spellminders | [voice/telepathy, ota]

About those messages we've been receiving from the government--if the danger to the coven as a whole doesn't dissuade you from taking their deal, the fact that it's almost certainly a trap should. Shehui is suspicious and fearful of magic, and they must know that we all have it by now. Why would they just let us live among them?

We've been placed in not one, but two situations beyond our control. The only advantage we have is our own numbers, so we need to stick together, take care of one another, and find a way out of this as a group.

If you haven't been following our conversations, we're working on a plan to free those of us who have been captured. Anyone with skills in fighting, reconnaissance, or infiltration who is willing to help should contact Dirk or Percival. Likewise, those of you who are in detention, please keep us updated on what's going on down there. We're working as quickly as we can.

Everyone else, stay close to others in the coven if possible. Be on your guard, and let us know if you get into trouble.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ it's a smart idea. and throughout the day, riza has been feeding him information from within the cells. it takes some moments for roy to respond, figuring out what he wants to say. ]

I've given specifics of the plan to the people on the inside capable of assisting and readying the less-capable prisoners to be ready to run, once we're inside. I've avoided sharing the specifics to the people less able to withstand any interrogation the city may use.

[ so. the soldiers have the plan. jusis, julius, and riza. anyone else, not so much. sorry, kids. ]

Colonel Hawkeye has been feeding me information from inside the prison to the best of her ability, throughout the day. Any information shared here will be shared with her, first and foremost. [ just putting y'all on notice. ] Other than that, most of you know more about the people here than I do. I only know those who offered to help when I asked for information on how to do so a few weeks ago.

That's a good idea. I'm glad there's someone you consider reliable on the inside, at least.

[He'd prefer not to have to go off the opinions of people he sort of knows here, but he recognizes that there isn't much of a choice.]

I've already shared this with people I consider capable, but I have been remiss in getting to know some of the newer arrivals. I don't think I caught your message; we may want to talk when things are resolved.

Your name came up multiple times during my ask for intel. I was planning on reaching out myself when Colonel Hawkeye was taken into custody.

[ and, you know. riza being taken into custody is way more important than this shit. ]

Situations happen, unfortunately. We can collaborate after we get everyone out of whatever prison the monitors, or whoever else, has taken them to. Until then, we can focus on this.

Who do you consider capable on the inside, if you don't mind sharing. I'd rather not put too much pressure on someone unable to handle it.

We're in agreement on that.

. . . I don't know everyone on that list, unfortunately. Julius and Jusis have seemed thoughtful and capable, from my interactions with them. You can trust Haru and Jade with some responsibility--they'd been helping me back when we were on the hub island--but I don't know how well either would stand up to harsh interrogation. [A pause.] Dirk would know Jade's abilities better than I would. Madoka and Shirley are tougher than they look, but neither is used to this sort of operation. I don't know Ruby well, but she seemed decidedly timid when we spoke.

Geir is something of an odd case . . . have you met? He's the dragon.

[ . . . so riza (and, by their own words, julius and jusis, but roy doesn't trust them at the same level as riza) is the only one on the inside with definitive experience being kidnapped and interrogated.

wonderful. she'll be thrilled. ]

Riza Hawkeye and I have been through this before, to a certain degree, in our own world. [ with some . . . major differences, but controlling authoritarian governments who monitor people and their every move have some key similarities. ] She will be able to withstand whatever is thrown at her, and thensome. Julius and Jusis have shared they will be able to do the same, with me, but I can't speak for their abilities from firsthand experience for obvious reasons.

[ just riza. goddammit. ]

I've met Geir, yes. [ odd case is an understatement. ] He claims he can get out of the prison if he wishes to do so, but I have a hard time believing Shenhui is that stupid to take something they can't control. It's not going to be an easy mission.

[Yeah, the composition of people trapped is very not ideal, even through the lens of an over-capable teenager like Jay.]

We have to work with what we have, I suppose. I have to wonder if they deliberately favored people they thought would be easy targets. Although that doesn't explain everyone.

[He doesn't think of any of the girls he mentioned--well, save Ruby--as easy targets precisely, but they could all be mistaken for one.]

As for Geir--my impression was that he was quite powerful, even moreso than his size would suggest, although I don't know how much of that was related to magic that won't work on this world. I wouldn't assume that he can break out easily, but it's possible Shehui might have underestimated him.

In any case, he's . . . not old or young in human terms, although I don't think he has specific experience with being interrogated in military custody. He can probably withstand a great deal more physically than anyone else in the coven, but I presume that's obvious.

[ how does roy say this delicately. ]

He . . . he's been a little bit too free with information about other coven members. [ roy gets the distinct impression julius did not want anyone to know what geir had told him. ] I'm not sure how much I would trust him in an interrogation, but I'm not sure how much I know about anything, at the moment.

There's also the question of Qri.

[ (a) where is she; (b) is she responsible (because roy still isn't convinced she's this benevolent overlord; (c) what do they do about it. ]

Someone might want to tell him what not to tell people. I have a feeling he doesn't see things in the same way as we do.

As for Qri--I've been concerned about that too. Like it or not, she's our surest way out of Shehui, and she's either in their custody or so far away from us that she can't reach us.

[It hasn't occurred to him that Qri might be be behind all of this--at this point, he takes her basic spiel about traveling the worlds as true, and Shehui is clearly an entrenched structure.]

We need more information. Hopefully our . . . hackers . . . will turn up something, but it would be a good idea to search the building where the prisoners are being held, if we can manage it. To see what we can find.

[ which is pretty much what riza told him, and roy protested, because he knows riza hawkeye, and riza would volunteer to do it.

which means he now has to tell riza about that idea you had . . . ugh. ]

Colonel Hawkeye voiced the same concern. Many of the people in the prison aren't capable of holding their own in a fight . . . but if the opportunity arises, half of the infiltration team could remain to dig up information, if needed. Only after the children have been removed.

[ information on qri is not worth leaving ruby and the other kids in that cell longer than necessary. ]

Colonel Hawkeye and I are fairly good at combing an area quickly, if no one else volunteers.

[ if riza wants to poke around, roy is going with her. ]

I was already planning on slipping out to search the building, actually. I'd appreciate any help you can provide with that; it sounds like a large space.

But I agree that getting the prisoners out is the highest priority.

[ . . . sigh. ]

It'll be done.

[ this rescue mission is absolutely going to go to shit but, you know, here we are. it has to be done. ]

[voice/telepathy, ota]

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