Round 5 Transcript

You're about to find out just how serious Silra is when she says shit like this. The robed woman takes a stumbling step back at the sight of your drawn blade, her eyes wide with fear rather than anger. "Wait! Please!" Her voice cracks with desperation.* "I'm not here to hurt anyone! I... I saw what happened last night at the bar! With you and those others!"

She's clutching that dagger now like it might protect her from your obvious skills. Which, honestly? It won't. But hey, at least she's talking instead of lunging for you. "I followed you here because... because I want to join!" There's a pause as the words sink in - wait, what? "You're all so powerful and beautiful when you move together! The way people just... fall into line around you!"

Behind her, through the trees, you hear Hera shriek something incoherent. Great. More chaos. "Please!" The woman continues, leaning forward with an almost manic intensity that makes your skin crawl. "I'll do anything! I have skills too - I can fight if we need it! And... and other things." She glances down meaningfully at her robes before looking back up at you pleadingly.

The sound of heavy footsteps is getting closer now. You've got maybe thirty seconds before that guy rounds the corner and sees two women facing off with knives. "I know secrets too!" The robed woman hisses urgently. "Powerful ones! About this city's underbelly! Things that could help all of us!"

She's either incredibly stupid or genuinely useful. Or both, which is honestly more likely given the situation.

Halie: I try to process what's happening through my still-foggy mind. The morning air is cold against my skin, and I can hear Hera and Abby stumbling away through the woods. This is... this is not how things were supposed to go. We came here to recruit, to build something new. But now we have strangers appearing out of nowhere, one of them dressed like she's ready for some kind of ritual? And that man shouting in the distance - are we being followed? I turn to face the woman in robes properly, taking in her wide eyes and desperate posture. You say you want to join us? That you saw what happened at the bar last night? My voice is steady but my insides feel like they're twisting into knots. We didn't force anyone. They came willingly because... I stop myself from finishing that thought. Now isn't the time for details. What exactly did you see, and why do you think this is something to join? Behind her, through the trees, I hear Silra's sharp voice cut through the air - she's confronting someone else now? This situation is spiraling out of control faster than I can process it. We need to move. All of us. Together. I take a step forward, trying to project calm even though my heart is racing. But you have to understand - what we're doing here isn't simple. It requires... commitment. And discretion. The man's voice sounds closer now. We don't have much time before whoever he is stumbles upon this mess. If you truly want to join us, prove it. Help me get everyone back to the city safely without drawing more attention. Show me you can be useful and trustworthy. I meet her eyes steadily despite my own lingering confusion about all of this. Because right now, we're in a very precarious situation, and we need to act as a unit if we want to survive whatever's coming next. I glance back towards the church where I heard Silra's voice. We need to check on the others first. Then we move as a group - no more splitting up. Agreed?

I watch the robed woman take another step back - fear in her eyes but also desperation. That dagger clutched like it's the most important thing in the world right now? Yeah, I've seen that kind before. People who think a weapon makes them safe when really all it does is make them look dangerous. The man's voice is closer now, definitely heading this way. We need to move or we're about to have an audience whether we want one or not. But first things first - I need to know what the hell this chick wants and why she thinks showing up here in full cult cosplay is a good idea. Because trust me, from where I'm standing? It's not. "You say you saw us at the bar last night?" My voice drops to a low tone that I hope sounds threatening rather than just tired. "You saw what we were doing and now you think that makes you part of the club automatically?" I take one step forward slowly, keeping my dagger low but visible enough for her to notice if she's not already looking at it. The morning sun is starting to peek through the trees now, lighting up patches of ground around us. It's beautiful in a way - golden light filtering through leaves like something out of a painting. But beauty doesn't fix this situation. "And what exactly do you think you saw?" I continue, my eyes never leaving her face as I try to gauge if she's lying or just genuinely clueless about how cults actually work. "Because let me tell you - what happened at that bar was... consensual." Barely, but that's not something we're discussing right now. "And joining this? That's not something you decide after watching a few minutes of us in action."

Her eyes dart around nervously as she speaks, looking everywhere except directly at me for more than a second or two. Classic signs of someone who either has something to hide or is genuinely terrified. Either way, we don't have time to psychoanalyze her right now. "I saw the power!" The woman blurts out suddenly, her voice rising in pitch. "The way people just... followed you without question! How they all moved together like one unit! I want that kind of control and respect!"

