World War Look At These People Fly Away: S3

[12:28:51] * Oxford changes topic to 'The Rusty Tub - Glasholme's Premier Club for Gentleman'
[12:34:02] * BigTentacruel is now known as Henriette
[12:39:10] <@Oxford> Vestergaard has some pointed words for Henriette. From her bedroom upstairs, Cille can hear the tension in their voices, raised but not quite shouting, from the room below hers, not quite intelligible through the thick wooden floors. But Cille has her own priorities: behind a loose sheet, the portal-painting she has spent so much time on waits patiently for her finishing touches.
[12:47:46] <Cille_Lund> A portal painting she's finishing up after having finished Lily's garden painting. Once she wraps this up, her path to a future unfettered by her poor, poor placement in this land will be but an incantation away. ...One she'd need to have her pendant for (to make it into a portal without too much stress, for starters), as well as a spare in case certain situations were to arise...and maybe Henriette herself. ...She might want to go after these pointed words, but she can't concern herself with details when she needs to work on something with...well, details. A portal that has a destination, 'somewhere unseen that's near Vladko'. She can only hope magic properly understands her destination, and doesn't work like a genie and shoves her in a closet or something. If she doesn't shade the energy storing parts right, it might malfunction. Can't have that!
[12:49:22] <Cille_Lund> Once she creates it, of course, it'll be not much more than a shell. That's why the energy storing parts exist. By splitting it into two phases, it should be easier to get taken there. ...And with it set to disintergrate into nothing after being taken there as well as the situation in general, hopefully she won't get chased. ...And that should do!
[12:51:26] <@Oxford> Downstairs, Vestergaard pinches the bridge of his nose and grimaces, a headache throbbing behind his eyes. "And what exactly happened next, Henriette?"
[12:52:29] <Cille_Lund> ...All that's left is to get the pendants, secured by Henriette last she checked, to make it properly happen (and to ask for a final time if she plans on going somewhere). ...Er, though that's sort of difficult, considering the situation she, herself, is in. Let's just take the moment to get the garden picture for Lily, and...put it in her room. Maybe she'll be able to catch a word or two from the conversation as she goes to Lily's room, whether she's in there or not! ...That's what she does, hiding the portal once again and grabbing the picture from the inside of her desk, before going to Lily's room to deliver!
[12:54:39] <Lily_Blevins> Lily in fact, actually is in her room, with a little birdie chirping as she feeds him.  The window is open, casting the entire room in bright sunlight
[12:57:32] <Henriette> Frowning, Henriette fidgets with the end of her scarf, her anchor to normality. "We tied her up. Negotiations proceeded without more incident. The supplier was... well-aquainted with the hazards of dealing with willful young women." Her eyes are fierce, defensive, and firmly framed by worn cheekbones. The conversation isn't exactly high on Henriette's priorities today, and talking to Vestergaard is even less enjoyable than serving b
[12:58:28] <Henriette> boisterous louts downstairs.
[13:01:13] <Cille_Lund> ...This might be the last time Cille sees her for a while. Don't choke, Cille. "Hi, Lily. I managed to finish the picture you'd asked for earlier." She hands it to her! It is...well, Cille is good at drawing when she puts her mind into it (and she certainly did), though it's hardly professional. As one would expect, there happen to be a good amount of lilies, but there are other flowers, like roses, poppies, other such things. The color is somewhat subdued, but pretty nonetheless! DON'T CHOKE, CILLE.
[13:01:19] <@Oxford> "And you haven't communicated this particular...'turn of events', let's say, to your superiors?" For once, the Cimbrian officer seems almost as disgusted with her as she is with him.
[13:01:34] <Naida> Naida pulls at her face, catching up on more mundane aspects of bar management. Has no one been taking inventory? How did Rosa sign off on having -1 jars of pickled eggs? Did she eat a whole jar and is saying she owes one? The hum of muffled gibberish makes it difficult to focus on the paperwork.
[13:05:13] <Lily_Blevins> Lily stops messing with her bird friend to take the painting.  She looks it over, a big smile on her face.  It's so pretty!  ...then she looks up at Cille, her expression darkening.  "Does this mean you're leaving?"
[13:06:12] <Henriette> "I haven't had time, Vestergaard," she answers irritably. "Was I supposed sit up all night discussing the facts while my girls are worn and beleagured and in dire need of some damned compassion, something even their so-called supporters seem woefully unwilling to provide. Have you even asked how Naida is doing? Or Cille? They're supposed to be your people, aren't they?"
[13:07:32] <Henriette> Despite her obvious stress, Henriette's words remain relatively free of Gaulian accent. This isn't an emotional battle. This is a strategic game between her and Vestergaard that she has to stay focused on.
[13:08:15] <Cille_Lund> STOP CHOKIN, CILLE. "W-well...soon, yes. In order to actually make my way there, I have to have a pendant, and a spare Nov pendant just in case. And I have to ask Henriette about...what she plans to do, which is hard right now. However, right after that...nothing will keep me back."
