World W-Ah, fuck it: S3

[19:16:31] <@Oxford> "My Dearest Rosebud," begins the letter, on paper so crinkled it's become soft as paper. "It has been difficult to find time to compose this, so please excuse my curtness." The crumpled envelope sits on the cobblestones outside the Rusty Tub, discarded between the mailbox and the door.
[19:22:55] * Rosalyne_Holst returned from her morning run and surprised to see mail in the mailbox, she didn't see it when she went out. She grabs the letter and begins reading it, leaving the envelope behind. She stood in front of the door, not even bothering to go inside as she continued reading.
[19:25:31] <Naida> Naida continues to polish the counter, a sad smile on her face that she's apparently doing this solely for herself. Oh well, at least the pub looks fantastic, even if only heathens with no understanding of the proper way to run an establishment are the only patrons.
[19:25:38] <@Oxford> The sun is low and hot, a red ember hanging like a dinner plate in the morning sky. Despite long shadows, the air is warm and moist, and clings like a fever blanket around Rosalyne's shoulders.
[19:29:12] <Henriette> Henriette is nowhere to be found. She's likely on the roof of the pub, looking out over the harsh morning in Glasholme. She hasn't been seen much since the portal incident and her subsequent breakdown in front of Cille. It's been all hiding in her room or being out walking somewhere. If anyone asked, she didn't say where.
[19:30:15] <Cille_Lund> Cille is...in her room, secretly drawing. Hardly a time to be going outside! Can't let anyone know she's doing a thing!
[19:36:13] <@Oxford> "I cannot speak on strategic matters, but you should be aware the defense of the Vaulme Line may be untenable. Every day of good weather lets the enemy bring up supplies to reinforce their line, and the rains have been far too few."
[19:36:31] <Lily_Blevins> Lily is...doing whatever she can to do Naida with the pub.  Whether that's DRESSING UP AS A MAID or cooking things or just sitting around and not getting in the way.
[19:36:54] <Lily_Blevins> *to help
[19:36:57] <Henriette> > Do Naida
[19:39:39] <Naida> Not getting in the way would be fantastic, Lily has no idea what she's doing, but damned if she wouldn't make great eye candy. "...Lily, have you heard from Adalwulf lately?"
[19:40:07] <Lily_Blevins> "Hm?  No, not yet!"  If Naida hasn't told her to wear something specific, she's got the usual white sundress on.
[19:42:55] <@Oxford> The letter breaks off at a crease, the ink rubbed from the paper by folding and refolding. Further down, it continues, "General Khurlov is well-provisioned along his entire front, and we have no answer to his Valkyries. He can break through at the time and place of his choosing."
[19:44:09] <Rosalyne_Holst> "Fuck."
[19:47:37] <@Oxford> Outside, Adalvulf notes Rosalyne standing by the door with a letter in her hands. He takes in the peculiar combination of body language - her posture, the sweat slipping down her neck, the slight tremble in her hands amplified by the shaking paper. He steps around her unnoticed, and opts instead for the lower entrance, down the stairs and into the basement bar.
[19:47:55] * Rosalyne_Holst 's grip on the piece of paper tightens.
[19:49:48] <Lily_Blevins> Adalwulf is quickly greeted by a wave from Lily.  "Hello~"
[19:51:49] <Naida> Naida looks up from wiping away a particularly stubborn bit of dirt upon hearing Lily's greeting. "Ah...speak of the devil. Although, hopefully he's more of an angel..." She slips a grin in.
[19:52:41] <@Oxford> "In this uncertain time, it is important that you be prepared to take on certain family responsibilities. Your mother, bless her, is prone to fits and melancholies, and these tasks will demand resolve. I am thus enclosing the name and address of a lawyer in Wadden who I have had draw up the necessary documents."
[19:55:15] <@Oxford> "Should circumstance dictate, you are to contact him at once, and follow the instructions I have left behind to provide for you and your mother in my absence. With all my love, Papa." The letter ends abruptly, as though thrust aside by the writer's anguish.
