Event Log: September, The Price of Revolution p1

[faileas]

Event Log: September, The Price of Revolution Part 1

I. The Freedom Festivities Behind the fortress-like walls of Dorchacht, what was once a gloomy, imposing city is lit up for the festivities to come. Septeril brings with it many mixed emotions for the citizens of what used to be called The Black City, though the overwhelming atmosphere is positive - this is a celebration of freedom hard-earned and prosperity hard-fought-for. The triple stars of the Resistance, now the current reigning party, feature heavily in decorations and in clothing: in pins, on hats, golden stars enchanted into fabric to dance merrily across skirts and cloaks. Stars light up the streets in decorative strings hung from lamppost to lamppost, flickering gently over the cobblestones. Mirrors, as well, feature into the decor, tiny round ones hung in multitudes from awnings and in windows like ornaments, catching the light and playing it across the otherwise-utilitarian architecture, lending it a sort of understated beauty. Much of Dorchacht has been rebuilt and repurposed by necessity since the uprising last year, and many new small businesses and restaurants are being featured at the festival - their goods or their foods on display in markets of street-side stalls or on the feast tables. Local handmade wares and crafts are out for sale for modest prices, and every sale helps out both the small business, many of which are started by former slaves, and helps the local economy, which is better these days but still recovering. The festivities go for six days, almost a full week, with feasting and bonfires every evening, and tours and tales of the city by day, as they display the changes for the better they have all made. And then, on the final evening, all are invited to watch a grand fireworks show that will be put on in the skies over Dorchacht, presided over by the Circle of Three themselves. Mirrorbound are welcomed warmly, whether they were present last year or not, and treated much like family - get ready to be pulled into activities and plied with food left and right. a. Join the Fun The children of Dorchacht are out by the dozens during the festivities, excited by all the freely-offered, special sweet treats and the magical sparklers and poppers being handed out by the fistful. The poppers explode when thrown to the ground in bursts of bright colors, completely harmless, and the sparklers are enchanted not to burn little (or big) hands if mishandled. Mirrorbound passing through may find themselves roped into elaborate pretend games of revolution by eager faces: the children name themselves either Resistance members or Mirrorbound, and 'do battle' with their magic fireworks against scarecrow-like constructions cloaked in dark bed sheets as 'the bad guys'. Depending on one's perspective, it may seem dark, but this is what these children have known very recently in their lives, and their caretakers or parents (there are more of the former than the latter, especially for the young Monsters) let them play as they will. If asked, they'll just explain that some of those kids even remember the fighting when it happened; this is just another way that they try to understand how the city has changed. More organized, family-friendly reenactment performances are also common, with several of the orphanage groups putting on small plays about the uprising, or moral plays about kindness and togetherness between Witches and Monsters. This includes a prominent set of performances by the Mirrored Hearts Home for Children - maybe you're helping out with their sets or costumes, or maybe you assisted with their scripts and songs. Those Mirrorbound volunteers will want to see the kids do well, right? They'll be heartbroken if you don't show. Of course, kids aren't the only ones doing reenactments. The newly formed Dorchacht Historical Society, dedicated to protecting Dorchacht's history going forward, puts on several - and may drag in passers-by to play different roles! Only the luckiest are begged to play the role of The Dragon, who valiantly rose up against their cruel former master, Morgana, and helped lead Dorchacht to where they are today. b. Forget-Me-Not While the overall air is celebratory, among the adults who are old enough to understand just what was lost as well as gained, there is an undercurrent of sombre remembrance. Many visit the burned-out Old Coven, left as damaged as it was when the fighting ceased, as a monument to how freedom fighters suffered and fought. Plaques dot the grounds and buildings there seemingly at random, until you realize that each metal plate bearing names is laid where someone died. To decorate these plaques, and homes and businesses as well, there are tables set up in the yard of the New Coven, heavy with a rainbow of small magical flowers called Forget-Me-Nots, and the supplies to make remembrance wreaths. In this new tradition, the flowers are chosen with a dead, missing, or simply absent loved one in mind, and woven together with glass beads, small wooden charms, and a spell written on a slip of paper. The enchanted fragrance of the Forget-Me-Nots allows whoever smells them to witness short, happy memories of the person the wreath was made for - whether they knew that person or not. The memories come from the wreath-maker, and are only short flashes (less than a minute long) or mere impressions, but all are pleasant or warming. With the spell woven in, they'll last for an entire year without wilting or losing their effects, a souvenir from the festival to take home. Mirrorbound are encouraged to join in, and make wreaths of their own, whether or not they lost someone in Dorchacht's uprising. It can be for someone who has disappeared from Geardagas, someone who died long ago, someone living they miss from home, anyone who is not currently with them.

