World What Burst: S3 + Lewd Hug Mini

[17:14] <@Oxford> The former secretary's desk on the first floor is severely water-damaged, the wood warped to the point of prying out nails along the top surface. It sits like a squat border outpost between two hostile countries. Facing the door sits Lily, on a wobbly metal stool. Across from her, Henriette paces back and forth.
[17:17] <Lily_Blevins> Lily finally got dressed when she got dragged out, she has her hands in her lap and is staring at them.  She's in a plain, white sundress, it doesn't seem like she bothered putting anything on under it, just slipped it on to go out of her room.
[17:23] <Henriette> "Lily... I..." Henriette starts, but she's at a loss for words. "You and I act as co-commanding officers for this flight. We're supposed to set a good example for the new girls, et... et I have not been the leader I should be, I must admit, mais... mais this is inexusable."
[17:24] <Lily_Blevins> Lily doesn't say anything.
[17:24] <Lily_Blevins> She continues looking into her hands blankly, occasionally wringing them.
[17:28] <Henriette> "I never wanted this person in our midst to begin with..." Henriette continues. "He is dangerous. He is clearly charismatic. Who knows what sort of information has been accidentally divulged in his presence, mais... I did not want to have him killed in cold blood, defenseless and a prisoner. I... I was scared that you would regret your actions, ma cherie."
[17:32] <Lily_Blevins> "Uhuh."  Her inflection is flat.
[17:35] * Henriette stops and looks at Lily, trying to make eye contact. Her own eyes are shimmering with the onset of tears. "I need you to balance things, mon amie. I do not believe I can do this alone, et... et... I do not want to."
[17:36] <Lily_Blevins> She finally looks up at Henri.  "...I don't want to either."  Then her eyes go off to the side.
[17:39] <Henriette> Staring out the window, Henriette sighs. "What should I do? He knows too much, et he has most likely infatuated Cille. To be rid of him would jeopardize our command, mais to do nothing is to put ourselves at further risk. Lily... What would you do?"
[17:44] <Lily_Blevins> "I..."  She pauses, staring off into space.  She takes a deep breath, and tries to start, then stops, and goes a few times before letting everything out at once. "Talking to him through Cille I never got the impression he loved his country very much and that he had been coerced into fighting and had wanted to do other things besides kill people and I personally thought he had been glad
[17:44] <Lily_Blevins> to not have to fight anymore which is why I wanted to fake his death and give him an out or something to let him pretend to be a refugee but I know that's bad and I'm sorry because I know that he's a soldier and we should kill him or shake everything out of him but he's just a guy who didn't want to fight like I did and I mean I just wanted to be a nurse and I'm not sure what he wanted
[17:44] <Lily_Blevins> but it wasn't this and I know Cille thought about the same way even if she really liked him and she probably wanted him as a partner and I mean I kind of did too but I always thought Cille had something bothering her and that was keeping her from going all in like she was really bothered and I figured having someone like him around would help her state of mind but then it screwed up mine
[17:44] <Lily_Blevins> because I was trying to get rid of the magic and I was so tired of you guys telling me to get rid of him so I wanted to pretend to get rid of him myself so you guys would be happy with me but now I'm not happy and you're not happy and-"  Her face screws up and then she puts her hands to it and starts sobbing.
[17:54] * Henriette grabs Lily and holds her firmly against her chest. "Lily, Lily, mon amour. Shhhh... Shhh..." She says nothing for a while. Instead, Henriette just holds Lily and hushes away the tears as best she can, like a mother would. "This is my fault, ma belle. I was not paying attention to your well-being. I have been so concerned with our success here, et I wanted to make you proud by
[17:54] * Henriette being a capable leader. You are intelligent and thoughtful and kind. I have failed you, not the other way around."
[17:56] <Naida> There's an awkward knock, whether the door is open or not.
[17:59] <Lily_Blevins> Well, Lily ain't answering.  She quiets down a little and hugs Henriette nice and tight.  Sniff.  Poor Henri might be getting snot on her dress.
[18:03] <Henriette> Henriette is a little entrenched in something at the moment, but the door is not actually locked. In fact, it's crack[y]ed open a little bit, so Naida's knock opens it to see Henriette holding Lily maternally, rocking slowly in the chair. She doesn't notice the knock or Naida at all.
[18:04] <Naida> Taking a few steps into the room, Naida clears her throat, looking like she wants more than anything to not be there.
[18:09] <Lily_Blevins> Lily lets go and sits back in her chair, adjusting her dress.
[18:10] <Henriette> "Ah! Naida!" Henriette exclaims, standing to her feet.
[18:10] <Henriette> "H-how is... how is our priso- Non, how are you, ma cherie?"
[18:11] <Naida> "That's...uh...was...Cille...ordered to take him somewhere, ma'am? Because...I can't find either of them..."
[18:12] <Lily_Blevins> Lily stares at Naida but doesn't say anything.
[18:13] * Henriette blinks at Naida for a moment clearly not registering the words. "What?"
[18:16] <Naida> "No quiet girl, no prisoner, not...even the vine thing...they're just...not here...at all. Didn't see them outside either. No broken windows or anything...and I never saw them walk out the front...so..."
[18:18] <Lily_Blevins> She blinks.  "What."