[19:58:50] * Rosalyne_Holst grits her teeth and tuffs the letter in her pocket. She goes into the house in search of Either Lily or Henriette. She searches around the house until she hears some strange creaking on some of the ceiling boards and concludes that Henriette is up on top of the Rusty Tub. "Lieutenant Leclair, I need to talk to go. Now." She says seriously as soon as she pokes her head outside
[19:58:51] * Rosalyne_Holst and sees her. There are tears on her eyes but she tries to keep her voice steady.
[19:59:20] <@Oxford> The tall watchman smiles evenly back. "Simply a man. A man bearing a liquor board application, at this point." He untucks a large brown envelope from beneath his arm and offers it to the barmaid.
[20:01:45] * Henriette stares at her feet. "Details, Warrant Officer?" she says without enthusiasm. "I take it you will be returning at some point?"
[20:02:12] <Naida> Naida claps her hands together with a bit of a squeal. "Lily, bring it to me, please!" Naida only feels a little weird about kind of pseudocommanding a superior office...that...kind of just...this whole thing is just confusing.
[20:04:03] <Rosalyne_Holst> "My dad is in trouble, let me go and help him fight. He's at the frontlines as the defense line crumbles. I need to go."  Tears begins streaming down her face, "...Please."
[20:04:37] <Lily_Blevins> She grabs it, then walks to the counter to deposit it in front of Naida.  Then she curtsies to her.  "Anything else, mistress~"
[20:05:17] <Henriette> Still with deadened eyes, Henriette nods. "Recall that you are a valuable part of the war effort, Holst. Return once your father is safe. Am I clear?"
[20:06:28] <Naida> The bar pimp gives a weird look to the girl but takes it with a nod. "...I....yeah." And swiftly she doth...fill out an application. Not the most heroic thing.
[20:09:05] <Cille_Lund> ...And, finishing touches...it's presentable! ...Perhaps even to a wider audience, but noooooo, let's not. ...Been a while since she drew anything, maybe that's why it feels weird to. ...Or maybe because it ended up looking nice! For now....n-no, let's just stow it away for the time being. Maybe when it's later. Ahh, anxiety. ...Seems like things are happening outside. ...Probably a good reason to stay inside! ...Ahh, anxiety.
[20:09:42] <@Oxford> The watchman watches her as though it were his job. As Naida works, there are a few lines that give her trouble: Property tax number, proof of residence, insurance credentials...
[20:09:55] <Rosalyne_Holst> "My father is more important than any of us." She looks down at her feet before reaching over and hugging Henriette, "Thank you so much." SHe bawls out before going to the pendant suitcase and looking at Henriette expectantly.
[20:12:30] <Henriette> It's like hugging a wet rope. Henriette gets up slowly and follows Rosalyne to the suitcase. "As I am told, that is improbable. Regardless, losing both you and your father in some reckless mission would not benefit anyone save the Novgoraadi. Take care of yourself."
[20:13:48] <Henriette> She gives the other girl a pendant. Her words, like her actions, hold little emotion.
[20:15:39] <Rosalyne_Holst> "I will." She takes the pendant from the case and holds it tight. Rosalyne is too distraught to even notice how completely empty Henriette sounds right now. "Thank you." She says sobbing and quickly transforms then flies out the window, directly upwards.  She grabs a compass before leaving though.
[20:17:07] * Henriette stares at the open suitcase for a while. The remaining four pendants sit on the cloth, each marred by smudges from each girl's hands. After silently looking at it, she closes the case and returns to her place on the roof to stare out at the mountainside.
[20:23:46] * Rosalyne_Holst flies further upwards, higher and higher until she is way above the clouds, "I've never done this before." She takes out her sword and slices the air a few times. "Wait for me dad." All the vents in her suit oven and over her with a protective layer of air. She begins accelerating in the direction of where the front line is according to her compass. She points her sword forward
[20:23:46] * Rosalyne_Holst after she reaches a certain speed and a sound not unlike a whip sounds all over town. Some windows shake but most of them break as she moves even faster and faster.
