.-- --- .-. .-.. -.. / .-- .- .-. / -... ..- .-. ... - S3

[17:41] * Oxford changes topic to ''-rupt this broadcast to bring news from the front: Novgoraadi tanks are currently advancing through-''
[17:46] <@Oxford> The radio broadcast interupt is itself interupted by an intentionally irritating beep, courtesy of the ordinary-looking radio's extensive rewiring. This beep has one purpose, and one purpose only: to initiate emergency contact from Wadden Base to the flight in Glasholme.
[17:53] <Lily_Blevins> Lily's ears and tail go up high at the sound.  Oooooh, that's bad.
[17:58] <Cille_Lund> ...BEEP. ...Rosalyne was the one doing radio watch. Who even DOES that now? Either way, from her room (at some point she got tired of being on the roof), she pokes out to...wherever the radio is. That beep IS intentionally irritating sounding (she could hear it from there), so it's probably important!
[18:01] <Naida> There's a loud crashing sound from the bar. To Naida's chagrin, the sound interrupted her as she was fully engaged in fancifully stacking glasses in a pyramid, causing the first glass avalanche of the Tub. Early reports show two casualties.
[18:05] <Cille_Lund> ...But she's not exactly going to touch the radio or anything. That's...either Henriette or Lily's job. ...And it's not likely that Henriette's gonna do it (though not entirely implausible). The loud crashing is entirely ignored!
[18:07] <Lily_Blevins> She runs down to the radio as soon as she can, and if no one else has arrived she puts on the headset and starts RADIOING.
[18:10] <@Oxford> The radio continues its beeping until she hits the send button, and then the grating noise is abruptly silenced. It takes a moment for her to remember the right radio codes, Henriette having handled it for so long.
[18:12] * Firespitter ([email protected]) has joined #WorldWarBurst
[18:14] * Firespitter is now known as Rosalyne_Holst
[18:14] <Lily_Blevins> She puts in the codes and then speaks up.  "Angler, this is SS Lotus.  Good afternoon, Angler.  Over."
[18:18] <@Oxford> "Angler to SS Lotus, we have an emergency situation!" The voice of the handler on the other end of the line sounds calm but serious. "Special instructions to follow. Are you ready to transcribe?"
[18:18] <Lily_Blevins> She gets a pencil and paper and gets them down.  "Ready!  Over!"
[18:19] * Henriette is on the roof again, slowly spinning glass into being with her magic. She's got a stack of about six or seven panes beside her, each perfectly transparent and nearly invisible. The radio signal goes unheard.
[18:21] <@Oxford> "Transmitting now," the stern captain says, and almost immediately a rapid-fire burst of dits and dahs bursts into her ears.
[18:24] <Lily_Blevins> Lily's having trouble keeping her headphones on her cat ears, her expression darkening as she realizes she's missing things.  With the send button off, so it can't be heard, she continues frantically attempting to transcribe, turning to Cille.  "Cille, do you know morse code?"
[18:27] <@Oxford> The beeping stops, and the Angler's captain comes back on the line. "Transmission complete. You get all that, Lotus?"
[18:30] <Lily_Blevins> "Negative, transmit again!"  She hands the headphones to Cille whether Cille answers or not.  "If you don't put down the dots and dashes!"
[18:30] <Cille_Lund> "O-OK!" She was thinking about it, but shit, headphones get, TIME TO WRITE DOWN DOTS AND DASHES.
[18:34] <@Oxford> "- .... . / ...- .- ..- .-.. -- . / .-.. .. -. . / .. ... / -.-. ..- .-. .-. . -. - .-.. -.-- / ..- -. -.. . .-. / .... . .- ...- -.-- / .- - - .- -.-. -.- .-.-.- / .--. .-. --- -.-. . . -.. / .. -- -- . -.. .. .- - . .-.. -.-- / - --- / --. .-. --- -.. ... -. .. .-.. .-.. . -....- -.. .- -. -....- -... ..- .-. / -... -.-- / -.-. .- .-. / .- -. -.. / .--. .-. --- ...- .. -.. . / .- .. .-. / -.-. "
[18:36] <@Oxford> ".. .-. / -.-. --- ...- . .-. / --- -. / .- .-. .-. .. ...- .- .-.. .-.-.- / --- ...- . .-. .-.-.-" The beeping comes in again, fast and furious. It's all Cille can do to keep up with her pencil, struggling to keep up.
[18:38] <@Oxford> "Transmission complete," the voice says again. "Message received?"
[18:38] <Lily_Blevins> Lily looks at the paper Cille wrote on, nods, then grabs the headphones.  "Received, over!"