II. The Uninvited Guests On the 25th, the final day of the celebrations, the partying lasts all day. Food and drink are abundant on every corner, upbeat music is played by street performers and over the radios that can be found in nearly every household and shop, and the bonfires have been enchanted to let the flames take fanciful shapes. Drinking games and dancing, storytelling and general partying all last clear into the evening, but once dusk falls, everyone gathers in the center square of the city for the fireworks show. The Three are there - the Witches Bryn and Hilda, and the Monster known as The Dragon, Starlight, or formerly Fafnir - with Nessie and Mhairi as guests of honor, and Hilda is the one to set off the first enchanted fireworks, after a brief speech thanking everyone for coming out to celebrate a year of freedom and independence with them. It's with bursts of colorful light in the night sky behind her that she seems to appear from nowhere: tall, dark and imposing, a sharp-eyed Witch that exudes power. Morgana Drummond is not alone, either, flanked by a dozen rough-worn Witches and a host of others. The chaos that ensues is immediate and violent. "All of this for me?" Drummond sneers. Attacks bounce off her, no matter how powerful - even Nessie's considerable spells. Witches will be able to sense the strong barrier spell close-fit around her body, and the others around her will not let Monsters get close. It's The Dragon who speaks, voice rough from disuse but loud enough: "How dare you return here-" "I built this city in all the ways that matter. I was never going to let you have it. You burned away my Dorchacht, so now I will make sure there is nothing left of yours but ashes." a. To Sleep, Perchance Unreachable, Morgana Drummond's form limns in a sickly violet light, the circle of a spell forming beneath her feet, steadily growing as her power gathers. So much magic gathered in one spot is bound to be felt by all the Mirrorbound, Witch and Monster alike, oppressive in nature as if it could steal the breath from your lungs. Perhaps it truly was a fluke that she was driven from Dorchacht, a happy accident caused by a timely distraction. The spell circle spreads, glowing, until it envelops the entire city, and it pulses once, blinding, before it sears itself across Dorchacht's streets and buildings in burnt lines and symbols. The fireworks continue to pop and burst overhead, casting shadows that seem suddenly sinister. Nothing happens for just a moment - and then all the people of Dorchacht collapse in waves. Next to a stunned Nessie and furious Mhairi, Bryn, Hilda, and the Dragon fall into a heap as well, the final three bodies to hit the ground. Mirrorbound and citizens of Aefenglom do not fall prey to the sleeping spell despite being in its area of effect. It happens in the span of just a few minutes, and then Morgana is gone in the blink of an eye, leaving her people to sow terror on the sleeping city. b. Battle on the Streets While she brought with her only a dozen Witches from her former Coven, she's collected a force in the Wilde. Blank-eyed rogue necromancers, mind controlled the way the Monsters of Dorchacht used to be, storm the streets controlling in turn their dead Monsters and creatures. A few even have with them dead Nuckelavee, which will require multiple fighters to take out. Wilders from Dorchacht gone missing on expeditions in the last year bear the signs of mind control as well - the ones who aren't dead, shambling around the necromancers. Maybe you recognize them, maybe you don't. Maybe you can help them, or maybe you can't. The mind control enchantments can be dispelled with a lot of effort or with the specific spells used often by the Resistance a while ago, for those who still remember it. In the slums of Dorchacht, the people who were convinced of Morgana's return, those who want to return to the days of slavery and terror, break free from the now-sleeping guards and failing wards that kept them contained and join the fighting, manic in their glee. The spell that put the rest of Dorchacht to sleep seems to slip right off them, perhaps sensing their loyalty to terrible causes. It is chaos, as the insurgents set fires and attack at will with magic, claws, weapons, anything they have. Mirrorbound will soon realize that they and the visitors from Aefenglom are not the only targets. The sleeping people of Dorchacht are ripe for the killing, unable to react or defend themselves. The fighting will continue into the night until the invaders are all dead or captured.