[18:19] <Naida> "...are all the pendants here still?"
[18:21] <Henriette> Henriette's eyes grow wide. She rushes out and into her room to check. Yep, they're all there. That's a relief. She returns holding all five. "Did he take her?"
[18:21] <Lily_Blevins> "The handcuffs should've been on..."
[18:22] <Lily_Blevins> "...The handcuffs aren't here."
[18:24] <Naida> "That...is what I just said."
[18:25] <Henriette> "Could he have broken free of them, Lily?"
[18:27] <Lily_Blevins> "Um..."  She closes her eyes really tight to compose herself, taking in a breath.  "Not with any tools around here and while I didn 't get a response from them he could still have them on and just be out of range but this rules out him taking them off here or being just outside or anything."
[18:28] <Naida> "...well for how far would you be able to feel them?"
[18:31] <Lily_Blevins> "About one hundred fifty metres."
[18:31] <Lily_Blevins> "Is when it starts getting fainter, but I'd still get something."
[18:31] <Henriette> "So she left with him, but without her pendant..." Henriette decides. "Do we call it kidnapping or... or AWOL?"
[18:33] <Lily_Blevins> "I...when was the last time she was seen?"
[18:36] <Lily_Blevins> "...last I saw her was like a few minutes ago, and I don't think they could go far enough by foot fast enough to get out of range of me contacting the handcuffs."
[18:37] <Naida> "And what all were her powers...she made...floaty, glowy wall-things, right?"
[18:38] <Henriette> "I do not believe she had the ability to hide her presence. Subtlety seems more your forte, Naida," Henriette says. "If only one of us had tracking abilities..."
[18:40] <Naida> "I...might be able to recognize her shadow?...but...I don't think I've really spent enough time with her or paid much attention to it beforehand...so that would be unlikely..."
[18:47] <Lily_Blevins> Lily remains silent, going back to look at her hands.
[18:47] <Henriette> "So the only conclusion is that she is either hiding her presence somehow or she is not actually here at all. In either case, how and why?"
[18:48] <Naida> "...has she exterted her magic power recently?"
[18:52] <Henriette> "One moment..." A light begins to swell around Henriette, growing in size and strength and spinning faster around her head. The halo suddenly pulses and a blast of magic issues forth from her, causing all things in the immediate area to glow brightly to those who can percieve magic. Places of high magic glimmer brightly, such as the girls themselves and their pendants.
[18:52] <Henriette> "One moment..." A light begins to swell around Henriette, growing in size and strength and spinning faster around her head. The halo suddenly pulses and a blast of magic issues forth from her, causing all things in the immediate area to glow brightly to those who can percieve magic. Places of high magic glimmer brightly, such as the girls themselves and their pendants.
[18:56] <@Oxford> Henriette can detect a strong remanent of magic from the direction of the second floor. It feels a bit like viewing a moving pendulum through a strobe light - a bunch of disjointed images that imply a certain presence around the door to Vladko's cell.
[18:57] <Henriette> "Upstairs, the room Vladko was in... Quickly!" She's already out the door and heading for the room in question.
[18:59] <Naida> Naida gets to know Henri's shadow. By which I mean she's trailing Henri. Like a shadow. Possibly literally in her shadow. She shadows the shadow even.
[19:01] <@Oxford> The door into the cell is closed, and the key is missing from its usual place in the lock.
[19:03] <Henriette> Eyeing the door, Henriette concludes that it must be concealing Vlad on the other side. "It's locked, isn't it?"
[19:06] <@Oxford> Clearly, definitely locked. Henriette can tell with certainty, based on the fact that the key is missing. No need to try the knob at all.
[19:08] <Naida> "...didn't Lily pretty much confirm he isn't here?"
[19:12] <Lily_Blevins> Lily slowly walks up the stairs after the others.  "We don't know what her other power besides Barriers is, it could involve doors for all we know..."
[19:17] <Henriette> "Erm... yes," Henriette responds. "Lily, you probably have more precision than I with residual magic. Can you figure it out?"
[19:26] <@Oxford> Lily examines the door mechanism carefully, and after much deliberation realizes that nobody has tried turning the knob. Funny what happens when you trust Henriette's investigative skills.
[19:27] <Lily_Blevins> LILY TURNS THE KNOB
[19:30] <@Oxford> The door swings freely open, revealing a barren, empty room behind it.
[19:30] <Lily_Blevins> Lily fumes.
[19:33] <Henriette> "Desertion?"
[19:34] <@Oxford> Inspecting more closely, Naida notices the doorjam in particular is radiating out as if to form a flat plane, like a membrane stretched across the entrance. It is bowed inward at the center towards, appearing like the surface of a flat tub of water draining out through a pinhole at its center.
[19:35] <Naida> "Hey...hey...uh...the...doorframe...is leaking..."
[19:36] <Lily_Blevins> Lily turns to look at it as soon as Naida speaks up.
[19:36] <@Oxford> The entire membrane itself is hazy and vaporous, and lacks the distinctive pulsing she's noticed in more active magical effects.
[19:39] <Henriette> "What does that mean?" Henriette wonders aloud.
[19:42] <Lily_Blevins> "...it's a door to somewhere else...maybe I can pry it open..."  Lily starts focusing...