[20:24:27] <Rosalyne_Holst> open*
[20:25:08] <Rosalyne_Holst> If a radar managed to spot her she would officially the fastest known object ever recorded inside the atmosphere for a very long time.
[20:28:00] <@Oxford> Adalvulf is opening his mouth to offer assistance when an enormous boom shatters the windows lining the ceiling of the bar. Broken glass flies inward.
[20:29:45] <Naida> Naida throws herself across the counter to tackle her new minionleader to the ground. For safety. Of course. Yes, that.
[20:30:05] <Lily_Blevins> "Wah!"  Lily is knocked down to the floor.  Pomf.
[20:31:32] <Cille_Lund> CRASH. Cille falls out of her chair at the sound of many windows breaking in unison.
[20:34:41] <Cille_Lund> ...and probably the resulting shockwaves, too. Yeah, those probably helped. If there's a window in her home, she hopes she isn't scratched up, and takes a look outside because WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?
[20:35:00] <Cille_Lund> If there isn't, she'll just find the nearest window. What the fuck was that?
[20:37:26] <@Oxford> Adalvulf as discreetly secreted himself into the doorway to protect against falling debris. He emerges once it's clear the danger has passed, boots crunching over the shards on the floor.
[20:38:57] <Lily_Blevins> Lily pushes herself (and Naid) up.  "Should I get the broom?"
[20:39:18] <Lily_Blevins> *Naida
[20:39:45] <Naida> "...shouldn't we make sure we're not about to die first?"
[20:40:03] <Lily_Blevins> "Good idea!"
[20:42:06] <@Oxford> Through the broken window, Cille can see across the street, where the neighboring tenement shows several full floors-worth of gaping windows. She has to step carefully over the jagged remains of her own windowglass on the floor.
[20:44:56] <Naida> Almost as an afterthought, Naida manages to...cry on command while looking towards the manly man. "Oh Adalwulf, w-what shall we do?"
[20:45:39] <Cille_Lund> What the fuck was that. ...Nothing in the air? ...It might not be a good idea to stick her head out of the window to look up, so she carefully leaves her room and joins Lily and the others...saying "Do any of you know what the fuck just happened?" She doesn't know what the fuck just happened. "...Or, at least what caused it."
[20:46:47] <Lily_Blevins> Lily grabs Naida.  "Get a hold of yourself!"  Light slapping on the face.
[20:46:59] <Lily_Blevins> whapwhapwhap
[20:47:03] <Naida> Naida is in the middle of full-on dramatic back of the hand t- FUCK! Lily just scowls at Lily.
[20:47:08] <Naida> *Naida
[20:48:55] <Lily_Blevins> She smirks back.
[20:49:03] <Lily_Blevins> The face of an angel~
[20:51:22] <Naida> If they did not have an audience, Naida would make Lily pay dearly.
[20:52:48] <Lily_Blevins> She helps Naida up, and HOPS UP ONTO A CHAIR to save her poor feet.  She's barefoot.
[20:53:19] <@Oxford> Adalvulf raises an eyebrow at the suddenly-weepy wench. "I should coordinate the response out there. For the time being, you should stay indoors and in the basement." He looks around the glass-strewn pub. "Sweeping this up is probably a good idea, actually."
[20:53:43] <Lily_Blevins> Lily gives Naida the best "told you so" smirk she can muster~
[20:55:57] <Naida> With a roll of her eyes, Naida fetches the broom from behind the counter to begin collecting shards to forcefeed to Lily later.
[20:57:34] <Lily_Blevins> She waves to Cille while on the chair.  "No clue!"
[20:59:53] <Lily_Blevins> "Lots of broken glass though!  If you have shoes, help out!"
