A Dire Lesson (7/4)

[15:12] Leni exclaims, "He took something from me once. I got reminded!"
[15:12] Leni exclaims, "Now I'm gonna take something from him! That's just how it's supposed to work!"
[15:12] Myrin says, "Oh. Yes, it makes sense."
[15:12] Leni exclaims, "I'm glad you get it!"
[15:12] Leni says, "Most people don't. Not that they have to."
[15:12] Myrin says, "Mhm. I do. It's not fun when people steals things from you."
[15:14] Leni says, "Exactly! And he and some other people tried taking something really, really important from me."
[15:14] Myrin asks, "Really? What is it?"
[15:17] Leni spins fully on her heel. The blue glow of her eyes is cast ominously against the snow.

"My freedom. I almost forgot. Not really, but I didn't think about it. He apologized- but that doesn't make it right, does it?"

The question is wholly rhetorical. It is not right. Though the matter was behind her, something's stirred the memory again and stoked the desire for creating balance. In her own way.
(Leni)
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[15:23] Balance can be created in so many different way like the peak of a mountain is reached through many paths. As a teraphim, Myrin wishes the balance to become truth, hence why he sees this world as a wide garden full of many individually different flowers, he believes that the balance somehow already exist, yet it could be better. Those are his own beliefs, yet his is still young and he lacks of quick much experiences.

"I understand… Your freedom is what makes you... Yourself. It's something anyone could see the first time they meet you. I can understand your feeling, it's normal to feel bad about it, sometimes I suppose a simple apologize does not mean anything."

A blink of his eyes was done as he heard the snow crushing, being the sound made as someone is approaching them. His eyes drifted upon that sound to see... A man bearing a mask of a wide smile. The teraphim stood silent and stared at them.
(Myrin)
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[15:27] 'Balance' is a funny word. All of them are funny if you think about them long enough. Grunts and noises that are ascribed meaning arbitrarily. But this one in particular is at the forefront of her mind.

"Exactly! It's so nice when people...when they get it," the druid emphasizes. Then it must be providence, or fate, or perhaps something else that Leni patently does not believe in, because there he is.

The druid's wild, powdery blue eyes turn with all their manic energy onto Willow.

"There you are!"
(Leni)
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[15:31] Willow simply stares at Leni from a quite respectful distance, which is... Rather odd for the Warlord. In total and utter silence, going as far as to stop the very sound of their feet hitting the snow and stones underneath, the masked one approaches the tiny druid.

A deadly stare continues on, before both their hands move to!

Lock Leni in an embrace.

"LENI! You haven't visited me in..."

"I don't know how long!"
(Willow)
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[15:35] It is not what Leni, nor the inkling of a presence that's attached itself to her, is expecting. Before she can speak or reach for her staff Willow's swept her up into a hug. The blue in her eyes flickers, like a candle flame about to sputter out, before it redoubles and her jaw tightens.

"Hey! Lemme go!"

Wait. The druid? Denying an embrace? Hel's frozen over, clearly.
(Leni)
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[15:41] The young teraphim's eyes shifted between Willow and Leni, the smile shattered as he expressed a visage of wonder, curiosity. To him... The way the stranger acted was... Rather strange and the Leni's reaction to this was as much understandable as unusual.

His eyes shifted between the two, then he spoke in short words.

"That's an interesting way to act...", maybe a human thing? Or... Is he human?
(Myrin)
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[15:58] Leni denied a hug? From Willow of all people? Not only that was extremely uncharacteristic, but it was also... "Rude!" The comment came soon after when the jester simply turned the embrace around and simply ejected Leni from it.

What the fuck was going on? The thought ran through their minds and quite literally ran through the others, in a very explicit show of brief sound magic permeating through the square. Everything in Willow's mind and even further from that was more than obvious mainly for the fact they didn't care about pretending not to think of something.

