http://pastebin.com/WtDJmRfx
[18:07:58] * Oxford changes topic to 'Today's Assignment: Summarize the Events of the Cimbrian Disturbances '28-present'
[18:17:37] <~Oxford> Friday comes once more, but the mood in Mr. Furtaw's classroom is far from the excited anticipation of last week. News of Cremmwale's evacuation - vaguely attributed to 'military neccessity' - has cast a pall over the assembly in the way that only a bad war report can. That, coupled with Henriette's sudden absence, has made for a quiet week.
[18:20:49] <Cloral> Loewin scribbles sketches of planes directly on her desk, not even realizing there isn't any paper. They're pretty terrible sketches, all things considered.
[18:21:18] <~Oxford> The assignment is on the board, but with Mr. Furtaw's attentions turned to the underclassmen, the girls have a moment to discuss recent events. In the desks to their left, Angie is speculating on the cause of Henriette's absence in terms that are hardly flattering.
[18:23:10] <Marina> It's surprisingly not hard to keep quiet about being the cause of the event when it's tied to something that's kept secret anyway, so after a few days of being active and determined to become a master of pendantless magic Marina had slipped back into her usual stoicness and noncommunication, perhaps weighed on by the guilt of Stranahan's resignation. On Henri she's kept to herself, occasionally chuckling softly out of earshot whenever the Gaulian was mentioned.
[18:24:29] <Cloral> She continues her lazy sketching without even looking in Angie's direction but speaks so she can just barely be heard by the girl. "Angela, it is not fitting for one as in-bred as you to denounce your superiors."
[18:26:13] <Lily> Lily is working on whatever assignment is on the desk, or if there is none and it was just lecture, she's dreamily staring out the nearest window~
[18:29:24] <~Oxford> The long-haired girl turns sharply, a haughty expression on her face. "I'd be more convinced of your so-called 'superiority' if you weren't a half-bred runt. You should ask that foreign girl for some fashion tips, darling: your beret is on backwards."
[18:31:13] <Cloral> "Hm. Not clever enough to come up with your own retort, so you echo mine? Is that one of your many insecurities?" The beret is actually on backwards, but Loewin hardly cares. "I suppose you gossip like a commoner because of jealousy then? Perhaps you find her prettier than you? Or more sociable?"
[18:31:59] <Cloral> "Or perhaps you see the way YOUR boyfriend pines after her?"
[18:32:47] <Lily> Lily quits her window daydreaming to turn around to the two girls. "Could you two be mad at each other some other time I'd rather not have to listen to you two unleash your mad at each other could you keep it private okay?" She makes sure to whisper.
[18:35:37] <Marina> Scribble scribble scribble assignment.
[18:35:57] <~Oxford> Angela ignores Lily as if she wasn't there. "You misheard me, sweetheart. You said 'in-bred', which just goes to show what you must think of people from small towns. What I said was 'half-bred', as in 'you mother might've been a lady, but your so-called father was cuckolded by his serving-boy and couldn't bear the shame to disown you.'"
[18:36:24] <Lily> Pout.
[18:36:48] <Cloral> Pencil-tip breaks. "…Darling, would you care to meet me outside after class?"
[18:36:50] <Lily> She goes to looking out the window, covering her ears, her face all pouty.
[18:37:01] <~Oxford> "You think I'm jealous? I used to think you rich girls had class and dignity, but now I know that no matter what social station you're born into, you can still be a pouty, petty, meddling bitch."
[18:37:51] <Marina> Marina, at the window seat behind Lily (unless Lily is in THE very back), lightly taps the girl with a pencil, shaking her head, and gives her own whisper, "Think of it like a radio show."
[18:37:54] <~Oxford> "Meet you outside? Why, so you can have Daddy's hired goons come defend you?"
[18:39:21] <Cloral> "Nono, dear, I'll show you what real effort looks like. The old-fashioned type. The kind you'd rather avoid by working street-corners."
[18:39:49] <Lily> "It's a really terrible radio show!"
[18:39:58] <Marina> "Most of them are."
[18:40:15] <Lily> Sign.
[18:40:37] <Marina> "So, it's just background noise." Without another sign of emotion, she goes back to doin' schoolwork.
[18:43:05] <~Oxford> Mr. Fortaw has picked up on the rising tone of the conversation, and he approaches at a brisk walk. Seated on the other side of Loewin, Angela sees him coming first, and flashes a smirk as she returns to her work. Her opponent is a step behind, and her last comment is made in easy hearing-range of the teacher.
[18:44:30] <~Oxford> "Cloral! That kind of comment is unacceptable!" he says, sharply enough to raise goosebumps on the back of her neck as she turns around.
[18:45:05] <Cloral> "O-Oh?" She looks guilty. "Then…how should I have insulted her?"
[18:45:53] <Marina> "See?" Marina continues calmly writing her paper. "Even terrible shows have their moments."
[18:46:02] <Lily> Still pouting.
[18:48:14] <~Oxford> "You shouldn't have said it at all," Mr. Fortaw says, sounding more exasperated than angry. "You'll apologize for what you said, right now."
[18:49:30] <Cloral> She nods and stands before Angela, curtsying as she apologizes. "Angela, I'm dearly sorry that you are not paid more for your prostitution."
[18:50:43] <Lily> Head. Desk.
[18:51:03] <Marina> Not giggling is REALLY hard.
[18:51:06] <Marina> Still cracks a smile.
[18:51:51] <Marina> "It's a comedy show, Blevins."
[18:52:11] <Lily> "Uuuuuuu"
[18:55:08] <Bridget> "Nae, shae' bae tae' thin. Dae' aen' 'er faerst waentaer"
[18:55:20] <Bridget> …Goddamnit it, the Highlander can sneak!
[18:55:47] <Lily> Lily slumps, trying to focus on whatever assignment is in front of her, pouting all the while.
[18:56:50] <~Oxford> Angela's eyes widen like a camera's iris-shutter, and tears well up within them. With a sob, she throws her head into her arms, bawling. "Cloral!" Mr. Fortaw exclaims, "take your work and sit at that desk over there! I'll speak with you later." Behind his back, Angela turns her head up from the desk and flashes a killing smirk.
[18:58:00] <Marina> "What a bizarre thing to get upset over," the albino mutters under her breath, legitimately baffled. Then again she was always the one telling herself that Lily was the one person she'd never be able to understand.
[18:58:28] <Cloral> Loewin does as Fortaw bids, but not before slipping out a very audible counter. "My and quite the actress! She should certainly earn top-rate as one skilled at role-play!"
[19:00:37] <~Oxford> "Go!" Fortaw says stiffly, cutting in over the second part of her retort. "And the rest of you had better be making progress here. I'm collecting these at the end of class."
[19:01:56] <Cloral> She skips over to the desk with a wide grin she isn't even bothering to hide from her teacher and begins work on the assignment, though not without significantly sarcastic answers.
[19:01:57] <Bridget> "Aue aye~" Bridget's working! And has repaired the desk! What an industrious girl!
[19:03:30] <Marina> A certain somebody's assignment was already finished a while ago- she was satisfied just listening to the bickering and exercising the practiced motion of moving her pencil around.
[19:05:04] * Bridget has kept up her messy handwriting, but Marina's seen Bridget'ts letters perhaps, to family….with their neat and clipped writing. How could such a refined girl be so…crude most of the time.
[19:06:41] <Marina> Even if she knew, after all this time Marina's been too timid to ask Bridget why she's such a weirdo like that. Or maybe is just really insistent that it isn't her business.
[19:07:14] <Bridget> Lets go with weirdo. WEIRDO MARINA.
[19:08:01] <Lily> Lily rushes through her assignment haphazardly, sometimes erasing entire paragraphs and leaving big smudges that make things hard to read (although still legible)
[19:10:53] <~Oxford> Mr. Fortaw has returned to presenting his lesson for the underclassmen, giving Angie a chance to return to cheerfully discussing the shorter girl's manifold shortcomings.
[19:14:34] <~Oxford> Dirk has been unusually quite throughout the week. Maggie, recently re-seated in front of Marina, has likewise been quiet, though in her case the behavior is more typical. The glances she keeps directing at Dirk are…also typical.
[19:18:32] <Lily> Maggie is subject to also getting to hear Lily's GROANS
[19:19:01] <Lily> But they're juuuust quiet enough that only people right next to her can hear them.
[19:19:15] <Marina> Lilies gonna lil.
[19:19:37] <Cloral> The angriest midget continues shooting venomous looks at Angie, though not without guilted looks at Lily, mixed with a little fear.
[19:21:53] <~Oxford> Maggie is too preoccupied with her own silent groans. Their teacher is finished with his lecture, and is heading over to Loewin's temporary desk.
[19:22:44] * Bridget works, diligently. With her child-like handwriting among other things. Though when the teacher's not looking she'll flick an eraser as hard as she can at Angela.
[19:24:50] <Cloral> "Good of you to come to my office!" The cheekiest grin greets Fortaw.
[19:26:05] <~Oxford> "Cloral," Mr. Fortaw says, leaning over her desk, "what's going on with you?" His tone is stern but sympathetic, and his eyes are full of questions.
[19:27:28] <Cloral> "She…" Loewin grasps for a witty comment but finds nothing. "…she was making up rumors about Hen- Miss LeClair."
[19:27:59] <~Oxford> "So?" he asks.
[19:28:38] <Cloral> "I didn't like it. Like a rat in the larder."
[19:30:40] <~Oxford> "So?" he asks again. "What's the appropriate way to deal with that kind of situation?"
[19:31:08] <Cloral> "…exterminate the vermin?"
[19:31:37] <~Oxford> "Hire an exterminator," he corrects softly.
[19:32:45] <Cloral> "I…hmmm…" His words roll over in her head several times. "That…does make sense…but suppose I don't wish to rely on others?"
[19:33:47] <~Oxford> "You should've come to me," Mr. Fortaw replies, sternly. "Dealing with how you students cope with one another is part of my job. As is making sure your conversation stays civil."
[19:35:35] <Cloral> "Well I won't have an adult to retreat to when I become one…so shouldn't I fight my own battles? …even if they're on someone else's be- oh…I suppose I see what you mean."
[19:36:58] <~Oxford> "So you'll be able to keep your interactions with Ms. Carraway in line from now on?"
[19:38:00] <Cloral> "I promise that should I believe her to have slighted someone in this class, I will come to you." She nods, hoping not to have stressed the important part of her promise too much.
[19:39:59] <~Oxford> "Good," he says, smilingly overlooking the carefully-worded promise. "Now, as for your punishment-"
[19:40:44] <Cloral> Loewin looks quite surprised. Punishment isn't a thing that happens to her. "But I've already learned my lesson!"