[18:39] <Cille_Lund> Thankfully, she's familiar to using writing utensils to some extent! It's a struggle nonetheless! Once it's all done and she hears 'message complete', she hands them to her before she could take them off her head! Eeeesh, keeping up with that was hard.
[18:43] <@Oxford> "Good," says the voice, maintaining the same worried but serious tone. "Angler out."
[18:43] <Lily_Blevins> "SS Lotus out!"
[18:44] <Lily_Blevins> She takes off the headphones, flexing her ears a little, and then nods to Cille.  "Let's get this to Henri!"  UP SHE GOES.
[18:44] <@Oxford> The brevity of the communication would be uncharacteristic of Angler in normal circumstances, but a time like this is exactly when enemy radio intercept officers would be at their most alert. Keeping messages short is the sensible course.
[18:45] <Cille_Lund> "Right!" Up she follows! If it's important, maybe it'll be worth doing!
[18:48] <Henriette> There are nine whole panes when the other girls arrive upstairs. Henriette is slowly spinning the glass into being with a look of dim concentration on her face. She doesn't notice them open the door at all.
[18:50] <Naida> Naida isn't far behind, hands covered in a few plasters, because glass is sharp and cool kids don't say bandaids.
[18:51] <Lily_Blevins> "Henri, we got a message from Wadden!"  She runs on over, careful to avoid the glass panes, holding the paper up!
[18:52] <Henriette> "Oh? What did they say?" she asks without enthusiasm. She winces when Wadden is mentioned, visibly so, as if she already knows what they are going to say.
[18:53] <Lily_Blevins> She hands the paper with Cille's transcription over.
[18:59] <Henriette> Scanning over the lines, Henriette intially seems uninterested. As expected... yes... Oh. Ohhh. Oh no. "We are to... assist in air cover of the Vaulme Line immediately." She pauses and rereads the note a couple of times. "Sont-ils fous?"
[19:00] <Lily_Blevins> "All right!  Naida, Cille, you ready?"
[19:01] <Cille_Lund> ...Huh. "...The front lines?"
[19:03] <Henriette> "Oui... We are to go to Grodsnille-Dan-Bur by car, apparently," Henriette says, quite visibly astonished. "Ils doivent etre vous..."
[19:03] <Naida> Naida has visible disbelief on her face. She should probably wipe it off, gross. "I...we're..like...trenches and bombs and gas and all that?"
[19:04] <Lily_Blevins> "Why not by air?"
[19:05] <Henriette> "I presume that the zone may be in greater danger than previously assumed. Et... I sent... No..." Her eyes widen as she leaps to her feet. The panes of glass float as if they're tethered to her, gently moving as she heads inside.
[19:07] <Cille_Lund> "...Huh. For once, we've been ordered to actually do something, directly, and it'd put us en route to get Rosalyne. It could be a worse change of pace. Speaking of, if she doesn't come back until we're en route, would it be possible to leave her a note?"
[19:08] <Lily_Blevins> "Maybe.  I'll leave one on her bed.  How are we going to get there by car, though?"
[19:09] <Lily_Blevins> "I mean we don't have one..."
[19:09] <Henriette> "Perhaps we should, mais we should tarry no longer," she responds. There's something of the leader in her glimmering again, it seems. "We can requisition one from the local police, I am certain."
[19:10] <Naida> "So, we're blowin' our cover then?"
[19:10] <Cille_Lund> "Make sure it's deliberately vague, in case someone pokes around." Better safe than sorry!
[19:11] <Henriette> "If that is what is ordered, execution is unimportant."
[19:12] <Lily_Blevins> "Well maybe we should ask Adalvulf then since he already knows some things, rather than asking someone who knows nothing and bringing further attention to us!"
[19:13] <Henriette> "That was what I meant."
[19:13] <Naida> "Well, do we need anything other than the pendants?"
[19:14] <Lily_Blevins> "In which case it's probably not blowing our cover at all..."
[19:14] <Lily_Blevins> "...past however much we've already blown it."
[19:14] <Lily_Blevins> "..."
[19:14] <Lily_Blevins> "So, do any of us know how to drive?"
[19:19] <Naida> The barwench slowly raises her hand.
[19:19] <Lily_Blevins> "Then you'll be our chauffeur~"
[19:19] <Lily_Blevins> "Won't you?"
[19:19] <Naida> "I...sure..."
[19:23] * Henriette notices the other girl raise her hand and doesn't raise hers.
[19:29] <Lily_Blevins> "So, shall we?"
[19:30] <Lily_Blevins> Lily leads the way downstairs~
[19:30] <Cille_Lund> ...Nope, she never did bother learn to drive. ...Can she see Adalwulf/vulf/whateveritis from here? They ARE on the roof?