"So, if not to visit me, then why are you here, huh? What's going on?" The formerly welcoming and friendly voice from Willow now turned into something else, spoken through gritted teeth. "Whaddya need?"
(Willow)
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[16:06] A lot is going on. Leni's head is abuzz with thoughts. Lots of them, all huddled together and swarming like a beehive. It's maddening. She goes reeling back as she's ejected from the embrace and shakes her head to clear it.

Not too much luck there. Her ideas are a muddle- more so than usual, which is saying something.

"I am here to see you! Cuz...I've been in the Vale. I've been talkin' to a new friend. And- and I remembered something. Something real important that I didn't wanna think about."

There were lots of things Leni was wont to ignore, to turn a blind eye to, all because they were unpleasant. Now, for some rhyme or reason, she's come face to face with them while practically gibbering.

"I remember. I remember you all lied to me. You took away my choice- my freedom! You did! And- and that's MINE!" she howls, nigh on deranged. It had happened years ago, when they were all different people, different things, but something's opened this new wound in particular.

"All I got was words- words ain't enough! It ain't balance!"

It's then, foolishly, that she reaches for the staff on her back.
(Leni)
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[16:12] It seems Skoll has come at an inopportune moment, arriving at to see Leni confronting the masked musician Wilow, about something from the past that admittedly? He has no knowledge about.

Without much else he can do- At least without knowing what exactly is Leni talking about- Skoll resigns to simply watch and observe for now, to see how things would unfold.
(Skoll Beo)
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[16:16] "A new friend?" Someone that had been talking to her and giving her these sort of ideas. That they took her freedom. The very mask frowns as if it even turned its other way around. A question mark popped up over Willow's head.

Before it phased away in a blur. "I lied to you once, Leni, and it was just to protect your freedom." The words are spat out of the mask, and one hand nearly tries to fetch it away from their face; Before it lowers again, shaking.

Deeply pushing itself into their pockets. That hand reaching for the staff caused the mask's frown to erupt again. It turned into a gleeful smile, wider than it was originally before! Yet, from underneath, multiple eyes spawned and stared at the druid.

From the darkness, nightmares rose. It slowly seeped out of the mask, dripping from every open crevice. "Think about what you are going to do, Leni. You want to teach freedomto me of all people? The ultimate advocate of it?"

It was very clearly a threat. "Do you want me to treat you like I treated all those Nyseans, Leni? Do you want to know what I'm willing to do when I REALLY want to take the freedom from someone?" The mask seemed to slowly start melting away, yet it never ended. It never went too far from the face that it was supposed to hide, fading into inexistence as it dripped.

"Make your choice."

"The Underlady is merciful, but forgiveness comes with a punishment."
(Willow)
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[16:21] Fenes Cerberus asks, "...hey... Revan...?"
[16:21] Revan Task asks, "Mmh?"
[16:21] Fenes Cerberus asks, "Think I should get a room here for Lovell?"
[16:21] Fenes Cerberus asks, "...And jsut move here?"
[16:21] Fenes Cerberus asks, "..:Since.. almost everyone is moving here...?"
[16:21] Revan Task says, "Hmm.. I've been.. Thinking of asking Lilly to move here.."
[16:21] Revan Task says, "I think it would be.. A good idea"
[16:21] Fenes Cerberus asks, "...You... did?"
[16:21] Fenes looks down at the snow.
(Fenes Cerberus)
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[16:21] Revan Task says, "I haven't yet"
[16:21] Fenes Cerberus asks, "...I guess I should get Lovell a room then.. whenever I see her again...?"
[16:21] Revan Task says, "I.. Haven't even gotten a moment a lone with her."
[16:22] Fenes Cerberus says, "Right."
[16:22] Revan Task asks, "Are you planning on moving here yourself, or just Lovell?"
[16:22] Fenes Cerberus says, "Galatea moved here with Key."
[16:22] Fenes Cerberus says, "If Lovell moves here too, I'll have to live here too."
[16:23] Revan Task says, "Hmm.."
[16:23] Revan Task asks, "What would we.. Do with the guild in Alabastre then?"
[16:24] Fenes Cerberus asks, "I don't know. It wouldn't really have reason to be there since everyone's moving, right?"
[16:24] Revan Task says, "I wouldn't reckon so."
[16:24] Revan Task says, "Hmm.."
[16:24] Revan Task says, "I'm.."
[16:25] Revan Task says, "Going to need more.. Money.."
[16:25] Someone. Or something. Whichever. The Vale was a strange place the lay a very precarious border.

