END GAME: THE COUNTDOWN STARTS

[sailmods]

[the prisoners wake up on cold, hard floors.

the lights are bright, glaring, a sterile cell with sterile bars facing a sterile hall. the prisoners with you, across from you, and no one else. no rocking of a ship in waves, nothing. just the prisoner and their prison.

time passes, one assumes. the rhythmic click of Friday’s heels down the hall. it’s almost like the ticking of a clock.]

Comments

[yournewsidekick]

"Yeah -- " Her voice wobbles and breaks. Nimona reaches up, managing to get a couple fingers through the bars so she can scritch the side of Siffleur's muzzle. "Yeah," she tries again, "same. Is there anything I can do from in here?"

Maybe, since Siffleur's able to see more out there, he can notice any weak spots Nimona missed. Or... something. Anything.

[teethoftherisk]

He rubs against her fingers, accepting the scritches he wishes he could return. "Keep your neighbours talking. We need to be ready at any moment. If I'm out, then we can get others out, and we need to be ready to act at a moment's notice."

[yournewsidekick]

"Heh." She tries for a weak smile, and an equally weak joke. "So you're saying I should do a couple thousand rounds of 'This Is The Song That Never Ends'? Keeps everybody awake, gets 'em yelling at me, and gets 'em mad enough to shank Malin."

A flawless plan!

[teethoftherisk]

"Yes. That will make everyone who can hear you murderous, which is what we need." He jokes back. "If you world had Skinnamarink, you should sing that one too."

[yournewsidekick]

That pulls an actual snicker out of Nimona. A small one, maybe, and it's still thick with tears, but it counts.

"Nah, don't know that one, but I'll make up my own version." She presses her forehead to the bars again. "Hey, if you get to Malin first and bite her whole fucking face off, save me an ear?"

[teethoftherisk]

He presses his forehead back, meeting her through the bars. "I promise. We'll maul her together."