☆ Event Log: Snatched, Part Two

[faileas]

Event Log: January, Snatched - Part Two

I. A Great Escape (20th, Evening) It's been a miserable six days for the Mirrorbound and refugees kept locked away in a basement cell block, subject to all kinds of torment and experimentation. They're a resilient sort, though, and their efforts to organize and bolster each other are not in vain. As the time passes with no sign of the City Guard drawing close to their operations, the Rathmore family grows overconfident, and characters can hear them talking to each other about another mass-kidnapping in the works. The best opening comes late on the night of the 20th. A few of the family's numbers are out - notably, Thomas Rathmore, his wife, and his mother are attending an emergency meeting of Parliament, and Constance is making an appearance at the Coven. This leaves the more inexperienced cousins in charge, the lesser known Rathmores with no particular skill outside of cruelty. Changing of the guard begins as usual, a handful of Rathmores delivering some sparse rations and taking their time to choose a few prisoners to remove from their cells, but this time, the Mirrorbound bite back. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Daenerys and Asura, along with the prisoners preparing an organized revolt, a fire started in the torture room provides chaos and cover - and one dead Rathmore cousin, whose body gives up some of the keys to a handful cells. Time to play the cards you've held close to your chest over days of torture, your held-back spells, your tricks, your items that weren't confiscated. A mass escape isn't likely, with so many people still present in the building and so many of the captives injured and tired, but with enough of a distraction in the form of a prison riot, which may be enough to overpower the three Rathmores initially left in the cell block, a handful of scrappy Mirrorbound may make it out to safety before reinforcements arrive. a. The Escape Attempt There is one door out of the cell block, the main, heavy, warded door that the Rathmores enter and exit from every few hours. It's locked down tight - but it's possible to power through it, pick the lock, or charm it open. On the other side of the door, in the greater basement area, they'll find themselves free of the Bond dampening. Witch magic make take some time to return, depending on whether they were drugged or only charmed, but it'll be important to move quickly. The Rathmores' basement area is large - the size of the mansion above and the grounds put together, and they'll find themselves on the lower of two levels. The cellblock turns out to be a room within an even bigger room, with the stairs at the opposite end. The dangers are numerous: magical and mechanical traps set in areas marked off-limits, illusions intended to confuse and turn people around. There is only one completely safe path from the cellblock door to the stairs, unless they take the time to disarm the traps and illusions with their returning magic and abilities. That safe path is faster but more exposed, with two or three Rathmores in pursuit, and also the other people that could occasionally be heard outside the door - young aristocrats in on the kidnapping, who thought the Mirrorbound would be sent home. They're just as surprised to see you as you are them. In fact, it's not difficult to overpower these non-Rathmore kidnappers; they're obviously shocked to see Mirrorbound still here, in such states, and some are quite angry, or scared to learn what they've inadvertently gotten themselves into. A good handful flee instead of fight, but some others follow through on the shouted orders to go after you. Use the chaos your appearance causes to your advantage. Once escapees reach the upper basement level, up the stairs and through a hidden door, a few more traps remain, but up here, it looks more like a normal basement; servants' quarters, empty for some time now, storage rooms full of antiques, and winding hallways connecting them. It's easier to hide in this dusty maze to escape any pursuers, and eventually, they find the servants' exit out onto the back grounds. From there, freedom is just a run and a decorative, wrought-iron fence away. b. The Chaos Back in the cells, everything descends into chaos. The Rathmores are furious; while two or three of the cousins go after the escapees, the rest begin to gather down in the cell block, put out the fire, and the interrogations begin. They don't bother taking prisoners out to torment them now - they can't, with their torture room charred and smokey. Their main focus is forcing prisoners back in, and locking everything down with magic and heavy chains, to ensure no one else gets out. They grow more vicious now, and they begin speaking directly to the captives - they want to know which ones got free, how they managed it, who helped them, where they're going, who they're going to tell. Those who refuse to talk will be gagged or muzzled or simply beaten without finesse, and they'll move on to the next captive. Preying on the Mirrorbound's camaraderie with each other is the tactic they quickly turn to, hurting one to try and make another talk. The talk outside the main door grows louder in these few hours, angrier. Occasionally one of the Rathmore cousins will go out to spin some lies, or simply shout down any protesting. Some of the enchantments were damaged in the riot, though - they can hear you, just as well as you can hear them, muffled but still mostly clear. The more they hear from within, the more the confusion outside grows; all the better for the escaped Mirrorbound. ..."What's going on? Those were Mirrorbound that got out-" "We thought you were sending them home!" "You told us there was no risk, that this would make them leave-" "You don't need to worry about that! Go back upstairs!" "Someone needs to get a message to our Uncle Thomas immediately-"... They're all panicking as their grand plans, flimsy as they may have been, start to crumble around them. It's just a matter of time, now. The OOC post for the escape plotting is here if anyone needs to refer back to it! Eight characters will be escaping first thanks to a joint effort. The rescue will be underway within two hours of their escape, but those two hours are likely to be unpleasant for characters who remain in captivity. Any NPC maimings or proposed deaths need to be reported on the City Tracker; please note that mass murder / killing NPCs will still have consequences and needs mod approval first, but we're happy to work with players however we can.