"Protect my freedom? How!?" she questions loudly, staff in hand. The ground beneath her starts to shift. "You- all of you lied cuz you wanted me to stay the same! You wanted me to stay lil', and dumb, and do what you want! You didn't want me changing or growin', and I just wanted to be part of the Family!"

The druid challenges him, toe-toe-toe, looking deep into each and every one of his eyes through the filtering haze of blue over her own. Her voice takes on a mocking tone. Not a playful one. Not in the slightest. It is completely, wholly derision.

"'Don't swear, Leni. Don't cry for us cuz we're dead men walkin', Leni. We're only pushin' you away cuz we care, Leni. Don't change, Leni'- well guess what!? I wanna grow! I wanna change, so I'm gonna, and you can't stop me!"

Leni makes her choice. And she makes it painfully clear. Great thorny vines burst from the ground and beneath the crown of thorns and above those sparkling blue eyes something bursts from her forehead. Two separate thorns on either side sprout from her flesh, like the horns of a young goat.

She is the first to strike, lashing out violently.
(Leni)
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[16:25] Fenes Cerberus asks, "Money...?"
[16:25] Revan Task says, "Money. "
[16:26] Revan Task whispers something.
[16:26] Fenes Cerberus whispers something.
[16:27] Fenes Cerberus whispers something.
[16:27] Fenes Cerberus whispers something.
[16:27] Revan Task whispers something.
[16:28] Fenes Cerberus whispers something.
[16:28] Fenes Cerberus whispers something.
[16:28] Revan Task whispers something.
[16:28] Revan Task whispers something.
[16:29] Fenes Cerberus whispers something.
[16:29] Fenes Cerberus whispers something.
[16:29] Revan Task whispers something.
[16:30] Fenes Cerberus whispers something.
[16:30] Fenes Cerberus says, "Okay.. Let's go back then."
[16:30] What on...

First, he could sense the change in Wilow's attitude and emotions, feeling it growing more dark, more dangerous. The friendly façade he had first fading away and crumbling into non-existent dust.

And next, there's Leni's reaction. The once friendly woman he has gotten to know, growing more and more unstable, more angry, as her own emotions begin lashing out in a display of vines, bursting out from a ground filled with snow.
What's more, it isn't just her character that is different, but it also manifested into the form of two horns made out of thorns, bursting from her flesh.

What, exactly, is happening right now?
(Skoll Beo)
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[16:31] Words were spoken. Something about the melody that went around Willow's head might just hint to the fact that in fact? They were not listening to it. Instead, their head merely dipped down just enough so that Leni could spot the two blue irises amidst the other ones.

"You're angry!" A brief chuckle erupted from the face underneath. Even as she mocked them, even as she complained about the past, there was nothing but some necessary admiration that was paid by the jester as the druid's thorns burst from the ground.

A mutter followed soon, however. "We wanted you to not cry for us. That is true. We also wanted you to not follow in our steps. It is not what friends do." Those blue eyes vanished from under the mask, hidden under the sheet of nightmares that lied right under. A low hum left the mask, obvious even as the symphony rose.

"Come, then." A quick step behind is taken. Willow's expression morphs into a plethora of colors, and their arms open wide! "Show me what you truly want, Leni! Let me be the first person to feel your change!"

Their long-term friend wanted a fight, and a fight they'd have.
(Willow)
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[16:33] Amidst the rise of the darkness, the eyes opened wide. Because where the darkness rise, the nightmares comes to it's flourishment. Pink eyes soon wide open, a swirl of glimmer upon a gaze becoming one of a sky full of star. Surprise, curiosity... Those are two feelings which came to Myrin as the visage expressed his feeling quite well. Eyes wide open, his lips without allowing his mouth to be wide open, the connection between lips were shattered.