[19:43:29] <~Oxford> "Even so, you need to-" At that moment, the air raid siren that has sat silent for weeks blares to life. The keening wail pierces through the sleepy town of Ternwald like a funeral dirge at a wedding.
[19:44:21] <Lily> THE HIPPIE STRAIGHTENS HERSELF UP, SLAMMING HER HANDS DOWN ON HER DESK AS SHE DOES SO
[19:54:52] <Lily> "It's time to go!" She starts grabbing things.
[19:55:20] <Marina> Marina's pencil topples over, lying over the finished assignment. She doesn't even say a word before standing up.
[19:58:50] <Lily> She stops by Angie on the way out of the school. "By the way you're a huge bitch!" And then she starts walking out!
[19:59:20] <Cloral> Loewin nearly celebrates her good luck before remembering this is kind of a big deal and just…kind of…runs away from her teacher, off to save the country and all that. Or at least the town. Or possibly fuck it up further.
[20:00:05] <Marina> Albino nudges Bridget and nonchalantly follows the others our, giving Maggie a shrug as she goes too. Clearly it's obvious they won't have time to walk home together- THIS time.
[20:05:41] * Bridget follows!
[20:07:25] <BigTentacruel> Rather excitedly running from the front of Wightshead mansion is Henriette, her current reading material, "Commanding the Winds: Routine Naval Practices during Peacetime" by Sir R. Tyrwhitt, forgotten in the nook near the front door. Racing for road to the mansion and clutching four pendants in hand, she looks desperately for her companions. Her eagerness to fly already expresses itself
[20:07:25] <BigTentacruel> in broadly spread wings. Oh, and her hair is already blonde, even though she's dressed in a blouse and skirt typical of a lazy day reading.
[20:10:15] <Marina> Following cooly behind the others, Marina activates her own transformation sequence and transforms without aid…. in her head. In practice nothing actually happens, and she arrives grumbling after the others.
[20:11:25] <Oxford> For the amount of time that's passed since the last raid, the townsfolk spring to their tasks with weary familiarity. As shopkeepers shutter their windows, housewives and retirees head for the shelters gripping loaves of bread or half-finished crossword puzzles, remanents whatever they had been doing before the alarm sounded.
[20:12:06] <Lily> Lily tries to transform beforehand as well! …not like it does much, most likely! She keeps running as faaaast as she can until she reaches Henriette, then.
[20:13:10] * Henriette waves eagerly at the other girls, blonde-haired and bushy-err… winged. Shiny-winged. She's carrying four pendants, since one was lost to the ether, and the radio headset actually is attached to her head in the form of a tiara as always.
[20:13:10] <Cloral> Loewin is far too busy being generally mad to pull shenanigans!
[20:13:11] <Marina> "Sooner than I'd hoped," grumblegrumble.
[20:13:54] <Bridget> "Oi, Haenraei, yae' gaet mae paendaaent?"
[20:14:10] * Bridget grins at the girl, wrapping her up in a hug!
[20:15:14] <Marina> "I hoped I'd be more prepared by now, but…" Marina crosses her arms like a cool cat, shiftyeyed. "I don't feel anything. Is one of us going to have to stay behind?"
[20:15:34] <Lily> "I'm not a real fairy yet!"
[20:15:39] <Lily> Frooooown.
[20:16:11] <Marina> "Nngh."
[20:16:46] <Henriette> "I only have four, so…" Henriette replies. "Je ne sais pas what we shall do…" She's obviously not noticed her own change yet.
[20:16:46] <Cloral> "Yes, we're down a pendant. We leaving the cripple or the traitor?" The nicknames were supposed to be more playful but…uh…they weren't.
[20:17:23] <Bridget> "Caeld drae straes!"
[20:18:25] <Marina> "Are… you sure YOU'RE fit for combat, Cloral?" Mumble mumble something about being less fit for social combat.
[20:18:49] <Lily> "Ah…well…"
[20:18:51] <Lily> "…"
[20:18:55] <Lily> "…I'll stay behind."
[20:19:06] <Cloral> "Of course I am, why wouldn't I?" She huffs at Marina, not quite realizing the impact of what she said.
[20:19:21] <Henriette> "Mais non! Je ne suis pas estropié!" she replies indignantly. "Et Lily is not a traitor! Why would you say that?"
[20:19:45] <Lily> She shakes her head. "I'm…the reason the pendant is gone, remember? So I have to take responsibility!"
[20:20:39] <Bridget> "…faen, ae caeld stae baet…" Bridget shrugs
[20:20:42] <Marina> "Not directly. But…" Marina scratches her head, pondering. "Is there some way Blevins could support us from the ground?"
[20:21:44] <Henriette> "Maybe we could share?"
[20:21:56] <Cloral> "Why would…we'll talk about it later; planes first, pass out the pendants."
[20:24:46] <Marina> "Sharing would be…" She squints, "an experiment. And as interesting of an idea it is, I think we've learned experimentation isn't part of our job by now."
[20:25:01] * Henriette provides pendants for all save Lily, and the latter she attempts the sharing with.
[20:25:10] <Lily> "Um, well, okay!"
[20:25:53] <Bridget> "Aye! Waell kaek saem arse n' bae baeck saen!"
[20:26:28] * Marina dangles the pendant and glares at it, sighing, and then puts it on along with her radio. Poof stock footage.
[20:27:27] * Bridget does so too! Though sans glare! Also, suddenly SWORD
[20:28:32] <Lily> Lily wraps part of the pendant's necklace component around her hand and grabs onto it. "You grab too, Henriette!" She pushes on the Pendant, concentrating, as her hair turns green as lilies sprout from it, her dress changing into the minimalistic druidic dress she usually goes into!
[20:28:46] <Cloral> Clutching the pendant in her hands, Loewin is mobbed by a stampede of tiny spirit lions, which leap at her and become the parts of her armor. The accompanying roar seems considerably more bloodthirsty than normal and nearby clouds darken and roil post-transformation, the ever-present grin a mite twisted under these conditions.
[20:29:24] * Bridget looks rather eager honestly. She's been pretty useless for a bit and she wants to kick some ass!
[20:36:06] <Henriette> The chain on the pendant wrapped around Henriette's hand, light spills over her, the rest of her costume flares into being, albeit with a floral twist. The blue ribbon normally tying her hair instead is shaped and colored like a white rose bloom. Her dress is colored a light green not unlike a field of grass in summer, and about the waist is her weaponized ribbon, also decorated like a
[20:36:06] <Henriette> white rose.
[20:36:41] <Bridget> "Oi! Aet waerked! Naec!"
[20:38:22] <Lily> "Ooooh, I like what you did to your costume Henriette!"
[20:39:10] <Henriette> "Quoi? Ma tenue?" Peering down, she notices the alterations with a gasp. "Oh, I had not noticed! Perhaps it is because we are sharing, ma belle?"
[20:39:21] <Lily> She attaches her radio now, the radio transmitter looking clunky,a nd then with a little bit of focus it turns into a nice floral tiara! "Oh, there we go~!"
[20:40:10] <Lily> "Whiskey Bravo, requesting coordinates!"
[20:41:24] <Marina> "Did they…?" 11Albatross leaves her radio off and looks down as she spirals into the sky, doing a double-take.
[20:42:16] <Bridget> "Aye! Wae've gaet a flaeght!
[20:43:09] <Cloral> 6Alexandria ignores the ridiculous shenanigans and glances about the four winds for the enemy as she awaits instruction.
[20:47:58] <Oxford> "Roger," Stranahan's familiar voice answers from the radio. "Targets are four Nov fighters, two Nov ground-attack craft. Heading 1-0-5, bearing 0-0-0."
[20:50:25] <Henriette> "Perhaps nous pouvons combiner nos attaques, Lily?" Henriette says to Lily. Her words MIGHT carry some level of meaning despite the foreign language. Who knows how deep this connection is?
[20:50:43] <Lily> "Got it got it got it! We attack first before they do~!"
[20:51:00] <Oxford> "Expected target: Albaean staff car, east-bound on coastal highway." The Major pauses slightly. "Your new CO."
[20:51:42] <Marina> "Understood," the radio stoically crackers.
[20:52:05] <Cloral> "Has the CO got an escort of their own or are we the only line of defense?"
[20:52:11] <Bridget> "Aye!"
[20:58:36] <Bridget> "Hae waent evaen knae have aes under aettaeck!"
[20:58:59] <Oxford> "Negative, Alexandria. Do not anticipate ground support."
[20:59:19] * Marina sighs over the radio. "Clarification, please, 7Armstrong?"
[21:08:18] <Oxford> The targets come into view - six planes, coming in low toward the coast. Four of the aircraft are the familiar twintailed fighters, but the other two appear heavier, with large, exposed landing gear and squat bombs tucked under gull wings.
[21:09:21] <Henriette> "Lily! We should attack the ground attackers first!" Henriette says.
[21:11:24] <Lily> "Got it, they're going down to the ground!"
[21:13:16] * Oxford changes topic to '(Three Turns to Target) Bridget -> Cloral -> Lily -> SV-23s -> Volg. 7s -> Henriette -> Marina'
[21:14:28] * Bridget races forward and growls to herself. Alright, lets see how this works! KYAAAAAAA! Well, not really, but, she's flying from height, aimed at one of the ground attack aircraft, hoping to slice it into two!
[21:20:22] <~Oxford> As she swoops in, rear-facing machinegunners from planes' cockpits open fire, sending tracers streaming through the clear spring air.
[21:22:18] * Bridget is hit!…well, less hit and more…she just ignores bullets, bouncing off of her as she lands on one of the planes and slices through its tail, catching quite a bit and maybe exposing one of the gunners to the air. "Yae shaeld baaaaael befaer Ae Kael YAE!" she laughs, scary, fangs showing as the pilot jukes and jerks, causing her to lose her grip without much instability to her.
[21:28:57] <Cloral> Loewin follows in Bridget's wake, striking in the wake of the Highlander's destruction. She grins as her sword bites into each with a fortitude-shattering roar, shredding the engine of the second as she returns from the attack with a nod to Bridget.
[21:29:41] * Bridget grins and returns that nod. FIRE FORGED FRIENDS!
[21:29:46] <Cloral> *first wake is path
[21:30:47] <Lily> Lily gives Henriette a nod. "On my count, let's go!"
[21:32:01] <~Oxford> The striken dive-bomber bucks and turns over into a death spiral, spinning laterally as it plummets toward the surf. The pilots have no time to bail; the aircraft impacts the water and breaks apart, sinking instantly.
[21:32:20] <Lily> Lily cringes a little.
[21:34:28] <Henriette> "Lily, ma belle, you mustn't be afraid of our purpose!" Henriette says, trying to look comfortingly at the other girl. "Those men have chosen their jobs, mon père used to say."