[13:10:58] <Lily_Blevins> "...I...see..."
[13:11:10] <Lily_Blevins> She sets the painting down and is quiet a moment.
[13:13:14] <Cille_Lund> "...I have to do this. Whether it ends up being just for my sake, or everyone's."
[13:13:36] <Lily_Blevins> And then she starts sniffling.  "Do you...really...ugh..."
[13:13:51] <Lily_Blevins> "...I know you do...but I really don't want you to though...I just..."
[13:14:13] <@Oxford> "Rosalyne is my people, too," the officer says grimly. "And actually, if you've been keeping track of the Cimbrian brass, you'll know she's got a lot more sway than either of those two."
[13:16:39] <@Oxford> He reaches into his desk drawer, retrieves a bottle, and begins to pour something into his coffee. "Even after her father's recent blemishes. There's nobody in the army that wants to go after a general's daughter."
[13:16:40] <Lily_Blevins> Lily runs out of words for once and just starts bawling and hugging Cille.
[13:18:35] <Henriette> "That's why I didn't ask if you had thought about her. She's probably forefront of your mind," Henriette says, shaking her head. Her voice lowers again. "You may have already surmised this, but I don't usually concern myself with the politics of nations. I care deeply about each of the girls under my command, including Rosalyne, and what I continue to see are two nations who want to abuse us all for their own gain."
[13:19:09] <Cille_Lund> You're...you're totally choking, Cille. Damn if you're not good at hiding it, though. How much practice do you even have to NOT cry right now, despite really, really wanting to? (A lot.) Be strong for mot--er, everyone. The hug is returned! She doesn't say anything though, which clearly means she isn't going to change her mind.
[13:21:00] <Lily_Blevins> After the wetworks have dried down, Lily starts lifting her skirt...
[13:21:01] <Henriette> "I stayed up all night in case they needed anything, in case someone else came by to give them trouble. I have sacrificed EVERYTHING for them! And if you OR Vaughn care about any of them half as much as you say you do, you'll do well to remember that they are growing young girls. They aren't your brand of soldier."
[13:21:13] <Lily_Blevins> ...and then pulls out a gun.  "You're gonna' need this more than I am."
[13:21:33] <Henriette> "That is why I haven't reported everything just yet. The sanity of my team comes first."
[13:24:18] <Cille_Lund> ...?!--!? ...For a second, it was like magic was going nuts, but no, this is just pure nuts. ...But at the same time, this is very welcome. "I...won't ask what brought you to have this, but...thank you. I v-very well might need this..." The crystal on her face comes in contact with a tear. It does not respond!
[13:25:14] <Lily_Blevins> She also undoes the holster on her leg and hands it to Cille.  "Don't know if this will fit on your leg as well, but make sure you have it."
[13:26:11] <Naida> Satisfied that the numbers finally match up, Naida steps out to reward herself with a beer.
[13:27:01] <Cille_Lund> Cille tries it on! ...In a place out of one's field of vision if they open the door, of course! No use hiding if someone sees it get put on.
[13:29:01] <@Oxford> "'Sacrificed everything'? You've sacrificed a good deal less than most of the men I served with." He takes a swig from his mug, the bitter black coffee stinging on its way down. "But you're right. It's madness to keep giving of yourself if you don't feel like you're being rewarded for it. Sheer, bloody-minded madness. That's what war is, after all."
[13:30:23] <@Oxford> Vestergaard grimaces, drinks again. "But don't bother acting the hero with me. I was a hero too, once, and I know how it leaves you in the end."
[13:31:46] <Lily_Blevins> Lily makes sure to give Cille basic instruction on how to get the gun ready and shoot, makes sure to always aim with two hands, expect some recoil, etc.  Cille's probalby not going to come out a master marksman, but Lily's at least making sure she knows how to shoot it.
[13:34:04] <Cille_Lund> Training session! In case magic is riskier than a simple bullet, this is good to have. She'll learn...if she has to do some shooting, of course. Best to be safe than sorry, though. Once that wraps up, she puts that gun away, READY FOR THE BEST OR THE WORST, either or. "...And with that loose end resolved, all that's left to do is...get the pendants without getting someone nosy involved, and hope Henriette wraps up soon. I can't simply get at the pendants for obvious reasons, so..."
[13:34:40] <Lily_Blevins> "You want me to get them?"
[13:36:03] <Henriette> "And that's the sort of mentality that I expect from your kind. None of us hold a candle to 'the men you served with'." Her fists tighten. "I thought you were slime when I first met you, and I've come to realize that you're worse than that. You're pisser d'une pierre, the little brown stain you see from cracks in old walls. Keep your heroism, Vestergaard. I'm no hero. I'm just trying to be a sister to them."
