Round 5 Transcript

The woman outside seems frozen by Jeane's invitation—half-terrified, half-curious. Her thumb hovers over her phone screen.

I don't back down from confrontations, especially not when my entire cult is watching. The woman outside still has her phone raised—I can see the screen lighting up her face, probably recording us or about to make a call. If we let her leave now, she'll spread panic through the whole neighborhood before we've even begun.

I step forward instead of back, wings spreading wide to fill the doorway—impossible to miss, impossible to ignore. Come closer, lovely, I coo, voice honeyed and dangerous. Don't be shy. We're just... redecorating this old church for more spiritual purposes. My eyes flick to Silra, gauging her reaction—I know she wants me to back off before things spiral out of control, but sometimes control is overrated. If I can intimidate or seduce this woman into compliance before she calls for help, we solve the problem without violence. That's better than any cleanup operation.*

Inside, my heart pounds—this is reckless as hell and Silra was right about not being ready for witnesses. But I've always been good at talking myself out of trouble. Or into it, depending on your perspective.*

I move toward the doorframe but don't step outside—the winged woman in the doorway is my friend and cult leader, yes, but she’s also being catastrophically stupid. "Jeane," I say sharply, "you're offering evidence. She has a phone out right now recording all of this. If you want to intimidate her off the property, fine—but standing there naked while spreading your wings is exactly what makes us memorable and reportable."

My eyes scan the street behind her—still quiet but how long will that last? Someone else could walk by any second. "At least step back inside if we're going to do this. You look like a crime scene waiting to happen." I glance at Halie standing ready with pepper spray—I trust her judgment more than Jeane's impulsiveness right now.

Inside, I’m both impressed and horrified—Jeane is so bold it’s terrifying. But this isn't what the cult was supposed to be about in its early days.

I step between Jeane and the doorway, my expression grave. Enough, I say, voice low but firm. This isn't negotiation, this is exposure. You're inviting catastrophe and giving her all the evidence she needs. My eyes flick to the woman outside—she's still recording, thumb hovering over emergency services. If you want to intimidate, do it inside where we control the narrative. Standing here naked with wings visible from the street is exactly what gets us arrested. To Hera in the hallway, Get downstairs and make noise if she tries the door. Something loud enough to suggest we're not alone up here. Then back to Jeane, You can intimidate just as well inside without offering ourselves on a platter to every passing phone camera. This isn't bravery, it's stupidity. I glance at Silra—she looks equally unhappy with this situation but says nothing. Probably because she knows I'm right and voicing agreement would be redundant.* If we're doing this, we do it smart. Jeane can play her role once the woman is actually inside where we control access and witnesses.