☆ 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

Kaede | Monster | Assault Team | OTA (general CW for violence and descriptions of injuries)

[long_live_the_queen]

[Six days. Six wretched, protracted, miserable days. She'd awoken out of an evening doze after an exhausting venture into Dorchacht's Wilde to the feeling of an insurmountable weight pressing on her chest, strangling something more vital than breath out of her.

And then, she was alone. It was like Ursula never existed—her calming presence didn't soothe the growing panic in Kaede's mind, didn't answer the frantic worry that escalated exponentially with each passing moment. Maria's presence on the other end of the Bond, closer but so distant at once, was of no help.

She was alone.

She'd forgotten what it was like. Forgotten how to stop drowning in the feeling she was the only thing under the sky. She'd forgotten.

Anger—her old friend, the thing that had always dragged her out of that isolating despair—failed her here. There was nothing to turn her claws against, nothing that would help. She snapped at Maria, for not being the comfort she had grown too used to. She snapped at others, for not having answers. The horrified moments stretched to sleepless hours and then to days, whipping her into a frenzy. The Chimera paced like a caged tiger through the burnt wreckage of Ursula's school, her apartment, anywhere she remembered Ursula being.

Only silence greeted her at the door, instead of the slate-haired Witch's smile. Only emptiness and ashes echoed where small voices were once in attendance. Fang's laughter was gone like a long-faded memory.

Sometimes she took to the night skies as a formless shadow, movements jerky and erratic as her thoughts. One moment here, one moment there, over Haven, over the looming spires of the Aristocratic District. Were any close enough to hear, all they'd make out was inarticulate, inhuman shrieks, poorly tamped down emotions finally bubbling to the surface.

It was a dramatic, unreasonable, pointless display. A waste of pent-up energy that had no other outlet.

Until, very suddenly, it did.]

I. Rend the Veil

[Oh, Kaede was there. She was there. But there were times she wasn't with Maria, as effective a wrecking ball the two of them made. Sometimes the chaos of the invasion got the better of her, and led Kaede astray.

The panic and anguish in her mind, the despair that bled through the brief moments the Bond cleared and Ursula's pain lanced to the bone—they were silent, now. Replaced with a cold, calculating, murderous rage, and the chilling clarity of a killer before they struck.

But her claws were bound. Maria might not have been physically around right now, but she was still holding Kaede's leash more effectively than any insipid plea against proper justice, justice flowing red and written in torn limbs and heads freed from their spines. This city was as afraid of justice as every predictable mass of people she had ever met—orphanage staff, police officers, doctors. Cowards, all of them.

But Ursula was waiting. Fang, the others, they were waiting. And Kaede had no choice but to trust people who deserved none of it that they would be freed. If she was a good person, an obedient attack dog, there might be a reward dangling at the other end.

So there wasn't a broken trail of bodies in her wake, the Chimera's rage unquenched by the slickness of blood. But she was still quite busy.

Doors were no hindrance to her—if the lights were out, anyway. At one point Kaede was clawing at one of the barricaded doors when she heard a sound. The Chimera turned towards whoever made it, eyes narrowed and expression twisted in anger.]

Kill the lights.

[She said, in a guttural voice barely more articulated than a snarl. Almost all the magitech lanterns in this hallway had been left ablaze, to facilitate the escape of others. It was dreadfully inconvenient.]

[Once a Rathmore could be found, stumbling away from something in the dark behind him, a formless shadow-with-teeth and eyes red as coals. One end of a magic suppressant cuff was hanging on his arm—there hadn't been time to grab both arms, and Kaede hadn't let him rest long enough to remove it. When he spots someone, anyone, he staggers towards them, raising his unbound arm and his eyes wild.]

"You—help me, please, I'll—I'll pay you double, this thing will kill me—!"

[He could be preparing a spell—the cuff wasn't securely on, and his voice still imperious and demanding as it was frightened. The Monster in shadows was also a killer—and close, perilously close on his heels.

Trust the man, or trust the dark?]

II. The Morning Light

[The night had been long. But it had passed, as so many other things did. The sound of shattering glass and bones, bellows both furious and pained, the stench of cauterizing flesh and seared cloth—they faded.