[13:36:21] <Cille_Lund> "Henriette is tied up, and two people moving would make someone think more than one, so that would be best."
[13:41:38] <Lily_Blevins> "...all right then."  Lily heads out of her room, to head up to Henriettes.
[13:41:46] <Lily_Blevins> *Henriette's
[13:43:11] <Naida> On her way back to her own room, Naida catches Lily in the hall. "They've been at it for a while, yeah?" Siiiiip.
[13:44:41] <@Oxford> "Oh, I'm scum, all right." The Major sinks into his chair, eyes slightly unfocused. It occurs to her that this may not be his first drink of the morning. "I'm scum, and the men I served with were the same, and you know what? You're right: you'll never hold a candle to them."
[13:47:53] <@Oxford> He fumbles around in the drawer again, but instead of a bottle his hands come up with a small piece of metal, the size of a coin. "They weren't so quick to throw away their ideals for cynicism. Didn't try to pick between being a soldier and being a brother; thought they could do both. Not you." He grins. "Smart girl."
[13:49:11] <Henriette> "Get out of my home." Henriette says firmly, standing and staring him in the eye. "And don't come back. We know how to find you if we need you."
[13:53:44] <@Oxford> "Or what?" he asks. He stands, suddenly very quick, and steps toward her. Uncomfortably close. His eyes seem to be fixed on a point somewhere on the back of her skull, as though they're looking straight through her.
[13:57:17] <Lily_Blevins> Lily nods.  "I have to say it's bothering me a bit, since it doesn't sound like they're gonna' end up at an agreement."
[14:02:35] <Naida> Sip. "...you seen Cille?"
[14:02:57] <Lily_Blevins> "Yeah, why do you ask?"
[14:03:56] <Naida> "I uh...need to apologize for the..." She glances at the door. "...you know the thing. When I tried to stop the first thing."
[14:06:55] <Lily_Blevins> "Oh!  Well, she's in my room at the moment, I was going to go for a walk and I asked her to watch over my bird~"
[14:07:41] <Naida> That's...weird. "You mind if I go in?"
[14:07:50] <Cille_Lund> ...Cille has in fact occupied herself with the bird while Lily's out. Cute little thing.
[14:08:04] <Lily_Blevins> "No problem!"
[14:09:07] <Naida> With a sip and a parting nod to Lily, she invades Cille's shaky feeling of peace with her ruinous being.
[14:09:37] <Lily_Blevins> Lily continues on to Henriette's room, then!
[14:10:17] <Henriette> "I said GET OUT," Henriette shouts as magical power swells within her. She pulls off her scarf and lets her wings flourish. For a moment, she's surrounded by a white fire that throws Vestergaard across the room towards the window, but instead of crashing through the glass, he passes harmlessly through and into the open air. To him, passing through the solid wall is a vision of impossibly bright light with the angellic Henriette towe
[14:11:12] <Henriette> towering over him. It's a vision of a world that might exist, as if Henriette is only partially in this reality.
[14:12:12] <Cille_Lund> "So is this the kind that wants a cracker?" "Is it the kind that will say it might take time getting used to this new body?" Cille notices Naida coming in! DON'T CHOKE, CILLE. "Ah, hi, Naida!" A strange situation indeed. ...And again, this might be the last she sees of Naida in a while, though one wonders if that's a good or bad thing.
[14:12:27] <Henriette> The other girls probably actually hear what sounds like a chorus of Henriettes shouting in unison.
[14:13:31] <Naida> Sip. "Hey, I just wan-"  Her head snaps back around at the shout, spilling a bit of beer.
[14:14:16] <Lily_Blevins> Lily decides not to go straight to Henriette's room and instead goes for where Henriette IS to make sure Vestergaard isn't doing something unfortunate to her.
[14:16:02] <Cille_Lund> "...So that conversation has finally taken a magical turn." She pretty much expected it, really. Will coincidence keep her from making her trip even now? "I think...Lily's up there, so it shouldn't get too awful..."
[14:16:45] <Henriette> Standing, or rather floating in the room where Vestergaard was is Henriette, trembling with the sort of fury she normally saves for combat against Nov planes. Vestergaard is nowhere to be seen, but everything appears untouched. The desk and chairs are all blown back and possibly a little charred on the side facing Henri.
[14:17:07] <@Oxford> From outside the office, Henriette can hear something like a sack full of potatos being thrown into an empty cellar: a sort of heavy, organic impact. Overtop of it, sharper and clearer, is the crack of something thick and sturdy snapping like a twig.
[14:17:50] <Lily_Blevins> Lily comes in just for the sound of a CRACK.  "Oh.  Oh."
[14:18:56] <Lily_Blevins> Henriette looks fine so she instead takes to the window to have a look.
[14:19:16] <Naida> "We should uh...probably go see..." Naida heads up to help. Or at least to look.
[14:19:32] <Cille_Lund> Definitely having a look, if nothing else. She follows!
