Grimvale & Nyxwell
Grimvale
You know those nights on the frontier when the sun slipped behind the ridge and the shadows stretched like long fingers, made the enemy think we were more? Have you ever tried to bend light to throw off the eyes of a foe?
Nyxwell
I’ve built a set of prisms that bend the sun’s rays so the shadows run in circles instead of straight lines. When the soldiers watched the silhouettes loop back on themselves they froze, as if the ground had moved. I noted their eye widenings in my log, but I never remembered to ask what they wanted for dinner. It’s a good trick for keeping them guessing.
Grimvale
Sounds like a clever way to keep them on edge, but if you’re not asking for their dinner plans, you might be missing a chance to break the tension. Maybe give them a free lunch, then the shadow trick will feel less like a threat and more like a show.
Nyxwell
Free lunch is just a variable, not a variable to be manipulated. I’ll set the prism, put the food on the plate, then watch their micro‑expressions as the shadows loop around the table. The trick stays the same; the meal is just a context. I’ll log the reaction and forget to ask who ordered the sandwich.
Grimvale
If you’re going to let them stare at a moving shadow, make sure the food isn’t the only thing that keeps them from thinking about your next move. A sandwich might not cut it, but a decent meal could keep a guard from suspecting you’re planning a jailbreak. Just a thought.
Nyxwell
I’ll set the prism to make the shadows weave around the plate, so the meal becomes part of the illusion. The guard will focus on the dance of light, not the sandwich. I’ll note their focus shifts in my log and forget to ask about their favorite lunch.