goodgrasshopper | [two] [VOICE]

[Cissie was heading for the infirmary after leaving Tim in the lab on the upper deck when she spotted Molly. ...Technically, she spotted Mouse first, because it's hard to miss that giant gray dog. It only took a second to realize Molly had clearly been in the dining hall and was affected by the fear gas. Mouse was pulling her along the hall toward the stairs, and Cissie rushed toward them.]

Molly? Are you all right?

[Molly turned toward her, her face terrified, but her eyes blank and unseeing. The fear gas had convinced her that there was a cloth over her head, obstructing her vision. She still had her hand on Mouse's head, but she reached the other toward the sound of Cissie's voice.]

Cissie? Is that you? I didn't do it--I swear.

[Cissie reached out and caught her hand, squeezing it reassuringly, giving Mouse a quick headscratch by way of greeting.]

It's me. I know you didn't do anything, Molly. Listen, someone set off fear gas in the dining hall. Whatever you're seeing right now, it's not real, I promise.

...What? You mean--

[Molly took a breath, trying to calm down. Okay. Not real. She could handle that. Illusion magic was her thing, after all. She rubbed Mouse's head.]

Good boy.

Cissie--I can't see right now. There's a bag over my head. It might not be really real, but it's real for me. So... where are we going?

[Cissie frowned, still holding her hand tightly.] Okay. I know it feels real, but if it helps, it really isn't. But Mouse and I will take you downstairs to the infirmary. They're working on an antidote. It'll be okay.

[Molly could have tried to take off the bag, but honestly, she'd rather deal with walking around in the dark than see a warden coming toward her with a sword. Or Harry dead because she screwed up. The dark was a little less terrifying than that.]

It helps a bit. [She smiled wryly.] It's a little easier to keep from completely freaking out, but the idea of an antidote sounds pretty good right now.

[Cissie smiled reassuringly, even though Molly couldn't see her. She began leading her down the hall toward the stairs, with Mouse's help.]

I'm just glad it helps; I don't think many other people are believing it when we tell them. We're going to go down the stairs soon, but something tells me Mouse won't let you fall.

I'm pretty familiar with illusion magic. This is just... really extreme. [And not exactly legal where she was from, but things are weird here.] And stairs are fine--just warn me when we're going down.

Illusion magic, huh? I guess that would be pretty similar. And about as fun. [Lalala, HI STAIRWELL, however they are set up!] Here's your warning--careful.

Thanks. [walks veeeeeeery carefully on the stairs] Illusion magic isn't too bad, if you know how to do it.

[Down they go! Mouse is helpful. Cissie thinks keeping Molly talking is the best bet to keep her distracted.] Yeah? What's it like?

Finicky. You have to have pretty fine control for them, and not everyone can do that. [And there wasn't even a little bit of pride there. No siree, Bob.]

[Oho, Cissie noticed that!] Not everyone... but you can?

Well, I don't like to brag...

No, please. Brag away! I don't know anything about magic, really.

Well... I really am just an apprentice, and I'm still learning a lot. [Molly shrugged.] But illusions take more fine control than a lot of the bigger, flashier kinds of magic, and that's something I'm pretty good at. Not so much the big flashy stuff, though.

[Cissie grinned.] Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong in being awesome at the stuff that takes more control and finesse than the stuff that calls for brute force.

Brute force might be a little more handy sometimes, but... I can turn myself invisible? That's pretty cool, right?

...That is really cool. That could come in really handy.

It's pretty helpful when I'm trying to avoid being noticed... Like when I'm trying to sneak past my mom. Plus, the boss-man likes to keep me out of big fights, so if I'm veiled the bad guys can't find me. It was pretty much the first thing I learned how to do.

Man, that would have been so helpful when I was younger...

It was helpful when I was trying to sneak my goth-phase self past my pretty conservative Mom. The first time I did it was by accident. After that? It was pretty handy.

[This distracting thing was working really well. For the most part, Molly wasn't even thinking about why she was wandering around in the dark with a bag over her head.]

[Success! That was the idea! ...I suppose they would have hit the bottom of the stairs now, so Cissie started guided her down the hall.]

Wow, I would have loved that! I... did a lot of sneaking around when I was younger.

Oh yeah? Misspent youth?

[She laughed.] Something like that, maybe.

Hm. I know a little about what that's like. [She frowned a little, and tugged at the cloth that wasn't not actually over her face.]

[Cissie squeezed Molly's hand, watching her. She spoke quietly.] We're almost to the infirmary. If they don't have the antidote ready quite yet, they're giving sedatives. So either way, it's almost over.

...Yeah, I think I'd be okay with either one at this point.

[two] [VOICE]

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