[19:42] SHE PROCEEDS TO ROLL A 57
[19:42] <Naida> "Woah, shouldn't you still be resting after...after...you know..."
[19:50] <Lily_Blevins> Lily suddenly ERUPTS into magic, all of it bursting forth around her, a blinding supernova about her from the magic detection, her dress exploding, leaving her naked briefly before her hair elongates, covering her whole body in a green frilly dress, the skirts excessively pleated, the hair of the fabric curled into fancy embroidery all over her hairdress.  The blinding light coalesces,
[19:50] <Lily_Blevins> funneling in front of her into a single intense light that pushes into the filmy door in front of them at a single point, and then widening, expanding until the light is focused into a doorlike shape, pushing the door open into...wherever it goes.
[19:51] * Henriette suddenly releases her own focus on her power as the brightness suddenly becomes overwhelming. Large after-images in her vision swim as she gropes for Lily's shoulder. "Lily... ma belle... are you okay? That was... that was too much. Please..."
[19:52] <Naida> Naida's hands flee to her face. "You have got to be fucking kidding me..."
[19:53] <Lily_Blevins> The light dissipates, leaving an open doorway before them.  "I know what I'm doing."
[19:53] <@Oxford> With a blinding flash of light from Henriette's detection effect, Lily's magic explodes across the second floor. As she cancels the visualizer, Naida looks up in time to catch the thin membrane ripping outward like a hole burning through a photograph, revealing a brand new sheet of reality behind the image of the cell.
[19:55] <@Oxford> The bare wooden floor has been replaced with a rough stone walkway, set back from a wide courtyard by a row of thin pillars.
[19:55] <Lily_Blevins> Lily walks forward.  "Naida, please stay behind to keep the door open if it starts closing."
[19:57] <Naida> With a frown, Naida looks to Henri. "Does that...request stand, ma'am?"
[19:59] <Henriette> "...Yes," She hands a pendant to each of the remaining girls before continuing. "Maintain the portal in case we need you. We are relying on you, ma belle." She smiles fondly at Naida. "Do you trust me?"
[20:00] <Naida> "Of course, ma'am." She doesn't look pleased exactly, but takes a position aside the portal, trying to give herself a good view of the inside.
[20:02] <Henriette> "We may need you. Keep your radio handy, soldier. You may see action yet."
[20:04] <Naida> She nods, her own magical form festering upon her as she takes the pendant. She prepares her bow in case she needs to portal snipe. Man, portal sniping would be a cool magical girl concept. Oh wait, I could do that with shadows, glory.
[20:05] <Lily_Blevins> Lily motions for Henri to follow.
[20:05] * Rosalyne_Holst runs up the stairs as fast as she can after hearing and feeling all the shit going down. "I was on the radio and - whoah."
[20:06] <Rosalyne_Holst> "What's going on?"
[20:10] <Lily_Blevins> "Cille and Vladko disappeared on us through this door we're getting them, Naida is maintaining the door, you want to come along or help her out?"
[20:13] <Rosalyne_Holst> "If I go can I get to slap her first?  That is if Naida doesn't need any help back here." SHe glances at the octopus girl.  "How did this door even happen?"  She takes one of the pendants and transforms quickly. "I'm fine either way."
[20:14] <@Oxford> The courtyard appears to be at the center of a large, U-shaped building five stories high. The first floor is a pillared walkway with an ornate carved wall behind it, and above that are plaster walls dotted with windows. A fountain sits in the center, and at the corners of the U are two openings that see to lead deeper into the building.
[20:14] <Naida> "I'm fine, go on." Naida manages to masquerade a scowl as concentration; she didn't get a choice.
[20:14] <Lily_Blevins> "Well then Heriette what do you think?"
[20:14] <Lily_Blevins> *Henriette
[20:16] <Rosalyne_Holst> "If you feel like you can't handle it give me call, I'll be here before you know it." She draws her sword and gets ready to go through the portal door.
[20:17] <Lily_Blevins> "I don't think we'll need weapons."
[20:17] <Henriette> "We are handling this in a formal manner if my command still holds, et I do believe that it does, ladies," Henriette replies warningly. Her own costume swirls around her before she follows Lily into the portal. "Naida, remain on standby in case we need you. If... if something should go wrong, report our last location to Vaughn. We will maintain radio contact. Rosalyne will be along for
[20:17] <Henriette> backup, but remember that we are deep within enemy territory, I am sure. I would not trust them to go anywhere but."
[20:20] <Lily_Blevins> Lily's legs let her lead leisurely laterally across the lawn.
[20:22] * Rosalyne_Holst walks past the portal, following Lily and Henriette. She's sure they wont be able to run away.
[20:26] <@Oxford> From the hallway outside Vladko's dormitory, Cille hears a tremendous ripping of reality like a gong banging in her inner ear. The blonde pilot she's entangled with doesn't seem to notice anything.
[20:27] <Naida> As the others step into Narnia, Naida scans the scenery. With curiosity, she begins to focus both on a shaded wall here in the safety of the Tub as well as a shadowy corner in the whereverthefuck. In Narnia, a mass of shadows darkens considerably to create an eye with a piercing gaze. In the house, the wall shows a...rather horrifying rendition of whatever the eye sees: colors are absent and shadows seen through the portal are
[20:27] <Naida> ...sickeningly vibrant. With more concentration, the eye shifts about the room, allowing Naida to remotely view her companions. Or stalk them. Whichever is more applicable.