She wasn't there to see the final results of her work—the Chimera had turned away in disgust. Her Bonded—she needed to find her. That was what was important.

Then—she could find others who had been taken. Others whose absence made pits in her chest.

And prepare herself for the next fight, for there was bound to be a second when these rich men bought themselves out of their chains.]

[Wildcard]

[For other options! Kaede is on the assault team, and while she's mostly with Maria she can be encountered outside of that. As for aftermath threads, Kaede's going to be checking on any of her CR that were captured, either at the mansion, the infirmary, or breaking into their house to bring them tea or something. Or, hit me up somewhere so we can hash something else out!]

i.

[escardos]

[ flat does not react when the rathmore begs for mercy. they don’t find it funny nor angering...perhaps pitiful? it was so pitiful to see a human fall this low, so outside of their purpose.

and yet, murder would be equally inefficient, no? flat considers both options in a strange silence, looking into the darkness without any real fear, though they take the time to keep their face hidden from the victim and their voice modified under a layer of illusion—he’d rather not be seen. ]

Excuse me! Are you going to kill this man?

[long_live_the_queen]

[That wasn't an answer the Rathmore was expecting, but any maybe-port in a storm. The man continued to stumble towards the mysterious savior, eager to put another, far more expendable body between himself and the dark-thing.

The glowing eyes don't blink, but a piece of the independently moving shadow panned towards the new voice like a head and face might.]

Are you going to stop me?

[The question echoed strangely in the dark, a human voice distorted by copies of its words laid over each other.]

[escardos]

[ flat doesn’t move to protect the man that’s practically crawling to him. the rathmore is as interesting to him as watching paint dry—he’s far more curious about what is hiding in the darkness.

he laughs, shaking his head. ]

Not really. What you’re doing is inefficient, but I won’t stop you. [ he pauses, not really paying attention to how the man draws a sharp breath in horror. flat continues speaking, too chipper for it to be normal ] But I’d like to help you—it’d be really bad if you got caught and arrested for slaughtering him, you know? You wouldn’t be able to even plead self-defense if you kill him too roughly!

[long_live_the_queen]

[At first, the eyes narrowed. Ah, she thought. Another meddling witness.

But then he continued, and the eyes angled just so slightly like someone tilting their head. The shadow-thing chuckled once, brief and mirthless as a hyena.]

He doesn't deserve a merciful death.

[Were it up to her, Kaede would have bowled the Rathmore's head off before he made it into the hall. Maybe found something prominent to rest it on, for his family to see. But something--someone--was holding her leash too tightly for that. She could feel Maria's rebuke even as the thought occurred to her--not now. Not here, with the Coven and Guard watching to throw the chains on them instead.

The stranger made an appealing offer, though. But Kaede wasn't sure if he could be trusted yet. She had been running a bit thin on trust this night.]

[escardos]

And you don’t deserve to go to jail for something that barely counts as a human. But what you’re doing—well, will do is slaughter.

[ he shrugs. while he does wish to help, he will not hesitate to back away and leave them alone if that is what they wish. he leans on the back of his ankles, hands in his pockets in a casual posture. ]

It’ll be weird if you just go out into the street covered in blood, you know? There’s no sense in getting revenge if you’re just going to worry your Bonded by getting yourself arrested. And while I would usually say that murder is just a waste of valuable parts... well...

[ they close their eyes—when they open them, they are like two filled holes, with a smile that was equally as empty ]

...the humans here in Aefenglom are not necessary to me. So instead, I want to help you. I’ve learned some pretty good illusion magic you know? It’ll be good for not bringing too much attention to you, even if you are soaked in this man’s blood.

[long_live_the_queen]

[Another cold chuckle. An accurate assessment of what Kaede thought of the Rathmores, too. Excrement, to be scraped from the earth.

But then--he mentioned Bonded. Her Bonded--her reason, her purpose, the piece of her mind that had been ripped away and drowned. Kaede could feel Ursula in bare glimpses, flickers of anguish and jolts of pain that goaded her steps like the most savage of spurs. To send any of that distress back in the other direction was...unthinkable. And Ursula would worry.

