>>5983063>i>>5983005>>5982918>>5982726>>5982695>>5982669>>5982640Your first instinct is to abscond in some way, by means of Izirina’s <Teleport Object> or otherwise. Maybe in <Improved Aethereal Form>, or via a winged <Wildshape>? Neither of the latter options can bring Costella with you, though, while the first…
…Well, it will mean meeting Izzy, right now, still stinking of sex and with adrenaline high. Not necessarily the best way to begin the inevitable conversation about your delayed arrival.
Besides, you need to know how much this Carlos knows, and if he can prove any of it or intends to do anything else with that information. He might intend on ruining Costella’s reputation, for instance, or be planning to spring some similar trap another time, another day… Maybe when YOU aren’t around to stand between he and Costella Fanucci.
(Who can say how IDIOTS like this man think, after all?)
No, you’re a powerful and dangerous mage, with nothing to fear from a single man (in both senses of the word) and his hireling gaggle of goon, or whomever might be accompanying him. What you DO have to fear is consequences for Costella if you don’t settle this here and now.
“Stay put,” you whisper to Costella.
“What? Ez, no, we should just—Mm!”
You silence Costella with a kiss, which leaves her breathless and as little starstruck. You smile at this, and then turn your back. Pulling on your striped trousers and fancy new Testa-made tunic would entail more struggle and delay than you can afford, and risk being caught half-clad and tangled in your attire—humiliating, and less than combat-optimal if it comes down to that.
“Then I guess I’ll wear fur,” you murmur to yourself, “or scales, or feathers…”
You step to the door and push it open. As you do so, you speak:
“<Wildshape>”
…and animal integument covers your nakedness, as your body warps and shifts into something more akin to:
>Veloz—a mobile, aerial form akin to your lunar hummingbird companion>Hershy—or Hirschel—the feathered, dragonblooded drake, with his gold feathers and fire breath>Some aspect of Muffins—that of a fearsome grappling lion, a tough, stubbornly-defensive goat, or a keenly-sensitive, venomous viper [specify which one—you cannot manage all three aspects at once]>Write-in (must be an animal you’ve had some experience with)