III. The Aftermath When the fighting ends, the work begins. An entire city deep in the throes of an enchanted sleep is a worst-case scenario that none of them could have predicted, even those who had a hunch Morgana didn't die out in the unexplored Wilde. Miss Nessie and Mhairi will remain on the scene helping to direct the aid efforts in the aftermath of the battle. Fires must be put out, corpses must be rounded up to be buried or burned, captured attackers must be secured and questioned, sleeping citizens must be whisked from the streets to safety and shelter, and buildings ensured to be safe in the meantime. Aefenglom's Coven are called in to assist, anyone who is available, and Mirrorbound help is more than welcomed. They will need everyone they can get to make sure not all is lost in this tragic attack. Nessie herself will ensure the Three are taken to safety in Aefenglom until the people of Dorchacht can be woken. Action needs to be taken quickly. Morgana needs to be found as soon as possible, and capable hands will be needed to search the Wilde far outside Dorchacht, the most likely place for her to go. More urgently, however, are the sleeping citizens. Nessie announces late the next evening, the normally-bubbly woman gone solemn and serious: "I believe I've found a counter-ritual for the spell that nasty woman used, I have. I will need your help, though, Mirrorbound. Volunteers only, of course, of course, as it's likely to be quite dangerous, though the Dreamers and I will take every precaution we can. Discuss among yourselves, decide if you're willing. Those who are, meet at the Coven at midnight on the 27th. It's not right to just leave them all like that, not right at all..."

Welcome to September's event log, Part 1 of The Price of Revolution! This event will continue in the TDM posted on the 21st, with a foray into purposeful dreamwalking. It will be a hybrid test drive and event that current characters will be allowed to top level on as well. Quests into the Wilde to search for Morgana will currently bear no fruit beyond small clues, but Part 2 in early October will deal with her whereabouts and her final fate. As always, direct your questions about the event HERE! And finally, for those who are wondering what's up with Dorchacht, we have a Setting update for you.

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Edelgard von Hresvelg | Fire Emblem: 3 Houses | Vampire

[unyieldingmarch]

Festivities

[Edelgard was not in the greatest of spirits of late, with the departure not only of two close friends, but also of one of her bonded...and so she had sought the party as a means of attempting to clear her head. It was a passing fair atmosphere as far as she was concerned, and it was a welcome break from her worries.

She can be found easily enough sitting by the bonfires sipping at a cool cup of dark liquid and eating idly, just because of the flavor more than for any real sense of nourishment. The Emperor also makes an appearance at the Fireworks display, staking out a place to sit and watch, most likely on a balcony set up for the purposes of viewing. Friends and new companions are welcomed with a smile, though Edelgard's focus does wander throughout the evening, so it's entirely possible to surprise her.]

Uninvited Guests

[Edelgard responds toe the threat as best she knows how. She's an absolutely savage, brutally efficient fighter even though she's dressed up for a party. Aymr is sadly at home in Aefenglom, but she's never unarmed. A silver saber flickers in her hand and she hurls herself into the fray to defend the inhabitants of the city.

Coming around a corner, white shirt and gloves absolutely covered with blood, Edelgard's blade snaps up, pointed at whoever is near. Realizing it's a Mirrorbound, she snaps out a question.]

There's trouble. Will you fight?

Aftermath

[Edelgard does not stick around in the aftermath of the battle. Not in a place filled with the wounded and dying. She has a tight control over her emotions, but she does not want to slip up and give in to her baser instincts. So she slips back through the portal, moving through the streets, heading home. She can be caught on the way there, or at home, or anywhere in between.]

Wildcard

[Wanna do something else? HMU at intercession]

[fabrications]

[ Akechi's not opposed to a fight, but this isn't his fight so he's really not feeling it. He just wants to find his Bonded and get the hell out of dodge.

But that's tricky when the fighting is everywhere, and even trickier when there's someone waving a sword in his face. Akechi falls back a step, energy briefly crackling at the tips of his fingers - but he makes the realization they're they're both Mirrorbound right as Edelgard does. He'll wait til she lowers her weapon to lower his, however. ]

There's no choice but to fight.

[ He'll let Edelgard decide for herself what he means by that. For now, he jerks his head back the way he came. ]

There's a pack of necromancers a few blocks that way. They don't have any of the Nuckelavee, but there's a lot of them.