[21:36:24] <Bridget> "Aye! 's waer!"
[21:36:36] <~Oxford> The four fighters, finally realizing their targets are under attack, break from their box formation and engage Wighthead Flight. Each turns toward a different girl, with two streaking off after Bridget and Cloral while the other two rise to meet the back units.
[21:41:52] <Marina> An icy wind blows toward the pseudo-fusion of the two girls, slowing the fire heading in their direction or invalidating some of it entirely. There's not much the ice-witch can do with her hands full, however, and she grips two swords from her back to ready them for throwing.
[21:46:17] <Henriette> Moving with more than one person in tandem is clumsy, for sure. Henriette attempts to pull Lily from the fire, she zigs when Lily zags, and ultimately, bullets come piercing through the fringes of her dress. "Lily, we will have to show them nos forces combinées!"
[21:46:38] <Lily> Lily grimaces and nods. "I-it's either them or us…"
[21:46:58] <Marina> Preparing to counterattack leaves her tail exposed, which is her weak point much akin to a terribly-written JRPG boss. Or maybe she's just not used to having it, making it hurt worse to get struck at?
[21:47:22] <Cloral> Loewin puts her sword up in a defensive stance after quickly realizing she can't avoid the assault, and she takes a good hail of damage.
[21:47:49] * Bridget takes the bullets! And ignores them. Dodging! Pshah! She blocks them with her GIGANTIC SWORD!
[21:49:01] <Marina> "They're well-organized," she remarks over the radio, almost impressed.
[21:50:34] <Lily> "All right, go time!" Her hair elongates, stretching and encompassing all around them. Lily tosses up some dirt, the dirt miraculously going in a circle around them, landing on her hair, and her hair starts bulging, and razor-sunflowers burst out of her hair in all directions from Lily and Henriette!
[21:53:27] <Henriette> Seeing the shots ride outwards towards the airplanes, Henriette causes her waist flower to flare up with white light. Beyond the bomber, white portals appear and the shots ricochet towards the fighters as well! They bounce four to five times off Henriette's mirrors.
[22:01:49] <Lily> The razor sunflowers converge on three of the planes, one Volg. 7 and 2 SV-23s, shredding through the metal planes like a knife on a creamy cheese spread, leaving shattered debris raining down upon the ground below them. There's an audible SCREEEEEEEEEEEEECH as the metal in the planes is rended to pieces.
[22:05:04] <Henriette> "Lily, mon grand beauté! Fantastique! Je ne pense pas que nous étions capables d'une telle puissance! Nous devons travailler ensemble comme ça plus souvent!" Henriette says, her focus shaking as she almost falls from the sky. All the same, she floats there, in awe as she rants in her native tongue not unlike Lily might in Albaean.
[22:07:34] <Marina> "Two targets remain… 7Armstrong, willing to coordinate?" The icebino recovers in midair and the six ice-swords float around her in a ring, somehow keeping her afloat.
[22:07:46] <Lily> "Ah, Henriette, pay attention!" She tugs on the pendant and Henriette's arm to keep her from falling!
[22:08:06] <Bridget> "Aye! Lessae kaeck saem baett!"
[22:09:47] <Henriette> "I… I am bien," she replies, shaking her head. "It simply felt bon de voir les produits de l'industrie détruits."
[22:12:28] * Oxford changes topic to '(Two Turns to Target) Cloral -> SV-23s -> Marina -> Bridget ->Volg. 7s -> Henriette -> Lily'
[22:12:44] <Marina> "Understood- we'll engage both targets simultaneously. Aim… on second thought, just use as much power as you're able, I'll control any overflow."
[22:12:58] * Oxford changes topic to '(Two Turns to Target) Cloral -> SV-23s -> Marina -> Bridget -> Henriette -> Lily'
[22:14:02] <Bridget> "Aye!"
[22:17:09] <Cloral> Loewin is fueled by the latent hubris of the amount of destruction the girls dealt last turn and lashes out toward the cockpits of one of the SV-23s with little worry.
[22:21:56] <~Oxford> The Novgoraadi pilot makes her pay for her carelessness. As she turns in to make her attack, he throttles back hard and snaps the nose high. Fierce eddies of turbulence form behind the plane's wings as aerodynamic pressure stops it cold, and Loewin hurtles through empty space, swinging wildly.
[22:23:15] <Marina> "6Alexandria!" Marina snaps back, more surprised than usual, and then smashes her fists together, sending all her ice swords outward. Once she gets over the hit the radio turns back on. "We're engaging now- Ready?"
[22:23:25] <~Oxford> From there, a light tap to the aileron is all it takes to drop the nose onto her tail and send a long stream of bullets chasing after her. They hit square in her back, four solid impacts that flip her end over end.
[22:23:40] <Bridget> "Aye! Raedae!"
[22:28:04] <Marina> All the ice swords split off into trails attached to Marina's body, forming large tunnels that contain the planes' paths. The ice acts as 'walls' of sorts, as she expects Bridget to just unleash all the power she has. Icicles drop down on the enemy just to add insult to injury.
[22:28:27] <Marina> Also, her eyes flare redder than normal, causing the ice to briefly glow red as well.
[22:28:59] * Cloral recoils in angerhorror from the combined attacks but manages to remain aloft, feeling pretty woozy.
[22:34:40] <~Oxford> The other fighter pilot sees an open target and takes full advantage. As Cloral struggles to regain control, the aircraft swoops past, bursts of gunfire barking from the muzzles in its nose. He mistimes the run, but as he passes the fighter's wing clips Cloral in the stomach. Vomit rushes to her mouth as she struggles to free herself from the wing.
[22:41:19] <Marina> Marina's ice tunnels keep up with the planes' positions and follow them, walling them in and pelting them with shards of ice as they go. As soon as the attack begins and separates from her body, she forms a couple new 'wings' to dive for Cloral's position and ascertain whether she's going to fall or not.
[22:43:10] <Bridget> And then….Bridget is just….present. Over both aircraft. There's no hesitation as the two pilots are suddenly little more than red smears over the twin cockpits, cockpits that shatter as the planes themselves explode, Bridget sudden back to where she was, roaring in triumph and pain as a familiar pair of horns work themselves out from her head…big enough to be obvious but small enough to be concealed, potentially, with cunni use of hair ribbons.
[22:44:54] <Bridget> "HA HA HA HA HA! FOOK YEAH! THAET WAES AWAESAEM!"
[22:44:57] <Marina> While swooping down she surveys the carnage and radios in. "Targets eliminated."
[22:44:58] <Cloral> Loewin wipes the mix of blood and vomit from her mouth in disbelief as she struggles to maintain altitude.
[22:45:17] <Marina> "Good work, 7Armstrong."
[22:45:33] <Bridget> "Thaenks!"
[22:45:47] <Bridget> She's beaming, not caring about the splitting pain from her new horns
[22:45:49] <Lily> "9Amazon reporting in, we're done, heading back."
[22:46:00] * Bridget flies back, humming something.
[22:46:20] <Henriette> "Clor- ah… 6Alexandria, ma belle, are vous feeling alright?" Henriette calls, trying to pull on Lily towards the injured girl.
[22:46:20] <Marina> "This is 11Albatross. Wightshead Flight, RTB."
[22:46:21] <~Oxford> "All targets down!" Stranahan calls triumphantly over the radio. "Staff car secure."
[22:47:22] <Marina> By now Marina's flown down to Cloral's level, talking to her non-radio. "Can you fly on your own?"
[22:47:44] <Bridget> "Aye! Yae' naed help?" her head is a crown of blood and she's beaming.
[22:52:19] <~Oxford> Below them, behind a line of trees, a long black sedan makes its way along the coastal highway toward Wightshead. From this distance, it seems like an ant, crawling along the forest floor.
[22:54:51] * Bridget goes and flies over the convoy, a flyby for the brass, giving a salute once she cleans the blood off.
[22:56:17] <Lily> Lily drags Henriette through the air, straight on to the Wightshead estate!
[22:56:50] <Henriette> "Aaah!" Henriette calls out, still focused on Cloral's wellbeing. "Lily! S-slow down, ma belle!"
[22:57:01] <Cloral> Loewin shakes her head and reaches to tear off her helmet, suffering an unbearable burning around her scalp. Upon removal, the hair that leaks out is confusing white color, breaking into all manner of colors when the light catches it. Her fall slows considerably as she looks to Marina with confusion.
[22:57:01] <~Oxford> The tinted windows of the car exhibit no outward change as Bridget passes.
[22:57:27] * Bridget grins and waves and rockets as best she can back to the estate. Time to survey the damage~
[22:57:30] <Lily> "I think 11Albatross has her covered, no worries!"
[22:58:06] <Marina> "… I… see." Her stare looks more vivid than it normally does. "Let's go, then."
[22:59:29] <Cloral> "I…could…" Loewin's eyes linger on Marina's, trying to discern the reasoning for her past rage directed at the albino. "I mean…a hand would be nice…if you could…"
[23:00:18] <Henriette> "O-okay! I suppose we have to meet notre nouveau commandant, non?" As the two return to base, Henriette repeatedly glances back at the changes in her own costume and wonders if they will stay if they transform again.
[23:00:41] <Marina> Without another word she reaches forward and grabs Cloral's, pulling the midget with her as she blazes a frost-trail in the sky.
[23:00:52] <~Oxford> The five girls set down on the Wightshead estate's front drive. Maj. Stranahan meets them on the patio, waving to them as they come in. "Heyo! Good intercept, girls!"
[23:01:30] <Cloral> Marina would be afflicted by a rather uncomfortable feeling deep in her gut upon grabbing Loewin, though she'd be unable to identify the cause.
[23:01:32] <Bridget> "Oi!" Bridget beams and detransforms…the horns staying.
[23:03:19] <Marina> "It seems like it went mostly well," while touching down, "which is a relief. Though, there may be a few minor injuries.," she says and lets Cloral go, clearly concerned about her state after being planed so many times. Additionally every few seconds she rubs her eyes, like something's there.
[23:03:47] <Bridget> "Sae…ae gaet haerns, daen't ae?"
[23:03:59] <Marina> Oh! And when Marina grabs her her hand is ridiculously cold, like sticking your hand in an icebox, but it's been that way for a while.
[23:04:02] <Lily> She lands alongside Henriette, detransforming, holding her right arm with her left hand, looking off to the side. "We won."
[23:05:32] <Marina> "Haerns." By now she's dismissing the gut feeling as 'Cloral got really injured and something something magic.'
[23:05:43] <Marina> "Clarity, please?"