[19:30] <Cille_Lund> *!
[19:30] <Naida> "I...guess...we're ready? Yes? Police station? Explaining our everything? Hoping he takes us seriously?" What a goddamn chicken.
[19:31] <Lily_Blevins> Lily steps up and grabs Naida by the hand to drag her down with her.
[19:35] <Naida> The normally pretty chill girl's hand clamps down on the catgirl's paw like a vice.
[19:35] <@Oxford> In no time they're out on the cobblestone streets of Glaholme. The deputy-provost's office in only a couple of blocks away, set on the corner under a swirling barber's staff. The appropriated headquarters is ideally placed to respond to any event in the town.
[19:37] <Lily_Blevins> "Are you nervous?  You seem awful sweaty!"  To the office!
[19:39] <Cille_Lund> ...So apparently not then! Cille follows, somehow in a better mood than she was a few hours ago despite the whole 'sup, front lines' thing!
[19:39] <Naida> "O-Only a little..." It takes her a bit for the information to penetrate her brainpan. "Ah...Lily...you...touched me..." Horror intensifies.
[19:42] <Lily_Blevins> "So?"  Lily continues to lead Naida through the Great Forest to the Elder's Hut.
[19:43] <Naida> She tries to pull her hand away. "You...you're...don't look at shadows..."
[19:44] <Lily_Blevins> "Why?  Will she leave me and come back a few years later as a human?"
[19:45] <Henriette> "Lily..." Henriette starts, but she fidgets when she realizes there's really nothing to do about it. It's just something they'll have to wait out. Another leader duty she can't fulfill.
[19:45] <@Oxford> Adalvulf is visible through the wide panes of glass at the front of the shop, sitting behind his desk working on a battered old typewriter.
[19:46] <Lily_Blevins> Lily knocks on the door!
[19:46] <Naida> "...what? I...don't...H-Henriette! Ma'am....um...y-you've suffered it before, is she...going to be okay?" Oh god what if it was permanent and Henri said nothing!
[19:47] <Henriette> "She'll be fine when it wears off. Perhaps... I should speak for her..." Maybe. If she can do even that.
[19:48] <Cille_Lund> ...OK, note to self, apparently touching Naida will lead to a bad time. Was this a thing before? If it was, she didn't engrave it in her head enough. ...As for what kind of bad time, it hasn't quite reached her head enough yet...but hopefully it doesn't weird him out too much! "That would be a good idea!" JUST SUPPORT THE IDEA. NOTHING ELSE. Added comments will ruin everything.
[19:50] <Henriette> "Lily, ma belle," Henriette says gently. "You know that the Elder only grants wishes to humans, right? Perhaps a fairy like yourself should let me talk."
[19:50] <Lily_Blevins> "Ah, you're right, Henrietta~"
[19:50] <Naida> Oh, now they've both gone insane.
[19:51] <Lily_Blevins> "Sing in my place~"
[19:52] <Henriette> "Very well, ma cherie," Henriette says, smiling and winking at her friend. She nods at Naida.
[19:52] <@Oxford> The tall watchman rises and waves them in as he steps around the desk toward the door, ready to meet them halfway.
[19:54] <Henriette> Opening the door, Henriette pulls nervously on her scarf. Her disguise is working, it seems, for now. "Sir... we have to... speak with you about the war effort. Do you have a moment to speak in private?" She looks around, unsure if the office has anyone else in it.
[19:55] <Lily_Blevins> Lily adjusts her hat to make it more comfortable for her cat ears.
[19:55] <Naida> Naida keeps a careful eye on Lily, ready to grab any wanton cat parts or generally shove her the hell away depending on how the conversation goes.
[20:00] <@Oxford> Adalvulf nods quickly. "Of course. We're alone here, but if you need more privacy, there's an interview room..." he says, pointing to one side.
[20:03] <Henriette> "This will suffice. We are in a hurry, you see." She glances over her shoulder at the other girls, particularly Lily. "We need a car to get to the Vaulme Line. I... to be honest, I am not certain if this is something I can request from you given your position and that our command comes from Albaea itself, mais we have few options."
[20:06] <@Oxford> "You need to requisition a vehicle?" he says, wrinkling his brow. "Of course. Military needs always supercede civilian ones, and Albaea is a firm ally of Cimbria." The last part seems a very little bit forced, but Adalvulf is already rummaging in his desk for a large ring of keys by the time Henriette makes sense of it.
[20:08] <Henriette> "But we... Oh! Oh! Thank you, sir! It is most appreciated!" She looks as if she might cry. It's nothing unusual, but she might. "We... haven't been very good to your city, sir, et... I hope that our efforts here will be worth it, honestly." She looks down at her feet when she says this.