[unyieldingmarch]

[Tilting her gaze around the youth, Edelgard sets her jaw, a fang slipping into view for a moment. Necromancers meant witch-blood, which would be extremely helpful right about now. The jolt of energy would be handy. And her clothing was woven to resist some magics, so it meant she was willing to try.]

Manageable. If we can get the jump on them, at any rate. Are you good at stealth, young man?

[She's not going in blind, but she can at least tell he's a witch of some sort.]

[fabrications]

[ Aha, a vampire. Akira was one, before he vanished, so Akechi can only imagine the sort of boost Edelgard might get from a pack of rampaging necromancers.

At the question about stealth... well, the situation isn't the least bit funny, but Akechi looks a touch amused all the same. ]

I have some experience.

[ To say the least. He dips a hand into one of his inner pockets and withdraws a small, folding leather case. ]

If you're willing to stay close, I know a spell that can make us both much harder to notice.

[ Truthfully, he'd still much prefer to bail out of this situation and keep going straight for safety. Edelgard seems confident with her sword in a way that isn't bluster, however, and she's a vampire on top of that. Sticking with her might delay his quest to safety, but he'd wager it'll increase his odds of survival. ]

uninvited guests

[sparkstrikes]

[It's definitely a good thing that Lightning didn't bother to dress up for the party. She's been scolded time and time again about bringing her gunblade with her anytime she leaves the house, and for perfectly good reason—in case things go sideways while she's out, just like they have now.

No time to think about that, though. She already has her gun raised in one hand when Edelgard rounds the corner, blade up. She eyes it, and the woman behind it, recognition flickering across Lightning's expression before she rounds on the brawls, watching as a burst of magic explodes against one of the nearby shops, shattering the glass windows.]

Already am.

[Her hand crackles with magic, but she doesn't wield it just yet, unsure of how effective it'll be against those more experienced with it. She clicks her tongue, wringing her wrist at her side to shake it away.]

Don't know how well a sword'll work in a magic fight, though.

[unyieldingmarch]

[Edelgard snorts, the blade's enchanted edge gleaming in the firelight.]

Don't count on that.

[She moves with a burst of inhuman speed, blurring as she charges towards Lightning, fuzzing out and bursting into mist just before colliding with the woman. The momentum of her rush carries the cloud of Vampire through the witch and she emerges just on the other side of one of Drummond's necromancers. Spinning, she cleaves the man's head from his shoulders with a swift slash and rounds in time to deflect a spell launched at her on the flat of the blade. That caster blinks, stunned, before starting to flee at her approach.

It's good to remember that witches are still just people.

It'd been worked with all sorts of defensive magic when she'd had it forged, a precaution. And she's all too eager to use it.]

[sparkstrikes]

[What Lightning lacks in magic, she makes up for in speed and strength, and damn good aim. The fleeing witch doesn't get far, stopped by a single bullet in the back that sends their body falling limp to the ground. That one won't be going anywhere very quickly.

There's another that's come out of nowhere, as if they've just teleported into the area, charging at Edelgard with fire magic charging at her fingertips.]

Behind.

[With her free hand, Lightning's own magic crackles as she spits a single spell at them, knocking their feet off balance just enough that it buys the other woman an extra second to take her down.]

festivities

[peacewithouttyranny]

[That's a face he hasn't seen in a while. Soundwave is around to learn about last year's revolution, mainly from secondhand retelling, but seeing a familiar face makes him incline to the other's company, should she not opposed to it. Maybe she was there when it happened. Can't. hurt to ask.

It's a little less obvious to notice Soundwave approaching in his holoavatar and his footsteps are near silent, taking the free spot by her side, red eyes glancing towards Edelgard.]

Hello...

[It's the first time they conversed like this, but Edelgard might've seen the avatar before, usually with Byleth and instructing her in how to use a gun.]

Re: festivities

[unyieldingmarch]

[Edelgard has paid vague attention to the strange avatar, but she hasn't really paid much attention to it beyond that. The voice is enough to tell her who it is, though.]

...Hello. [A pause.]

Some sort of illusion?

[peacewithouttyranny]

Something like that. It is a physical projection I can still interact with the world.

[It's the simplest explanation he could provide to her without using terms she wouldn't likely understand or are familiar with. He is glad that she's able to recognize him even in an entirely different form than the previous time they met.]

I use to form from time to time. It's easier to move around in the city or a party. [That, and it's not immediately attention grabbing like a large mech out on the street.]

