Round 6 Transcript

The woman outside freezes mid-step, eyes widening as she takes in Jeane's full form—naked, winged, clearly doing something no ordinary churchgoer would do. Her thumb hovers over her phone screen, still recording.

Jeane's eyes narrowed at Silra's warning—her rogue friend always did think too much. "She's got a phone out," she hissed back,* "if I step back inside she'll think we're running and definitely calls someone." Her wings fluttered once, a subtle display meant to impress rather than intimidate. "We need to project confidence, make this seem normal."

Jeane's mind raced through options while her smile remained fixed on the woman outside. Halie's stern expression didn't faze her—if anyone here could handle a crisis without losing composure, it was the cleric. "Halie, I appreciate the pragmatism. But if I back down now, we lose any chance to influence her." Her eyes flicked to Abby pressed against her back—too many witnesses, too few good options. To Hera in the shadows, Jeane called out, "If she moves toward the door, make noise downstairs. Anything loud enough to suggest we're not alone up here. We need her thinking twice about barging in." Then softer to Abby, "Stay close but ready to move. If things go south fast, I'll signal with my wings—then you run for the back exit and get the car ready."

She spread her arms wide in an inviting gesture that also left her unarmed—a calculated risk. "Beautiful day for a visit to such a historic church," Jeane announced loudly enough for the street to hear, "and such beautiful neighbors too! Won't you come closer? There's so much more to see inside than out here."

Halie stepped between Jeane and the doorway, her expression grave. Enough, she said, voice low but firm. This isn't negotiation, this is exposure. You're inviting catastrophe and giving her all the evidence she needs. Her eyes flicked to the woman outside—she was 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. She glanced at Silra—her friend looked equally unhappy with this situation but said nothing. Probably because she knew Halie was 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. Inside, Halie felt a dark satisfaction building despite the risk—Jeane's boldness was terrifying but also thrilling. The cleric had always been drawn to the line between faith and corruption, and this moment danced right on it.*