[20:12] <@Oxford> "Yes. Well." Adalvulf is suddenly self-conscious, in the manner of someone who is struggling to deny another's self-criticism. Stiffly, he says "The cars are out back, if you'll follow me."
[20:12] <Naida> "Ah...quickly before we go...how is Ingra doing?"
[20:14] * Henriette starts after Adalvulf, stopping short at the mention of Ingra. It's a heavy reminder of the effects of their presence here. Maybe after this it will be time to ask for leave...
[20:17] <@Oxford> "Oh, she is...improving," he says, startled out of his tension by the sudden change of topic. "My wife always wanted a little girl."
[20:19] <Naida> With a sad smile, Naida just nods. Seeing a tentacled witchmonster after her house explodes is probably hard to get over.
[20:20] <Cille_Lund> Cille lights up (figuratively) in response to the question she ought to have asked herself! ...And even though they've visited awfulness on her, doing 'better' considering how awful things are is still an improvement! ...Wow, she's just feeling ultra quiet today. Oh well.
[20:25] <@Oxford> The deputy continues through the back door, leading out to a small paved parking area that backs onto the alley behind the barbershop.
[20:36] <@Oxford> The area has a pair of vehicles: a dented and battered old milkman's truck, with paint peeling off the around the fenders, and a brightly polished police cruiser, chrome gleaming in the summer sun.
[20:36] <Henriette> "That will suffice, sir. We are most grateful!"
[20:38] <@Oxford> "Of course." He tosses Henriette the a set of keys. It takes her a moment to reconcile why the old junker would have keys that look freshly cut.
[20:38] <Henriette> She of course gestured at the truck.
[20:39] <Naida> "Ah, I'll take those..."
[20:39] <@Oxford> "We can't risk you breaking down on the road," Adalvulf says simply. "Godspeed."
[20:40] <Lily_Blevins> As soon as he's gone, Lily puts her hands together.  "What a wonderful carriage, with this we can reach the ball~"
[20:42] <Henriette> "Thank you sir," Henriette says, pushing Lily carefully towards the nicer car. "I... I won't make promises I cannot keep, mais thank you."
[20:43] <Lily_Blevins> Lily obediently sits in the back.
[20:44] <Cille_Lund> Cille is...definitely sitting in the back. Gotta make sure Lily doesn't jump out or something, and the back was always more comfortable!
[20:48] <Naida> "Yes, thank you for everything! Shame about the bar, hm?" Naida mills about by the driver's side, awaiting the keys. Wait, where the hell are they even going? Someone has a map, right?
[20:54] <Henriette> Henriette hands the keys to Naida. "Perhaps there is a map inside the car. If not, we simply need to ask Adalvulf again."
[20:54] <Naida> Naida hops into the car, fiddling around with the various bits. It's been a while, okay? What's in the glove box?"
[21:02] <@Oxford> An electric torch, an owner's manual, and beneath those, a map! Unfolded, it shows a detailed road map of Cimbria, with major towns and cities labeled throughout the sparse tangle of highways.
[21:04] <Naida> She hands the map to Henri, whom by process of elimination has been granted shotgun. "You're navigating." And thus she proceeds to vroom up the car's engine. It's a technical term.
[21:05] <Henriette> Henriette navigates, putting her administrative abilities to work. She can manage papers. She can communicate with superiors. She can even make proper glass panes. Perhaps she has a job in the military yet!
[21:09] <@Oxford> Judging by the distance from Glasholme, Henriette can guess that the trip will take between 4 and 5 hours. More, if they get held up at any of the checkpoints that dot the major highways. The road is bumpy under Naida's wheels, but once they reach the city limits it smooths out to a flat, dusty dirt.
[21:14] <Naida> Once the car roars to life, or screams or something, she begins their hellacious journey. It's a little jerky at first, driving cars is like riding a bike right?
[21:20] <Cille_Lund> ...Road trip! Thankfully, she brought a book. Gotta have something to do that isn't communication!
[21:20] <Henriette> "Et... take this road out and make a left onto Vejlevej..." Henriette says, beginning the long trip to the front lines. It's a strange feeling, as if they're just a bunch of kids having fun, but it's lined with the notion that they're heading towards danger and leaving behind something important. Which is more important is hard to say, but the bookends seem to hold more weight than the
[21:20] <Henriette> stories in between, at least in this case.
[21:20] <Lily_Blevins> Lily patiently waits in the carriage, surrounded by the humans she's helping.  She'll make their wishes come true, she swears!
[21:28] * Naida follows
[21:28] <@Oxford> Vicously.
[21:29] <@Oxford> /session