[20:31] * Cille_Lund freezes up real quick. She might even grow cold. After about two seconds, she pulls away, and makes the universal 'be quiet' signals. A quiet "shhh" with her finger on her lips.
[20:31] <Cille_Lund> She totally looks terrified right now! ...And considering what she heard, for good reason!
[20:32] <@Oxford> Through the window, Cille can see the three soldiers from her unit fanning out through the courtyard. None seem to have noticed her yet.
[20:33] <Henriette> Joining the others, Henriette moves with caution. She's taking surveillance of the area, mentally recording every bit she can.
[20:33] <@Oxford> Vladko wrinkles his brow and looks at her, more bemused than hurt. "What's wrong? No good?"
[20:35] * Rosalyne_Holst steps through the portal and looks around at the building. "Hopefully they didn't find a car and ran away. But I think they must be hiding somewhere around here." She takes flight but waits, "Want me to start from the top?"
[20:35] <Lily_Blevins> Lily walks straight across the lawn, trying to check the opposite side of the courtyard
[20:36] <Cille_Lund> She speaks quietly. "No, no, get down, check out the window." She gets down past even checking the window, she's already seen her doom coming.
[20:36] * Rosalyne_Holst flies to above the ceiling and after seeing they are not there she flies through an open/broken window on the top floor.
[20:40] <@Oxford> Vladko drops below the sill just as Rosalyne flies in a top-floor window on the opposite wing across the courtyard. He gives Cille a sharp look. "We need to move," he hisses through his teeth. "Back down a level, quick!"
[20:42] <Cille_Lund> "However they got in, I felt it. Let's go." Enough combat experience at least helped her be calm during this kind of mad situation! She GOES DOWN A LEVEL. ...If there's more than one way to do so, which way's she got? ...Probably the closer one.
[20:45] <@Oxford> Lily makes it to the opposite side of the walkway, and finds a row of cedar doors. Judging from the patterns of the pine needles on the stone walkway, none of them have seen much traffic in the recent past.
[20:45] <Naida> The shadows shift as the eye slides about the halls. It's a little awkward getting used to the way to control it, since her vision is restricted to everything away from the shadows that actually surround it, but she starts to get the hang of it. To keep from losing sight of her allies completely, she keeps it in Henri's vicinity, helping her search.
[20:47] <@Oxford> Henriette hangs back, taking in the entire surrounding area. She doesn't get close enough to really search anything, but she gets a good image of the area recorded in her memory.
[20:48] <Lily_Blevins> "Nobody on the ground floor!"
[20:48] <Lily_Blevins> She hovers up and picks a different floor from Rosa, probably the second.
[20:49] * Rosalyne_Holst still flies while indoors. SHe flies throughout the top floor and goes down to the fourth. "Nothing on the top floor."
[20:50] <@Oxford> Cille makes it down to the fourth floor, evading Rosalyn as the Cimbrian swoops down the fifth floor hallways. "That was close," Vladko exhales. "If we make it down the Grand Staircase, we can get straight down into the laboratories and hide."
[20:51] <@Oxford> Zipping around the shadows of the courtyard, Naida can confirm the fountain and near hallway are clean.
[20:51] <Cille_Lund> Ooooof, that would have been the absolute worst person to find them. Eeeeeesh. "I don't think we'll be able to get down to the bottom floor with them combing the area. Good plan." Onward! To the Grand Staircase!
[20:56] * Henriette is looking primarily for areas that the others aren't. She's split between areas of potential intelligence and areas more likely to be housing someone not actually supposed to be in the area. If there are offices, she'll probably stop there first.
[20:59] <@Oxford> Vladko rushes through the passage into the atrium, Cille close behind him. Above them, the room expands suddenly, with a massive glass ceiling above an open space five stories high. The stairs overlook this entire area, running the whole twenty metre length of the near wall. The railings and bannister are worked of sparkling crystal, and looks more like an emperor's palace than a university.
[21:01] <@Oxford> A gaping eye suddenly appears in the shadow of a soaring flyover walkway above them. Naida sees the two fugitives clearly, in distorted black-and-white.
[21:01] <Cille_Lund> Well, she gets to see the staircase! ...Oh boy, this place is pretty out in the open. ...Or maybe it just feels that way, because it's grand? It's probably both. Hard to take it in when Cille SENSES DEATH! REREAT AT ONCE. ...As such, she doesn't notice the eye taking a look-see at them, and keeps moving.
[21:02] <@Oxford> From above and below, Rosalyne and Lily steadily converge on the pair like the jaws of a bear-trap.
[21:02] <Naida> Naida quickly speaks into the radio. "I see 'em, Rosa and Lily, continue as you are."
[21:03] <Henriette> Trailing behind the other girls, Henriette is enamored with the area's architecture and details, which is distracting even as she attempts to keep her eyes peeled for Cille and Vladko.
[21:03] <Lily_Blevins> Lily floats gently up the stairs, landing on the floor after she sees the two fugitives, her hair, the frills of her hairdress, and her chest all bouncing gently upon landing, the picture of elegance.  "There you are."