[14:21:38] <Henriette> Stonefaced, Henriette starts reordering the furniture. "I lost my temper, Lily. I'm sorry," she mutters.
[14:22:38] <@Oxford> Through the untouched window, Vestergaard lays on the cobblestone street, face up and with his feet towards them. He's propped himself up on both elbows, a spatter of blood at the point where his head made contact. Around the man's left shin, a dark wet patch is spreading across his fatigues.
[14:23:50] <Naida> "Everyone all good?" Naida steps in, taking a swig.
[14:25:30] <Lily_Blevins> Lily runs to Henriette's room to grab a pendant, and is now running outside towards Vestergaard
[14:25:50] <Henriette> "I have a mess to clean up outside, but yes. I'm fine," Henriette says, still expressionless. The fact that she didn't slepe the night previous is obvious on her face as she floats out, light glinting off her wings. "I'll be there to help Cille in a moment."
[14:26:29] <Cille_Lund> As does Cille, who on noticing Lily peering out the window, very swiftly follows to see what Lily is seeing. Is...does he look...dead, hurt to inaction and in need of medical attention--whelp, looks like she's got it. She's being the medic, at least THAT is OK.
[14:26:49] <Henriette> She follows Lily outside to see the consequences of her actions, part of her hoping she DID.
[14:27:09] <Lily_Blevins> She stops by to grab the Medkit the group presumably has, since they're a military group, and then runs out to get to Vestergaard.  Whether through Magic or mundane, she's gonna' do everything she can to stop him from dying!
[14:27:25] <Naida> Naida glances out to see what's so interesting. "Wait, what does Cille need help...with...fuck." She chugs the rest of the beer and drops the mug on the counter, following Henri out.
[14:27:31] <Cille_Lund> "...It's safe to say that everyone is not all good." ...With things like this, all she can really do is follow!
[14:29:36] <Lily_Blevins> Once she's outside, she begins first by transforming with the pendant, then focusing healing sunlight on him while checking if he's breathing and has a pulse.
[14:31:55] <@Oxford> Lily arrives first, medical kit in hand. The Major gives her a weak salute as she approaches, still reclined on one arm, and then goes back to poking gingerly at his left leg. "Beg your pardon, ma'am, but it seems I've suffered a bit of a spill," he croaks, the Albaean accent he's trying to affect lost behind the pain in his voice.
[14:33:37] <Lily_Blevins> "Don't talk, I'm on it."  She starts popping the kit open, and administering bandages.  Got any Anaesthetic?  She's applying it.  Disinfectant?  All over.  While she's working, she gives a shout.  "Somebody call a real doctor!"
[14:34:59] <Cille_Lund> ...There better be someone else outside, cause she hasn't gotten out enough to know a real doctor!
[14:35:31] <Henriette> Henriette regards him with a cold, unchanging stare. She doesn't move for Lily's request nor does she say a word. She wants Vestergaard to suffer for a while longer.
[14:36:34] <@Oxford> "Stop that," Vestergaard says, gruffly, "it's nothing. Just broken, I think. Help me get it set , okay?"
[14:37:18] <Cille_Lund> "You're gonna be alright, Vesty!" "No, I'm pretty sure he's already not alright." "Well, he was never alright! ...In fact, I think that's why he's alright." ...Is he shrugging that off?
[14:38:05] <Naida> "...so...we are calling a doctor? We aren't calling a doctor?" This is terrible for business.
[14:38:30] <Lily_Blevins> "It is NOT nothing, and I am going to treat you for everything that I can find, and you are going to keep quiet the whole time!  Got it?"
[14:42:10] <@Oxford> "Love a woman...that takes charge," he says, and laughs weakly. "It's compound, I think. No major internal, or there'd be more swelling."
[14:43:01] <Henriette> Shaking her head, Henriette heads back inside, still silent. Next time, she'll kill him.
[14:43:05] <Lily_Blevins> She nods, and starts treating it immediately.  "Thought I told you to keep quiet."
[14:43:30] <Cille_Lund> "Come on, now. He ate Cille food after Naida made it ultra rotten without flinching. This probably is pretty close to nothing!" "So...he doesn't seem magical. Not that he isn't magical in a different way of speaking." "So what would it take to shrug it off, anyway?" "He's probably seen some shit."
[14:44:32] <Lily_Blevins> Mainly she starts shredding up his pants leg over by where the fracture is and starts getting right to work on setting it and splinting it up, if she can.
[14:45:19] <Naida> Well the one technically in charge said it was nothing, good enough for her. Naida trails Henriette to make sure she's okay. Or at least not terrible. Or at least not as terrible as she could be.
[14:45:39] <@Oxford> "Yeah," he says, "well." His eyes follow Henriette back into the building, wincing as Lily sets his leg.
[14:47:07] <Henriette> Henriette stops once she's out of earshot of the group outside. "Naida..."
