Whilst Itvasme was scheming to reach her sinister goals, Sally was in fact aiming more for damage control…!
Sally was of course rather OP, and knew that she could probably get the job done by freezing everything and everyone in the whole room thanks to her insane Anti-Rizz Index (which had increased to around -999 999 999 999 999 999 and counting…) but ironically, she needed to be careful to avoid mounting… such an attack that would actually cause too much damage, as this would risk hurting Tristen and Rowena who at present needed triage!
The ARSES it seemed were at present knocked out cold, and so Sally's offensive was placed somewhat on hold…
Indeed. Sally's number one priority aside from freezing the pesky, philosophizing Grand Dark Rizzard was to protect the ARSES members and to make sure they were okay, and so, even as she attacked, she made her way… to Tristen and Rowena…!!!
She quickly 'ass'-essed the unconscious ARSES members…
*It seems that they are still knocked out… but they are still breathing and otherwise okay!!!*
"-Oh thank goodness!!!"
"-Oh how convenient this all is!!!" Pep-Z Guy mutters! But he seems to be smiling in relief that they're all right at least… even as he shakes his head at the shamelessness of the scenario, his hands also shake, and fumble out a few powerstones… !!! 🫢✨🤭🔥
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"Look, It's nothing personal, Sally dear!!! It's just… business…!!!"
Itvasme calls out yet another classic cliché line from her prepared spellbook of Villain Lines, even as she segues into the next step of her saturnine strategy…!!!
Well… Since Sally didn't seem to be in the mood for negotiating, Itvasme's logical next step was to hit Sally at another 'leverage point': namely the unconscious ARSES members Tristen and Rowena!!!
According to Itvasme, this was just another one of Sally's 'soft points'. By targeting the unconscious ARSES members, essentially, she thought rather perversely, akin to striking at Sally's soft, smooth exposed tummy, Oh! yes! it *was* rather yummy!!! For due to Sally's own protective, nurturing values, she would then be… tied down, bound (and gagged) as she protected them, and Itvasme would be able to freely deal sweet, (choc)-chip damage, shooting spells from varying angles and forcing Sally to defend against the magical barrage!!!
"I'm going to enjoy watching you melt - Ice Queen Sally - into a sweet gooey puddle~! your mind heart and spirit all in a desperate muddle!!!" Itvasme murmured, her eyes glowing with a sickening satisfaction!!!
And so it happened!!! Sally was doing a good job of deflecting Itvasme's magical pokes, but at the same time, completely on the defensive, it was difficult for her to actively freeze Itvasme, whilst also protecting herself, Tristen and Rowena from Itvasme's attacks!!!
Oh no!!!!!!
"Sally~, looks like your lovely words only amounted to so much," the somehow still stunning Itvasme taunted in a sing-song manner, even as she sent more strategic stunning spells at Sally and the unconscious ARSES members!!!
("Author?!!!! Was he himself getting swayed by Itvasme's Dark Rizzard charms?!?!")
"In the end, everything requires a price to be paid. Perhaps you can stop me… but at what cost?!"
"What will it be? The Blueprints? Your friends? Your ideals? Yourself?! "
"…The real world isn't so convenient that you can gain everything you want without paying the price!"
"-Now -Choose!!!"
Even as she lays down her terrible terms, Itvasme sends several more spells sailing towards Sally, Tristen and Rowena !!!
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"-You"
"-Are"
"-So"
"-Cheap!!!"
Sally exclaimed, even as she did her best to counter and swat away the spells that hurtled towards herself, Tristen and Rowena.
But then again, even as she defended her position, the cool, icy-calm part of her Ice Queen mind began to consider the current conditions.
Was it… true?!?! Was it truly a liability, a weakness, to feel, to care, to… love?!
It was at this point, that for some strange reason, that suddenly, an image of 'That Guy' - Bob?!!! appeared in her mind…
If… she had never met him, if she had never experienced those… feelings, those experiences as Allie… then honestly, perhaps, she might have been swayed by the Grand Dark Rizzard's wily words.
But.
She, Sally, *had* experienced, or at least had a taste, of what love and care entailed.
Empress Auntie Bing. Her parents. That Guy. Bob. The ARSES. They were… important. The alternative - to live a life without them - what kind of life would that be?!?!
She wouldn't give them up!!!! Not if she could help it!!!!!
But at the same time, even if she was OP… she was only one person…
What… can I do?!?! Sally asked herself, even as she… staggered, taking more and more chip damage from defending and deflecting against Itvasme's searing spells and strikes…
("-Should I…
("-just freeze everything")
("-and to… hell with the consequences?!…")
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