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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[yesdoubt]

[Any case of someone being followed by the people who invaded the city is worth Momo's attention, and the slums Witches in this case seem all too eager to reach their struggling quarry. When Momo gets close enough to actually see who it is, though, he pushes himself into a sprint and outright rips one of the pursuers from the ground, spins them for momentum and hurls them ahead into another one hard enough to knock them both out.]

Do I have your attention now or do I have to beat someone's face in first!? [Between his savage, snarled out challenge and the fact that two of the current group of pursuers just went down, the other two have their attention pulled from Mikasa somewhat reluctantly. They don't seem eager to take their focus off easy prey, but Momo looks positively murderous, sleeves ripped to shreds from taking claw slashes and knuckles covered in other people's blood, and ignoring him is probably a worse idea.

One of them moves ahead, seemingly to give the other one time to prepare a spell that doesn't look like any attack spell Momo knows of. The attacker flings out a amateurish spray of fire magic, but Momo's been doing barriers long enough that he can now throw up a basic one with barely any prep, and a pale pink shield appears to take the brunt of the hits before disappearing right as Momo bursts forward from behind it, seemingly to make good on that beating face in threat.]

Keep moving, Mikasa! [He's clearly confident in his ability to wipe the floor with them without her needing to hang back.]

[stopfen]

[He didn't need to tell her to keep moving. She hadn't stopped.]

I know- [Somewhat exasperated. Please ignore the hacking cough as she's forced to pause, check where she's putting her crutches as her vision blurred for a moment. It was probably a good thing Momo appeared. The witches hadn't used any fire spells as they'd been pursuing the fae. But now she knew, and it was all the more reason to get away.

She's not running, but she's doing her best.]

[yesdoubt]

[Momo drives his fist straight into the fire-throwing Witch's face the moment he gets near, so at least they won't get a chance to try and hit Mikasa considering they crumple under the impact and Momo gives them a few extra cracks in the head on the way down just to be sure. The second isn't aiming their spell at Mikasa, apparently - but Momo realises what it is the second it's sent at him and the back of his neck starts to burn before it even strikes.

He doesn't bother to shield, and the enemy Witch laughs victoriously, making a gesture as if pulling strings. "You're mine--!"

And then they scream as Momo lunges at them too fast to react and beats them as bloody as their friend. Shaking the red off his knuckles, he moves to catch up with Mikasa.]

I knew mind control wards would come in handy eventually. [Guess who got an anti-mind control magic tattoo literally the month he arrived. Mikasa clearly isn't going anywhere fast, which is not going to help, but maybe he can mitigate that. He's prioritising it over asking how the hell she ended up in this condition in the first place.] Do you want me to carry you or something? It'll be faster. Or I can try to disguise you as something else, they've got no fae on their side to see through it. Or both.

[The old Coven members might be experienced enough to counter an illusion, but they'd still have to cast a counter and that would mean identifying something off about her in the first place.]

[stopfen]

[The scream is ignored. She's used to doing that. Titans cause much more screaming. So the whole control attempt is missed.

What isn't missed. Is one of the witches tossing a bag into the air, then smashing it with a wind spell. Scattering the sparkling powder into the air, giving it a vague direction towards the fae. It was wind, so the control wasn't exact.]

Could you carry me? [It's blunt. Not asking him to carry her, but if he'd even be able to handle her wait. But then the dust hits and she's not quite freezing. But shaking her head, blinking her eyes, trying to get rid of the sting.]

[yesdoubt]

[Momo doesn't care enough what the dust is to even remotely hesitate in drawing up another spell and sending what looks like a very slightly blunted icicle shooting at the responsible party. He might not want to impale them, but it's a whole lot of blunt force that lands square in the side of the person's head, putting them down for the count for the foreseeable future. In general, he's just really not here to hesitate if there's any of the enemy Witches still in sight.

The fact that the dust doesn't seem to do anything to him despite it looking like it's giving Mikasa a bad time has him pretty set on what it probably is, though. So while he nods in answer to her question, he begins to instead draw a barrier spell on his arm, slightly more complex than just the simple ones he can throw down easily now.]