[23:06:07] <Cloral> Loewin's hand pulls away immediately upon landing, attempting to warm her hand and eyeing Marina with a blend of weary and possible hatred. But it might not be hatred. Not with a smile like that! She's weary to detransform in the case of frostbite and turns to inspect her teammates. "…she has horns."
[23:06:27] <Bridget> "Mmmhmmm~"
[23:06:31] <Marina> "… Ah. Horns."
[23:06:36] <Marina> "Yes, you have horns."
[23:07:01] <Cloral> "Find a hat or you're not going out anymore."
[23:07:33] <Marina> "I'd be more alarmed if not for cases like LeClair's wings," she says matter-of-factly while making the mistake(?) of walking over and poking the tips of Bridget's horns with an index finger.
[23:07:39] <Marina> Or one horn at least.
[23:07:56] <Bridget> Well, they're kind of pointy! And caked with Bridget-blood!
[23:08:06] <Henriette> Despite their tiring fight and the strangest feeling she can see something out of the corner of her eye the whole way back, Henriette is in a wonderful mood. "Je pense que they are most becoming of royauté like Bridget."
[23:08:44] <Lily> Lily stares off into space.
[23:09:12] <Marina> "Roy…" She quirks a brow at what Henri could POSSIBLY be saying but shakes it off, dismissively. Back to Bridget, "They're covered in blood. You may want to clean them off."
[23:10:01] <Bridget> A moment. A grin. "We are well aware~" brightly. "We are hoping that these mean that We shall not be required to go to Court as much."
[23:10:15] <Henriette> "Err… Lily, ma fleur, are you okay?" Henriette says, her eyes turning towards the other girl. Though, suddenly, she whirls around. "Who is there?"
[23:10:43] <Marina> "To court. … To trial?"
[23:10:50] <Marina> "That sounds a bit extreme."
[23:10:53] <Cloral> "No, court as in that of royalty."
[23:11:04] <Marina> "Right, court as in that of what."
[23:11:04] <Lily> Lily doesn't respond.
[23:11:13] <Bridget> "Court. Ah…you were not there." a laugh. "Of Albaea."
[23:11:31] <Cloral> "Oh yes, meet the…seventh, was it? In line to the throne."
[23:12:15] <Bridget> "Mmmhmmm. That is quite accurate." a curtsey, as best one can in her "outfit"
[23:12:17] <Marina> "Is…. This is a prank, isn't it?" Marina rubs her temples, closing her eyes. When she opens them a little red stream leaks from one of the corners.
[23:12:39] <Cloral> "Marina you're…are you feeling okay?"
[23:13:06] <Marina> She blinks, and now there're bloody tears pouring from the other one too. Castlevania music plays in the players' heads.
[23:13:29] <Bridget> "We are curious, are you okay Marina? It would not please Us for you to be hurt."
[23:14:00] * Cloral detransforms and pulls out a handkerchief to hand to Marina. "You've red on you…you're…crying it."
[23:15:02] <Marina> "I… I'm not injured. Not that I know of, at least…" She takes it, confused and somehow nervous. A quick wipe of the face and she realizes there's something to be concerned about, but seems focused elsewhere.
[23:15:43] <Marina> Also she's detransformed already. "I do. Don't worry, it's not painful."
[23:16:01] <Cloral> "Erm…you can keep…the handkerchief…" The smile temporarily turns into a disgusted frown.
[23:16:05] <Bridget> "Ah, then that is good."
[23:16:27] <~Oxford> From the gate at the far end of the property, the sound of the metal grating swinging shut stands out harshly against the peaceful country atmosphere.
[23:16:32] <Marina> "… I'll clean it before returning it."
[23:16:57] <Cloral> "Nono…keep it…as an…apology?"
[23:17:01] <Marina> "MacDonald, you…"
[23:17:05] <Marina> "… Nevermind."
[23:17:28] <Bridget> "We are what? A Princess? Yes."
[23:17:55] <Bridget> "If you wish, We can have the flight at Our estate in the Highlands soon."
[23:18:13] <Henriette> Resolute in the idea that she is just seeing reflections in her mirror, Henriette reports with a salute to the newcomer, presumably their new commanding officer.
[23:18:15] <Marina> "Apology for…" She ponders a bit but still can't focus. "I can't see what's necessary to apologize for, but accepted either way, thank you," she says in an almost-teasing tone.
[23:18:58] * Marina closes her eyes again. "Princess."
[23:19:18] <Marina> "The Albaean throne."
[23:19:28] <Bridget> "Not directly in line."
[23:19:35] <Cloral> Loewin's head snaps up with excitement at Bridget's invitation which quickly devolves into complete disappointment. "Oh that would b-…I'm supposed to keep a low profile though…"
[23:20:21] * Marina listens closely. "Please don't tell me you're both princesses."
[23:20:35] <Marina> When her eyes open they're streaming red again, with a coppery smell.
[23:21:21] <Marina> With her expression it's impossible to tell if it's ~magic~ or genuine tears.
[23:21:33] <Cloral> "I would only be so l- er…not of royal lineage, no. But…it is…pretty up there?" She wasn't supposed to say that much but to hell with the rules.
[23:22:08] <Lily> Lily seems completely ignorant of anything, just staring off into the same direction, not even moving, breathing evenly, a serene smile on her face.
[23:22:25] <Bridget> "We can keep it quiet. Our lands are large and there is a great deal of room for anything that we might wish."
[23:22:56] <Marina> "'Up there.'" She ignores the rules herself and pushes her bare fingers into her eyelids, smearing them with red. "I can't believe this."
[23:23:40] <~Oxford> The black sedan rolls slowly towards the mansion along the brick driveway, where the girls continue to mill aimlessly. Stranahan watches silently from the patio.
[23:23:49] <Cloral> "Oh yeah? Well, I suppose that would be nice…" She curls her hair with a finger pondering happyfun times before noticing the color of her hair and being critical sad.
[23:25:44] * Henriette is composing herself for her best impression, thank you very much!
[23:27:16] <Marina> The handkerchief makes a few more rounds covering itself in red.
[23:27:19] * Bridget composes herself!
[23:27:49] <~Oxford> As the car comes to a halt in front of the mansion, the Major clears her throat and clicks her heels. "Flight, to attention!"
[23:28:26] <Lily> Lily doesn't respond in the least.
[23:29:17] <Lily> She's been staying still for several minutes
[23:29:34] <Henriette> "Lily!" Henriette whispers urgently, putting herself to attention in a fashion she has probably learned this week from reading military books alone.
[23:29:54] * Cloral clumsily slaps her hand into place, too exhausted to keep it there without shaking, turning a few times before finally getting the correct direction.
[23:29:55] <Marina> Still mind-full-of-fuck, Marina barely manages to compose herself enough to get a salute ready.
[23:29:58] <Lily> She jumps, looking around, then realizes she needs to be at attention and does so!
[23:30:09] * Bridget gets at attention!
[23:32:08] <Cloral> Loewin can't fight the power of the smile though. It's just so infectious.
[23:34:50] <~Oxford> Maj. Stranahan steps down to the curb and stands by the door to the parked automobile. She salutes with crisp percision, and waits for the door to open.
[23:44:45] <~Oxford> The door swings open with one smooth motion, and a man in an Air Force dress uniform, pressed and starched, steps out. Sunlight reflects off his bald head, freshly-shaved. He has a round face, and below his thick white mustache his mouth is curled in a tight, satisfied smile. Colonel Chester Vaughn clasps his hands behind his back and turns his gaze over the assembled line of girls.
[00:00:15] <~Oxford> His eyes scan over each in order, coolly cataloging every detail. Cloral's brilliantly prismatic hair, Henriette's mirror-bright wings, and Marina weeping crimson streaks down her pale white cheeks. He pauses on Bridget and her refreshly-erupted horns, and then on Lily staring blankly into space. Finally, they fall on Maj. Stranahan.
[00:00:20] <~Oxford> "At ease," the Colonel says, with a voice like cigars and scotch. "My name is Chester Vaughn, and as of this moment, I am assuming command of Wightshead flight." He smiles like a man looking over a new yacht. "Grand group of soldiers you have here, Erica."
[00:00:31] <~Oxford> /session
http://pastebin.com/R0gsaGap
[21:52:25] * Oxford changes topic to 'Bureau of Industry Ramps Up Efforts - Minister Vows 'Production Will Not Be Affected''
[21:55:40] <Marina> It's a quiet day in Marina's room. Taking a sip of tea, careful to not let her blood-tears pour into the cup, she sets the empty cup down on top of a closed book. A recently-closed book, at that, thick with pages covering a topic that would be misleading considering what she TELLS people she reads. There's a small design of a winged person on the front page too. Wiping her face once more she exits the room, closing the door securely, and makes a wordless march down the hall of Wightshead, rapping a fist against Lily's door. Truth be told she has no clue whether she'll find her there or not.
[21:57:16] <Lily_Blevins> Lily, barefoot as usual, is sitting on her bed, handing in some food through the bars in Enfis' cage.
[21:57:50] <Lily_Blevins> She gives a "Come in~" to Marina shortly after she knocks
[21:58:25] <Marina> She breathes a sigh of relief and reaches for the knob. "It's me." Twiiist.
[21:58:57] <Lily_Blevins> "Hi Marshmallow how can I help you did you run out of mint tea?"
[21:59:08] <Lily_Blevins> She beams~
[21:59:13] <Marina> Rich with blood-soaked corners, Marina's face peers through a crack in the door, reminiscent of a creature of the night.
[21:59:56] <Marina> "My supply's low, actually," she opens the door and walks in, "but that's not it, no. Do you have a minute to talk, Blevins?"
[22:00:10] <Marina> "Call it curiosity about something."
[22:02:30] <Lily_Blevins> "Of course I do!" She absentmindedly kick s her feet from where she's sitting.
[22:03:46] <Marina> "It won't be long." She shuts the door and her hand dangles for a second, considering locking it. Eventually she decides against it though and finds a place to sit down, wiping her face again. She looks visibly irritated at all the wiping that needs done, as if she genuinely has a reason to cry blood at the frustration.
[22:04:13] <Marina> "To put it simply… I just want to ask, why are you here?"
[22:04:49] <Lily_Blevins> "Hm? What do you mean?"
[22:06:36] <Marina> "Well, you're part of the military, but even after our last sortie you seem reluctant regarding violence. Not to mention what your 'spawn' said to me, and her personality was just an offshoot of yours." She looks down, about to take a sip of something but realizes she didn't bring a drink. Unphased, she just wipes her eyes again. "So I was curious why somebody like yourself enlisted."
[22:06:58] <Marina> "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to- it isn't my business after all. But I wasn't doing anything pressing so I thought I'd ask."