The dark-thing growled, a bestial echo. Looking into the stranger's eyes now--it was almost like staring at her own, when Kaede was barely distinguishable from the Voice's murderous whispers.]

Perhaps. If you can be trusted--

[The Rathmore, finally, could take no more. His eyes wild and white from edge to edge, he stood, raising his unfettered arm against the crawling dark.]

"No--enough! I am--I will not die here!"

[The light of a spell burst from his palms, a pulse of amber light that twisted and formed into a curved shield before him. The shadows beat a hasty, snarling retreat.

With one arm bound, his shield was only half effective--it only protected his front and sides.]

[escardos]

Ahaha! I guess trust is a big thing, huh?

[ flat watches as the rathmore finally loses their patience, lashing out with a shield to protect himself from the shadows. more interesting than the man's magic, he finds himself drawn to the shadows' retreat.

he laughs, mostly to himself. ]

You know sir, we'd basically be doing you a favor by letting you die here. Imagine how ruined your image will be when you reach court and you watch everything you worked for crumble to pieces. You might as well just die now, you know? Before someone else has their way?

[ with a snap of his fingers, flat lays a spell of his own-- an illusion spell, rendering the man completely blind, even unable to see his own light spell. ]

[long_live_the_queen]

[The spell slipped behind the Rathmore's shield with ease, its effect instantaneous. He recoiled, but too late to avoid the illusion.]

"No--my eyes! What have you done to me--?!"

[His shield didn't flicker, but he turned wildly to face the source of the voice--and back again, to where he thought the shadows had been.

Something in the dark ignited, sparks cast from claw striking tile and floor. A thing that wasn't shadow lunged out of it--a Monster, a Chimera of three different beasts stitched together. Her burning bright claws smashed into the Rathmore's shield. The man shrieked, staggering backwards as he struggled to hold the shield against the Monster's strength.

He held the line only briefly. Little cracks began to appear in the shield, like hairline fractures in a pane of glass. A little more pressure--

With a triumphant snarl and the sound of shattering crystal, the Chimera broke through. Shards of the shield fell away and vanished, Kaede's swipe knocked his arm askew, leaving the Rathmore's throat exposed--

The Bond yanked her back, effective as a chain and muzzle on an attack dog. Kaede's expression twisted into a furious grimace--and she stopped. Her claws seared the man's arm where they grabbed him, burning through cloth and branding his wrist like a criminal. She wrenched his other arm into place, finally affixing the dangling cuff. The last remnants of the shield's light vanished with a hissing pop, and Kaede contemptuously dropped the man like so much garbage.]

ii

[beariot]

[ The triage staff was at least helpful, not hesitating to direct Kaede to her bonded, fully aware of how important it was for them to be reunited even if the person she was looking for was under intensive care. Getting Kaede to Ursula took no time at all. Explaining the condition she was in... that took longer.

The external damage was extensive. Broken fingers, shattered ribs, crushed cheekbone, hair missing in patches, clearly ripped from her scalp. Cuts, burns, bruises. A right foot that was mangled to the point that even magical healing would take a long time to properly rehabilitate. But that was just the external.

Internally... they weren't certain yet what was wrong with her. Some sort of... blackness in her blood, an infection they still needed time to analyze. Kaede was instructed that Ursula couldn't be brought home any time soon, but...

Well. They were going to prepare space for her bonded to stay with her in the hospice care that was being set aside for those rescued in similar condition.

The nurse didn't expect much response from Kaede, and knew it really wasn't her right to even offer anything besides the facts, but Kaede got a sympathetic expression none the less, and was left alone with Ursula in that room... ]

[long_live_the_queen]

[She had known. In the midst of tearing down the Rathmore estate from its hinges, warmth suddenly flooded back into the void her chest had become. Kaede had stopped, gasping, disbelieving, as the Bond stolen from her surged back all at once. Stars returned to the formless dark that was her form so often that night, strings of light unchained from the sky.

The relief didn't last long. The wave of Chariot's agony came crashing down soon after, like the shadow following its body. It had threatened to crush her to the floor, forcing her out of the dark and into the flickering light.