You really need to see the size of some of my juniors, if you're going to ask silly stuff like that. [He completes the spell and a pink bubble expands, covering the two of them and pushing back any dust that's still in the air. It might catch the fragments on Mikasa's skin or clothing as it passes over her and pull them away, but it's not so useful for anything that's gotten into her eyes since that's no longer an obvious foreign body to the spell.]

I made this to filter out spores during the Red Death stuff, so iron fragments should be way bigger than that. It'll hopefully cover our asses better if that's how they're playing it. Anyway - you didn't really answer my question. Carrying, disguise, what kind of help do you prefer?

[Because she's getting help regardless. He's not the type to let someone limp themselves to safety in ten times as long as necessary because pride or something.]

[stopfen]

Some of the people who've said that, dropped me. [Yes, she was still going to be indignant about it. But it'd happened back home enough times for her to be wary of it. Though that was back home, here? People had been able to lift her pretty easily. But they'd been monsters, stronger than humans by nature. Much to her annoyance.

She wasn't even moving at this point. Unable to see, eyes watering to much even with her trying to blink them clear.] A disguise? What- Don't I have to get away from here? [A disguise was well and good if the air hadn't been burning grit. Though it might work if that barrier remained up.] Have the others set up a base to go to?

[She was a little out of the loop. Thanks to Eren grabbing her and dropping her off on top of a building out of the way. Until she was in the way.]

[yesdoubt]

Was that before or after you shrunk? [That and he knows harpies lose body weight in the form of hollow bones, so he does feel like there has to be some kind of weight consideration for Monsters that fly that makes them easier to lift. But he would have been confident either way bar Mikasa surprise weighing a ton, since he knows muscle adds a lot of weight to someone.]

Anyway, yeah, we need to move, but if I cast an illusion on you then they're not going to see you as a fae and you're less likely to have to deal with someone else trying this or worse. [He waves a hand at the iron dust outside the barrier.] There's too much chaos for a base in all this, but somewhere you can hide and barricade where nobody's going to look is better than being out here.

[Momo is thinking more cellar or sneaky basement. A locked and reinforced door that looks undisturbed is going to do a lot to deter opportunists.]

[stopfen]

[Enjoy your non-answer of a small, grumbly growl. The true answer to his question was both. But she's relenting. Slowing down enough for him to attempt to lift her.] How do you want to try this then?

[She doesn't argue the idea of the illusion with it explained. Partly because she couldn't really do that herself. She'd managed to cast one whole illusion since getting a witch bond and the magic that came with it. It wouldn't have been enough to hold up in this situation.]

And you can do this quickly? [Enough to make it be worth the risk they'd be taking if they stood around. She did have a question about the hiding up somewhere part, but for now there was bigger things to worry about.]

[yesdoubt]

Yeah, I'll do it before I pick you up. [Illusion is the type of magic Momo has been doing the longest, so he can do certain spells without much prep at all by now. This isn't one of them, but it's still nowhere near the kind of messing around he'd have to do with a spell type he'd learnt more recently.

Visualising how he remembered Mikasa to look when they'd arrived here, before she'd started really changing, he scrawls a symbol on either one of his wrists, reaches out to either side of her head, and snaps his fingers. Though she likely won't feel any change, if she looks down she'll look the same as she did back when she was fully human.

As for the carrying, Momo moves in front of her and bends down slightly. Her legs are clearly messed up since she's using a cane, but if she can hold on with her hands and maybe even one of her legs, it'll leave him more open to defend them both.]

Do you think you can hold on for me to carry you on my back? It'll leave my arms freer and probably help if you're worried about the weight part.

[He can put more of his legs into it that way.]

[stopfen]

[She nodded. Tilting her head a little while he did his thing. She'd not seen many people cast. Normally they'd speak or point, she hadn't seen one...poke at their own wrists? But the finger snap made sense enough.

Being a fae, she saw little of the changes. Only seeing the illusion of nails on her chitin covered hand that was still clutching the crutch.]

Yeah. I've done this before. [She's still giving a huff as she fiddle with her crutches. Trying to work out how to not drop them as got her lift. She settled for tucking them under one arm and wrapping the other arm loosely around his shoulders. Wincing as she lifted her bad leg.

She'd leave the good one on the ground for now while he adjusted.

...This was a lot more awkward to the last time she had to do this. It was probably due to her not having enough functioning limbs to carry things but still...He may have been knocked slightly as she tried to keep ahold of her crutches.]

