☆ 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

[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.]

[sing_for_me]

[ Alex opens her slowly eyes at the gentle sound of her name, her ears twitching against the tips of Maria's fingers. She lifts her gaze to meet Maria's, which was as intense as it was soft. The wave of emotions that washed over her were as soothing as the hand caressing her face. She felt safe. Maria was safe. Normally with a list of reasons of why she shouldn't, Alex couldn't voice a single one. Maybe because a part of her was admittedly still scared, and to have such a godsend of an invitation presented to her, it felt wrong to say no. And this way...maybe she could be there for Maria somehow as well. ]

I'd like that...please.

[ Her eyes close again as she exhales, an unexplainable comfort cascading over her from knowing Maria would be near. ]

[whomthebelltolls]

[Another knot of tension unwinds somewhere inside Maria; she had expected a bit more of an argument than that, even if she would not broker it, but to hear Alex so readily agree was... well. Possibly quite telling of how shaken the woman really was. Maria's fingers curl, gently, until she brushes the backs of her knuckles down the side of Alex's face, and back toward her hair. Her other, free hand curls back to the least injured place of Alex's lower back she can reach, and she straightens up a little, then leans in, gathering the merrow up in a gentle embrace, just... feeling a desire to hold her for a moment. To card her fingers through Alex's hair in lieu of touching more of her back.]

Thank you.

[She says this partially against the side of Alex's head, as she rests her cheek there, closing her eyes over just enough for a moment of quiet solitude. Maybe it's something in the Bond, but Maria feels like she needs this as much as anything else - as much as Alex, perhaps. It's soothing, and anchoring; it quells and washes away the blood red rage that had been all she'd known for... well, hours, but perhaps days, since the kidnappings first happened.

When the moment is over, and she opens her eyes again, she sees part of the rest of the room. People milling about: medics tending to those wounded both in the dungeons and in the raids; the city guard taking witness testimony and gathering evidence; native Witches slumped together, their long vigil of divination over; Mirrorbound of all shapes and sizes, most faces she recognizes even if she does rarely cares enough to know names, and the battered, bruised, mutilated way some of them look and move and act.

This could have been so much worse. It could have been so much better, but they could be hauling out stretchers and bodies covered in sheets.

It's when she feels the tiniest thread of irritation weave back into her mind at everything that didn't happen before this point, to expedite things, that she knows it's time to see if they can move, and she slowly starts to withdraw.] Can you walk?

[sing_for_me]

[ Her back arches slightly, but Maria is careful in pulling her close. Alex doesn't resist, taking in a deep breath and releasing it just as heavily, like finally being able to relax. Her head rests on Maria's shoulder, Maria's body firm, but oh so warm. She very well could have settled in just like this, not wanting to pull away any time soon.

It's only when Maria does so that she does, reluctantly. ]

Ah..yeah..but I might be slow.

[ The burns made it a little difficult. ]

[whomthebelltolls]

[She misses the warmth, almost immediately. The warmth, the tingle of magic as it cascades between the two of them across the Bond, and, perhaps most surprisingly, the feeling of security from the contact. She's not sure if that last one is Alex or herself; what she knows is that she, for once, doesn't mind the idea that there is security in being close to her. It's a good feeling. She'll reclaim it again, later. They have to leave this place, if Alex is able to.

Maria reaches down to snatch her hat up, settling it back on her head before she stands up, weapons rattling and reminding her that she is fully and heavily armed, still. She offers her hands forward if Alex would like to use them to help stand up.] You won't need to walk far; I can transport us most of the distances between here and home. I just don't want to cast the spell here near so many injured and sick people.

[She pauses, before adding] Ah, but perhaps we should get you a change of clothes first, yes? Especially if you're to be away from home for a few days.

[sing_for_me]

[ Alex takes Maria's outstretched hands, needing all the support she could get to lift herself off the bench. ]

Yeah, we can do that.

[ Lord knows she wanted out of what she was currently wearing. Or what was left of it anyway. ]

....That won't tire you out too much, will it?

[whomthebelltolls]

[Once Alex is up, Maria tests the waters a bit to see how slowly she walks on her way toward the door, and carefully measures each step to match. She doesn't relinquish her hold on Alex's hand unless the merrow does so first.] It will wear a bit, but at least I'll be able to sleep tonight. My magic recharges... [She looks away for a moment, as though thinking on what she's about to say, then looks back.] But I've only one of you.

[sing_for_me]

[ She felt like a toddler learning how to walk again. Alex is used to being helpless, but this just felt more pathetic. But as always, Maria is patient with her.