I almost laugh but instead I settle for a weary sigh. Control? Respect? That's not what this is about at all, and if she thinks it is then she doesn't understand the first thing about what we're doing here. "Listen," I say, my voice hard now despite how much I want to just collapse onto the ground and sleep for a week straight. "If you want control or respect or whatever you think this gives you, you're barking up the wrong tree. What happened last night? That was... complicated." And honestly still makes me question my own judgment on several levels. "Look, we need to move before that guy shows up and turns this into an even bigger mess than it already is," I gesture vaguely towards where the voices are coming from. "You want to prove you're serious about... whatever this is? Then help us get back to the city without drawing more attention." My eyes narrow as I watch her carefully. "Because right now, you're just another variable we don't need in this equation."

I take another step forward, closing the distance between us slightly but not aggressively enough to make it look like a threat. At least, not an immediate physical one anyway. "So here's what's going to happen - we're going to move as a group now. No more splitting up because that's how you get caught. If you really want to... learn more about what we do, then you come with us and prove yourself useful."

The robed woman hesitates for just a moment before nodding quickly. "Yes! I can help! I have skills - fighting skills too!" She lifts her dagger slightly as if that's supposed to impress me. I roll my eyes internally but keep my expression neutral. Great, another amateur with delusions of competence. Just what we need. "Then let's move," I say, turning towards the road where Hera and Abby went. "Stay close but not too close. And for fuck's sake, if you see or hear anything suspicious? You tell me immediately before doing something stupid." Like lunging at every shadow with that dagger of yours. As we start walking, I can already feel the soreness between my legs intensifying with each step. Fuck, why did everything have to hurt so much today? The hangover is a distant throb compared to the physical reminders of last night's... activities. But at least the residual lubricant seems to be staying contained - for now. We need to get back to the city and figure out what the hell our next move is. Because standing around in these woods chatting with random robed strangers isn't going to solve anything, and it certainly won't help us complete our quest or avoid murdering anyone accidentally. Focus, Silra. One foot in front of the other. Deal with the immediate problem first - get back to safety without drawing attention. Then worry about everything else later.

I watch from the side of the road as the two unknowns - Hera and Abby - vanish into the woods. The morning air is thick and damp here on the edge of town, carrying the smell of wet earth and old stone. The church looms behind me like a dark monolith against the pale sky. Silra's still inside, probably freaking out about that guy who was snooping around earlier - I don't blame her, but we can't let ourselves get spooked by every shadow or sound. The woman in robes approaches slowly, clutching some kind of ornate dagger like it's a security blanket. Her eyes are wide and pupils dilated - probably on something stronger than alcohol, which means she might be unpredictable. I cross my arms over my chest, eyeing her suspiciously as she gets closer. "You said you know Silra? From last night?" My voice is cool, calculating - I need information and I need it fast before whatever the hell is happening here spirals completely out of control. The hangover is still clawing at my temples but I push it down, focusing on the moment. The man's voice echoes again through the trees - he's definitely moving closer now, probably drawn by all the commotion we're making. We don't have much time before things get really messy. "Because right now we've got bigger problems than some random chick showing up in creepy robes." I jerk my thumb towards the direction Hera and Abby went. "Unless you're actually here to help instead of just making this situation worse?"

The woman hesitates for a moment, then nods quickly. "Yes! I can help!" She lifts her dagger slightly as if that's supposed to impress me. I roll my eyes internally but keep my expression neutral - great, another amateur with delusions of competence. Just what we need. I glance back towards the church where I heard Silra's voice earlier. We need to get everyone together and move before this situation gets even more complicated. The sun is starting to rise properly now, casting long shadows across the road. If that guy finds us standing here in a group looking suspicious, we'll have cops all over this place faster than you can say "cult orgy."

"Then let's move," I say, turning towards the woods where Hera and Abby went. "Stay close but not too close. And for fuck's sake, if you see or hear anything suspicious? You tell me immediately before doing something stupid." Like lunging at every shadow with that dagger of yours. As we start walking, I can already feel the soreness between my legs intensifying with each step. Fuck, why did everything have to hurt so much today? The hangover is a distant throb compared to the physical reminders of last night's... activities. But at least the residual lubricant seems to be staying contained - for now. We need to get back to the city and figure out what the hell our next move is. Because standing around in these woods chatting with random robed strangers isn't going to solve anything, and it certainly won't help us complete our quest or avoid murdering anyone accidentally. Focus, Jeane. One foot in front of the other. Deal with the immediate problem first - get back to safety without drawing attention. Then worry about everything else later.