[yesdoubt]

[Momo shifts slightly as she gets herself onto his back, though the crutches do seem to be a bit of an issue with one arm. Between that and the bad leg, he is wondering how much lift she's going to get out of it.

Though he might be knocked a bit, he stands steadfast, apparently not too bothered by it. It does make him think on potential other options for them, though.]

Do you think maybe you could kind of...trap your crutches between us? Put them against your torso or something so they're pressed between that and my back. Then you could use your other hand to hold on. Obviously we need to bring them with us, but if you drop off my back somehow you're probably not gonna be going anywhere fast anyway, so I dunno that holding them is that useful compared to how awkward it seems to be for you.

[He doesn't mind the opportunity to adjust to her weight, at least, though it's about what he would've expected taking into account her size against her muscle mass.]

[stopfen]

[That hard shell covered arm tightens it's grip as she wiggles. Shuffling the crutches around, giving a little huff. There was no winning here, eiether he'd be stuck with the crutches ocassionally bumping into his side. Or he'd have to deal with the wooden frames being pressed into his back.

Everyone was uncomftable with this. Even if comfort wasn't a priority at the moment. Then her free arm is clinging as well.]

... If it comes down to it. I've got my wings. [In a fight, the wings were usless. She was an easy target in the air with nothing to hide behind. Not when fire and projectiles were there.] I won't be able to go far or carry you though.

[She was still getting used to the whole flying thing. How to carry her weight, it was very different to the gear.]

[yesdoubt]

[Uncomfortable as the arrangement might be, Momo doesn't seem to mind. He's not really the type to openly admit when he's uncomfortable with something anyway, and if it's short term like this to help someone else, all the more so.]

I'll be fine if you have to ditch me, it might be good as a last resort if we get caught up in something. [Not even his harpy Bonded has offered to carry him around anywhere just yet, so he tends not to assume a winged Monster can carry a passenger unless they're a Dragon.] I just figure that's not so much a solution for anything but a quick escape since you'll be a pretty obvious target in the air, and if they can see your wings then they'll know what you are and there's nothing stopping a repeat of that.

[He points outside the bubble, to where the iron dust has mostly settled more onto the ground by now.]

[stopfen]

[At least it wasn't as uncomfortable as carrying someone in full gear. Having the buckles and straps digging into skin as they clung on... Maybe she was getting spoilt. At having just a bit of wood pressing.]

If it comes to that. Hopefully, we'll be near tall buildings... I need cover. [Because she was a big fae. One whose wings were... Probably too small for her weight.

She could fly, but it took a lot of effort. And she couldn't lift weights to increase her stamina. She looked at the dust for a moment, sighing, an antenna flopping and poking at her lift's head.]

That dust is annoying. My wings kick it up when I use them...I've got an enchantment against it but... [He might have noticed the new addition on her pointed ears. A little silver stud in each one that seemed to glow. The trace amounts of iron still setting off their protection. But it waned. They weren't made to stand this much, only a few minutes holding an iron bar.]

[yesdoubt]

Dorchacht's pretty industrial, there'll be a few around. That's one advantage of this kind of construction. [Brutalism doesn't exactly look the nicest, but at least there's always a big solid block of something or other to climb onto when problems start happening.

Once Mikasa is decently on, Momo will start moving, hopefully out of the iron dust zone soon enough. He has his arms helping hold her up for now, looping around her legs where he can manage it, but he's obviously not aiming for her to put her full weight there, just giving a bit of a boost while they're not being attacked and he doesn't need them for something else.]

Those earrings? I didn't think you were the type to accessorise like that, an enchantment would explain it.

[Earrings can be easily ripped out in a fight by someone sufficiently determined, so he wouldn't have expected her to get them normally, but they did look a bit odd and that kind of enchantment would need to be bound to something she could have on her at all times.]

[stopfen]

I just wish I knew what walls were strong enough to hold up. [Like the building she'd been hiding in before had been almost wholly stone...Except for the decorative floor and support beams. And once those beams went it was time for her to go.]

Yeah...What type of thing...[Eh, she snorted. Now probably wasn't the time to ask. She'd gotten the earrings cause the enchantmeant could be split between them, and her ears had stopped changing months ago and that it seemed harder for them to fall off on their own.]

