind races through possibilities in a split second—do they rush to help? Call for backup? Try to sneak past unnoticed? Whatever they choose, it needs to be quick. Halia is already shifting from foot to foot behind her, clearly wanting to intervene but unsure how Hera wants to handle this unexpected complication.

Abby just looks stunned, face pale and eyes huge as she stares at the violence unfolding less than twenty feet away.

Hera grits her teeth. She hates being put in a position where she has to choose between helping strangers and protecting her own people—but right now, with so much already on the line...

She makes a decision, turning to face Abby and Halia with grim resolve.

"Okay," Hera says quietly but firmly, "here's what we do. I'm going to try to distract them—maybe pretend I'm just as affected by this magic as everyone else and wander into their little scene." She sees the protest forming on Abby's lips and cuts her off sharply. "No arguments. You two need to circle around behind that dumpster over there," she points, "and be ready to take out those attackers if things go sideways with my approach."

Halia looks uncertain but nods, while Abby just stares at Hera like she's speaking another language.

"Abby." Hera snaps her fingers in front of the other woman's face. "I need you with me on this. Are you listening?"

Slowly, Abby seems to focus on what Hera is saying. She swallows hard and nods once. "Yeah. Okay. I'm here."

"Good," Hera says. "Halia—if those attackers even think about going for a weapon, take them down hard. No hesitation."

The cleric's jaw sets with grim determination. "Understood."

Abby feels a wave of cold wash over her at the sight before them—it’s so much worse than what they left behind on the main street, so much more real and terrifying. The two attackers are just shadows against the brick wall, but their actions speak volumes: one holds the victim down while the other straddles him, pinning his arms with ease.
Her first instinct is to scream—to call for help or run back towards where Jeane and Silra went—but Hera's sharp command snaps her out of that momentary paralysis. She turns to look at the cleric, seeing the grim determination in Halia’s eyes.
"I... I'll do whatever you need me to," Abby stammers, trying to push down the rising panic. Her hands tremble as she clasps them together.
She glances back at the scene—it seems frozen for a moment, but she knows it won't be like that for long. "Should we... should I try to talk to them? Maybe they'll think I'm just another crazy person if I act confused enough."
The suggestion is weak even as she makes it, born more of desperation than actual strategy. She knows full well how dangerous these people are—they're the ones unaffected by whatever spell this is. "Or maybe Halia could try some kind of... I don't know, holy water or something?"
Abby looks hopefully at the cleric, hoping for a better idea—anything that doesn't involve her having to get any closer to those men. The thought makes her stomach churn with dread.
Beside them, Hera is already moving into position, signaling silently for Abby and Halia to circle around as instructed. Abby nods numbly, following the cleric's lead towards the dumpster at the far end of the alley.
As they creep along, keeping their backs pressed against the cold brick walls, Abby can’t help but wonder if this is how it ends—their whole world coming undone because they couldn't control one simple spell. Her mind races with possibilities: what if Hera gets hurt? What if Halia does something that attracts even more attention? What if they all get caught and the authorities discover everything about their cult?
She pushes those thoughts away as they finally reach the dumpster, ducking down behind it for cover. The stench is overwhelming—rotting food scraps and something else, something metallic and sharp. Abby tries to breathe through her mouth.
"Okay," she whispers, peering around the edge of the metal bin at Hera’s silhouette near the attackers. "Now what?"