Uninvited Guests

[finesseblade]

[ Felix's snarl in response is barely coherent, spit from the bloodied jaws of a muzzle half-formed, black-furred and elongated, but not fully a wolf's. He's only half-transformed, longer ears and sharper teeth, fur creeping across his palms, but he's not all the way there yet. The blood, the chaos, they make it easier, but this is no simple task without the sisters to guide him.

Words are difficult, and he doesn't have the time, so he grabs her by the arm and yanks her into the darkened alley that's become his hiding place. Claps a padded paw over her mouth, briefly, then pulls it away to clap it over his muzzle as it shrinks away, fur receding in favor of pale human flesh and a human face.

When he drops his hands and bares his teeth, they're still all wolf, pointed and sharp. He glances over his shoulder. Two children, sleeping—an older merrow girl, if the gently fluttering gill slits are any indication, and a younger boy propped against her, seemingly human.

He points over her shoulder. On the far side of the street, rotted forms caught briefly in the lantern light, stalk not one but two Nuckalevee. When Felix speaks it's with a rare quaver of genuine fear, softly as he can manage. ]

Quiet. Do not attract the attention of those beasts.

[unyieldingmarch]

[Were it anyone else, she'd probably have cleaved his hand off at the wrist with the silver of her sword. But, she recognizes Felix.

And she also recognizes the Nucklavees, and knows well the danger.

Nodding, the Emperor turns slowly to look back at the creatures that are currently padding down the street.

Looking to the children, she points up, towards the rooftop, and gives him a querying look.]

[finesseblade]

[ He does give that silver sword a brief, cautious glance, recognizing it for what it is by its sheen, but then he's following her gesture to the roof, blinking slowly. Ah. The high ground. They'd certainly be safer up there than down here.

...Unfortunately, another glance at his canine clawtips reminds him he's not built for climbing. Any effort to get up there is going to make quite a bit of noise, especially if he's carrying a child.

But there's no time for hesitation. Felix swivels around, bundling the girl into his arms, and then he's back a moment later, handing her off to Edelgard.

A tap on her shoulder, a meaningful look, and a claw pointed upward, then he's looking past her out to the street. You first. I'll watch.]

aftermath

[hegemonwings]

[ they'd been separated in the course of the chaos, of course. there was no time for grand battle lines or strategies in a situation like this, no space for the general and her emperor to stand alongside their battalions against the world. still, byleth reaches out for her presence once the fighting dies down, tracing her sense of where edelgard is. she's covered in blood, very little of it her own. the coat she'd come here in is in tatters, though the enchanted cloak has held its own.

she manages to catch up before long, thankfully, coming back through the portal. she catches sight of that familiar silver hair from behind, and... doesn't say anything, just moves to start closing the gap. she'd been back in her element as the ashen demon tonight, for better or for worse. ]

[unyieldingmarch]

[Edelgard turns when she feels Byleth approach, her movements stiff and jerky, a strangely bloated feeling in her belly. She hasn't resisted the urge to drink blood tonight. Quite the contrary, she's sated herself and done her best to ensure that these slavers died painfully. Savagely. Things likely evident in the bond.

Much like the relief that floods through her right now.]

You're not hurt badly, are you?

[hegemonwings]

[ byleth shakes her head, trying to draw herself out of her own mind. she doesn't feel entirely present, the haze of battle and bloodshed still lingering. she's there with edelgard in the bond, but even that has something of an incompleteness to it.

she wonders if she's not as accustomed to battle as she used to be. still, a slight smile crosses her face at edelgard's concern. ]

Nothing that can't be fixed. [ put her in front of a mirror and she could heal all of it herself. ] And you?

[bergamotrose]

[It was from the wrong end of her blade that Lorenz had finally made contact with Edelgard-- and, for once, he even seemed less pristine, less polished than he would in ordinary circumstances. Having attended the festival in his plain clothes, with only a pair of fortified hoof covers protecting and steadying him in the unfamiliar city, he was bereft of both his typical armor and famed lance. Instead his hair was messed with soot and debris, his sleeves ragged at the edges, and in his hands he bore a pike of sturdy wood, broken from the festival decor with the initial attack, which he was using as a makeshift polearm.

Underneath his sleeves was a faint glow of lines taking the shape of an intricate network of tree branches enwrapping his arm-- evidence of the magic tattoo he had contracted from Inkchanted months ago-- only just now finding use.