The mask's expression falling as days of rains for a single single flower which merely awaits to be nourished. The flower in question, being Leni, who allowed the thorns to flourish as horns of a young goat.

"I see..."

There is nothing to do at this point, yet if Leni is to fall. Despite his age, he is going to intervene. His heart however grew dim in a subtle green light, a proof that he is here if something ever happen.
(Myrin)
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[16:40] {Lost Dangerous RPB against Willow}
[16:40] ** Willow has inflicted an injury upon Leni. ("Temporary Injury", "Temporary Injury", "Temporary", "Duration: Medium (4 days)") **
[16:58] The fight that was wanted was indeed given. The nightmares that seeped from the mask soon enough took a physical form; She wanted to be a part of the family? Then she'd face them in a scenario that would certainly look and smell like the sewers, where they usually met each other. "You think you have what it takes, Leni? You want to change?!"

The symphony made it so every single other person in the square would become... Mute, perhaps. At least to the druid's point of view for quite a while, with every single other sound besides those made by the jester dampened by a collection of sound magic to both drown it out in a confusing collection of louder noises and to lower the volume of any other sources that manifested themselves.

"I am an agent of change. You feel like we manipulated you? Then certainly..." The main attraction of the jester was going to manifest itself. As they danced around the square to lure the dryad into a trap, where their legs would be taken by strings- And then, their hands.

And like she was a puppet, one hand rose with the jester. The overwhelming pain likely made it difficult for the druid to even think, but it all was obviously real. Illusions of fears that dwelled right under her mind seemed to surface again-

Only to be incorporated by the jester. "Feel angry at me, Leni. Feel every single emotion of yours turning to my whim." A twist of their fingers, and her body was forced stiff. Slowly, they walked close to her, before one hand was put to the center of her chest, clad in Nyeshk.

And all the strings coalesced into it. The reason for their anger- Turned into something that she might fear. An actual puppet. The excruciating pain was only helped by the slowly diminishing song, before the mask was tugged just slightly up, revealing the rotten, stitched flesh underneath of the multiple faces worn by the true actor, slowly approaching to whisper at her ear.

"I know what your deepest fears are, Leni. You need to come a long way to understand what true freedom is." After all? She always disagreed with them in their pacifist ways. The mask was pushed down again, with the faux strings snapping- And a gust of wind pushing her away.

"Think twice, Leni. I am not as lenient as I used to be." She wanted to talk about change, certainly? Well.

Their true selves had changed quite a lot already.
(Willow)
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[17:11] One moment she's there, ready to face off with the one that had taken something from her- the next she's somewhere familiar and dark. The dank, fungal scent of soil deep in the earth, of damp rot, hits her nostrils. There's a pang in her chest. A pang of- longing? It's the closest word that can be put to the feeling.

She can't hear any voices or the crunch of snow, but instead the steady drip of distant water, of chittering insects. It's enough to throw her off a guard for a moment. It is not enough to entirely diminish her spirit-driven fury.

Leni charges right in and falls right into the jester's trap. After a few footfalls she finds herself no longer able to run. She struggles and strains, but then the mobility of her hands goes too, her staff clattering to the ground.

There's not a lot she genuinely fears. The druid's been threatened with violence, with fines; Hel, there's times where she's almost been damn near eaten by things larger than her. The vision Willow presents her is daunting in a way that none of those can be. One of the things she prizes most is taken away. Her freedom. Illusion or not, it's a powerful image.

Forced to watch as that liberty is taken, her mobility, the druid shrieks at the top of her lungs. It's cut short by the gust of wind that carries her offer her feet and sends her tumbling, tail over tea kettle, across the snow.

Her heart hammers wildly, out of sync, in her chest.
(Leni)
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[17:20] Skoll had watched from the sidelines long enough. With the battle seemingly over, and with Leni clearly defeated, even manipulated by Wilow's own magics before her fall?
The Rhoynish man rushes forth to her side to check on her, to examine her current condition.