When Maria says what she says and looks away, Alex looks up at hunter, almost stunned to a stop. Having been made to feel that she was expendable for so long, and buying into that belief, there was a disconnect with what Maria said. Or rather, it felt like someone tugging at the tangled mess of feelings and thoughts within Alex, and starting to pull one of those strings loose.

She doesn't know how to respond with words, but her hands squeeze at Maria's, her head lowering but not out of guilt or shame, but from a bashfulness that came with the warmth that spread throughout her body. ]

[whomthebelltolls]

[For a moment, Maria basks in the soft warmth that cascades back; an echo, or a ripple rebounding off the side of a pool, back into her own mind. It's endearing to know that she has flustered Alex, but in a positive way. Gratifying, as well, though for the most part, Maria is simply relieved that she can even feel these things again. Reaching for Alex on the other side of the Bond and coming up with only what felt like a hole where she should be; a wide, painful hole that was cold with absence and a distinct sense of loss; had been one of the most jarring things Maria had experienced in recent memory. Oh, she could find Kaede, but Kaede wasn't a grounding, gentling presence in her mind: and they'd both been scared, and filled with a desperate furor that mirrored and amplified the worst of each others' darkest behaviors.

Maria's still not sure how she managed to hold them both back, but being able to do this, and to help Alex home, and to enjoy her Bonded's company without being in jail might have been the biggest unconscious motivator.

Maria doesn't try to rush Alex along. She doesn't try to prompt Alex into moving again, she gives the other woman a moment to process her words. It had been obvious since the moment they met that Alex's sense of self-esteem was crippled, but time had revealed just how battered and broken it actually was, and Maria was still sure she hadn't seen the extent of it.

She still means everything she says. Her voice goes very, very soft.] I mean it, Alex. [She pauses, briefly, chewing over what to say next, then decides on a quite honest:] I was terrified these last few days I was going to lose you. So please... know that you're... very important to at least one person.

[sing_for_me]

[ It's hard to doubt her words when Alex can feel them, but that doesn't make it any easier to swallow. That someone would consider her important, someone like Maria even, was mind boggling. The feelings were so warm and tender that the tears she thought had dried out were threatening to come up again.

But she pushes them back, wanting to return the sentiment with a smile. ]

I'm..also really glad that I didn't lose you.

[ So many had disappeared already, Worrick, Nic, Nel, Chandra...And while Alex has come to accept that that was inevitable, a part of her still hoped to not lose anyone more. Especially not Maria. ]

[whomthebelltolls]

Perhaps my stubbornness has its uses. [It's a weak attempt at what might pass as a joke, and the corners of her lips turn up just slightly in return.] ... I... don't think I've ever said it aloud, but... I... have made a promise to myself not to leave you to be... lonely. Not as much, at least. That's... why this [she motions with her free hand around the room] feels like such a failure on my part. I have been meaning to say that if you ever feel it so badly, to simply look for me on the other side of the Bond but... the Rathmores robbed us of even that. I suppose, that's why I-

["Excuse me," a voice says from nearby - one of the medics, standing a respectful distance away, and holding a basket, slowly approaches, looking mostly at Alex, but giving an almost nervous glance toward the imposing Hunter standing at her side. "I don't mean to interrupt, but if you're leaving, please take these. There's salves and balms for the injuries you sustained."

Just like that, Maria's expression closes off again - not to a disdainful iciness, but simply like something of a defense mechanism. She's been caught being too Soft. She nods, and motions for Alex to take them so they can continue on.] Yes. We should... focus on getting back somewhere you can rest.

[sing_for_me]

[ Alex wants to cut her off, to reject the notion that Maria had done anything to fail her, but the medic cuts in first. She'd almost forgotten where they were, or that she was still hurting.

She takes the items for the medic, the only time she let's go of Maria, giving her thanks and a small nod. ]

I'm ready to go.

[ And back to Maria's sleeve one of her hands goes. ]

[whomthebelltolls]

Very well. [She nods at the the medic before they walk away.] Thank you. [Then turns toward the door, starting again. She allows Alex to set the pace, as she had before. Once they're through, and into the fresh, crisp air outside, Maria takes a moment to take a deep breath, reveling in the feeling of being out of there. Away from the scent of blood and the groans of the injured, and all those other little things that make it difficult to want to keep herself contained and not hunt the Rathmores down and slay them like Beasts, even if they're already incarcerated.

She turns toward Alex, holding her hand out.] Will it be less painful if you hold on to me, than the other way around for this? If so, I can carry the basket.

[Either way, get in close, Alex, it's teleporting time.]

[sing_for_me]

It's okay..I trust you.

[ Either way, she was still going to hold on to Maria.

