I'm not entirely sure this bit needs such a high priority if we're going to gank her at some point. The only gain we get from it is knowing that Rionna will be at a certain place
What does our Soul look like? (Describe Oriko's Soul Pretzeling) What to do with Soul Rejection?
I would like to make obvious that words can hit, too. Regardless of our actual probability of execution, Wish Rejection is an enforcement step that exists. Did I make a joke about the Sword of Shannarra? That is roughly a wish-rejection initiator icon as I speak of it here.
Instead, put our team in the Mobile Oppression Fortress, fly out of Mitakihara at high speed, enter a privacy bubble, and then have a timestop meeting.
The privacy bubble figures in my idea as well, good for beating me to it! A camouflage for Timestop seems well intended. Rionna will be trying to watch us. Your exact method might be superior.
What I had stuck in my buffer:
Given the new set of plot actions, it looks a whole lot better to me to optimize for information, the sort that will let us use the dominant position effectively for enforcement AND saving... verbal channels are doing poorly, and need is increased.
I would like to get Rionna under our sway voluntarily - as an ideal. Fallback options are required, since she isn't following simple self-interest quickly enough.
My response is determined here not by the fact that she tried to use force against us. Her "annoyance" face upon failing to use Voice on us reinforces what I interpret as the lack of proper rational thinking. A hypothetical antagonist should have a few other reactions. Perhaps even an exit plan before she tried it. A no-sale on mind control against an aware opponent is a different stress event IMHO. I see her lack of understanding of the other party, in addition to a declaration of her relative value of our person-hood. Is this is a level of lack of self control, coupled with other failures? Or does Hubris explain everything? Her Soul Vision lets her see, but she won't understand.
This means extreme difficulty in trying to subtly manipulate her into a more Just position. Must prepare to fail gracefully, and still pursue Justice.
@Kaizuki , the concept of "solving this in the Magical Girl genre" appeals to me, as expected. I'm seeing your version as getting right to the showdown. I want to obey one of the other directives from genre as the first priority. Can I ask you to comment on going down this path?
"Discover the adversary's plan." I want your earlier suggestion to come back, as the circumstance clearly asks for it. Context will grant us efficiency. Whether enabling therapy in captivity, or dealing with political ties, knowing has value.
Among lots of other things, Rionna's pride is in the way. If we can't deal with her seeing us as an equal, then we must remove any doubt in her mind. By clinging to evil, she authorizes us to use force to do that. We might have to save her from the resulting Grief spiral, maybe more than once. She's in a very deep hole.
# We should end this sitdown stalemate, with a demand to talk after she has some sleep.
@Onmur set up a technique; I might think about adding some non-combative mental stress to our parting lines. If Rionna wants to cogitate and have a few nightmares, it just may help our tasks.
# Then we should move out of range, Privacy ourselves for befuddled scrying, and execute our timestop gathering. We want to get rid of our return signature.
Depending upon meeting results, then we
# execute your long distance raid, with a goal of detailed reconnaissance. Our ace there might be Sayaka? Rionna's HQ is going to be lousy with Shades. From a distance (starting at great height) in Timestop, Sayaka will practice her vision abilities until she determines if she has a passive detection that is usable on Shades. Adapt to the situation. Inspect everything, leave no traces. Most of our questions will be half-answered, I hope. It becomes either a secret social advantage, or a probe. We return, and set our agenda for the morning. Exit the Privacy decoy.
# After preparing in this way, optimized Magical Girl talk is certainly welcome.
Still intending to solve our Justice issue with talk, once our plan for what happens after that is mostly worked out. Sayaka would be able to behave rationally if all of us do it with her, and this will keep her safe. If negotiation cannot get Rionna to understand her self-interest when she is subject to our attention, we might choose to Timestop and deal with her base, before fitting her for a cell. One heck of a mid-combat distraction for someone who has all their eggs in one basket. Justice is the arc issue we are working out here, as I see it. How to reduce harm without becoming monsters and duelists. We had the talk with our friends before. We are now practicing how this works for everyone, as a group. In that sense, our performance here is relevant. Actual experience is the way to teach our allies the path. Sayaka is about 80% beneficiary of a "win," (consistent realization of Sabrina's ideals?) The rest of the win might pay the most unexpected benefits.
There are details missing ATM, I wanted to see if this step-shuffle interests you all as well right away.