[21:05] <Rosalyne_Holst> "Alright!" Rosalyne can't go any faster than this, damn those hallways and their turns are hard to do at these speeds anways, that is until she reaches an open area and spots the two fugitives.  She narrows her eyes, "Found you." She points her sword at the pair.
[21:07] <@Oxford> It really is a marvel of architecture. Cille and Vladko are halfway down and in the center of the stairs when Lily appears below them. The pilot turns to retreat back upwards, only to see Rosalyne emerge from the hallway above them. He stops dead and instinctively moves to put himself between her and Cille.
[21:08] <Cille_Lund> ...And out in the open, the bads arrive. ...Rather, that would be the plan if she wasn't stunned to silence between Lily AND Rosalyne. One's murderous, the other is pacifistic-but-tossing-people-off-cliffs-is-OK. Both are meguca.
[21:08] <Naida> "You can use your vines again now, right?"
[21:08] <Cille_Lund> It's like being caught between two moving trains.
[21:09] <Lily_Blevins> Lily talks into the radio.  "Okay, we've got them."  She nods to Rosalyne, and then intones to Cille and Vladko.  "All right, you two, come on."
[21:10] <Rosalyne_Holst> "Unless you want us to drag you back." She walks closer to the pair, "We could do this the eas way or the painful way."
[21:10] <Rosalyne_Holst> easy*
[21:11] <Naida> "I'd move quickly, since...you know...magic is unreliable and all that and you got there through a magic portal."
[21:12] <Lily_Blevins> The handcuffs tighten up on Vladko, but they don't spike him just yet.
[21:12] <Naida> "...s-sorry, Lieutenant LeClair, that wasn't the most...official radio...uh...radiospeak?"
[21:13] <Henriette> "Roger that, Naida," Henriette says, gaining a little more focus. She keeps her magical recording running as she enters the room with the other girls. The casual speak should be indicative enough that it's not a problem.
[21:14] <Rosalyne_Holst> "Dragging it is then."  She gets closer pretty damn fast, "<What do the two of you think?>"
[21:14] <@Oxford> The pair on the stairway are totally boxed in. Vladko's shoulders are tensed for a fight, but it's clear he's hopelessly outmatched.
[21:14] <Henriette> She gives Cille and Vladko, one still in handcuffs, a grimace. "Officer Holst, slow down a moment. Cille, tell me this isn't what I think it is?"
[21:15] <Lily_Blevins> "Warrant, you're being awful hasty."  She frowns at Rosalyne.  "Let them speak up first."
[21:19] <Cille_Lund> Cille looks as though she's ready to speak before Rosalyne's quick approach, but naturally the charge shocks the breath out of her. It takes her a few moments to regain use of her vocal chords! The frustration with everything (especially life) comes through with her voice! "W-well! Considering it doesn't matter where the hell we end up, you'll all be here to make sure we die slow or quick deaths, fine!" A small glance to Rosalyne when she says quick. "I didn't intend to end up here. I just opened the door to his room, tripped a bit, and suddenly we were here!"
[21:19] <Lily_Blevins> "It was rampant magic, then?"
[21:21] <Rosalyne_Holst> "I was actually planning on handing both of you in to the Cimbrian army, let them deal with you two." She lowers her sword. and looks the the Lieutenants.
[21:22] <Cille_Lund> "It was. Getting out of there wasn't intentional."
[21:23] <Lily_Blevins> "...I'll accept that explanation if you can figure out what your second talent is, because something like that wouldn't be possible without a talent specifically geared for it the only reason we were able to follow you was because I was able to reopen that door."
[21:23] <Henriette> "Incidental magic use creates extenuating circumstances for suddenly transporting yourself and the prisoner into... wherever this is," Henriette says. She's relaxed, not at all like someone prepared to attack anyone. "However, it does not explain why you did not immediately return and inform us."
[21:24] <Naida> "What, what's happening, she doesn't exactly look relieved but you guys are also calming down."
[21:24] <Henriette> "Standby, Naida," Henriette says. "There's not enough time yet."
[21:26] <Cille_Lund> "I still don't quite know it, but considering I'm powerless to stop you due to a lack of pendant, thinking that I figured out my other magical talent without having either the magic amplifier as well as teleport to...do you know where we are? We're in Novgoraad right now."
[21:27] <Lily_Blevins> "...oh you know what."
[21:27] <Lily_Blevins> "Let's just return before we talk all this out, okay?"
[21:27] <Henriette> "... Yes."
[21:28] <Lily_Blevins> "We don't know how long the door will hold up, even with Naida maintaining it."
[21:29] <Lily_Blevins> "Henri, you take Vladko, he's probably terrified of me, I'll take Cille."
[21:29] <@Oxford> Back by the portal, Naida can feel the it pucker around the edges. It suddenly starts to close, like a coin purse with the strings pulled.
[21:29] <Henriette> "Oui. Come. You cannot remain here," Henriette says imposingly towards Vladko.
[21:30] <Lily_Blevins> "Rosalyne go ahead to help Naida if it's still closing."
[21:30] <Rosalyne_Holst> "I'll go on ahead and help out Naida if she needs it." She jumps off the staircase and flies off towards the gate.
