[color=1462ba]‘…’[/color] Mariette and Eli stood in an abandoned apartment. They had pretty good check of which apartments they could randomly enter by now in Penrose. This one would be sold and bought in a few days, but until then, they could use it for short stops. But, right now, the apartment was unimportant.

[color=57a345]‘Was that… wise, mistress?’[/color] Eli asked, the liquid harpy standing by her side. 

[color=1462ba]‘What?’[/color] Mariette asked, her tone strict and with no nonsense.

[color=57a345]‘We just admitted our sins to Beacon. We’ll be on their list now. And they have a list of all the girls we’ve captured, which they can give to their loved ones, and they’ll know we did it…’[/color] Eli continued, her tone a bit unsure.

[color=1462ba]‘If Justine can brainwash them, it is to our advantage that the world knows who not to trust. Each girl on that list is a potential enemy. By giving them the list, we remove one of Justine’s advantages. Her soldiers will be known.’[/color] Mariette tells, explaining her logic.

[color=57a345]‘… Very well, mistress.’[/color] That was all Eli could answer with. … This would have been when Deni came with some upbeat comment that Eli could then continue with, and there would have been a sense of fun. Now… there was none of that.

[color=1462ba]‘Now, I have to ensure I actually have the abilities that I’m selling.’[/color] Mariette said, focusing. … Though, at the very least, Mariette was talking more now, Eli thought.

Suddenly the whole apartment bent. First the walls and themselves bent inwards to a point, and then the world changed and the walls were spat back out, looking exactly the same as before, but outside, all the sounds had stopped. Going further and further away from the apartment, one would find that the city became less and less detailed, until finally everything would turn out… a bit odd. That would be the Sprawl. A place you shouldn’t visit, a place you shouldn’t wander or you might not be able to find your way back to your home dimension. That is, unless you’re the agent of a dimensional horror, like Mariette.

The ability she had used was Overcity Shift, banishing a section of space into the Overcity. This was normally to be used to seal a target in a world where they could not escape, or to have a dramatic battle somewhere where unrelated would not be affected and the damage would not be seen after they had finished. In the “real world”, the apartment remained as it was, with the small hard-to-detect dot of a wormhole in the middle which was the Overcity entrance to this space. 

There are other exceptions than herself, and all places in the Overcity wasn't entirely deserted, but there would be no way for Mariette to know until she actually went there. If she suddenly ran into something unexpected, her following reaction might differ, but assuming nothing happens, the following happens.

If Lily Hanson was to be believed, the castle of Justine von Visceral lay within the Overcity. Now, Mariette was in the Overcity. This… was merely a check. “Could I find it?”

Mariette walked over to the window, gazing out into the city, across the limit of the Sprawl. It would be… beyond it, wouldn’t it?

Absolute Direction. Firstly, checked for belongings of the captives. Georgia’s weapon, or clothes if she was untransformed. Other such belongings she knew those she captured had. If that turned out unsuccessful, then perhaps looking for Minnie’s revolver. Other such possessions she remembered on Justine’s servants. Or, if all else failed, just look directly for Justine. The key was if several of the things she was looking for was in the same direction, if she could feel them in here or all.

If she could confirm that she knew where to look with Absolute Direction, that would be it. Her business here would be done. She wouldn’t actually try going there. But… she wanted to confirm that she could if she wanted to.

[@Ariamis]