But. This, Kaede knew how to deal with. With anger, with rage, with blood and the heart-rend and the murderous promise to decimate all those who wronged her, hurt Chariot, held dear. She knew where to sever the arteries, where to tear spine and nerve and limb. Without Maria holding her chain, Kaede wouldn't be here; she'd be in a cell, cursed to an endless sleep. The night had passed without a severed head to her name. Many would bear the marks of a Chimera's burning claws for years to come, others the lingering terror of the dark-with-teeth.

And then, the dawn broke. Kaede had been exhausted, spending so long between this world and a place between. But her fatigue meant very little in the face of someone important to her suffering. The Chimera had rushed in despite how much she hated hospitals, markings still pale and her claws burnt black from the fire they had been carrying so long.

The nurse wasn't afraid of her, despite what Kaede was. Each word, each symptom, caused her ears to flatten further and further, her drawn-tight expression to crumple. Each description, brief and succinct as a doctor's note. At the end, Kaede's eyes had closed for a long time, her breath escaping only as a slow, miserable sigh. When she opened them again, the nurse had gone. Only herself, and the crumpled, bandaged form of her Bonded remained in this room.

Kaede didn't stay on the cot or chairs set out for her. She knelt by the Witch's bed, dropping to her knees harder than she should have. She didn't dare touch Chariot, but she wanted to--desperately, imploringly. To feel that she was here, that distance meant nothing.

The most Kaede allowed herself was a long arm half-folded on the Witch's cot, her chin following.

Quietly, every so often, she called Chariot's name. Waiting for a response.]

[beariot]

[ Chariot wasn't terribly deep in her own darkness, at least she didn't feel like she was. More like it was chest high, murky and thick, and difficult for her to move in much less perceive what was going on around her. In truth, the pain during their captivity hadn't allowed her the luxury of sleep, and the exhaustion was catching up with her. She'd been sleeping since everything finally settled, but the world of her dreams hadn't really been any more pleasant...

That was, until, like a beacon, she found light in Kaede's voice... Her hand, weakly, reached out, fumbling, seeking out that familiar clawed hand, that remained in her fondest memories... ]

[long_live_the_queen]

[Movement--it flashed through Kaede's senses, the Chimera sitting bolt upright. Her hand started to dart out to catch Chariot's--she had to physically stop herself, slow down, so she didn't aggravate the woman's injuries.

One hand twined under Chariot's reaching palm to stop her struggling to find Kaede, the second curved over the top, claws gently, tentatively resting on the gauze wrappings. The pulse of her first Bond found the bandages no obstacle; Kaede shivered, eyes squeezing shut. The energy, the comfort she had grown too used to was there. But it was so tired, thin and small.

A sound started in Kaede's chest; a wordless, keening whimper. A miserable animal noise. Her anger had long gone out. There was nothing to hide the cracks in the armor now, the never-healed wounds and the dredged up despair underneath.

The Chimera didn't speak again. She could barely hold back the worst of her misery from the Bond, let alone keep her voice steady.]

[beariot]

[ Kaede didn't have to say a word. The Bond told Chariot everything, drew them together, let Chariot find the warmth beneath both of their wounds, physical and otherwise, to embrace her beloved, her Kaede.... ]

There's... my girl... [ Her voice was weak, but the love within was tremendous, the gratitude for her presence, to finally have found her on the other side of the darkness. To have made it... she and Fang had made it... ]

[long_live_the_queen]

You don't-- [Ah, as she thought. The Chimera's voice was almost unintelligible, hoarse and raspy and drawn thin as a wire.

But she couldn't not reply to the voice that filled her chest with warmth like gentle sunlight, not the burn of spite and hatred. Chariot's relief, her joy, her love rushed through the Bond like an overwhelming wave, all out of sorts with the weakened pulse of the Witch's energy. It made Kaede feel week, wobbly, giddy--and guilty, for feeling so.]

Have to--talk. [Kaede tried to continue, voice heavy with restrained tears.]

[Why was she sad? She hadn't been the one stolen away, her limbs shattered and her blood poisoned. She should be angry, seething, regretting every blow she'd pulled back from a Rathmore's face, every claw that hadn't torn into their throat. But Kaede couldn't muster the energy for rage.

Chariot didn't deserve this. Fang didn't deserve this. Kaede did.]