[21:30] <Cille_Lund> Cille gives off a forlorned sigh, and speaks in Cimbrian to Vladko. "[Well, either we die slowly inside or Rosalyne will lose her temper and off go our heads. ...Or they'll literally drag us, and we die slowly anyway.]"
[21:30] <Naida> Naida is inclined to believe there's an ec- "FUCK!" The eye fizzles out of existence as Naida begins channeling her energy into the portal.
[21:31] <Naida> "OUT, NOW!"
[21:31] * Henriette hurriedly PUSHES Vladko along. She's trailing the others to ensure they all make it first.
[21:32] <Lily_Blevins> Lily takes Cille's hand and whispers something into her ear, radio off briefly, then turns it back on and picks her up.
[21:32] <@Oxford> The pilot tries to duck under her arms. "[Run for it, Cille!]" he shouts.
[21:33] * Henriette sighs. "[You are making a mistake, sir. I have no intentions of murdering either of you,]" Henriette says suddenly in perfect Novgoraadi.
[21:35] <Cille_Lund> HOW MUCH CILLE BELIEVES ANY OF THEM: ABSOLUTE ZERO. LOSING AT ZERO TRUST. Even as Lily whispers, Cille is already running. HAD IT UP TO HERE. At this kind of hopeless situation, everything she likes being torn away, all she has left is defiance. So, SHE DEFIES.
[21:36] <Lily_Blevins> Well, whatever.  Lily sighs and CURSE to bind.
[21:41] <Henriette> "[Hurry back!]" she shouts to the others as she takes off after Vladko, attempting to hamper his movement with her magic, ideally without hurting him. Her magic shoots forth, an arcing stream of light. "[Lily, leave!]" she shouts in Novgoraadi.
[21:41] <Lily_Blevins> She grabs Cille after she's bound and VAMOOSES
[21:43] <Lily_Blevins> Specifically, a bunch of vines burst from the ceiling and floor and grab Cille, and then Lily grabs her, the vines letting go once Lily has a firm hold, and then she flies straightr for the portal.
[21:43] <Henriette> The light binds around Vladko's feet. She races after him to drag him back along if that's what it takes, but she's probably well behind the others. Hopefully she can make it before the portal closes.
[21:44] <@Oxford> Vladko grunts as Henriette's bindings wrap around him. She scoops him up in no time. In Novgoraadi, he speaks to Henriette. "[Can't you see what you're doing to her? To Cille?]"
[21:45] * Rosalyne_Holst reaches the portal and is back at the Rusty Tub with a struggling Naida. "You really need help now." She focuses on the portal and does her best to WILL it open, not really sure exactly how the damn portal works.
[21:45] <Henriette> "[It is not about Cille. It is about the safety of my homeland. You know too much. She knows too much. You would jeopardize my home. Those I care about.]"
[21:46] <Cille_Lund> Welp. When you ain't got a pendant, you ain't getting anywhere. ...And even if she did, she'd have to deal with three-four people. She wouldn't have a chance. Once the vines have her trapped, she only struggles for a while before simply giving up.
[21:47] <Lily_Blevins> "...sorry."
[21:48] <@Oxford> "[Those you care about? Not her, then. Not like I do.]"
[21:49] <Cille_Lund> She lifelessly hangs. Who'da thought her greatest foes were her co-workers!
[21:50] <@Oxford> Lily and Cille are safely inside the portal. Only Henriette and Vladko remain. Another tremor ripples through the fabric of reality, and the portal strains against the efforts of Rosalyne and Naida.
[21:50] <Rosalyne_Holst> "NOW WOULD BE A VERY GOOD TIME TO COME BACK!" ROsalyne yells into her radio.
[21:51] <Henriette> "[This isn't some tragic play, Nov. This is a war. We will deal with this in a civilized manner and with dignity.]" She makes her way to the portal as quickly as she can. Was it this way again?
[21:52] <Naida> "Or for Cille to grab her pendant over there and help out. That would also be nice." Naida grunts as she continues feeding the greedy maw.
[21:52] <Lily_Blevins> Lily holds on to Cille and concentrates on keeping the portal open
[21:54] <Naida> "Or we'll keep playing with fire, since it's got us this far..."
[21:55] <@Oxford> "[Dignity like being thrown down a mountain? Like being threatened with execution? Your words are hollow, Alb.]"
[21:58] <Henriette> "[... You are right,]" Henriette admits with a suddenly burst of humility. She stops midstep for a moment. "[And for that, I apologize. I... have only had the most just of intentions myself. Those under my command are... reckless at best. Understand that I have never intended ill will towards a defenseless man. I have not threatened to execute you. I saved you from my fellows. I simply
[21:58] <Henriette> have not had the time to conduct things properly.]"
[21:59] <Naida> "FOR FUCK'S SAKE WOMAN, FASTER!"
[21:59] <@Oxford> The portal quivers in the air across the courtyard from Henri. Her comrades can see her through the heat distortion that marks its edge. The portal begins to collapse once more.
[22:00] * Henriette turns off her radio for a moment. "[If I let you leave, I will be punished by my superiors. If I return with you, I fear things will continue as they have. If you wish to be with Cille, you will trust me.]"