[22:07:27] <Lily_Blevins> Her smile inverts. "Well…"
[22:08:13] <Lily_Blevins> "They didn't say I was going to kill someone. They said I was going to serve the nation and protect it, I was going to make a difference in the world, I was going to do something very few others could do!"
[22:08:31] <Lily_Blevins> "Didn't they tell you something like that?
[22:08:54] <Marina> "So it was ignorance?" Marina looks up, curious. "It's common knowledge that, in a war, soldiers fight. And we're currently in a war."
[22:09:57] <Lily_Blevins> "And…"
[22:09:57] <Marina> "Still, even the vision you seem to have isn't impossible- it just happens that it isn't a soldier's job."
[22:09:59] <Lily_Blevins> "Well…"
[22:10:27] <Lily_Blevins> "I thought I'd be able to become a nurse or something!"
[22:10:53] <Marina> "Hmm. So you weren't entirely at fault."
[22:12:30] <Marina> "I have an idea for you, then- but first, nothing we discuss is allowed to leave this room, do you understand?"
[22:13:03] <Marina> "As in, don't tell others about it, but it's something I'm sure you'd like to ponder on."
[22:16:06] <Lily_Blevins> "Got it! Carry on!"
[22:16:25] <Marina> "Okay. It's a promise." Smiling, she stands up and takes a breath.
[22:16:42] <Marina> "You're interested in… fairies, aren't you?"
[22:17:36] <Lily_Blevins> "I am! My daddy used to read stories about faires to me all the time when I was little!"
[22:17:41] <Lily_Blevins> *fairies
[22:18:26] <Marina> "In history, many different countries had different interpretations of them. Eventually they coalesced into being commonly-known as small, winged humanoids. But I've been thinking about what those myths actually mean, now that we've been wielding a power like 'magic' ourselves."
[22:20:08] <Lily_Blevins> She nods! "Yup! There's Rusalkas and Brownies and Goblins and Undines and Nymphs and a bunch of others!"
[22:20:50] <Marina> She starts pacing slowly, taking a second to wipe her eyes every now and then. Notably, the streams are much more dry than the waterfalls they were earlier. "That's right. Your father must have been a good man if…" A flinch. "Never mind. If you know the stories I won't bore you by retelling them or anything, but…"
[22:22:11] <Marina> "If you think about it, consider our knowledge of pendantless magic. If you were to master it, what would prevent you from recreating those myths? The power of fairies could exist if people were willing to believe it, and you exist to show it to them."
[22:22:33] <Lily_Blevins> She gives a thumbs up! "That was my thoughts exactly!"
[22:22:59] <Marina> "Oftentimes, the fairies were known for playing pranks on humans. But I don't see why that has to be true." Her smile widens.
[22:23:35] <Marina> "You resemble… one of the Seelie Court, according to myths from the North." Her pacing pauses as the albino turns to stare Lily in the face, eyes dry.
[22:23:47] <Lily_Blevins> "Uh-huh…"
[22:24:40] <Marina> "Fae of the Summer- energetic, known for their parties and woodland homes… well, that's just an exaggeration, but I think you know what I mean."
[22:25:18] <Lily_Blevins> "Hyup, similar to the Light Elves of some myths!"
[22:25:30] <Marina> "I guess I'd be an Unseelie myself, but in the realm of mortals that's not very important. We're all able to reach the same potential, no matter what we call ourselves."
[22:26:01] <Marina> "So what I want to ask, is why not practice and become that? You don't have to stay here and be forced to kill people."
[22:26:31] <Marina> "If you have that sort of power, mortals wouldn't be able to stop you regardless. I wouldn't stop you."
[22:27:53] <Marina> "I suppose the difference between yourself and your 'spawn' is that she didn't do much to hide that she was an insane monster. The kind of fairy written to give children nightmares."
[22:28:29] <Lily_Blevins> "I actually have been trying to practice! Just haven't gotten much results sometimes, I think I made a few flowers bloom or something, but it cooooould be me mistaking it for natural phenomena~"
[22:29:15] <Marina> "Hm." She lets out a light chuckle. "Well, my offer is that I'd be willing to help you. It's something I want to learn myself, and the sooner we break our reliance on the pendants the better."
[22:29:50] <Lily_Blevins> Nod! "Got it!"
[22:30:17] <Marina> "But," she leans down and waggles a finger, before realizing that the time she spent doing so caused another blood-leak, "I think the military distrusts you after your current actions. That's why I made you promise not to talk about it."
[22:31:35] <Marina> "It's kind of… a romantic idea, I suppose," Marina lifts up and spins once before catching herself and looking embarrassed. One cough and she continues. "A fairy of the battlefield, aiding the wounded, protecting those who can't protect themselves, halting those who would harm others…"
[22:31:42] <Marina> "That's close to the idea you had in mind, isn't it?"
[22:32:17] <Marina> "Or would you, perhaps, be the stereotypical pixie, pinching skin black and blue, and tying people's hair in painful knots while they sleep?"
[22:32:20] <Lily_Blevins> She stands up, nodding. "That's right!"
[22:32:27] <Lily_Blevins> "Er, the former!"
[22:33:13] <Marina> "Hehe. Well, either-or would be fine; with that kind of power, you can do what you want."
[22:33:39] <Marina> "But I can only respect how much you care for others, no matter how much my soldierly duties prevent me from showing it."
[22:34:23] <Marina> "So how about we meet and practice more often? Maybe with the others as well- but it's still important that you don't speak of where you'll go in the future. I can't guarantee they'll be as quiet as I will."
[22:34:52] <Lily_Blevins> "Right, I got it, the higher-ups wouldn't approve, yada yada, we'd get in even MORE trouble!"
[22:35:41] <Marina> "Exactly. This way, we won't need to worry about monsters controlling us."
[22:35:59] <Marina> Satisfied, she turns to the door. "Thank you for understanding, Blevins- that's all I had to tell you."
[22:37:20] <Marina> But a hand rests on the knob. "… Actually, there's one more thing."
[22:37:33] <Lily_Blevins> "Yeah?"
[22:37:42] <Marina> "Do you know what a 'Changeling' is?"
[22:38:23] <Lily_Blevins> "Yeah, I know! A fairy that gets replaced for a human child because the fairy parents think the human baby is cuter! But they don't grow up at all."
[22:39:15] <Marina> "Don't grow up…" A smile cracks on her face again, soon transforming into a full-blown giggle she can't do much to stop. "That only makes me wonder more."
[22:40:19] <Lily_Blevins> She giggles back. "You're silly! I'm old enough for childbirth!"
[22:40:26] <Marina> "It's strange that ordinary humans would be able to use magic like we do. Think about the tests we took before we came here: Maybe we were never humans in the first place?"
[22:40:44] <Marina> "It's definitely silly, but I still think there could be truth to the myth."
[22:41:10] <Marina> "Maybe you -were- a fairy all along."
[22:41:18] <Lily_Blevins> "Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm~"
[22:41:26] <Lily_Blevins> "It -would- be nice!"
[22:41:42] <Marina> "Even if it isn't true, who's going to be able to deny it once you've obtained the power?"
[22:42:01] <Lily_Blevins> "True that!"
[22:42:40] <Marina> "Also…" The knob turns and Marina faces it. She doesn't do a very good job concealing the redness on her face. "I have books on mythology, if you think me reading them to you would ever have the same effect as your father."
[22:42:48] <Marina> "I… understand what it's like to miss family."
[22:43:03] <Lily_Blevins> "…mmmm, yeah, I do miss daddy…"
[22:43:28] <Lily_Blevins> "Y-you don't need to read them to me, though, I can read them myself just fine!"
[22:43:52] <Marina> "Hmm," she wears a satisfied smile. "Then come ask me if you ever want to borrow some. I have plenty."
[22:44:08] <Lily_Blevins> "Gotcha'!"
[22:44:16] <Marina> "We'll work out scheduling practice sessions later," the knob turns and the door opens.
[22:44:48] <Marina> "Thank you for letting me visit," she says in her usual, overly-formal tone, before stepping out of the room and closing the door behind her.
[22:45:43] <Lily_Blevins> She gives a nod and a wave!
[22:47:14] <Marina> Once secured back in her room, the albino settles down and pours herself a cup of tea, sipping it while opening the book on her lap. She flips the pages with a smile, resting on a page with illustrations of blue humanoids. "I'm a step closer," her voice muses to herself, as she resigns herself to bask in the tales of old.
[22:50:19] <Marina> /session
http://pastebin.com/HTVy9YxC
[14:16:52] * Oxford changes topic to 'Attn: Revised chore schedules have been posted. Attend your duties diligently!'
[14:21:36] <~Oxford> A few days have passed since the arrival of Colonel Vaughn, and in the wake of Major Stranahan's departure the workload on chores has gone up considerably. Despite this, Cloral and Lily find time between their household duties to play with the pet bird, Enfys.
[14:24:35] <Lily> The door to Lily's room is brought right open, a grin on her face. "Feeding time for my little birdy~"
[14:27:17] <Cloral> "You should let me buy it the expensive stuff sometime!" Loewin follows Lily in, stepping right over to the cage and whistling a short,nonsense tune at the bird.
[14:27:37] <Lily> Lily starts rummaging around for the bag of seeds she has for feeding the bird~
[14:29:27] <~Oxford> The little waxwing warbles back a reply and ruffles his silky-soft plumage. He hops down from the swinging bar in the cage expectently.
[14:30:24] <Lily> She eventually jumps up, bag of seeds in hand. "I beeeet you're reeeeaaally huuuuungryyyyy~!" She carefully dumps down some seeds in the cage, but not many, and then puts some seeds in her hand. "Cloral, do you wanna' try feeding him by hand?"
[14:31:10] <Cloral> Loewin suppresses a squeal of excitement and nods vigorously. "Is…is there a trick to it?"
[14:34:01] <Lily> She caaarefully puts the seeds in her hand into Cloral's hand. "Sure you need to do a little dance and then sing its song back perfectly to it and then do a backflip and then you'll feel silly! No there isn't really that much of a trick to it you just hold it in your hand and put your hand in the cage and he'll gladly eat from it! I gave him a little bit of advance food so that he
[14:34:02] <Lily> doesn't have to eat everything in your hand and you don't have to sit there but it should work out!"
[14:35:49] <Cloral> Loewin feeds her hand into the cage and awaits the bird. She attempts to break the ice by saying "Knock knock!" to the bird. Do animals know jokes?
[14:35:54] <Lily> She slooowly opens the door to the cage. "So long as you have your hand in there he can't fly out so opening it's not that much of a problem either!"
[14:37:41] <~Oxford> The little bird hops out onto the edge of the cage to peck at the food in Cloral's extended hand. After just a few nibbles, though, the waxwing sheepishly steps back and turns away. It seems he doesn't have much of an appetite.