II. The Cavalry (21st, Very Early Morning) The City Guard is closer than the Rathmores think. Thanks to Mirrorbound investigative help, not always strictly legal but still appreciated nonetheless, they've all followed the clues back and determined a possible address. By the evening of the 20th, several members of the Guard and Witches from the Coven, along with any Mirrorbound who followed the trail, are camped out at a manse nearby, the home of a wealthy widow eager to see her nasty neighbors knocked down a peg. Without solid evidence, the Guard can't get a warrant cleared to search the property owned by a Mr. Barclay, assistant to Thomas Rathmore, but solid evidence comes as soon as eight Mirrorbound manage to fight their way out of captivity, returning to friends and Bonded. They are the last piece of the puzzle, and now legal action can be taken. Theodore Rosethorne, leading a small group from the Coven, sends out a magical message to just the Mirrorbound - they've been found. Anyone who wishes to help bring their missing fellows home, anyone who can help with much-needed healing, or anyone who wishes to bring their captors to justice needs to show up now, because time is of the essence. The Guard can't mobilize more men quickly enough in the middle of the night to be useful and they need all the hands they can get, without a floor plan of the mansion or solid ideas of the captors' numbers. They can barely wait an hour for more hands to arrive before it begins. a. The Rescue Sowilo, Theodore's Bonded Fae and a skilled hand at illusions (and seeing through such), leads the rescue efforts, along with some of Theodore's Witches from the Coven. With information from the escapees, they plan to go through the back, take the servants' exit, and make their way down to the basement levels, while Theodore's assault team will go through the front doors, making as much noise as possible. Sowilo's illusions will keep their presence masked at least until they get into the house. The aim is to get through as quietly as possible, find the cellblock, and secure a safe route to take the prisoners out without them getting hurt any worse than they are. It's easier said than done. Magical and mechanical traps of various types litter both basement floors, and heavy illusion work has been placed to obscure the way. Splitting into smaller groups to disarm the traps and deal with the illusions will be necessary, as the entire group will make its way down to the cellblock as quickly as possible. Sowilo hopes they face little to no resistance, with Theodore's group doing their job, but a few, Rathmores and otherwise, are bound to try and stop them; in that case, they will have to fight. "Make sure you can argue a case for self-defense, if you have to hurt them," Sowilo will tell the rescuers and later the freed prisoners on the way out, wings fluttering agitatedly. "Let them be arrested and publicly humiliated in court - ruin their whole family line for generations to come." He's not happy about it either, and will overlook some of the captors getting a taste of what they deserve, but deaths are not permitted on his or the Witches' watch: anyone who takes things too far will find that the person they're attacking has simply vanished - a convincing illusion - before they're handily knocked out with a spell. They face less resistance than the assault team, but less is not none; a few of the Rathmores are determined to salvage their efforts, and some of their unwitting aristocratic cronies have sided with them. Once they reach the cellblock, dismantling the enchantments that keep the prisoners restrained and addled is the first order of business for some. Others can start unlocking cells and helping people out of their restraints. Protection for the escapees on their way out will also be necessary, as well as medical attention back at the temporary base camp. The main focus has to be on those lost friends and loved ones, bringing them back out to freedom and making sure they're tended to - not on revenge. b. The Assault Theodore Rosethorne, along with some members of the City Guard and some Witches from the Coven, leads the assault. While the rescue team goes around the back, they plan to go through the front door, as loudly and conspicuously as possible. The mansion is large and needs to be swept from top to bottom for perpetrators and evidence that can be used in court. Those joining up with this team are warned that it needs to remain legal - the Mirrorbound and the refugees, all of them, have a very shaky, uncertain legal status within the city, and a mass murder could severely harm what good will they have from the locals as well as their status here. After all, many are still neutral to positive on the Mirrorbound, but that could change in an instant. The Coven will take as much responsibility as they can, but they cannot accept the blame for a senseless slaughter. Splitting into smaller groups will be necessary in order to cover more ground quickly. The aim is to locate, subdue, and arrest as many of the culprits inside as they can. The Guard provides magic-suppressing cuffs, and the Coven a basic knock-out spell, but since many will not go so willingly, some degree of force may be unavoidable. If there's one thing the rich fear, it's a legal black mark on their family name and reputation - the Rathmores will fight back harder than their underlings, but they're also the ones they need alive to face the justice system. Those outside the family, those who only knew about the kidnapping portion, are a mixed bag - some might fight back, siding with the Rathmores, but some might give themselves up once the realization of what happened in that basement sinks in. Once they make their entrance, things move quickly. Several wealthy aristocrats either flee or fight, but their attention is thankfully pulled away from the basement and toward the upper levels. There are dozens of rooms to search, and many are cluttered with an old hoarding family's antiques, furniture piled against doors and windows blocking access to some areas, hundreds of nooks and crannies among the sheer amount of stuff provide cover for culprits to hide in. It's going to be work to ferret them all out and bring them in. Worse still, the Rathmores have collected dozens of cursed or enchanted objects that may be used as weapons against the forces of justice. Some degree of force is expected, but still if anyone tries to take things too far, they might find themselves slapped into cuffs or knocked out with a spell themselves. Any NPC maimings or proposed deaths need to be reported on the City Tracker; please note that mass murder / killing NPCs will still have consequences and needs mod approval first, but we're happy to work with players however we can.