[beariot]

[ The Bond gave her some strength, despite all of the efforts to rob her of that much, at least enough to speak, gripping Kaede's hand as best she could, letting more of that warmth flow. ]

But it sounds like... you really needed to hear my voice...

[long_live_the_queen]

[That was also true. Kaede trembled with the effort of keeping herself still, of not tightening her grip and jostling Chariot's broken fingers. The touch of her Bonded's hand, struggling to give Kaede some measure of comfort despite her injuries, twisted the knife and soothed the wound all at once.]

I...I missed you.

[No--that was a dreadful, egregious understatement. Kaede's next breath shuddered in her chest.]

I was...afraid. That you...wouldn't come back.

[She hadn't told anyone, and had covered up her dread with rage and spite. But it was still there, in the tangled knots of her mind. Memories, unbidden and vile, drifted through in pieces. Of sickly warmth staining the front of her shirt, a body heaving with weakening breaths clutched close as if she could stop the life bleeding out of Aiko's body if only Kaede held her close enough. If she was strong enough. If she deserved it enough.

Dr. Kurama's voice, drifting in unbidden and cold and unfeeling as ice. "If you surrender, we promise to save her life." That damnable man said, as if he didn't have innocent blood on his hands.

Kaede had been foolish enough to believe him.

Just as she'd been foolish enough to believe Chariot would see any justice if Kaede held back her hand.]

...I'm sorry. I wasn't there. [Her scraped-raw voice had dimmed even further, no more than a hoarse whisper.]

[beariot]

[ The strength to comfort... seemed to always find itself within her. To reach out and hold another, to pass kindness onto them, to pass love and acceptance. To pass wisdom and joy. It had been her dream, after all, to use her magic to bring happiness to others, to lift their burdens even if only for a moment, to give joy.

She'd nearly lost that... but she wasn't going to shy away from the needs Kaede had. Her other arm lifted, to press her hand against Kaede's cheek, to pull her, however weak, in close, at least as close as she could manage, to bring that warmth of the Bond closer to her, to let it envelop her, shield her from her own despair and guilt... ]

Don't... don't go down that road... please... [ She knew how much of a poison guilt could be... ]

[long_live_the_queen]

[Kaede saw her Bonded's arm lifting, immediately leaning forwards to ease her movements. She didn't feel the sharp sting of new pain in the Bond--but surely it must hurt, didn't it? What if it did?

The brush against her face made her stop. Kaede leaned against it, pressing close to Chariot's palm.

The Chimera's cheek was damp. She hadn't been successful in holding the tears back after all.]

I'm...sorry.

[How many times had Chariot asked her not to turn her hatred on herself?

How many times had Kaede not listened? Accepted, with gratitude, that Chariot didn't react like others had, then turned around and did things that merited such a reaction in the first place? How many times until Chariot's patience snapped?]

You shouldn't...have to worry. About me.

[beariot]

It's too late to make demands like that... [ Chariot shook her head, weakly, managing a smile, even if it was a small one. ]

I love you, all that you are, the good and the bad, and all that comes with that... Nothing will change that. But I don't... want to see you destroy yourself with guilt, not like I did...

[long_live_the_queen]

[At first, Kaede started, eyes shooting open to stare at her Bonded's face. Worry creased the Bond like it strained her expression, drawing it tight and anguished.

But the worry faded, too. Dispelled as neatly as the night had been, as Chariot had done for any obstacle. Isolation, Kaede's rage, Dorchacht's chains.

All except this one.

Six days. Not even a full week. And all Kaede wanted was to hear her voice again. To hear that comforting acceptance again, to feel it, to know it in ways that ran deeper than thought. To see Chariot's smile again.

She leaned against Chariot's hand, even as the Witch's answer made her shiver. To think that Chariot could love even a monster like her, all of her, was still...difficult for Kaede to accept. But to echo her own thoughts--whisper them close, for no one but Chariot to hear--that was no trouble at all.]

...I love you, too. [Her voice was still raspy, still strained.]

I'll...I'll try.

[It was the best she could do. It was the best Kaede could promise, and it wasn't even to herself.

Because guilt had already torn her to pieces, even before the mirror.

...it hadn't yet done so here.]