[14:38:50] <~Oxford> Enfys doesn't seem to be in the mood for jokes, either. His shiny black eyes dolefully meet Cloral's gaze.
[14:38:50] <Lily> "Awww, he doesn't want to eat much! I guess you'll have to try some other time!"
[14:39:41] <Cloral> "Do I smell or something?" She sniffs her other hand. "He doesn't look very happy…or even very talkative…"
[14:41:26] <Lily> "Maybe he doesn't like you? Animals are judgmental." Sadface.
[14:41:58] <~Oxford> There's a definite odour to the waxwing's cage. While it always has a bit of an animal smell to it, today the scent is unusually foul, like rancid milk.
[14:43:18] <Lily> Sniffsniff. "A-aaaah! Are you sick Enfys?" She leeeans in. "C-cloral I'm gonna' clean his cage and make sure he's all right and maybe I should read him a bedtime story and, and…"
[14:44:18] <Lily> "It looks like you picked a bad time to visit I'm sorry!"
[14:44:21] <Cloral> "B-But he helped me find Stranahan when I asked…" Grim- no it's a smile. "…does his cage usually smell so…fowl?" She manages to not laugh at her own joke before Lily's crazy shows. "Do you..need help?" Her arm retracts from the cage, unsure of where to put the surely contaminated feed.
[14:46:17] <Lily> She cloooses the door to the cage. "No I'm pretty good at cleaning the cage and you don't seem like you'd want to deal with icky bird poops so why don't you do something else instead for now? Maybe check if Marina needs help finishing her things up?"
[14:49:00] <Cloral> "Um…okay…" She deposits the death feed back in the bag and heads out to find Marina. Or just goes outside. Whichever.
[14:49:24] <~Oxford> As they speak, there's a forceful double-knock at the door. Col. Vaughn opens it before the can respond and leans into the room, one hand on the knob. "Ah! Seeing to the unit mascot? Good, good."
[14:50:05] <Lily> "He's feeling a bit sick so I'm going to make sure he's okay but otherwise everything is okay okay?"
[14:51:09] <Cloral> Loewin simply stares at the man towering over her, the glare in her eyes a considerable mismatch to the small smile.
[14:52:56] <Lily> Lily is scrambling to get Enfys' extra (clean) cage and getting the sanitation gloves and soap and stuff!
[14:53:15] <~Oxford> "Yes, excellent. If you've a moment, I wanted to get you both over to the bedroom. I was looking at how you've been making your beds, and I thought I'd show you a little trick I learned in boot. Makes the sheets stay dead flat. Just be a moment." He smiles as if it's a perfectly reasonable request.
[14:54:00] <Lily> "I-I need to clean this cage first I can get to that later I need to make sure he's okay you wouldn't want to be laying around in your own vomit and poop when you're sick would you?"
[14:54:30] <Lily> Lily is pretty obviously freaking out
[14:54:48] <Cloral> Anger fading to fear, Loewin realizes he's probably noticed she does not even attempt to make her bed. Nor does she attempt to hide her lion doll. "Y-Yessir…"
[14:56:58] <~Oxford> "Oh? Is Enfys sick?" The concern is written on his face, but who told him the bird's name? "I could see that he's taken to the veterinarian, if you'd prefer. No, in fact, I insist that's for the best. I'll leave at once."
[14:58:04] <Cloral> "I-Isn't he just being moody and s-smelly?"
[14:59:43] <~Oxford> "Ah, but Warrant Stolz! Those're key signs an animal is in distress. They can't complain about their aches and pains the way we humans can, after all." Vaughn nods in agreement with himself, tugging at his chin. "Trip to the vets', that's the ticket."
[15:00:26] <Lily> "T-that, I-I…"
[15:00:43] <Lily> She shuts down, vacantly staring into space, now.
[15:02:24] <Cloral> "Actually sir, they…uh…nevermind." Probably not an ideal time to mention the pendantless animal talking. "Lily, we should probably let him take Enfys to a doctor." She puts an arm on Lily's shoulder. "…Lily?"
[15:02:48] <Lily> She blinks once, twice. "Sure…"
[15:03:41] <Lily> She doesn't seem entirely cognizant of you, Vaughn, or Enfys
[15:04:26] <~Oxford> Col. Vaughn nods firmly. "Good. I'll be off at once, then," he says, lifting Enfy's cage gently from its hook. "When I'm returned, we'll see about those sheets, eh?"
[15:04:36] <Lily> "Okay…"
[15:04:52] <Cloral> "She uh…she…well, you know, her name is Lily, like a plant she just needs to get out in the sun for a bit to recharge her batteries!" She tugs at Lily, trying to lead her outside. "Y-Yeah…the..sheets…uh…sir."
[15:05:11] <Lily> Lily doesn't resist at all.
[15:10:03] <~Oxford> The Colonel leaves with a brisk about-face, disappearing into the hallway outside with the birdcage cradled carefully in both arms.
[15:10:06] <~Oxford> ------
[15:14:27] <~Oxford> A few days later, it is Lily and Marina's turn to look in on the tiny creature. Despite the medicinal drops Vaughn's veterinarian has been having them administer, the poor waxwing seems not to be improving. His feather have lost their sheen, and he shifts listlessly about his cage like a criminal on death row.
[15:14:53] <Lily> Lily is getting desperate
[15:15:07] <Lily> So she does the one thing that occurs to her!
[15:16:00] <Lily> After feeding the lethargic Enfys alongside Marina, she opens her window and scooches his cage closer to the window.
[15:16:48] <Marina> Marina's stoicness had been increasing even more lately. Not at this though. "… What exactly are you doing?"
[15:17:09] <Lily> "I-I'm going to try magic!"
[15:17:17] <Lily> "…even if I'm not very good at it."
[15:17:59] <Marina> "To try and help him?"
[15:21:22] <Lily> "Yes, um, let me concentrate." Lily closes her eyes and visualizes the sun, shining down on Enfys, she focuses on how nice and good she feels on a nice, warm sunny day, the warm feeling of the sun on her skin, how the plants grow day after day and eventually blossom, reaching up to the sun and wanting to swallow more nad more of its rays
[15:22:09] <Marina> Helper Albino nods and gives her space, a little envious since her own power isn't really designed for saving the lives of avians.
[15:27:41] <~Oxford> The little bird suddenly perks right up! In fact, he flutters up to his swingbar and rocks back an forth on it, tweeting a happy tune.
[15:28:11] <Lily> She jumps at hearing the bird singing. "It…it worked?"
[15:28:16] <Lily> "It worked!" :D
[15:29:22] <Marina> "It… did it really?" Marina looks oddly impressed, leaning in for a closer look at him.
[15:29:27] <Lily> "M-Marina I'm not imagining it right?" She's leaned in close to the cage to get a good look at Enfys and make sure he looks as good as he sounds~
[15:30:42] <~Oxford> The little bird sings a cheerful two-note song at her, and then hops down to his food tray to scarf down a bellyful of seeds. It seems his appetite has returned as well.
[15:30:43] <Marina> "It definitely seems like his condition changed. I'm not sure there's any other explanation for it."
[15:31:11] <Marina> "Good work, Blevins."
[15:31:24] <Lily> :D
[15:32:10] <Marina> Her face doesn't hide her jealousy very well, but her tone ensures that the compliment was genuine.
[15:32:23] <Cloral> The familiar scent of tabacco meanders its way about the backyard in the form of a thin trail of smoke. Loewin slumps against the building, dragging on a cigarette with her hands clutching the gross, prism hair.
[15:32:53] <Lily> She takes in a deep breath to respond to Marina and then COUGH COUGH COUGH
[15:33:24] <Lily> Her face scrunches up and she closes the window.
[15:35:10] <Marina> "What was… did you overexert yourself?" She squints at Lily's coughing but peers through the closed window to ensure that it wasn't magic coughing. "… Oh."
[15:39:36] <Lily> She waves her hand a bit to dispel any smoke and then nods. "N-no, I'm fine!"
[15:40:14] <Lily> "Fine…fine!" She hugs Marina. "Fine."
[15:40:36] <~Oxford> The weather outside has turned drier of late, and warmer. The thin line of shade Cloral sits in protects her from the heat of the afternoon sun.
[15:41:29] <Marina> Marina hoverhands because she's not used to hugging people 1,1who aren't her mother. After a second she pats the hippie on the back, weirded out. "If… you say so."
[15:41:57] <Marina> "But I wonder, how do you plan to explain this? 'A miracle?'"
[15:42:36] <Lily> She seems to be enjoying that hug. "A miracle…? Oh right, I guess we can't tell the Colonel about pendantless magic, huh…"
[15:43:20] <Marina> "Not 'can't'- but it wouldn't be wise."
[15:49:54] <Marina> "I'll help you report it as a 'sudden recovery' if you need me to." Still squinting, she peers out the window again. "But I'm more curious about what Cloral's doing outside- make sure his condition doesn't suddenly worsen again. I'll go talk to her."
[15:50:31] <Lily> "Okay! That happens all the time, after all~"
[15:51:34] <Marina> "The recovery or the worsening?" She asks under her breath, more to herself than anything else. "… Nevermind." And then out the door.
[15:51:54] <Lily> "Recovery!"
[15:52:00] <Lily> "Oh, wait, Marina!"
[15:52:05] <Lily> "…do you want to feed Enfys by hand?"
[15:53:23] <Marina> "I…" Turning around, Marina looks at her hands like the edgy anime character she tries to be a lot of the time. "Don't think he'd be very fond of me."
[15:59:14] <Lily> "Oh rubbish, I bet he'll like you!"
[16:00:11] <Marina> "No, it's…" She sighs and extends a hand. "Take my hand for a second."
[16:02:21] <Lily> She takes it~
[16:02:36] <Lily> And is unknowingly caressing it, but that's besides the point.
[16:03:06] <Marina> It's deathly cold, like shoving your hand into a pile of snow in the middle of winter and leaving it there for a while.
[16:04:34] <Lily> She clasps both hands over it
[16:05:10] <Lily> …and then cups her hands and blows into them, onto your hand.
[16:06:10] <Marina> "… I'm not sure if that's going to work."
[16:06:47] <Lily> "Maybe you should wash your hands in hot water? take a hot bath? I'll take a hot bath with you if you want!"
[16:07:31] <Marina> "It's been like this for a while. The effect of magic, I'd guess."
[16:08:59] <Marina> "Needless to say, if I made him sick again on accident it WOULD save you the trouble of having to explain a 'miracle,' but I think he'd rather not go through that."
[16:11:02] <Lily> "…well okay."