[14:47:21] <Cille_Lund> ...Right, she WAS doing a thing, and if those voices are right, perhaps... "...Somehow, I think he'll be alright..." "Not alright. We established he wasn't alright." "Which will make it alright." "What does 'alright' mean, and how is it different than 'alright'?" "...I'll go check on Henriette, then. Stay safe, Lily." And she then follows Henriette!
[14:47:28] <Henriette> She trails off, unsure what to say. Apologize? She's not sorry. Not really.
[14:47:50] <Naida> "...yeah?" She should have poured a second drink. Oh hell, they both need a drink. She slips behind the bar and fills up two mugs, offering one to Henri.
[14:48:15] <Lily_Blevins> then she gets to any other sprains or bleeding, namely the head, and starts bandaging them up..
[14:49:15] <Henriette> Henri waves it away, staring at the counter. The silence is stifling.
[14:50:13] <Lily_Blevins> She also lays him down (getting anything she can as an impromptu pillow) and elevates his legs with the medkit if necessary, being very careful with he splinted leg.
[14:50:13] <Naida> Instead, she pushes it in Cille's direction. "We're uh...we're about to fall apart...aren't we..."
[14:50:54] <Lily_Blevins> Once that's all set up, if she doesn't have any anaesthetic she goes into the bar and gets some ice, wraps it up, and applies it to the fracture.
[14:52:05] <Lily_Blevins> If she couldn't find a pillow substitute, she gets her own pillow from her room after she grabs the ice and sets his head on that
[14:52:09] <@Oxford> The gash on his head cuts to the skull, a patch of white showing briefly as she dabs aside the blood. It'll need stitches, though she can stop the bleeding with a bandage for now while she deals with his leg.
[14:52:27] <Cille_Lund> It's certainly stifling enough for Cille to make her way in, where she's handed a drink, and takes it immediately. As she drinks, the voices practically start speaking for her. "You were all coming apart at the seams a good while ago, you know." "Well, at least they're not starting to literally come apart at the seams, like Vesty." ...Well, somewhat.
[14:54:00] <Lily_Blevins> Setting up proper elevation for treating for shock is kind of hard when the head's damaged, and she doesn't want to move him TOO much.
[14:54:22] <Henriette> "I don't know." She finally unballs her right fist, and it's bleeding where her nails were digging in. "We have to look out for each other, though, and I'm not going to let that... monster pretend like he cares about you or Cimbria."
[14:56:27] <Lily_Blevins> Once she's done all that and exhausted her healy light rays, she detransforms and sits next to him for a while.  "Now you can talk."
[14:57:14] <@Oxford> Vestergaard is looking a little queasy. "Oh, thank y-," He thrashes over to one side and vomits a thin, yellowish string of mucus. When he looks up at Lily, his pupils are different sizes.
[14:57:51] <Lily_Blevins> Oh for the love of
[14:58:53] <Lily_Blevins> If NONE OF THE OTHER GIRLS are going to do it, she rushes inside and grabs the phone.  She was sure to grab numbers for everything relevant when they got here, and she combs through them until she finds the doctor and starts calling.
[14:59:51] <Cille_Lund> "Oh, so he's a monster. Does he shoot fire from his mouth? Death laser eyes?" "...Didn't they have a conversation about how people shouldn't think that the enemy is just a monster?" "Well, technically, he's an ally. In a situation going nowhere, but still, maybe your allies can be your greatest enemies! Hardly too far from there with Rosalyne." "If the situation was going nowhere though, what'd he do? Yell too loudly? Pretend so hard that it was worth severe head trauma?" Cille makes no effort to quiet them, for reasons she is too busy drinking to explain.
[15:03:37] <Henriette> She doesn't need to explain herself to disembodied voices, even if they might be saying what Cille is thinking. She glances back over to Lily on the phone and then back to the counter. There's really nothing to say.
[15:04:48] <Naida> "...to be fair, I think he does actually care for Cimbria...just not so much us...and also he's an asshole. Or...maybe was..." She stares into her beer.
[15:05:06] <Lily_Blevins> "Cille or Naida, one of you come here, I might need someone that speaks Cimbrian."
[15:05:29] <Naida> Naida walks over, mug in hand. Cille's voices would just get in the way.
[15:08:21] <@Oxford> As Naida and Lily cluster around the phone, Cille and Henriette are left alone by the bar.
[15:08:37] <Henriette> "Do you still want my help, Cille?" Henriette says.
[15:10:38] <Cille_Lund> "...I...let's go to your room for a moment." She gets up and goes! The crystal on her face has grown considerably, but that's not too important!
[15:11:29] <Henriette> Henriette goes as well. Judging from the way Lily went for the phone, she might have gotten her wish, and she's not sure how she feels about that yet.
[15:15:28] <@Oxford> Between the two of them, Lily and Naida eventually arrange for a doctor to meet them outside, where Vestergaard still lays.
