Effie jumped back in surprise as the automatons appeared, the sound of her expensive shoes against the ground sounding out. Moments later, she reappeared a little behind the spot she had landed. She was no longer holding her bag, though it was nowhere to be seen, and instead had her delicate fingers curled around the handle of a knife.

"Oh, I do not like this," she whined. She took a few more steps backwards, somehow making less noise than when she was sneaking past the police. First day out of the house and things were not going well. "Do you think we could solve this diplomatically? I suppose not." For as much as she might act annoyed by this, the truth was that she had much more experience in using magic and combat than she had talking to people. So maybe she was a little relieved.

Leo's magic seemed interesting. It was difficult to tell exactly how it worked, especially after only seeing one example. Not to mention, she couldn't understand a word of what he had just said. It was probably safe to guess it was part of the casting process. She was pleased to see the weapon, though. The more capable the fighters, the easier this would be. Perhaps it was time for a little magic of her own, too. The alleyway was too dark for her liking.

After a few seconds of concentration, the light brightened in the alley. It was not blinding by any means, but it dispelled some of the shadows, and it was a bit easier to see. She made a note to try and count how many automatons there were when she could.

"Yes, that seems like a fine idea, Mister Leonardo," Effie said. "If you stay close, I can keep you invisible too. Ah, but if you wish to reappear, I can do that for you." She stepped a little closer to where Leo was. "I think that we can win this, hm?" She stayed in place, eyes glued to the automatons, waiting for them to make their move.

[@Rabidporcupine][@Chi]