III. The After (21st On) Activity continues all through the night and late into the morning at the former Rathmore estate. All the Rathmores and a couple dozen other wealthy aristocrats are brought out in cuffs over the course of several hours, while all the prisoners are liberated to receive medical attention and reunite with their loved ones. The Guard take statements from everyone who will give one - what they witnessed, what happened to them, what they know - and all who were affected are told they will be invited to testify at trial. A gathering crowd forms at the end of the street, wealthy neighbors aghast at the horrors they're learning had occurred right in their District. Most are disgusted with the once-prominent family. On the steps of the Parliament building, Thomas Rathmore, his wife, and his mother, all sitting members of Parliament themselves, are publicly arrested in front of colleagues and on-lookers early in the morning. Constance Rathmore is taken out of the Coven roughly in magic-suppressing cuffs, surrounded by a small group of furious Witches, students of the Coven who spent the week trying to find the missing Mirrorbound and refugees with Divination. They escort her to the prison themselves. All who are arrested are transported to holding cells of their own within the City Guard - all except those requiring urgent medical attention, who will remain cuffed to their hospital beds until trial. Nessie and Mhairi make an appearance at one point to give the Mirrorbound their sincerest apologies for what happened, and Mhairi delivers the news that they're pushing for an expedited trial in Parliament, in order to keep Thomas Rathmore from bribing any contacts. They, along with Theodore and Sowilo, and the Guard, are all open and forthright with what will happen next: public trial and a certain conviction, followed by sentencing. They don't expect that the Rathmores will get away lightly; what they did is too public and too horrific for even the anti-Mirrorbound wealthy to stomach. Those others who were involved, who weren't aware of what was going on behind that metal door, they'll still face justice themselves, no doubt. In the meanwhile, those kept hostage will need all the help they can get to reach something resembling normal again. Hug your loved ones, nourish your Bonds with each other, and begin trying to heal together.

Welcome to Part Two of January's event log, Snatched! An aftermath summary of the trial and sentencing will go up on Feb. 4, the day after the City Tracker deadline, so get your submissions in if you have them! More politically-oriented characters may find an opening in the near future to enact change within Parliament and provide their own representation within the city...

And as a general reminder, please make sure to use content warnings where necessary in your headers!

Comments

Lady Maria | Bloodborne | Check headers

[whomthebelltolls]

[1: A grand Entrance - CLOSED to Kaede]

[It was almost a race to see who could get ready to leave faster after the announcement, and while Maria's long-legged stride was good at eating up distance, she had to stop herself from teleporting as many of the short distances as possible. Partially to save her magic, but partially because she couldn't bring Kaede with her without draining herself yet more.

She'd not been doing a lot of the investigating, because she knew she wouldn't be able to hold her temper, and she was trying to hold tempers for two people at this point, which is a unique level of difficulty made possible only through Bonds™. Honestly, her presence in showing up, instead of waiting to see what happened might turn out to be a Mistake, but she has to go.

She has to find whoever is hurting her Bonded and she has to see them pay, in a way that will satisfy the side of her that grew up in a world where it was kill or be killed.

The briefing is what she expects - they're a prominent family, and any grievous harm done to them will quite possibly turn the whole city on the Mirrorbound. The complacency of peace that has settled over this whole town has made her soft, she thinks, that she actually considers it, and turns toward her companion. Her voice is soft; only Kaede should be able to hear it, especially with everyone else listening so intently to Theodore.] Then we consider death a mercy - and they deserve none. Not when it is also clear this city values its criminals more than us, and we will have eyes at our backs. We'll deal with Aefenglom's duplicity later. If it must be self defense, then we give them a reason to attack us first, and we subdue them quickly. Enjoy what blood you can draw quickly.

[She eyes the front door, and just as the briefing ends, as everyone gets into position, she moves. There's a sentry, uneasily watching the door, and he seems to hear something, so he's on alert. What he's not expecting is a whole ass Witch - and a giantess of a woman, pale as a ghost, intimidating as a chimera, just appearing next to him in a flash of teleporting magic. He moves into a startled swipe of a punch that Maria dodges easily, grabs him by the arm, twists him around, points his back at the door...

... And then shoves her boot into his stomach as hard as she can, sending the weight of a whole human into the wooden door. It cracks around the hinges, and the door latch breaks open, and gives way noisily as it collapses, leaving him winded, probably with a cracked rib or two, and dazed, but ultimately alive and with more or less minor injuries.

And, while the house springs awake, and the rest of the Strike Force catch up to her, Maria waits just past the threshold for Kaede. Once she sees the Monster, or even feels her; she's expecting the oozing cascade of shadows more than a physical being, she turns her head toward her.]