Scoffing in irritation, Lorenz tossed his hair over his shoulder and briefly cast his eyes around for emergent danger before replying.]

Of course I will, my Lady. [He said, as if it were the most obvious notion in the world.] There's a great many things to fight, but we must stop these fires. If they continue, there won't be a Dorchact left to rebuild!

[unyieldingmarch]

Good.

[The Emperor lets out a low, sharp growl and turns away, looking down the street with sharpened eyes. Her nostrils flare and she cants her head, studying the area.]

There's a troupe of people heading that way.

[She points.]

Out of the slums. And I smell torches. Likely, they'll be insurgents. And we should deal with them.

[bergamotrose]

[Deer-like ears briefly flick in the direction which Edelgard had indicated, twitching as Lorenz listened to the sounds. Solid leather smacking on cobblestone, the raucous shouts and cries as they maneuvered through the city.]

Agreed.

[He said tersely, not wasting time on florid language or manners. War was war; he didn't relish it, but it was a job that had to be done.]

How would you like to approach?

uninvited guests

[yesdoubt]

[The person she points her blade at is a Witch, one red-nailed hand gripping a large hunting knife and the other arm covered in what looks like a prepared written or drawn spell of some kind, glowing forms running down the forearm. His knuckles are far bloodier than his weapon is, and his shirt sleeves are ripped in several places, but most of the hits seem to be glancing. So far, at least.

While Momo eyes her for a single moment as if weighing up her intent, it's only the slightest of pauses before he nods.]

Can't let them think they'll get away with pulling this sort of shit again. [His voice is rather rough and coarse at the moment, though it's obviously directed at the general situation more than anything.] Any targets in mind or are we just going for whoever's closest?

[Momo has admittedly mostly just been savaging any necromancer he sees and taking down as many of their thralls as he needs to to do it. He can strategise, he's just not particularly in the headspace for it when he's this pissed.]

[unyieldingmarch]

The most efficient use of our time is taking down necromancers.

[That's all she feels the need to really say. She doesn't have much patience for battlefield banter, not when there is urgency to the situation.]

The Nucklavee are a bit much for a pair, as I don't have my primary weapon and armor. But the things controlling the thralls make for fine prey. I've seen a troupe of them up ahead, coming out of the slums.

Aftermath 1/2

[foundfamilies]

[Leslie went to bed a little earlier than usual last night. After all, all of her housemates and a majority of the other Mirrorbound were going to be away that evening, and the earlier she woke up in the morning, that was more time to potentially spend with Edelgard before she went to sleep for the day.

She considered staying up to welcome them home, but between a vampire, a man who barely sleeps, and someone who is close to both of them...who knows when they'll be back? And it's not like they really need someone to watch the house with the wards Hubert set up. Better to just finish a few, mostly animal-related chores, read in bed for a while (a highly theoretical book on personal enchantments, because it's Leslie), and then go to sleep.

When she woke up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, she noticed that she was still alone in the house. That's strange, but maybe they returned and went out again to somewhere in Aefenglom. It does make her take a look around the house to find that there is no sign that anyone besides her and the animals have been here since the other three members of the house left. That's worrying.

The sounds of Edelgard (and probably Byleth from the above thread and maybe Hubert, too) returning wake her from where she was dozing at the kitchen table, having not returned to bed as she fretted over why they still weren't back. She rubs the sleep from her eyes and, still holding onto Blackie the plush bunny, pads toward the door. She suppresses a yawn behind a hand.]

Welcome back, Lady Edelg --

2/2

[foundfamilies]

[That hand is well situated to stifle the scream when she actually sees the condition Edelgard is in. It's pretty difficult to tell at first glance how much of that blood belongs to Edelgard or to someone else.]

What happened? Have you seen a healer? I could call for one --

festival ayyy

[prayerwheel]

[ Ah, hey, there's a face she hasn't seen in a while. Azura's messaging someone on her pocket watch and frowning when she sees Edelgard walk by out of the corner of her eye. She should probably say something! Since, Corrin and all.

Instead she just sort of...dumbly calls out with her hand up. ]

...Lady Edelgard. Good evening.

[unyieldingmarch]

[Edelgard's been wrestling with it too, and...struggling to keep her head clear, but she's been quite bad about reaching out to anyone.]

Good evening, Azura.

[Offering a smile, she walks over.]

It's good to see you.