Alive, but barely concicious. "Hey!" He exclaims, trying to get a reaction out of Leni. "I don't know what exactly started this, but I'm bringing you back to Myllenoris." Skoll announces, golden eyes now turning towards Wilow.
"Unless you plan to stop me, that is?"

Skoll inquires, knowing that if he wants to assist? He may have to figure out how to deal with the dangerous, masked man currently standing in front of him.

Just because he doesn't know what exactly is going on, doesn't mean he can't try and help.
(Skoll Beo)
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[17:30] So the dance begun as willows begun his performance, the monochrome to each movements. Spirits came to join in the dance as the grass came to shatter the cold. The tension was present and mostly for someone who is not actually used to violence.

Speaking of violence... It is Leni who felt before him like the little flower who could not survive that sudden passing tempest. The teraphim's eyes grew wider in as a reaction to that expression of fear she had shown to Willow as a glimmer came to swirl within those innocent pink eyes. A single hand, a tightened fist came to press where his own heart lies as if he was hurt. Each breath grew heavier as his eyes came to fall upon the stone ground, until...

Until his eyes grew dim. The gaze lifted once again upon Leni and Willow. Willow speaking if freedom as if it was being a bad person. The deer was seen dim behind Leni, gifting the back of her head a single connection, to remind her that each days of rains nourish a flower to make it flourish, not force it to grow mellow.

The teraphim approached Willow, then wrapped within his thin arms to jester's frame of his mellow touch.

"Stop...", it was a single word, yet the silence came to rise after that single and cold blow of the wind which came to bring his hair into a dance.

It was obvious that Myrin is far from agreeing with the Jester's mindset, but if he can find a way to... At the least try to fix this.
(Myrin)
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[17:43] As soon as Skoll goes closer to the downed druid, the jester's hand goes down. There was a brief hesitation regarding whether or not they should interfere in this and stop them from bringing Leni back to Myllenoris- But ultimately, something unexpected happens.

Unexpected, to say the least. Slender arms wrap around Willow's waist in a hug? The nyeshk gauntlet taps even somewhat gently against Myrin's arm. "Let me go."

"She's free. She can do whatever she wants- But she lacks the courage and the boldness. There is nothing that sends a message more than this." A hand waved towards the druid, before a gust of wind pushed Myrin away- Or at least, it aimed to. If the Teraphim refused to let go...

Then they'd certainly be shredded without mercy. There were slots for many things in the jester's emotions, but mercy was rarely one of them. Compassion, perhaps was. "To instill fear is why I live. I want her to give in to her emotions."

"Anger makes you stronger, Leni. Learn from that. If it wasn't for the hatred I felt for the royalty, I would never have gotten to where I am." It was a potent thing, for sure. It motivated even the careless jester to take some preemptive measures as to not die too soon.

"To kill a guard is what forces laws to be changed. To take someone's freedom is what makes them desire it. To enforce change, to be a nuisance..."

"This is what forces change." A dismissive hand waved.

They were authorized to leave, certainly. But it did not mean they could linger forever, given the songs rose once again. "There is a hierarchy to the world. Those who desire change rule- For their intent is what will become reality."

"You have one minute to get your feet to where the snow doesn't reach." Outside of Willow's mountain.
(Willow)
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[18:02] Leni's not one to shy away from emotion usually. Though hatred is typically a rare emotion for her, even if it's surely one she's felt. Shreds of it are exercised with each drawing she scribbles on the walls of Osrona, with each vine she grows to help nature reclaim that godawful place- that place that took in those she'd looked on fondly and twisted them in its cogs until they were dead or worse.

It also flourishes when there are those that deign fit to try and order her, to shape her, to put her in boxes of their choosing. The druid absolutely refuses to be domesticated in such a way.