Now. Roar. [Maria's voice is very soft, but it raises at least enough to be heard over the din of footfalls.] Let them know the end of this charade has come.

[Fight us.]

[2: Cool Down Hug Time - CLOSED to Alex]

[Somewhere in the house, there's a Rathmore or two with a few injuries. There may or may not be one still strung up - mostly unharmed, but very indignant as she tries to hold her skirts down and not show her underwear to all the city guard and Mirrorbound - by their ankle from an exposed pipe in the ceiling of one of the rooms. There's a lot of upended and broken furniture.

It's once Maria's sure every one has been ferreted out, arrested, and the few that would fight back have met her fists and the flat of her swords, that she finally relaxes her watch - on the Rathmores and the City Guard - to follow the gentle pull of her Bond, now that it's back. (And when the spell had been released on it, she'd nearly fallen over by the way things fell back into place and just felt... better. The part of her that had been missing returned, with all the grace of dropping a heavy metal grate over a hole.)

She pulls her gloves off as she approaches - there's splatters of blood on them, though not an excessive amount, it's obvious she'd hurt one or two of the people here, but perhaps not grievously. There's also one curled splatter of blood up the front of her pants, and a bit on one of her knees. None of it appears to be from her, though she's got a couple bruises and magical burns. They're unimportant.

She kneels before Alex as she looks her over, eyes pausing on every wound, every scrap of gauze. The motion isn't just deference - it's nearly submissive, with the slump of her broad shoulders. And she reaches forward, gently curling her unblooded, though overheated, calloused, and a little bit sweaty, hands around Alex's.] My apologies this took so long. Are any of your wounds grievous?

[3: Now This Looks Like A Job For Me - OPEN mostly to CR]

[In the time of the aftermath of things, Maria's goal is sequential - first and foremost to check on Alex, but then afterwards Fugo, as he's her roommate and part of that strange... fellowship they'd all developed in the imposing Victorian mansion she lived in, then people like Ursula, and Connor, and Gwen and Lex, and the rest of those who had closer connection to her. Those she can't find immediately, are more than free to come to her, and she'll greet them with a-] ... You are alive. Good. [Uh. She tried.]

[Finally, in the hours and days after the event, she goes to find those that weren't captured or badly injured. She needs to talk to them, to talk about what is going to happen to the Rathmores. She feels like an agitated tiger that needs to pace with the restlessness she feels when Alex is sleeping or otherwise doesn't need her attention. She needs to find out their thoughts, their concerns. She has many, and she would like to share them.

It feels like things are about to get worse, before they get better.]

1

[long_live_the_queen]

[It was hard. It was hard, to keep from clawing that uptight guard in the face when he'd bleated about restraint and legal justice, as if that was justice for Ursula's suffering at all.

Maria's presence, the remaining active Bond that was dragging her leash back, had been the one thing that kept her from lashing out. The Chimera's claws were still so tightly clenched into fists the sharp points cut into her palms, her jaws aching from clenching her teeth together.

She'd follow Maria's instruction. No others. The Chimera had vanished into the dark in disgust, following the tall Witch's long stride like a second shadow. Ears that weren't there pricked at the sound of the pale woman's voice; the shadow growled at being denied the vengeance she desired, demanded, for yet a second time.

But she didn't strike out. She'd listen. She'd obey. She'd spring the Rathmores' trap so Ursula, so Fang could be free.

When Maria charged the door, hurled the man through it like a battering ram--the shadows laughed, cold and mirthless as a hyena's cackle. When Maria called for her, the shadow answered--the Chimera's physical form stepping out into the light, posture so hunched her claws almost scraped the ground. It would be too bright in here to maintain the shadow form, anyway. Not without some...adjustment.

But first, they'd need to announce their presence.

So she does. Oh, she does. The thunderous sound that tore out of her throat wasn't human anymore, echoing from every pane of glass and gaudy metal furnishing, the cacophonous noise tearing from one end of the vaulting foyer to the other. The room, its acoustics intended to carry the noise of voices and thrum of music, now hosted the presence of a Monster's dammed up rage.

Frightened shrieks came from further within the house, sleepers startled awake, idle attentions dragged to the fore instead of whatever frivolity they wasted their time with.

Kaede smiled, a grin that showed all her sharp teeth.]

[whomthebelltolls]

[She doesn't like it any more than Kaede does, and that is made eminently clear across their Bond, but... so is the firm hand that says in not so many words but it must be this way. No matter how impotent it makes her rage feel, how she's wound like a coiled spring, but can't find the proper kind of release. But they cannot. Not with so many scrutinizing eyes. Not with the way she knows those cuffs and those spells can be turned right back onto them.