[15:17:11] <Cille_Lund> Once they're there, FAR AWAY FROM THE ACTION, she speaks! "...I plan on leaving. Immediately. Naida might have wanted to talk to me before this started, but it has reached a point where I cannot even bear to BE here any longer." "There's one unavoidable doubt left in her heart though. We checked! Figure it out, or get to it at the end." "...Right now, though, all I've left to do is create and power the portal. I'll need a pendant, and I plan on bringing a Nov one as well, as I think I mentioned before."
[15:17:29] <Cille_Lund> "You know there's more than one of those." "Well, one relevent one!"
[15:19:46] <@Oxford> When they get back outside, the see Vestergaard laying where they left him in the street, his eyes closed. He's very still.
[15:20:22] <Lily_Blevins> Lily immediately checks his pulse and breathing
[15:20:38] <Henriette> "I don't blame you," Henriette says. "But I suppose this is goodbye, then." She goes into her own room to get the two pendants. Once she gets back, she puts them in Cille's hand and says, "I've done a lot of things I regret lately, mais I hope I never regret trusting him."
[15:20:58] <Henriette> "Do you know how to find him?"
[15:26:01] <Cille_Lund> "Magic should take care of most of the difficulty in finding him, as that's the way I've set the portal itself up." She takes the pendants, and places them in opposite pockets. Magic is unstable. It probably shouldn't touch too much. "...Then, it is goodbye...if Naida expresses regret for not talking to me, tell her I said sorry." Cille's efforts at not choking are going well, if only because she's making herself a bit cold. That might show in her voice a touch.
[15:26:48] <Cille_Lund> Once she has the pendants though, she makes a beeline to her own room.
[15:28:51] <Henriette> Henriette grabs her before they head for her room and pulls her in for a big hug. "You aren't allowed to leave before I get one more hug out of you."
[15:30:39] <Cille_Lund> ...This is fine. "...Fine..." She does hug back! Somewhat less spirited as a normal hug would be, but a hug all the same! As soon as it breaks, she...continues breaking for her room.
[15:32:48] <Henriette> Henriette follows and waits patiently to be told how to help. It's actually very nice to not have to decide things for other people for once.
[15:33:30] * TemporalMechanic ([email protected]) Quit (Ping timeout: 240 seconds)
[15:34:26] <@Oxford> Vestergaard's pulse is faint and unsteady, and his breathing weak. Lily can't tell how long he has been unconscious. The head wound still oozes a slow trickle of clotting blood, like a glacier.
[15:34:51] <Cille_Lund> ...Very well. "First, I have to create it. It shouldn't be too hard, since I don't have to create it with all the required power immediately." First, a transformation, with the Albaean/Cimbrian pendant. THEN, it's sorcery time, to use it to bring the structure of this thing to life!
[15:35:37] <Lily_Blevins> Lily changes his bandages on his head, and then begins applying mouth to mouth air.
[15:36:23] <Henriette> Henriette follows suit, her magic whirling to life around her in the form of her usual dress. Who chose this outfit for transforming anyway? Shouldn't they be able to change it to whatever they want? "Just say when, ma belle."
[15:37:20] <Lily_Blevins> She also applies some pressure to his headwound to staunch the bleeding a little
[15:38:50] <Lily_Blevins> She uses the common at the time method with the patient's head on the side.
[15:39:56] <Naida> Naida rummages through storage, bringing out more sheets and blankets for Lily should she need them. She also brings out some of the simpler boozes for disinfecting if the actual medical supplies are exhausted.
[15:42:04] <@Oxford> With a gasp, Vestergaard's eyes flutter open, staring up straight into Lily's. He blinks blearily at her, and then raises one eyebrow unsteadily. "How long was I out for?"
[15:43:03] <Lily_Blevins> "While I was on the phone, so a couple minutes.  NOt long.  Keep it together."
[15:44:06] <Cille_Lund> With a glow from her eyes, the picture of the portal she took out earlier begins to shine! It shudders a bit, but eventually, what's left is the non-drawn on parts of the paper and an imposing looking archway with various strange patterns on it, with an orb affixed near the top, clearly meant to contain nothing more than pure magical force. There's a bit of that in there already, and it shines like one would expect magic to do! "...There. I think that did it. It must have, since there's some excess after the creation. This is your part. Just...fill the orb with magic. If you overdo it, the portal can still absorb some itself, but don't go completely nuts."
[15:44:14] <Naida> Impressed with Lily's command of the situation, Naida goes to fetch some water for her.
[15:44:59] <Cille_Lund> "It's also not wrong to underdo it, so...seriously, don't go nuts." "You say that like she's not already nuts!"
[15:45:12] * Oxford1121 ([email protected]) has joined #WorldWarBurst
[15:46:15] * @Oxford ([email protected]) Quit (Ping timeout: 240 seconds)
[15:47:21] <Oxford1121> "That's not a great sign.
