I saw rise in the heat settle soft and as pure as snow

[reunionize]

[This, honestly, took a lot of work. More work than some of the battleplans, but admittedly the machinations of the Victorian nobles are predictable. The only thing Talulah knows about the northern territories is what she's gleaned from her father's journals.

Edward Artorius apparently had a decent enough relationship with the ruler when he'd been alive, and since the wendigo race of Sarkaz live for a very, very long time, perhaps any goodwill towards her parent might be extended to her.

She has also gleaned the northerners are not unreasonable; they've crossed paths during various skirmishes at the border, and they ignore all rebel forces once their own task is complete. Talulah has made it very clear no one from her side is to engage with any other party that isn't either obviously Victorian, or strikes first, and it seems the courtesy is returned.

That said, isolationist policy is hard to overcome, and what she's asking isn't a mere favor. To be embroiled in civil war in another country is an idea most people would scoff at, but...the north has undoubtedly seen the writing on the wall for what will transpire after the dust settles. Victoria's appetite is ever unsatiable.

The Gaulish castle she walks through is a testament to that. It's nothing but ruins now, good for little else besides neutral territory. She's brought two members of the rebels with her, two with a calm rationality suited to negotiations. She'd be fine going in alone, but, well...if Talulah saw another group's leader sitting all alone during a meeting that was meant to be a peaceful talk, she'd think there was an ambush waiting.

Still, no matter how rational one is, curiosity tends to win out, and she can hear her escort party gossiping even behind their masks. They're wondering if the northern princess is as beautiful and strong as the rumors say. If she's half as strong as that Cautus she'd seen once during a border skirmish, then her alliance would be more than a boon.

By her estimation, the meeting time is near, so she supposes she'll find out soon enough.]

Comments

[hypothermy]

[ it's a good thing that Yelena is minding herself as she slinks through the hallways. if she'd been walking any faster, she would've run right into the person she's looking for after rounding a corner. ]

—Talulah?

[ well, there goes her top priority taking care of itself. now that she's found Talulah, whatever plot might be going on around them just had its chances of success painfully downsized. ]

[reunionize]

Oh, good.

[It seems they both had the same idea. Which means the atmosphere in the servants' areas had to be just as weird as the one in the main party. That doesn't bode well for what the plot is, but at least now they can share information to counter it.]

There's not a lot of time to talk. I've been watched and followed the whole night, so someone's going to come after me eventually. Did you see any empty rooms when you were making your way down here?

[hypothermy]

[ her expression hardens as Talulah relays her experience at the party. the easiest explanation would be that the nobility know their true identities and are collaborating with the military to capture them, but that doesn't quite fit. pampered lords don't commonly invite dangerous enemy commanders into their homes, no matter what the reward might be. ]

I did. This way.

[ FrostNova turns and heads back the way she came, ducking into a sunroom with that had been left with the door slightly ajar. there's no lock, but she closes it once they're both inside. ]

Did it feel like they recognized you? Or do you think this is something else?

[reunionize]

No, this is something else.

[She glances over the room once they're inside, but it appears and sounds quite empty, so they're likely safe to speak until someone realizes Talulah left the main hall.]

They're treating me like they believe I'm a noble, but I thought they'd be probing to see whose side I was on. Instead, they've been acting like they already know.

[hypothermy]

The servants were trying to get me drunk. I didn't get the impression that they meant me any harm, it was more like they wanted they wanted to make sure I was distracted.

[ still, Talulah's statement catches her off-guard. if they didn't suspect her of being aligned with the uprising, then the nobles must have another conflict on their minds. ]

They could be wrapped up in some kind of power struggle between the dukes, but besides the base, there's nothing worth their attention this far away from Victoria's population centers. [ unless there is something hugely valuable going on at that military post, but that's a big if. ]

[reunionize]

[That's just more evidence they have no idea that Talulah is the leader of the rebels. If they did, they would have immediately removed her ally, but instead, they simply tried to keep Yelena distracted.