The howl-roar makes the hair on the back of Maria's neck stand up, puts all her Hunter instincts on full alert. That is certainly the sound of a Beast and it gives her a moment of grim satisfaction. Never did she consider a Hunter would work so closely alongside a Beast. But she enjoys it, with or without the implications it brings along. They have a job to do. There's a chaotic cacophony of noises - doors slamming open or slamming shut and being barricaded, the guard, and Coven, and Mirrorbound storming the front door in a steady stream, shouts of orders and to split up being yelled. Maria has no interest in working with any of the rest of these people, though she sees one of the guards hang back and eye her and Kaede. Upstairs, a hapless youngster barely old enough to grow a beard stumbles out onto the landing of the foyer, squawks something about "Intruders! It's the Guard and the Coven!" and runs back down the hallway.

Well, that's what Maria was waiting for. She reaches over to grab what of the horrific shadow abomination at her side she can, focuses hard... and teleports them both up to the landing, though seeing it from the bottom means the landing is very rough.

It does give them a nice, unspoiled hallway to have fun in. The youngster keeps running in terror, and Maria teleports the distance between them, hauling him right off his feet, clasping one hand briefly over his squalling mouth, then tossing him back toward the Chimera, unceremoniously, but ultimately... still not killing him.] Cuff him!

[long_live_the_queen]

[That roar left her throat feeling strained and scraped raw by the sound, but finally giving voice--in the most literal way possible--to all the anger and frustration building in the course of this wretched week...there was no replacement. Or regret.

When she felt a hand grabbing her, Kaede tensed--but she felt the touch reflected twice, in her mind and the pale Witch's. The stiffness of her shoulders faded, by a measure--just in time to feel her stomach dropping out of her body as they both vanished from the prying eyes on the ground and reappeared on the landing that man had stumbled away from. The Chimera's feathers, caught between a physical shape and the shadowy one, trailed the ephemeral dark like smoke. The landing jarred her ankles, but her limbs were more than springy enough to handle it.

And her gaze locked on the target in front of her, all those discomforts forgotten. Maria got to him first, teleporting in front of him and cutting off his escape. The man reeled, Maria caught him--and threw him back, as effortlessly as if he were made of crumpled paper.

For a brief moment, Kaede's vision flashed red. The Chimera snarled, raised her claws to meet him and tear the limbs from his body--

The Bond yanked her back, like a dog overreaching its chain and jamming its own collar into its throat. Stop. Ssstop. The Chimera's teeth closed--on empty air, grinding against themselves in frustration.

As Maria asked, she wrenched his arms behind him, ignoring his whimpers as something popped in a shoulder. She snapped the cuffs over his wrists, too tight to be comfortable. And finally she rammed his head between the upright bars of the landing's banister, trapping him there until he recovered from his daze. Kaede would have much preferred to hurl him over the side of it, leave him as a broken tangle of limbs and an example for the others. Someone had to be the monster if anything was going to be done here.

...but this time, it wasn't her. It was the people using the Mirrorbound like tools.

So, the man lived. Dazed, trapped, magic quenched, with a dislocated shoulder and circulation choked out of his hands, but he lived. Onto the next target--it didn't take long to reveal itself. A door in the hallway opened, disgorging a woman of middling age in a nightgown--and a mage light spell in her hand like glowing white crystal.]

"What is the meaning of this?!"

[She didn't look like a Rathmore--a friend or invited guest, perhaps. But nevertheless wielding magic and in an unpleasant mood.]

Get out. [Kaede growled, voice harsh and low. The woman stared at her with the expression of one appalled at some pet's offensive behavior. She hadn't seen the man trapped on the balcony yet.]

[whomthebelltolls]

[Vengeance would be theirs. Eventually. She would accept it if they were not the ones to pull the lever to drop the floor out of the gallows. If they were not the ones to pull the triggers of the firing squad - though she would always wish it had been her.

She knows. She still feels it. It's not just Kaede that wants the proper form of justice done to these criminals. But this woman, Maria could almost believe had nothing to do with what was going on, with what caused the occasional flash of pain and fear and... gods, it was like a feral anger in her mind, from Alex.

However, they could take no chances. Even if this one was unconnected, she would have to be questioned, and she was at ground zero for a massive, heinous crime. So Maria puts on her best ice-cold, steady tone - her best Hunter's voice - and speaks, because the woman is staring at Kaede, and not behind her, where Maria had gone to catch up with the youngling.] You'd do well to listen to her. The Rathmores are under arrest for heinous crimes, and you will leave peacefully, or you will be dragged to jail in chains. [A beat.] Or as a fly-eaten corpse. It matters not to me.

[There's something in the tone, though. Something that dares the woman to fight. To try to take them both on. To see if Maria's words will ring true.

And Kaede? Well, she trusts that she'll hold to that escalation of things.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[Maria's voice startles the woman, who barely disguises her recoil as she twists away from the Witch. Her voice rises a startled half-octave, but she holds her ground against the taller, paler woman. Just.]

"And who are you, barging into the house of an esteemed family to say such things?"

[The Chimera took the chance to circle to the side, closer to what patch of shadow she could find while eyes were off her. But the lights were coming on in this hallway as the sleepers awoke; how inconvenient. Kaede's voice didn't growl from the dark, but it was hardly necessary. Her existence was intimidating enough.]

Talk to the guard, then.

[The woman snapped her head back, expression twisting in imperious anger. She was speaking, how dare this--aberration interrupt her? Things like this Chimera should have been the first to be driven out.]