[21:00:01] <@Oxford> With a nod, Deputy Provost Algernon retreats up the stairs and heads out onto the street. They can hear his muffled commands from outside: "Sir! Return to your home! Sir!"
[21:00:14] <Cille_Lund> ...She would press on questions, but with Adalvulf there, maybe that isn't a good idea. "...Sounds like a good plan. Still though..." ...Naida's there, Lily's there, she's pretty sure she didn't do anything......where are the other two.
[21:01:00] <Cille_Lund> ...When he leaves, she waits a little, and then makes statements. "Where are Rosalyne and Henriette?"
[21:01:38] <Naida> The moment he leaves, Naida swats the chair Lily's on with the broom.
[21:02:08] <Lily_Blevins> "Eeek!"  She tumbles, sitting down on it now, her feet carefully kept above the floor.
[21:02:21] <Lily_Blevins> "I...Rosalyne was outside?  And Henriette was up top."
[21:02:46] <Lily_Blevins> "Naida, don't worry, I'll work it off later~"
[21:04:22] <Cille_Lund> "Well, this definitely reeks of magic, so..." The person that was in her room until now decides to be a go-getter! ...But, is it possible to get on the roof without flying or being good at climbing?
[21:05:11] <Naida> Already returning to legitimately putting in the effort to remove the glass, Naida raises an eyebrow to Lily. "...work what off?"
[21:05:29] <Lily_Blevins> "Any debts I accrue~"
[21:05:39] <Lily_Blevins> She waggles a finger at Naida
[21:06:26] <Naida> "...you know I already put you down as collateral for the loan to get this place up and running, right?"
[21:06:47] <Lily_Blevins> "Whatnow?"
[21:06:59] <Lily_Blevins> "Put me down how?"
[21:07:12] <Naida> She pretends to not have heard Lily. "Hm? What now?"
[21:07:27] <Cille_Lund> ...Apparently there is, so she gradually makes her way up there! ...Really carefully. After putting on shoes down here, so stepping on glass isn't the biggest loss.
[21:08:59] <Lily_Blevins> "You said I'm collateral!  I want to know how!"
[21:10:46] <Naida> "Cille brings up a good point, we should go see how the other two are." After putting the shards in the trash, she follows after the moody artist.
[21:11:58] <Cille_Lund> Well, Cille's getting there first! "H-Henriette? Are...do you know where Rosalyne is, or what just happened?"
[21:13:18] <Lily_Blevins> Lily makes sure all the shards are gone and then follow Naida.
[21:13:21] <Lily_Blevins> *follows
[21:13:49] <Henriette> "Hmmm? Called away on a secondary mission," Henriette says without looking at Cille. "She broke the windows as she left."
[21:17:04] <Naida> Only catching the last bit, Naida arrives in a huff. "Well, will she at least pay to replace it?"
[21:17:15] <Cille_Lund> "...Oh." On a scale of 'nah' to 'I am not touching this situation with a pole of any length', it ranks at about 'I feel like this a direct result of being the worst, and shouldn't get directly involved, where's Lily'. Thankfully, she was followed!
[21:18:56] <Lily_Blevins> Lily follows Naida and plants her feet firmly as she stands in front of the door, blocking it.
[21:19:16] <Lily_Blevins> "So she broke the windows?  Huh.  Anyway."
[21:19:29] <Lily_Blevins> "Naida, tell me how I'm collateral or you don't get to go through the door!"
[21:19:53] <Cille_Lund> "Broke all the windows en route to being called away on a secondary mission, yep."
[21:20:09] <Henriette> "Mostly because of it. She left rather quickly."
[21:22:04] <Naida> Naida ignores Lily completely. "...oh...when...is she returning?"
[21:22:39] <Lily_Blevins> Lily puts her hands on her hips and waits~
[21:26:16] <Henriette> "I am... unsure. She seemed distressed, et... I did not think it appropriate to hold her any longer." She shrugs helplessly. "Perhaps less direction will be better."