It's still bothering her that they're all acting like they're sure of where her allegiances lie. Even if they didn't believe her cover story, there could be any number of groups, parties, or conspiracies she could be a part of. And she can't think of anything she'd done that would have made anyone else think--

Wait. The attack the other day.]

...I think these nobles are Dublinn sympathisers. They must believe those people who attacked us the other day are proof enough that we're against them.

[hypothermy]

Dublinn?

[ the suggestion catches her off-guard, but if she stops to consider it, the pieces line up. noble Tarans weren't stripped of their titles when their land was taken, just forced into the position of being inherently lesser than the true gentry of Victoria.

Yelena's been told that the Dublinn leader is charismatic, if you can look past her madness. the local nobility would've been easy marks for her. ]

That would make sense. They think they can gain favor by providing a hostage.

[reunionize]

That...complicates things. I'm not sure we can stay in this town for very long now.

[And by no means can they allow this trap to spring. The small-time nobles might not know who Talulah is, but the leader of Dublinn absolutely does, and eventually word will reach her.]

But we definitely can't stay here, either. Did you see any back ways out while you were being shown around the servants' work areas?

[hypothermy]

There are a few servants exits that might work—

[ Yelena pauses, ears swiveling as she picks up the sound of steps in the hall. they're hurried, and she's halfway to the door to try and hold it closed when she hears the hinges squeak ... on another door, one that has to share a wall with theirs, as the conversation of their neighbors carries through loud and clear.

I don't like this. They still haven't given us an answers for how they plan on dealing with Hamilton and his lapdogs. We could be raided tonight and we'd have no means to defend ourselves!

her eyes flick over to Talulah, questioning. they could make a break for it, but it seems like someone may be about to divulge some extremely relevant information. ]

[reunionize]

[Talulah tips her head meaningly towards the direction the voices are coming from. They could make a break for it, yes, but they have no idea what's outside the room, especially now that the nobles from the party are apparently wandering around.

It'd be much easier to explain why a noble might have run off to be alone with her servant in a dark room than other things they could be caught at. She thinks the information they might glean is worth the risk.

Hamilton's not going to want to go back to those bastards in Londinium with the news he killed one of their own. Even if she's a nobody. We've just got to find her and keep her in one place.

Well, at least the second voice confirms their theory.]

[hypothermy]

[ Yelena gives a small nod of agreement, stepping away from the door as the conversation next door continues.

Have some tact, man. A few of our friends in attendance think she's just going to be ransomed off. You don't want someone getting cold feet before the envoys arrive. Let them handle that grisly business, we're not savages.

her scowl deepens, voice barely above a whisper when she speaks. ]

They're talking like this all might be happening tonight.

[reunionize]

Considering the mood around the city, they probably feel like they're running out of time.

[But that also means they have to act quickly. It likely won't be long before those envoys show up. They don't really have the luxury of playing it safe anymore, it seems.]

Did you see an easy way to get someone's car keys?

[hypothermy]

The drivers are supposed to keep them on their person, but I saw a few hang up their coats without taking the keys with them.

[ the host's servants had shown them to the downstairs coat rack where they could hang their things if they needed to. Yelena goes quiet as she retraces the path there— it would probably be less conspicuous if she went alone and then circled back before they left together, but she's not keen on letting Talulah out of her sight again.

she almost misses the next bit of conversation from the other room; Really? The leader herself is with them? Or, I suppose I should really be asking, which one do you mean? ]

[reunionize]

We need to grab a pair and get out of here. Staying is by far the worst option.

[Especially since one of Dublinn's leaders is on her way. But it is, apparently, the younger sister, as the other party in the neighboring room helpfully mentions. That still doesn't mean they should waste time.]

I'm not sure how we're going to get through here when I look this conspicuous, though.

[hypothermy]

I can burst a pipe. That would at least move all the servants to once place.

[ it's a tricky bit of arts to send her ice through flowing water to culminate at a far away point, but she's managed it before. she spotted a bathroom on her way upstairs, but it's hard to focus on triangulating its position from where they are when there a second set of voices filtering in from the hall.