"Be silent, you beast--"

[The noble raised a hand, the unlit one, and wisps of blue light coalesced from her fingertips to lash forwards as a glowing, snakelike ribbon. Kaede recoiled--but too slowly to get out of the way. The ribbon twined around her face, slamming her jaws together with a click--it curled over her shoulders and back like nothing more than an innocuous silk ribbon before an immense weight came crashing down on Kaede's back, the drape of the heaviest chains. The Chimera couldn't snarl or roar as she buckled, falling forward onto her arms to keep standing at all. Her ring flickered as she resisted, in jerking fits and starts. But the trinket's magic had been exhausted by the simple passage of time, and Kaede hadn't thought to renew it since returning from Dorchacht.

The Rathmores--and their allies--had made the first move.

How unfortunate for them.]

[whomthebelltolls]

[Well. They certainly had made the first move, and Maria wants to disconnect the two pieces of her Rakuyo; that clang had a particularly bone-chilling quality to it, she thought, but she didn't have time.

If the woman wanted to simply bring Kaede down, then she took her attention off of Maria for too long. In cuffs or a corpse it was, and Maria had advantage of being behind her.

It also meant Maria had advantage of simply grabbing her by the head and slamming her face-first into the nearest wall, with the loud crack of splitting plaster and drywall and possibly a bone or two. It'll be hard to cast with a nasally voice from a broken nose.

It niggles in her mind - just light her on fire. Use her blood, light her on fire. and Kaede's rage and indignance from the binds don't help, so Maria tosses her the other way, instead. Two for two on broken doors, though, as that one collapses in on itself and there's a startled man's voice from within.

They don't have much time. She needs to figure out how to break this bind on Kaede, and then they're going to start quickly being outnumbered.

Though, with the hollers from the other hallway, the other Guard and Mirrorbound are closing in, as well.] Alright... let's see... counterspell is... [Ah, she doesn't know this very well. Well, she'll do the best she can, and hope the chimera's natural... chimera-ness will do the rest.]

3

[beariot]

[ Ursula didn't speak with Maria... a Nurse had to, on her behalf. She didn't waste time explaining the extent of Ursula's injuries. She could tell that Maria didn't particularly care. But there was something else she needed to know before she was allowed to see the witch.

There was an unknown sort of 'blackness' in her blood, an infection. It wasn't the Cwyld, thank the stars, but it was making Ursula's healing process difficult, to say the least, and would lead to prolonged sickness. The nurse was trying to study the pathology of it, to find a path to a treatment, but for now, it was important visitors understand that Ursula was not in much condition to be social, and to have some patience. ]

[whomthebelltolls]

[Fascinating - truly, Maria looks intrigued by the medical aspects of it, but though she presses for answers, there aren't many to be had. Not even after she surprises the nurse with a few well educated-sounded guesses as to things to try or to look into for the future.

Maria doesn't particularly care about the extent of the injuries; physical injuries will heal, especially with the magic, though they are added to the growing tally of wounds she's seen inflicted on the Mirrorbound in general - each one a tick in her mind against Aefenglom as a whole. Not just the Rathmores, but all those who dragged their feet and wrung their hands, worried more about their jobs and possibly hurting feelings, while people suffered in a dungeon. Maria knew she was far from the most empathetic person in the world. In fact, it was a challenge for her at the best of times, and she knew the kinds of horrors her own patients had to face.

And then, after all was said and done with the nurse, she poked her head in. Then, the rest of herself. It was supposed to just be a quick checkup; she knew Ursula, and perhaps Kaede's worry gnawing at the back of her own mind like a dog chewing on a piece of rawhide helped bolster it. But it was not meant to be any kind of quality time - she had plenty of that to catch up on with her own Bonded. It was meant to be a brief checkup, so it is.

She wishes her garden wasn't mostly dormant for the winter. It seems a more appropriate time to bring a flower for some of those here.

She stands like a doctor at the bedside, clinically observant, watching for changes, but not unfriendly. If nothing else, she knows bedside mannerisms quite well, for someone who spends so much time painstakingly convincing people she's nothing more than a trained killer.]

[beariot]

[ Ursula wasn't so far dizzied that she didn't eventually notice Maria there, craning her face towards her and cocking an eyebrow. Maria wasn't exactly someone she expected to visit her, but given the way she was standing there... She could have sworn she was there as a nurse or doctor... ]

I'm... kind of surprised now natural you look standing there... like this is a place you'd belong in...

[ To Ursula, it didn't seem like pretending at all... no one fell into something that naturally that they were only putting on airs for. ]

[whomthebelltolls]

It isn't the first time I've been bedside of a patient. [She relaxes her stance, just a little, because if Ursula is talking, then she must similarly be doing a little better than she looks.] I'll let the healing team take care of you. I just wished to check in. Nothing looks mortal... I hope nothing feels that way.

[beariot]

Were you with Kaede during the attack?