[16:11:10] <Lily> :<
[16:13:11] <Marina> "Give him my regards." With her tone, it's hard to tell if she's being arrogant or dead serious. NOW Marina heads outside to pester Cloral.
[16:14:07] <Marina> To note, she walks along the shade if she's smoking… in the shade. But otherwise she may consider going full Sue and walking around with a parasol or something. Parasols also look good.
[16:15:57] <Cloral> Loewin remains where she was, certainly quite shady. She doesn't look toward Marina, but, assuming the albino isn't too distracted by the smoke, she might notice a ring of all manner of insects lying motionless in the grass around Loewin.
[16:17:57] <Marina> She does, and only gives them a confused glance. "I'm not sure 'right outside Blevins' room' is the ideal place to be doing that."
[16:19:57] <Cloral> "Bird dead yet?" With bags under her eyes, she looks to Marina, moving the cigarette to the corner of her mouth.
[16:20:31] <Marina> "He's perfectly healthy, thanks to a 'miracle.'"
[16:21:25] <Cloral> "Won't last, you know…" Her eyes well up a bit, despite the smirk.
[16:21:42] <Marina> She crosses her arms. "That's unlike you. Or at least, unlike what I know of you."
[16:22:18] <Cloral> "Which 'that?'"
[16:22:23] <Marina> She grumbles out a "which admittedly isn't much" but continues. "Is there something else you haven't been telling us?"
[16:24:56] <Marina> "'That' being 'going out of your way to make Blevins suffer.' Then again, what would I know- I'm uncultured." The remark is made less snarkily and more 'I don't know what you're thinking'-ly.
[16:26:28] <Cloral> A finger jabs toward the bugs. On closer inspection, it's rather an impressive demonstration of the food chain. The grass near her has died. A trail of ants is closest, attempting to pull away some of the vegetation and some stray grasshoppers before they too succumbed. Outward from the ants, there are all sorts of predatory insects, a few small frogs and lizards, and at least one mouse.
[16:26:29] <Cloral> All lie motionless in a circle around Loewin. "Bird was my fault, you probably don't want to get any closer…"
[16:27:32] <Marina> She takes one step back as instructed but doesn't go any farther, looking the scene over and quirking a brow. "Is it magic?"
[16:28:05] <Marina> To note Marina STILL hasn't commented on her hair, or even pretended to notice it.
[16:28:35] <Cloral> "No, I forgot to b- OF COURSE it's magic!" Angryface.
[16:30:09] <Marina> "Yes, we can control the consequences of using our powers, we're at fault," she returns the sarcasm, rolling her deep crimson eyes. "Seriously, what good do you think blaming yourself is going to do?"
[16:31:11] <Marina> "If you're so worried, you can ask the 'fairy' to save other potential 'victims' as well. I'm actually shocked by the progress she's been making."
[16:32:45] <Cloral> "Can't blame me for hating myself for it; it's in my nature. And she's only delaying it. Actually, I should probably move out of the manor if it affects people too…"
[16:35:17] <Marina> "Are you sure it's permanent?" She closes her eyes and rubs her temples. "And furthermore, we don't know enough about magic to know that there ISN'T a way to conteract… effects like this. Dwelling on it won't solve anything."
[16:36:26] <Cloral> "About as sure as I am about THIS being permanent." She points at her hair, actually managing to grimace this time. "The difference is that worst thing the hair can do is be shiny. Worst the other thing does is…death."
[16:38:31] <Marina> "THAT just looks like an odd fashion statement." She finally pays heed to it. "It's not like I don't understand your concern- some of mine haven't worn off either."
[16:40:04] <Cloral> "Please, not having blonde hair in my family is basically a curse. And I don't think you're killing things with your changes."
[16:42:05] <Marina> Finally contradicting the warning, Marina walks closer and gives Cloral a squeeze- probably on a hand or something. Maybe a shoulder. Like always, it's deathly cold. "I might be able to with frostbite if I held a grip long enough."
[16:42:17] <Marina> "And I don't necessarily resemble my family either."
[16:45:54] <Marina> "I'm not sure exactly how your family works," she lets up the grip and leans against the wall. "And I guess it isn't my business either."
[16:45:55] <Cloral> She flinches, the cold causing her to let the cigarette slip from her lips to the desiccated grass below. Quick to stomp it out, she starts to pout at Marina but it fails quickly. "…sure it isn't just your circulation?"
[16:46:50] <Marina> "It definitely isn't," with a groan-sigh. "If I touched civilians, they might start literally calling me a ghost."
[16:48:04] <Cloral> "…if you were a ghost, I wouldn't have to worry about you dying…"
[16:48:33] <Marina> "Unfortunately, I don't think I am. Not that I'd want to try dying to find out for sure."
[16:49:29] <Cloral> "Hmmm…if my family isn't your business…what is?"
[16:49:39] <Marina> "So, if our 'fairy' is capable of counteracting your… whatever it is that's killing so many creatures, why wouldn't anybody else me able to?"
[16:50:05] <Marina> "My business as far as you're concerned is our work together. If you need to, I could help you practice."
[16:50:49] <Marina> "Not that I'm not curious - who wouldn't be? - but it's just… not my place to ask about."
[16:52:38] <Cloral> "Well…she actually seems to be…uh…attuned, I suppose is the word, to…life? I mean, I just yell at animals and make people feel good about themselves…or bad…don't think I can ward off the reaper." Loewin stares at the distance between herself and Marina, scooting a few inches away for the girl's sake. "Well…if you're curious…supposed I've already screwed up enough that
[16:52:38] <Cloral> keeping it quiet won't matter…"
[16:55:21] <Marina> Marina goes back to leaning, not really giving a fuck. Seems like she hasn't felt herself starting to die yet. "That's still too pessimistic. There might be SOMETHING your powers can do that you're not aware of. … But go on."
[17:04:03] <Cloral> "Where to begiiiiiin…family's old, an ancient one from Sachs. Warriors once, turned merchant eventually. Can't quite remember why, but my father eventually fled the country, leaving behind his first wife, the one that birthed my brother. Apparently she thought it was cowardly. He came to Albaea. Now, how's a merchant on the run to make money in war time? Here's the part you can not
[17:04:03] <Cloral> tell the others. Especially Lily. My father…my family…and I…we deal weapons. Not for the good of the nation. Not for self-defense. But strictly for the money. He planned to give the company to my brother, though he has little interest in the business. Eager to please him and change his mind, I volunteered to join up so after I'd proven myself I could represent the family as a
[17:04:04] <Cloral> top-tier pendant user. I thought it would just be all uniforms and appearances, nothing of substance…I suppose I never really considered what war meant, since…well I just floated on in luxury on the corpses of the lower class. My name isn't even 'Cloral.' They decided I had to use a fake name until I was tried and true. You know it's just an anagram of collar? My real name is Loewin.
[17:04:08] <Cloral> And here I am…no clue what I'm doing…killing bugs, birds, and Novs."
[17:06:01] * Cloral is now known as Loewin
[17:08:04] <Marina> "Loewin?" She looks up after having leaned against the wall the entire time. "A shame, it's a nice name. But I don't blame you for not wanting Blevins to know, I can already imagine how she'd react. I guess without knowing the origin 'Cloral' isn't terrible either." A hand goes through her own hair, ruffling it.
[17:09:36] <Marina> "Still, that's a different 'up there' than I was expecting after last time. It would've been embarrassing to find out I was one of the only ones here who wasn't, say, royalty."
[17:10:32] <Marina> "Myself, I just decided to enlist in the military, and did," she finishes off, suddenly not making eye contact anymore.
[17:11:01] <Loewin> "Old-fashioned patriotism?"
[17:13:12] <Marina> "Maybe. It's less that I care which side joins the war and more to participate for the sake of participating. Mostly," she says, softer. "That might be why I took a while getting used to cases like Blevins', who doesn't seem to understand that we ARE in the middle of a war sometimes."
[17:13:16] <Marina> -joins +wins
[17:13:38] <Marina> Still not making eye contact.
[17:14:06] <Loewin> "…fighting to fight?"
[17:15:26] <Marina> "I learn things from fighting. And, with the way our magic works, I don't have to worry about… about my physical condition holding me back from being a viable combatant. Not that I was quite aware of that when I enlisted- call it a fluke, I guess."
[17:17:54] <Loewin> The mighty midget lets out a sudden guffaw. "Wait, wait, wait, you were worried about being held back by your physical condition?"
[17:19:08] <Marina> She doesn't get it for a second, but upon looking back to Clo- Loewin and realizing she needs to look down a bit to do so it makes sense. "… Maybe a little differently than what you seem to be implying."
[17:21:08] <Loewin> "The physician scale they used when I was applying didn't even go low enough…they had to stack rulers…"
[17:21:53] <Marina> "Size doesn't have much to do with it; my skin's been sensitive and I've been a bit sickly since birth," she admits with a sigh. "It's not a fact I'm proud of, so I strive to pretend otherwise- I don't think I've done a terrible job of acting confident, have I? But in combat with, say, somebody like MacDonald without magic, it would be over in seconds."
[17:23:56] <Loewin> "…in your defense, MacDonald is Brigand Royalty. Without the magic, I doubt my punches would be thrown much harder than yours. Besides…many people adore fair skin!"
[17:26:11] <Marina> "More are afraid of it." She rolls her eyes. "Actually, I was somewhat shocked when it wasn't brought up by anybody at Wightshead, but I guess to a degree everybody keeps to themselves."
[17:27:06] <Loewin> "Yeah, well if anyone mentions it, you just tell me. Especially if it's Angela."
[17:29:32] <Marina> "Hmmm?" She wears a genuine smile. "Well, I cleared things up with the one person who did since my transfer. It's just that I seem unusual to more sheltered people, I suppose- I wouldn't mind giving you more ammunition against that girl anyway, she's already too antagonistic for her own good."
[17:29:59] <Marina> "The classroom is practically a comedy show lately."
[17:31:11] <Loewin> "Shame I haven't found her outside of school…oh…uh…hey…how have your eyes been?"
[17:32:58] <Marina> "The bl- … watering? It's cleared up somewhat, thanks."
[17:33:13] <Marina> "It's still a little uncomfortable, though."
[17:33:41] <Loewin> "Water isn't red…uh…do we know that's magic? I mean…that isn't…a thing that can actually just happen, right?"
[17:34:19] <Marina> "I've never cried blood beyond my control before, so I'd assume it's magic."
[17:34:57] <Loewin> "Oh, and I guess you don't usually get…quite as beat up as others of us…"
[17:35:35] <Marina> "Well… as was mentioned before, we DO need to work on our coordination with one another."
[17:36:43] <Loewin> "Hey…uh…Marina?" Thumb twiddle. "Are you sure you're okay being near me?"