When they do transport to her home, it's a bit dizzying. She's not sure that's something she could get used to. Even when they do it the second time, after she gathers some clothes to bring to Maria's.

She looks to Maria when they arrive at her place, concern on her face. ]

Are you alright...?

[whomthebelltolls]

[And Maria definitely looks drained, as she tries to catch her breath from that last little "jump".] Simply tired. It has been a very, very long day. But... you are safe now, so now I can start to relax. [She leads them further into the house, toward her room and one of the bathrooms.] Would you like me to run some water for a bath?

[sing_for_me]

[ Water. Alex perks up at the sound of that. Her first drink of water was when the medics gave her some. But a bath? God, she was ready to jump right in. ]

I'd like that...please..But um...not too hot.

[ She's a little cautious about that. ]

[whomthebelltolls]

Of course. The bathroom is... [They round to the main hallway with Maria's bedroom - one of the bathrooms is there, of course, a little down the hall, and she shows Alex it. Shortly enough, she's getting the water going.]

Leave the medicine here, we'll need to re-bind those wounds afterward. I'll take the clothes to one of the rooms in a moment... [She needs and excuse to not be too close to Alex and her tail, anyway.] --Do you need help undressing?

[sing_for_me]

Oh, it's okay. I can handle it.

[ Maria has always been a precise woman, not wasting time, but somehow...this felt particularly rushed. Not that Alex was going to question anything with how much Maria was already helping her out. ]

Are you sure you don't want to go first...?

[whomthebelltolls]

Bathing? [A pause.] I suppose I could, quickly, while you work on your clothes. [She won't pursue too hard on helping Alex with things like that - treating the woman like glass would probably make things worse. Or at least not help.] If you find you do need the help, though... just ask.

[Since she'll be there and all. And she can just drag all the clothes back - though that reminds her. She reaches up to the brooch over her cravat.] Did you have a preference for which room you would like? We have several extra.

[sing_for_me]

[ Alex turns to give Maria some kind of privacy and to start working on her own clothes, but she looks up at her question. ]

Room...? Ah..

[ It's true, it was a large house with several rooms....which...she wasn't sure how she felt about being by herself in. ]

Can...[ She hesitates. ]

Can I...stay with you tonight? Just tonight is fine..

[whomthebelltolls]

[Maria pauses, partway through sliding her cravat off her neck, when Alex speaks again, and takes a moment to slip it the rest of the way off before answering. That soft, gentle tone returns, just loud enough to be heard over the distance between them.] Of course.

[Maria's felt a bit... sensitive, protective of Alex since this whole ordeal started, and the emotion wells and surges behind her quiet words.] You can stay with me for as long as you wish. [A rustle, as the first of her coats comes off.] ... For as long as you need to feel safe again, and any time after that.

[Once she's down to just the frilled shirt she wears under all the other layers, she gathers her coats up to put them to the side to be cleaned. There's other people's blood on them; but there is also, curiously, blood on her undershirt, where it should not have been able to splash. She's injured, though not badly. Still, she hisses softly as she peels the shirt away from the injury, where the sticky blood has glued it to her wound.]

[sing_for_me]

[ Alex hears that hiss, which is the only reason why she turns around. Her eyes immediately focus on the blood on Maria's side. ]

Wha--When did that-- Why didn't you say anything!

[ Immediately she grabs a towel and splashes some water onto it to clean up Maria's wound. ]

You need to see a doctor..!

[whomthebelltolls]

Hm? [What Maria should expect: Alex panicking about what she doesn't think is too bad of an injury. What Maria doesn't expect: Alex panicking about what she doesn't think is too bad of an injury.

She backs up a bit as Alex descends upon her with the wet cloth, her breath hitching as the rough fabric hits the sensitive flesh. It's not a very pretty wound, but it isn't that deep, like a bad graze, a bit of a burn - it'll scar, but not too hideously.] Alex-... Ah-! [That was sensitive. She reaches down to try to catch Alex's hands, ignoring the way the scales have surfaced across them as reaction to the water on the towel. If she doesn't focus on it, it won't bother her, theoretically.] ... Alex, I have healing magic. It is not as bad as it looks, it mostly scraped layers of skin off more than anything else. It is superficial, please, calm down before you aggravate your injuries.

[sing_for_me]

Then why didn't you heal it right away!

[ Yes, she's still upset, and no she's not going to mind her own injuries when Maria's bleeding out like this. ]

It doesn't look superficial! How long were you moving around with this? Why didn't you stop or say anything?

[ Alex might know the answer, but that only made her more upset. She didn't want Maria getting hurt because of her, again. ]