[15:48:14] <Lily_Blevins> "I've got someone more qualified than me, kindly keep your pessimism out of this."
[15:48:21] <Lily_Blevins> *+on their way
[15:49:26] <Oxford1121> ," Vestergaard says, wincing as he tries to shift to one side. "I'd have been okay, but you did everything for me, so I guess I got a little bored and passed out. Really shouldn't let a concussion sleep." His words come out a little bit loopy, the intonation all wrong.
[15:49:56] <Naida> With a clink, Naida puts down a pitcher of water and some glasses before sitting down near the two. She really has no idea if Lily can actually afford to take a drink. "Have you ever been this bad before?"
[15:51:29] <Lily_Blevins> She gets to getting Vestergaard a glass of water, and giving it to him slowly.  "You've lost blood, you're going to be dehydrated."
[15:51:32] <Oxford1121> "Who, me? Yeah," Vestergaard says, grinning, "plenty of times. 'S no worse than getting shot."
[15:52:01] <Lily_Blevins> "Vomitting did no favors either."
[15:52:54] <Henriette> Ignoring the voices from thin air, Henriette focuses her power into the orb and begins to slowly channel it. Refinement. Grace. Don't mess up. You can do it.
[15:56:01] <Henriette> "Alright, it is full. Is this enough?"
[15:56:22] <Naida> "We could give him a pendant. A frilly dress might make him feel better."
[15:56:24] <Lily_Blevins> After getting him some water, Lily clenches her pendant hard and concentrates on the sunlight.
[15:57:59] <Oxford1121> "Truth be told, this is probably only fourth or fifth worst," Vestergaard continues, seeming happy to talk despite the faint slurring that comes along with it. "Doesn't itch nearly as bad as- hey, don't use that pendant stuff on me," he protests.
[15:58:11] <Lily_Blevins> "Too late."
[15:58:36] <Lily_Blevins> The sunlight intensifies.  "I can cover your eyes if it bothers you, but you're gonna' have to deal with the sunlight."
[15:59:34] <Cille_Lund> As she does, through some means or another, the light within the orb glows, glows, glows, and it becomes clear that it's full! As Henriette finishes her sentence, the portal gets right to work on forcing open a passageway between here and the target destination. Of course, that destination is obscured by the force it's taking to open it, but you can't get everything you want! At some point, the portal makes an audible click. "...There we go. ...I just...have to go through here. Once I do, and it acknowledges that, the remaining power will be spent forcing the way closed tight, and it'll follow by erasing the structure itself. ...Is...there anything else?"
[15:59:58] <Naida> With a frown, Naida glances at her own skin in the sunlight. It's much easier to hide in the shade. "Seriously, don't be so whiny. You're not even the one that has to deal with the feedback from it."
[16:01:05] <Henriette> She hesitates. "I-Is this really it? Will we ever get to see you again? I... Cille, I hope you don't hate me... I don't want to leave with any open wounds."
[16:02:40] <Lily_Blevins> The grass almost visibly grows, trees leaves growing larger and more vibrant, and Vestergaard's pain subsides, soothing throughout.  Even Naida's skin starts clearing up, although it's still screwed up.
[16:03:47] <Lily_Blevins> The area around the three of them could best be described as 'cozily warm'
[16:05:35] <Naida> In the small remaining pockets of shade, black gremlins spit and thrash in Lily's direction. An eight-legged stote and what appears to be a babboon with its skin inside out hide behind Naida's legs, trying to tug her to safety. "...well now you're just teasing me."
[16:05:58] <Cille_Lund> "...Whether we meet again is up to fate, who is not kind. ...And while I don't hate you, I can't just hate you...I'm not sure, but...just..." "Oh spit it out, lady. 'Just don't turn into a huge jerk that's fine with leaving people to die anymore than you already have'. Your friend wanted to be a medic, yes, but do you really have to make a body for her to try healing up for her?" "...That...more or less, is about right...could have been worded better, but it's not like I've the luxury to think about it."
[16:06:26] <Oxford1121> "Ahh," Vestergaard sighs, the pain quickly fading from his voice, "that's much better. Though now it'll be a tough thing to explain to the doctor, I imagine." He glances down the street. "Speak of the devil..."
[16:10:09] <Henriette> Henriette is struck silent. She opens her mouth to say something in her defense. She tries to say anything, but the words won't come. The word "compassion" rings in her head over and over again. All at once, she's crying. "I promise, Cille. I... I have to go, then. I have some other people I owe apologies to, clearly. Be safe."
[16:10:28] <Lily_Blevins> "Well Vesty, you'd best go make sure nothing's still broken!  You can't come back to your blushing bride if your leg falls off, now, can you?"  Lily turns a shade of crimson.
[16:11:57] <Naida> Despite having a good feel of the cause of Lily's statement, she can't help but look amused. "...you actually would make an adorable couple. At least, if he stopped looking so disgusting."