[22:02] <@Oxford> Even combinded, the three girls by the portal can feel reality pushing back against the aberration they're trying desperately to maintain. Without any excess magic to dump into the portal, it continues to close, slowed only a little by their efforts.
[22:05] <Henriette> "[I promise that Cille will not be harmed no matter what you decide. That is on my honor as a soldier in the Albaean mi- No, as a human being.]"
[22:05] <Naida> "Quiet Girl, would you kindly step the fuck up...and help us get these two back?...Because we're fucking fading here..."
[22:07] * Rosalyne_Holst yells at the other side of the portal, "HENRIETTE GET THE FUCK BACK HERE!"
[22:07] <@Oxford> "[Tell them you executed me. It's plausible enough.]" Vladko replies, looking past Henriette toward the portal, straining for a glimpse of Cille. "[You can't protect me from your own, even if I trusted you. But Cille can vouch for me: I intend to desert. I won't speak with High Command about your unit.]"
[22:08] <Cille_Lund> Considering she's being held by TREANT LILY, she gives Naida a look. "Does it look like I am in any position to do anything right now?"
[22:08] <Lily_Blevins> Lily sets Cille down.
[22:09] * Henriette stands for a moment, thinking carefully. Finally, she puts him down and releases her bonds before heading for the portal. "[I will suffer the concequences of my actions, but those punishments will be mine alone. Vladko...?]" she looks curiously at him for his surname.
[22:10] <Cille_Lund> Cille stops questioning reality when Lily sets her down (for the time being). "Alright, all I need is a lack of paranoia and a pendant."
[22:10] <Naida> "On the table."
[22:10] <Lily_Blevins> Lily hands Cille her pendant
[22:12] * Cille_Lund shrugs! FINE. If she doesn't help, they'll start killing her more emotionally (and considering that 6,6, being left alone without Vladko kind of sounds awful). Might as well make sure Henriette doesn't get completely screwed over.
[22:14] <@Oxford> "[Termitsan,]" the handsome pilot replies, smiling at her with the relief of a man too long without hope suddenly regaining some. By the portal, Cille can see Henriette release him. As Henriette plunges towards the rapidly closing portal, she can see her allies now fully engaged in the struggle to maintain the portal. Nobody can stop her from doing as she wills.
[22:16] <Henriette> "[Vladko Termitsan, remember that an Albaean gave you your life today,]" she says as she leaves for the portal as fast as she can. She can see Cille on the other side. A fearful look is in Henri's eyes as she anticipates Cille's actions.
[22:18] <Lily_Blevins> ...Lily loosens the handcuffs.  A lot.  In fact, one of his arms come uncuffed.
[22:18] <Cille_Lund> Well, she knows what she's good at. BARRIERS. Sure, this is an opening. The natural use of a barrier would be to block it. But, she can instead create a barrier to it's closing, and then expanding it! THIS IS WHAT SHE APPLIES. She's not stranding anyone out there!
[22:19] <Henriette> "[Remember that Henriette LeClair trusts you.]"
[22:23] <@Oxford> Lieutenant Termitsan lifts his newly freed hand up, and gives a final salute - the last of his military career. "Farewell, Cille," he shouts in Cimbrian, but his words are drowned out by the crackling roar of the portal as it snaps closed. Henriette makes it through with hardly a centimetre of clearance on either side, tumbling through the gap and straight into Cille.
[22:25] <@Oxford> As suddenly as it appeared, the University of Svedolysk is gone, and the barren cell - room, rather, now that it lacks prisoners - is there in its place. The girls collectively collapse in a heap in the hallway.
[22:25] <Rosalyne_Holst> "TOOK YOU BLOODY LONG ENOUGH"
[22:25] <Lily_Blevins> "Ah-!"
[22:25] <Lily_Blevins> Knocked over like a bowling pin.
[22:27] <Henriette> "I have made a decision, of my own accord, to take the escape of Vladko Termitsan on my own shoulders. Cille, you will come to no punishment if I can say anything about it." She stands tall, stoic and seemingly fearless, but she's moments from crying. Oh, god. What did she get herself into?
[22:27] <Cille_Lund> With Henriette charging into her and the roar of the portal, which is probably only being maintained by her at this rate, she has not a chance for a farewell herself before ending up under a heap of magical girl, the magical wind knocked out of her. ...And a few other winds!
[22:28] <Naida> "Can't we...can't we go find the body of one of those other pilots...? Or...we just going full high road to start fresh?" Desecrating corpses and lying go hand in hand.
[22:29] <Lily_Blevins> "...It's my fault it led to this, I should take responsibility as well!"  Lily gets up, her green hair withering and starting to fall apart, flaking off in an array of elegant petals before leaving her naked in her normal form again.
[22:31] <Cille_Lund> ...With no wind, there's not much room for a sigh, but still enough for words. The bowled over Cille speaks in Albaean, with no real reason to speak otherwise. "...I think I'll stay here a while..."
[22:33] <@Oxford> /session
[22:48] <Lily_Blevins> Lily grabs Cille's hand to help her up.   She opens her mouth to say something and then closes it, and then just looks to the side nervously.
[22:54] <Cille_Lund> Despite her saying she was going to stay here a while (meaning, face up on the ground), she decides that she might as well graduate to leaning on the wall. ...As much as she wants to talk, the silence in the air is coming FROM her, and it's pretty oppressing!