[21:29:30] <Cille_Lund> Yep, this is her fault. ...Henriette's AND her own. Everyone loses! "...Do you know where she went?"
[21:30:01] <Naida> "...well...oh...uh"
[21:30:25] <Henriette> "Front lines. Her father is there, she said..." Henriette stares at her feet again. "She was crying. I did not know what to say."
[21:34:19] <Naida> "...so...okay...um...you...wanna...come help us get the bar set up?" She has absolutely no idea how to respond.
[21:35:58] <Henriette> "Very well." Henriette rises. Her face is totally dry, but her eyes don't rise above Naida's knees. "I suppose I have at least that much responsibility."
[21:38:08] <Cille_Lund> Cille's awkwardness in remembering that she was basically responsible for this magnifies!
[21:39:30] <Lily_Blevins> "Ah, yes, the bar!  The bar that she sold me for~!  Can you tell me how~?"
[21:40:27] <Naida> She turns back to Lily with a grin and taps her on the nose. "Very carefully."
[21:41:25] <Lily_Blevins> "In what way?"
[21:42:14] <Naida> "An...advantageous way?"
[21:42:53] <Lily_Blevins> "Specifically?"
[21:44:25] <Naida> "..advantageous for us?"
[21:45:02] <Lily_Blevins> "The specific way."
[21:45:16] * Henriette glances up irritably at both Naida and Lily, but she says nothing.
[21:45:19] <Cille_Lund> ...Rosalyne just broke every single window in god knows what radius en route to the front lines alone and they're...not showing any concern and just talking about the bar? ...While it's understandable enough that Henriette is broken, isn't this...kind of batshit?
[21:46:12] <Naida> "...we have a licensed bar and not a seedy underground dungeon of a place?" Trying to hide helpless concern with jokes works pretty well, right?
[21:47:11] <Lily_Blevins> "For me as an individual, not for the bar."
[21:47:36] <Naida> "...one for all and all for one?"
[21:47:46] <Lily_Blevins> "And how did I take one for the team?"
[21:48:16] <Naida> "...by being put up as collateral?"
[21:48:31] <Lily_Blevins> "And what does me being put up as collateral mean specifically?"
[21:48:36] <Cille_Lund> It would work if anyone understood the joke, but it's still pretty lost on anyone that isn't them. "...It seems everyone's just...given up, huh." SHE GIVES UP TOO, finding a spot on the roof since Lily's still blocking the door.
[21:49:25] <Henriette> "Naida, tell Lily whatever it is you are keeping from her," Henriette suddenly says emphatically. "You are both grating on what little nerve I have left."
[21:49:34] <Naida> "I imagine you'd end up as a sex sl- okay I mean seriously, you know I'm just fucking with you right?"
[21:50:06] <Lily_Blevins> "Oh you are?"  Blink.
[21:50:34] <Naida> "...not...literally..."
[21:51:15] <Lily_Blevins> "I know what the expression meeeeans!"  She steps aside from the door.
[21:52:17] <Naida> With an exasperated groan and a quick worried look towards Henri, Naida steps past Lily, quickly reaching out to drag her along back to the bar by the tail.
[21:52:50] * Henriette shakes her head and heads towards the stairs. "This is entirely the reason I have found myself in this situation, it seems..." The look on her face isn't a pleasant one.
[21:53:15] <Lily_Blevins> She gives a loud "MEOW!" as she's pulled
[22:00:29] <Cille_Lund> Cille sighs a great big sigh, and decides to...lay on the roof herself, gazing skyward. She...well, Rosalyne is probably the one she cares for the LEAST, but...when it doesn't seem like anyone else cares even a little bit, despite that she just charged to the front lines at sonic speeds? She could care about that, but when it's barely even acknowledged? She might be up here for a while. She is so done with people right now.
[22:01:55] <Lily_Blevins> </session
[22:01:58] <Lily_Blevins> >