[ Maria hadn't talked about it. She hadn't even brought up Kaede's name, she'd just made an inquiry as to Ursula's own condition, and Ursula in turn ignored it entirely. Not a single one of her wounds mattered in that moment than knowing that Kaede was... ]

[whomthebelltolls]

Yes, for the most part. I lost track of her a couple times, but it was chaotic. And right now, she's worried more about you. [Maybe that's why Maria is actually there, but she can just redeflect that right back to Ursula. That's easy enough. It's not like Kaede is fully aware of Maria's history in medicine... or, well, "medicine".] But if you're not dying, then all that can happen is to let time heal the wounds, and there's very little I can do.

3. lmk if it's okay

[boneofsword]

[Archer isn't thrilled to be on the bed rest, even if he knows his injuries will take some time to heal properly. He'd rather not have time to think. That's why he's glad to see her.]

How things were outside?

Of course!

[whomthebelltolls]

[It's been a little while since she's seen him - more than in passing, at least, but the one minor advantage, among the sea of abject bullshit she's had to deal with so far today, is that everyone being injured keeps them mostly in one place. It's easier to track down the people she's looking for. And to do so without getting too far away from the person she nearly burned the entire house down for.]

Aggravating.

[That's her... one word for it. She makes a face of distaste.] Very aggravating. [She starts, like she's going to say more, then pauses, and shakes her head. She needs to make sure there aren't many listening ears around that don't need to hear what she has to say.] How things were before were self-evident, at least, so I'll spare you questions.

[boneofsword]

[It's obvious that not everything can be said out in the open. While Archer prefers to give their helpers a benefit of doubt it's clear that the guards couldn't act without a tangible proof. A few days late.]

Hmph. I can imagine. [he shrugs one shoulder, the other still too tender. Witches can't heal all the injuries, serious ones need to heal on their own after initial healing. With so many injured their resources must be spread thin.] Were there many nobles helping?

[whomthebelltolls]

Nobles? [She gives a startled laugh at that - derisive and incredulous.] One. The lady next door to their house gave us permission to use hers to stage the invasion. The rest... [She shakes her head.]

[boneofsword]

[It's definitely not what he expects to hear, and it shows. Well, it's not like his opinion is much different from hers. At least Archer supposes so, if her laugh is any clue.]

That's more than I expected. I haven't seen any protesting the invasion, which is a definite improvement.

[whomthebelltolls]

Yet. The debris is still clearing. We'll see their true colors when they find out what kind of damage was wrought. [Though frankly speaking, Maria doesn't care what their opinion of it is. The Rathmores should have been slaughtered like cattle, in her opinion, and she happily would've blooded herself on them a thousand times over for the things they did - to him, to Alex, to the rest of those they captured.

... Especially to Alex, but that is a weakness she doesn't much admit to having.] ... And what they allow for the punishments for those who did this. They have the ear of much of Parliament. If it's not 'execution', brace yourself for the perpetrators to be released back to the streets within the year once they curry some kind of sympathy, or let their money do the talking.

[This is Maria's brand of optimism and positivity. She's positive letting them live is going to be a mistake.]

/OPENS

[sing_for_me]

[ Alex thanked the medic as she finished up her bandages, needing to move on to help the others. It was almost surreal that she managed to get out. It all felt like a blur now.

Her eyes fall to her hands, covered in ointment and wrapped up for her burns. She presses a thumb down onto her palm, feel the pain shoot up her arm, making a point that this wasn't a dream. But dreams could hurt too, couldn't they? Alex's doubts resisted the idea of things finally being over, but a sudden feeling starts push back. It was one that stopped when she woke up in that cell, like an empty space within her. She lifts her gaze, a figure approaching her. Despite her hindered vision, Alex could tell who it was, feel who it was.

She stays silent, even as Maria kneels before her and takes her hand. Even through the bandages, she can feel that unmistakable sensation from their bond, that transfer of magic. Much stronger than that though, was the relief of seeing someone she cared about again. It worried her, the possibility that Maria would have been taken too. She hadn't seen her in any of the cells, so Alex wasn't quite sure what had happened. There's blood, and the concern in her eyes reflect her worry that it might be Maria's, but she's standing, she's breathing. Alex wants to ask if she's been hurt, she wants to apologize, to say something, but her body speaks for her instead, reaching forward and wrapping her arms around Maria in a tight hug. ]

You're okay..I'm so glad you're okay...!

/scoops up and twirls around

[whomthebelltolls]

[For a moment, Maria forgets how to breathe. It's not just that the movement is unexpected - because it is - but because the sudden warmth, the sudden flow of mana, the relief in Alex's mind as it cascades back into her own makes her keenly aware of the knot of wound-up tension in her. Then, like a string holding up a stick, twisted so tightly it knots on itself, Maria feels it start to unravel.

The rage is diminished to a discontent simmer, mostly drowned beneath her other emotions. And she remembers to breathe again as her arms raise, and she gingerly gathers Alex into them, returning the hug. She tries to keep her touch light, to find wherever there isn't the obvious roughness of gauze beneath her fingertips, even if that means one hand settles over Alex's back fin, to hold her back.