[22:56] <Lily_Blevins> "Do you...um...need a bit?"
[22:59] <Cille_Lund> "...I think I'll probably need more than a bit. But, it's probably better to say anything you need to say before I fully grasp everything that just happened."
[23:01] <Lily_Blevins> "I um...really didn't want it to turn out this way..."  She grimaces.
[23:04] <Cille_Lund> "But in the end, you chased me down, tied me up, and dragged me back." Her own expression hasn't changed a bit. THIS IS THE FACE OF SOMEONE USED TO BEING DEPRESSED, and is currently depressed!
[23:09] <Lily_Blevins> She sniffles a little.  "I know.  I had to.  I'd been trying to figure out a way to make him be able to leave and you being able to see him still without it being obvious to everyone else so I wouldn't have to join them in hunting you down, but I have to...keep up appearances.  That's why I wanted to fake his death.  But, well.  This probably doesn't sound any better to you, but he's
[23:09] <Lily_Blevins> not dead, at least.  I'd...like to think that this war will end someday..."
[23:16] <Cille_Lund> "...Really, I was fully prepared to leave him there myself if I needed to, just to get him out of there. The fact that Henriette didn't drag him back is still...surprising, and it seems you loosened the cuffs enough for him to pull off a salute. If it weren't for those actions, both of them, I probably wouldn't have wanted to hear anything you had to say."
[23:18] <Cille_Lund> "I'm not awful at looking at the bright side. In the end, he isn't HERE. Even if none of you meant the things you said, even if you really weren't going to throw him off the cliff, you're all still terrible hosts. ...And one way or another, he's out of there."
[23:19] <Lily_Blevins> She wrings her hands a bit.  "Yeah, we are."
[23:22] <Cille_Lund> "...But instead of going into an upset rant about what you all just stole from me, since you're probably already fully aware that I'd love to have stayed with him, I'd like to be sure you know something."
[23:23] <Lily_Blevins> "...go on."
[23:31] <Cille_Lund> "During that talk we had about restraining magic use, you had mentioned that you had attempted to save a Nov from blowing up. Sure, that story ended in...something bad, but...if you hadn't mentioned it at all, I probably would have ended up killing Vladko in the first place."
[23:33] <Lily_Blevins> She remains quiet.
[23:33] <Cille_Lund> "In a sense, if it weren't for you, none of these headaches would have happened...and I'd probably have failed to connect to anyone at all. ...Thus, I would have probably stuck to the reason I kept on fighting in the first place...finding somewhere to die, and I'd have continued with that in mind."
[23:34] <Cille_Lund> "I'm not sure what that all means to you, jumbled up like that, but...I guess for what it's worth, it's still a net-worth of...thanks."
[23:34] <Lily_Blevins> She jumps on Cille and gives her a big hug.
[23:36] <Cille_Lund> True to the nickname given by Naida, she quietly cries, returning the hug! She doesn't even really notice that Lily is still nude.
[23:44] <Lily_Blevins> it takes a while, but Lily eventually lets go.  She cried a bit too, of course, so Cille has a bit of a wet shoulder.  "Well, um...if there's any way I can make it up to you..."
[23:51] <Cille_Lund> Cille thinks about it. ...In her critical thinking, she realizes what she hadn't realized. "...Well, you can start by wearing clothes. ...Perhaps carry an extra set or at least something to cover you on hand, in case that happens again? ...I...suppose I have something else in mind, but you'll have to give me a bit for that."
[23:53] <Lily_Blevins> "Oh.  Yeah I can fix that, that isn't much work."  She runs off quickly to do that, and returns in another one piece sundress type, skirt to her knees.  "Good?"
[23:53] <Cille_Lund> "And, uh, the only details of this conversation that should come up is that we made up. I'd rather not let anyone else know most of this stuff."
[23:53] <Cille_Lund> "Yeah, that'll do!"
[23:53] <Lily_Blevins> "And roger that, of course!"
[23:56] <Cille_Lund> "...Now...bah. You think I can still finish breakfast? It's probably still sitting there."
[23:57] <Lily_Blevins> "This all happened really fast, I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't completely cold!"
[00:02] <Cille_Lund> "Well, it happened fast enough that I'm hungry again. I'm far too used to moping to let it keep me down, and the plan isn't to die, so I'd rather not starve to death! ...In fact, perhaps you can make me something to eat while I finish off breakfast? Probably hungry enough to eat lunch in advance."
[00:03] <Lily_Blevins> "Will do!"  She runs off to get to getting ingredients and cooking stuffs ready.
[00:14] <Cille_Lund> Cille heads downstairs, back to the kitchen herself! ...Well, this was one hell of a day. She had to save Vladko from being thrown overboard (even if it wasn't actually aimed to kill him), she went to Novgoraad out of god damn nowhere and had some quality time with her 100% lover with dreams of staying there and living in peace, that dream was singlehandedly ruined by everyone trying so hard to get through that reality unhinged even harder than when she got in, and she made up with the one member of her team she trusts the most (and was then hugged by her while she was nude). And her breakfast is probably still warm. Had an hour even passed? Maybe after she eats lunch, she can just go to bed!
[00:29] <Lily_Blevins> </mini>