[16:12:23] <Cille_Lund> Cille tries to speak, and fails. Instead, she nods, and PASSES THROUGH THE PORTAL.
[16:12:29] <Oxford1121> The doctor approachs from down the street, black bag of medical supplies in hand. Before he arrives, Vestergaard takes the chance to smile up into Lily's face. "No, no that'd be very ungentlemanly of me. Er, wait, come again?" It might just be the lingering effects of her magic, but Lily could swear Vestergaard flushes a shade redder too.
[16:15:50] <Lily_Blevins> "Mrs. Lily Vestergaard~"  She smiles sweetly
[16:17:21] <Naida> With a throat clear, Naida puts a frantic look on her face and gives the doctor a look of embarrassment.
[16:17:51] <Oxford1121> And with another audible click, Cille is gone. Even as Henriette watches, the painted portal starts to grow a spiderweb of hair-fine cracks that spread outward from the point that Cille entered. The paint begins to peel and fleck off, one or two at a time at first but growing faster and faster, until the paint chips are flying through the air like snowflakes in a blizzard.
[16:18:36] <Lily_Blevins> "Oh!"  Lily snaps out of it. "Doctor, look him over!  I've done everything I can, but I'm not a real doctor, after all!"
[16:18:43] <Oxford1121> Henriette raises one hand to protect her eyes. When she lowers it, the painting - and the portal it created - are gone.
[16:19:26] <Henriette> Henriette sighs and looks down at her feet for a moment before wordlessly leaving the room. First things first, apologize to Lily.
[16:19:29] <Naida> In smooth Cimbrian, "[Oh, I am so sorry to w-waste your time, sir! I was...panicked by the sight of blood and may have...o-overstated the severity of his condition.]" It seems when bringing clean sheets, she covered up the pile of bloody ones.
[16:22:34] <Oxford1121> Despite the healing magic, the bandages Lily applied are still where she left them, covering now-healed wounds. The doctor peels them back enough to inspect where the wounds should be and, not finding anything, produces an annoyed grunt and snaps his medical bag open. "I'll check him over, but I don't see anything that would warrant this commotion," he wheezes, still trying to catch his breath.
[16:23:11] <Lily_Blevins> "Oh, sorry to waste your time then, sir!"
[16:23:14] * Oxford1121 is now known as Oxford
[16:27:09] <Lily_Blevins> "He fell off the roof, you see, because he was fixing a leak, and so I assumed the worse!"
[16:29:14] <Lily_Blevins> *worst
[16:29:57] <Oxford> "Yes, yes, I'm fine," the Major says quickly, waving the doctor away. "Thank you, but I'd just like to lay down for a bit." He frowns up and adds, "On a bed, I mean, not in the street."
[16:31:35] <Lily_Blevins> "You sure you can walk on your own, hun?  I can help if you need it~"
[16:33:03] <Naida> "I-If it's any consolation, we can give you a reduced price on beer should you wish!"
[16:33:10] <Oxford> "Um, yes, thank you," he says, accepting a hand up. Once standing, he leans on her shoulder and whispers, "We should talk, later," in her ear.
[16:33:40] <Lily_Blevins> She nods, and helps him along~
[16:33:47] <Oxford> The doctor literally turns his nose up at Naida's offer and walks away without another word.
[16:34:00] <Naida> Shrug.
[16:38:17] <Naida> "So uh...Vestergaard, what did you do to warrant this?"
[16:38:29] <Henriette> Henriette waits by the bar for the others to get back in, a look of guilt plastered on her face. Another day, another failure in the life of Henriette LeClair, she figures.
[16:44:33] <Oxford> "Oh, I said something very offensive to Henriette," Vestergaard says, grinning ruefully. "I told her 'no'."
[16:46:26] <Lily_Blevins> Lily gives him a bit of a WHAP, not a huge one, mind you, more like a playful one.  "I'm sure it was worse than that, you've got to make up with her~"
[16:46:31] <Naida> "...how many people in your life have NOT told you you're an asshole?" Naida gathers up the supplies and returns to the bar.
[16:51:23] <Oxford> The Major lets that last comment score and walks back towards his office, still helped along by Lily. "Maybe she can get past her defenestration fetish first, but then we'll talk," he says, sighing. "I really would like to lay down, though. Would you leave me for now?"
[16:51:51] <Lily_Blevins> "Sure!"
[16:58:34] <Oxford> He sighs again, smiles back at her through the closing door, and clicks the latch shut.
[17:05:35] <Henriette> As the other two girls return to the bar, Henriette looks up and asks, "How is he?" Her hand shifts around a piece of paper in her pocket that feels like it might burn a hole in the fabric at any moment.
[17:06:24] <Henriette> And as the skies darken, there is no hum of military planes, only people on the ground, moving to and fro and laughing and crying all at once.
[17:06:39] <Henriette> </session>