Skoll's intentions are kind, they are pure, but as she reels and is dazed, still under the grips of some illusion, she can only feel another flash of anger at his words. Perhaps it's not impossible that the spirit behind her makes her outrage all the bolder. The rains come, the flowers grow, and live thrives whether its the will of men that they do so or not.

"No! I'm goin where I want! No one's gonna make me do anything!" she howls, her eyes still alight. Leni was addled before. Now it's immeasurably worse.

Screaming, shrieking madly, she rises to her feet with newfound energy and bolts somewhere into the snowy woods. Unless stopped, the druid-turned-maenad rushes headlong into the wilderness
(Leni)
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[18:09] His own attempt to try and help has been thrown away in yells and shrieks by the now maddened druid, with Skoll now unsure what exactly he I supposed to do.

It is like she has been affected by something as if possessed, perhaps that is what currently ailing here? He isn't sure yet, as possession is still something that he has to learn more about, but he does know at least one thing.

If he'll let her go like this, to rush off on her own, while still under the effects- Be it emotions or something more supernatural-, that makes her go mad?
She could end up being a danger to others, or even herself.

"... To think, I've simply planned to visit Theria today." Skoll notes with a sigh, a simple travel to the north? Ended up going south.
As she attempts to rush away from Theria into the snowy woods and vanish between the trees, Skoll gives chase, in an attempt to catch up to her and possibly detain her, if he can.
Someonein Myllenoris might know what to do to help her out.
(Skoll Beo)
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[18:12] (flee roll VS Wilow)
(Skoll Beo)
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[18:12] fat mage legs will try to stop
(Willow)
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[18:12] The teraphim's arms gently tossed out, he made a single step behind, keeping his eyes locked upon Willow. He actually did not expected it would work, this one did not seemed to be the type who gives any chances. Maybe he merely I lucky after all, however...

The gust of wind came to abruptly toss him further behind. His arms however lifted, hiding his face from the cold wind as he attempted to stay in place. It was somewhat difficult, yet he managed to stay still upon his feet.

In all honesty... Myrin never felt any form of fear when it comes to his own life as he has been reminded his entire existence that he is meant to die for the balance one day... And again... He thinks that way, yet perhaps so many would dislike his perception of the things as much as the jester's mindset only leaves him a bad taste.

A step forward as his fist tightened, his chin rose. The expression displayed upon his visage became more... Not angered, yet almost annoyed.

"I don't like the way you think. Leave her free or not, your way to see the things is the same... Tell yourself that she had shown herself courageous enough to jump on you because you attempted to take her freedom. She fears you because you are stronger and it's the nature of humans...", it is the cycle of life, of nature.

A little spirit was seen sitting upon Myrin's shoulder, whispering on his ear. A frown made itself relevant upon his face as his head only lightly lowered.

"Anger does not make anyone stronger. It make them blind and forces them to do terrible things."

His eyes followed Leni who ran away in the wilderness, yet it came back upon Willow. There is nothing needed from him, nor is he gonna stop Leni from running away, because to Leni.... It is freedom which is the most important to her and the teraphim is far from the desire to take it from her.

He turned back, then walk toward south to walk back in Myllenoris.
(Myrin)
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[18:19] Skoll tried to pursue Leni into the woods. Quickly enough, the shadows and the lamps around town flickered, winds throwing them around- And soon enough, the very few last lamps that lasted went dark for a split second.

Enough for the clown's visage to erupt in front of Skoll, one hand rising to push them back. "You'll let her deal with this alone. She needs to handle her demons." The mask still did not bleed- It was still, only bubbling up at the very bloody scar that was exposed going over one eye.

"It is her own choices that will have consequences. She will understand it- It's best to learn it through the roughness of a friend than that of an enemy." To pursue her, would be to further destroy her freedom, and it likely would end in something bad.

"I want Leni to be as free as she always has been. So? You will only leave once she is safely away from everyone." The mask stood perfectly still, with that hand still risen.

To go out of the city while Leni still hadn't fled far enough their eyes couldn't see? They'd need to go past Willow.
(Willow)