[17:37:16] <Marina> "Of course I am," without a pause. "I don't have any reason not to be."
[17:37:40] <Marina> "Well… if that 'aftereffect' is so bad I might, but I don't feel anything as-is."
[17:38:33] <Marina> "How do you feel after discussing all this, anyway? Any better? If not I wouldn't mind some magic practice together- there's probably some solution to be found."
[17:38:58] <Loewin> "Um…well…" Loewin blubbers a bit as tears (and snot to be realistic) stream down in an incredibly unflattering manner and she vicegrip hugs the human popsicle.
[17:39:37] <Marina> Smiling an unseen smile, Marina takes advantage of the height difference to pat the midget on the head. She's still cold, of course, but only on the outside.
[17:42:02] <~Oxford> /session
http://pastebin.com/ZEDHKWQB
[18:11:45] * Oxford changes topic to 'Support & Logistics Brigade Temporary HQ - No Unauthorized Personnel Beyond This Point'
[18:18:01] <~Oxford> The command tent is located about fifty meters off the muddy forest road, behind a checkpoint crawling with armed guards. They set down their rifles, bayonets still fixed, only long enough to move the barbed-wire barriers and let Elsa's jeep into the encampment.
[18:20:54] * Elsa sighs as she looks out the window, seriously whoever did this is the worse kind of person, ever. "This is the worst kind of thing to happen." She thinks out loud after waving the guards goodbye.
[18:25:21] <~Oxford> They rush the wire-wrapped fencepost back in front of the door the moment the car passes through and hastily retrieve their rifles. Ahead, the sheer size of the command tent sets it apart from the others in the camp.
[18:29:23] * Elsa yawns and stretches her limbs, including her six wings. She doesn't really want to go met one of the generals now, cheeky messenger never said the name. "I hope this will help me at least." She says before looking around, wondering if there were some pendant users around.
[18:32:58] <~Oxford> All of the soldiers milling around certainly seem to be just that: soldiers. There isn't a teenage girl in sight, aside from Elsa. The two guards outside the command tent take notice, and the taller of the two men gives her a stiff nod, wordlessly authorizing her to enter at her leisure.
[18:35:29] * Elsa puts her hands in her skirt pockets and and walks into the tent, certain taht it will be a general that hates her. She isn't looking forward to this meeting at all but maybe it will help her get some more info on the pendant monster and other things if she's lucky.
[18:41:46] <~Oxford> Inside the tent, a crowd of towering staffers in crisp Air Force uniforms cluster at the center of the room. In the slim gaps between their bodies, Elsa can just barely make out a table, of the light-weight folding sort used for cards. They chatter away, their backs turned on the feathered interloper.
[18:46:50] * Elsa pushes her way through the horde of staffers until she stands at the table and looks for the person with the biggest amount medals or stars on them. "Someone called for me, a General who wanted not say their name." She says as soon as pushes through the group of men.
[18:53:39] <~Oxford> The bulky officers are a little outside Elsa's weight-class, but eventually they give way enough to let her into the center of their circle. There, a bent, wrinkled old man in baggy battle fatigues hunches over the card table. Beneath a light haze of stringy white hair, his scalp is specked with liverspots. He turns one watering eye toward Elsa.
[18:54:54] <~Oxford> "You're here," he wheezes. "Everyone out." The staff turn as one and wordlessly exit the tent.
[19:00:51] * Elsa crosses her arms and looks around the tend before focusing again on the general. "So what did you want to talk about?" She says in her usual informal tone, "The messenger just told me that a general wanted to talk to me." she then crosses her arms and stares at the old man.
[19:06:55] <~Oxford> He opens his mouth to respond, but before he can speak the old man begins coughing. It is a horrible, wet cough, like shaking a spoiled tuna tin. He takes a stained yellow handkerchief from his breast pocket and hacks up a wad of mucus the size of a smashed grape. "Arundale," he manages at last, "Brigadier Alan Arundale."
[19:09:14] * Elsa does the best she can to not look disgusted but fails horribly, "Chief Warrant Officer Elsa." No last name, remember? She waits for him to speak.
[19:13:06] <~Oxford> "Of course," Arundale says between gasps, using the back of his hand to wipe off the slime still clinging to his wilted mustache. "Seen you around Headquarters. The rude girl with the string."
[19:15:11] <~Oxford> "I command the S&L Brigade. I take it you've already been briefed on the situation here in Cremmwale?"
[19:17:15] * Elsa has a huge smile on her face at his response, "Yeah I like my string." And then goes serious when he mentions the 'situation', "Yeah, pendant monster. I didn't get told how it sprung up."
[19:23:24] <~Oxford> "One of the air defense flights had a mishap. It's still being looked at." He takes a wheezing breath and blinks his eyes tightly before continuing. "You were told what we want from you?"
[19:29:54] <Elsa> "To kill it if possible, and if we couldn't, retreat" She says calmly, if he asks her to throw herself at the thing she has some very unkind words for him."
[19:29:57] <Elsa> -"
[19:34:40] <~Oxford> The wrinkled man nods wearily. Bent over as he is, he's only a little taller than Elsa. "If it can be destroyed, we'll be able to reclaim a major industrial center for the war effort. 'If' being the thing." Brigadier Arundale reaches one withered hand down to the table and lifts a thick folder. It shakes in his grasp as he struggles to hold it steady.
[19:37:13] * Elsa raises an eyebrow, at leas he's not ordering her to kill it no matter what, "Last time I attacked one, my fire just glided off its body and then ate it." She clarifies, "Whats in that folder?"
[19:43:27] <~Oxford> He finally gets the strength to shift the folder to within Elsa's reach. The stiff paper crunches in her hand. "Your teammates. You're not going in there alone, at least."
[19:49:01] * Elsa grabs the folder and looks through the names, "Theres a boy in here? And he doesn't have use pendants?" She looks surprised and excited, its just pretty rare, "I thought I was going to choose my own team?" She asks, not like she's complaining, she wouldn't want to risk any of her students like that if she could avoid it. "Also what effect did the pendant monster have on pendant
[19:49:01] * Elsa users? I heard they didn't work propery in its area."
[19:52:29] <~Oxford> Inside the folder are a handful of profile sheets, complete with unflattering mugshots. They list basic information, previous deployments, and an impressive tally of kills. "Pendants are worse than useless in the zone. Behave erratically, unpredictably. All the candidates chosen here can use their abilities without the benefit of a Focus Pendant." He eyes her warily from across table. "Like you."
[19:55:44] * Elsa looks through the folder, "Is there anything else? Have you figured out anything about that thing?" She asks, "Where is the pendant monster right now and has it moved at all since it appeared?" She digs for information about this, she's going to need it.
[20:00:07] <~Oxford> He grimaces at her terminology. "It's difficult to get aerial photography of the center. The zone itself hasn't shifted, so we're assuming it's remained stationary."
[20:05:12] <Elsa> "So it hasn't moved. It might if we attack it so be ready for it." She sighs, "So anything else that goes wrong in there? Couldn't we carry a bomb and drop it on the monster?"
[20:07:48] <~Oxford> He shakes his head and waves off the suggestion. "Bombs won't work - no triggering mechanism, and even basic explosives like gunpowder seem to go off like a wet firecracker."
[20:11:05] <~Oxford> "If you can get it to change positions, though, that might be an alternative to destroying it. Shift it just a few kilometers south, and we can get Cremmwale back up and running."
[20:15:03] <Elsa> "So nothing we can use that isn't magic." she sighs louder. "If it moves we might make it but…wait how big is the area anyways? If its too big we don't know what will happen for flying too much, and how much we will have to move it." She thinks out loud.
[20:16:55] <~Oxford> He nods. "The zone's radius is about forty kilometres. We've already established an advance camp about halfway in, but you'll have to hike in there yourself."
[20:21:41] <Elsa> "A camp inside the area? Whats in there?" She asks, a supply camp inside? "Isn't it a bit too dangerous to be inside the area?" She asks, because pendant monsters are lethal in her experience.
[20:27:20] <~Oxford> He nods. "The troops are from one of the Army's mountaineer divisions. They're back in the dark ages out there, making do with spears and torches." Arundale's body spasms as another round of coughing grips him. He swears under his breath and continues. "Fifteen kilometers is about as close as they're willing to go. You can try to make that by flight, or hike some of it. Your call."
[20:31:08] <Elsa> "We'll do a bit of both and then rest before heading out on foot to attack it, what direction do you want us to lure it in case it chases us?" This might not be too good at all, it will take some time to reach it. "Anything else about the center you can tell me?"
[20:37:15] <~Oxford> "Cremmwale is on the northern edge of the zone, so if you can move it south by five or ten kilometres, we'll be in the clear." The Brigadier stuffs his knobbed hands into his belt and frowns. "Aside from that, nothing. You read the Wightshead Report, I assume."
[20:38:59] <~Oxford> "And of course, you were there last time, on the mainland."
[20:41:19] * Elsa looks confused, "Wait, Wightshead? I didn't get anything from that. Those bloody idiots! They do that kind of stuff RIGHT AFTER I tell them to not use too mch magic!" Elsa's hand quickly meets her face and she squeezes the bridge of her nose, "I'm going to barbeque them after I'm done with this."
[20:45:38] <~Oxford> Arundale offers a strained smile; his dry, chapped lips sag and reveal his receding gums. "Do what you want, but after the mission. Anything else you need from me or S&L? I've been told to provide any assistance needed."
[20:50:56] <Elsa> "Well, we could use some food and water for our trip. Other than that I can't think of anything. Since nothing works inside it doesn't really matter." She shrugs, "A medkit in case we get hurt during the fight. And…I think thats it, we got our magic as weapons." Her wings twich a bit after she finishes, she hopes it doesn't turn to that.
[20:56:58] <~Oxford> The Brigadier nods curtly. "We'll see everything is prepared for you. If there's nothing else," he says, gesturing feebly toward the tentflap, "send my staff back in on your way out."
[21:01:04] <Elsa> "Alright, thanks for all the stuff." She says before going out of the tent and sending the rest of his men in. "Yeah, those 5 are going to hear from me after I'm done with this." She cracks her knuckles as some flames begin to appear on her wings. She looks pissed off.
[21:07:53] <~Oxford> The crowd of towering staffers take a collective step backward as she emerges, fire in her eyes and on her wings. They cower by the edge of the tent until Elsa passes, and then practically fall over one another to get back inside.
[21:12:21] <~Oxford> Around the camp, the guards watch nervously as shadows gather beneath the trees. Night comes quickly in the forest valleys, and even beyond the edges of the affected zone, it brings with it a primal fear that lurks in the hearts of men.
[21:12:26] <~Oxford> /session