[yesdoubt]

If there's anything that's meant to hold valuable items, like a bank or museum or fancy shop or whatever, try those. If someone's pouring a bunch of money or value into something, they're gonna want it kept somewhere that won't fall down at the first wind.

[Considering Dorchacht is fairly practically built in most ways, he'd be surprised if there were too many buildings with easy construction weaknesses. Clearly they need to find one that's basically just a block of concrete.]

[stopfen]

[What's a museum?? But it's paired with bank and a fancy shop, she's assuming it means money. Something he confirms.]

Yeah, these people seem more interested in lives than money. [Which meant somewhere like that would be safe to some degree. Still, she sighs.] I hate this. Having to hide...

[yesdoubt]

That too, but the thing about structural integrity still stands. [Since it means that even if they do try something on the building just as a matter of course, it's less likely to become unstable on her.]

Sometimes you don't really have a choice. You're not in any shape to fight back right now, so nobody can fault you for trying to stay alive and minimise how much risk you're at that might put someone else in danger protecting you.

[He'll go the practical angle on this one, because while he feels like protecting herself is enough excuse, he knows some people don't take it so well unless it's framed less "selfishly".]

[stopfen]

[She sighs. Shell covered hand clinging as they moved.]

I know that... [She knew that very well. She'd promised to be more careful so no one was endangered by her recklessness again. To belive that others were capable enough.] And you're risking yourself.

What will you do? Once we get somewhere safe.

[yesdoubt]

As long as it's safe enough for you to stay there on your own, head back out. I want to help as much as I can, and I can't really do that if I'm in a protected area since there's still so many people caught up in this.

[If she ends up needing it, he'll have her back, but in this case his desire to make sure as many people as possible are safe is overriding his reluctance to leave someone alone in the middle of this, even if they are relatively safe.]

[stopfen]

[She gave a small hum, going silent for the rest of the journey with everything discussed and a slight plan. Keeping her ears open and antenna trying to scent the air for anything coming towards them.]

[yesdoubt]

[Momo relies on his eyes and ears to figure how likely it is they might run into trouble, but also largely keeps to the alleyways when he can, rather than streets. Both on the logic that any force that's going to be in an alleyway won't be a very large one, and that most of the antagonistic parties are going to be focusing on where they can do the most damage, which is where all the people are.

One or two thralls that have wandered a bit too far from their owner need Momo to drop one arm from Mikasa to deal with, using his elemental magic to freeze them in place so he doesn't have to spend more time than that dealing with them (or risk that whoever's controlling them might sense one being cut off). Finally, however, they pass a nondescript, sturdy-looking building that appears intended for practicality and very little else, and Momo darts into the doorway, opening it and heading through before anyone else shows up on the street they're on closer than the fight that seems to have broken out a few blocks down from where they are.

It takes him a moment to figure out what it is in comparison to his own world, but an advertisement for special stamp designs to commemorate the anniversary of the revolution gives it away.]

Well, it's not what I thought of originally, but post offices are usually pretty solid too. There's still plenty of old ones around in my world.

[stopfen]

[She just hung out, her arms wrapped around him and ready to take flight if needed. The ice magic made her cringe.

But then he's found a place. For a moment she keeps looking around, then she wiggles pulling a crutch loose. Wedging under her arm on her bad side, okay she's ready to be put down.]

Are they? [She'd never heard that one before. Course buildings within the walls were built to keep the elements out, or attempt to. It wasn't possible to move enough stone to make a single house titan-proof. But she sighs, her head dipping a little.]

I guess this is it? ... I'll see you in the city. [It might have sounded grim. If it weren't for the certaintiy that they'd meet again.]

[yesdoubt]

[Momo lets her down slowly, letting her get her crutches under her before he extracts himself from the crouched position. It's not really something he likes, not being able to do more than this, but given the circumstances he can't really expect to be able to do everything for everyone.

That doesn't stop him looking a touch concerned at the farewell, though.]

I guess. I'll leave the illusion up just in case something happens, it'll wear off in maybe an hour or two anyway...do you want me to shield the door or something? I'm just thinking it might make the place stand out more if any of the enemies are sensitive enough to magic residue, which the ones from their old Coven might be.

[Also known as the worst ones to be dealing with, which is why he's not so enthused by the idea.]