It doesn't matter. It feels good to have this warmth back. It aches, too, like a limb that's been pinned for too long and finally has the chance to move, but it's a good kind of ache. Absence makes the heart grow fonder; it seems the truth is the same here.] Those should be my words...

[She closes her eyes, turning her head to the side, settling her lips and nose against the side of Alex's head, and takes a deep, steadying breath. It's not the most pleasant smell; there's blood, and fear-sweat, and the distinct notes of being trapped in a dirty, dank dungeon without a proper bath for a week, but honestly speaking, Maria doesn't hate it. Because it's real, and it's grounding, and there's still that distinctive Alex-ness under there that reminds her of what she's got back.

But she knows, the truth is, neither of them are probably totally okay. Alex has to live with the memories of her endeavor, and Maria has to live with the residual furor that wants nothing more than still to burn this house to the ground with every one of the Rathmores tied up and helpless within it, but what's more important...] Can you walk, or will you need to go to the infirmary?

[sing_for_me]

[ She winces at the touch to her back, if only because it was where most of her wounds were inflicted, but the comfort of the embrace was worth it. But her relief is momentary as she recalls what she put Maria through.

She pulls away, her face apologetic and somewhat frantic. ]

I-I'm so sorry, Maria. I couldn't..I couldn't do anything..and I wasn't..I couldn't be there for you...!

[ Didn't this just prove how bad a bond she was? Surely it did. ]

[whomthebelltolls]

Alex... [And to think, it was going so well. Even though Maria could feel the heat of blood at the surface of flesh beneath her hands just about everywhere on Alex's back. They did a number there, and it's infuriating, but the rage just fizzles out entirely in the face of all of Alex's anxieties, and worries, and placations. Maria doesn't resist when Alex pulls back, because she doesn't want to catch at and reopen any of those wounds, and because she finds herself stunned, all at once.

Those words... gods that hurts. She's not expecting the reaction from Alex, and she's not expecting her own chest to tighten and ache in response. Some part of her feels like she's failed; a Bond between them was convenience the first time, during the first trip to Dorchacht, but it hadn't been that way the next. It was hard to pinpoint what it was, but simply for convenience was far too shallow a term for it, but had she misread what Alex wanted? Or, worse... Alex unable to fathom Maria's own intentions?

Words still fail her, because she's always been the quiet, stoic type, but actions always serve her better, and maybe they'll bring words along with them. She brings one hand up, placing it firmly against Alex's cheek; gentle, but unyielding, and then she leans her head forward. The motion catches the tip of the brim of her hat against the top of Alex's head and knocks it off, and Maria doesn't flinch as it tumbles down her back and lands on the ground. Instead, she simply presses her forehead to Alex's. This narrows the world down - there can't be anyone else Maria is paying attention to at the moment but the merrow before her. Her voice is naturally soft, but there's a gentleness to her tone that makes it even quieter as she speaks - she's only talking to Alex.] Alex, I am not the victim here. You are; you had to endure this nightmare while I could not get here faster, while I wasn't here to prevent it from happening to begin with. But what's important... all that is important, is that you are alive. [And you've been returned to me she chokes on, can't quite get it past her own tongue. Later. That can come later.] So please... you've done nothing wrong.

[sing_for_me]

[ Her eyes flutter when Maria comes closer, sinking back into her shoulders slightly. Maria's touch is enough to subdue the anxious merrow. The comforting pressure keeping her still, the pleasant trickle of magic, and the simple reassurance from someone she cares about started to mellow her out.

To be told that she mattered, that her being around mattered, that may have stirred something else, something Alex was not used to, her lips straining and unsure whether to smile or frown from how touched she felt. It was like it was just hitting her that she could have very well died this time. Her head leans into Maria's palm, turning slightly to hide her face in it. ]

You didn't either...

[ Maria was still here, and that mattered more. ]

[whomthebelltolls]

[She wants to argue, because her failings have defined her for so long as it is; it's just a reflex at this point to take some of the blame on herself for this sort of thing, but she bites back against it. Alex may feel it brush through the bond like a stray wave breaking upon a beach, but just like a wave, it recedes and is gone soon enough. She's trying; because at this point, it would probably just worry Alex more, and she refuses to do that.

Instead, she takes a moment to watch in silence. Her thumb gently caresses Alex's cheek, just a gentle back and forth motion, soft and soothing. Another stray "wave" breaks and is suppressed just as quickly - the urge to press her lips to Alex's cheek.

Eventually, she thinks of what she wants to say. There may be copycats, once the news breaks, and Alex is injured either way. Even if not, something else dangerous... she wouldn't be able to defend herself, and, last Maria checked, she lived alone.] Alex. [Barely above a whisper, so she doesn't startle the merrow, she finally speaks.] ... Come stay in my home for a few days. There is plenty of space for you even to have your own room, and more importantly... it is safe, and there will be others around. [A pause.] Just until your wounds heal enough that you can move about better.

[Something else brushes through the Bond: Something surprisingly genuine. A shudder of fear at the thought of losing Alex again, paired with a yearning to have the other woman near her for a while. Just enough to chase off that shudder of fear.]