This one's locked too, a clearly inebriated guest comments, utterly failing to moderate her volume between her giggles. Where's a lady supposed to find some privacy around here? ]

[reunionize]

That might be enough of a distraction--

[Talulah frowns at the loud voices, not keen on having to deal with yet another group. Thankfully, she does notice the rattling of the doorknob a moment before the rude partygoers enter their room.

In her defense, it's out of panic that she crowds Yelena against the nearest wall, practically shoving her. There's only one reasonable excuse for two people to be alone that would have others not asking many questions. She can only hope they look rumpled enough for it to be believable.]

[hypothermy]

[ Yelena shouldn't be so shocked by the move. she'd had the vague outlines of a similar idea when she had ushered Talulah into the room in the first place, having the experience of walking in on such a situation a handful of times herself.

there's no good excuse for stumbling when Talulah shoves her, needing to thrust her hands out and grab onto Talulah's shoulders just to avoid knocking her head against the wall. her eyes go wide, blinking rapidly up at Talulah, too dumb-founded to even point out that maybe she could've waited until they know the other guests are going to come this way?

it's moot point, because the voices grow louder a moment later and the door knob begins to turn. blood rushes to her face and it's a struggle not to duck her head, swallowing thickly and trying to look anywhere but Talulah's face. ]

[reunionize]

[She absolutely did know because she heard them trying every door. And she's proven correct a moment later when the woman and her companion drunkenly stumble right into the room.

It's on instinct that Talulah presses closer to Yelena when the two rude guests finally do crash inside, a reflex to move away from a perceived threat and closer to an ally. But when she does, she's suddenly made aware of just how close they are, and how much more flimsy party-wear and the servant uniforms are compared to their usual outfits.

At least the flush to her face probably lends credence to the impression they want to make on the two interlopers, especially since one of them embarrassingly covers her hand with a loud oops.]

[hypothermy]

[ FrostNova almost jumps when Talulah presses in even closer, something like panic gripping her as the door opens on the far side of the room. she manages to smother the noise of surprise she makes, the tiny hiccup likely just adding to the scene they're trying to emulate. it's mostly drowned out by the giggles from the interlopers.

Sorry ... wrong room! she hears one of them say distantly, taking their sweet time closing the door, though she can't bring herself to look and see if it's because they're openly leering like she suspects. it's surprisingly difficult to keep her wits about her while her heartbeat pounds in her ears and Talulah's feels so warm beneath her hands. even as the door clicks closed, she can't bring herself to move right away, rooted to the spot like some started prey animal.

well, if Talulah wanted payback for that candy trick the other day, she certainly has ammunition for it now. FrostNova wouldn't blame her if she never lets her live this down. ]

[reunionize]

[She won't have to worry about that, because Talulah is going to try very hard to forget this whole moment ever happened. Which, if she thinks about it, is a little ridiculous. They had to put on a bit of an act for a cover, that's all.

But Talulah feels bizarrely guilty about some part of this, like she really shouldn't have derived even an ounce of enjoyment over having Yelena so close, considering the circumstances.

She waits past the door closing, until the footsteps and giggles have disappeared completely down the hall, before she lets out a breath and steps back, needlessly adjusting the hem of her outfit.]

[hypothermy]

[ even after Talulah steps away, FrostNova stays rooted to her spot against the wall for a few long, awkward seconds. she feels a little like she needs to shake herself off like a wet animal, but that would be mortifying, so she settles for clearing her throat and continuing not to make eye contact with Talulah. ]

Are we agreed on the distraction? I'll send ice through the pipes to cause some damage, then we make a run to grab someone's keys and leave through the valet's exit?

[reunionize]

[Talulah takes another deep breath. Now is really not the time to mess up because she's distracted.]

Yes. We'll figure out our next steps once we're away from the town. At this point...are we agreed that we fight our way out if it comes to it?

[They're not sticking around, and if they're captured with Dublinn leadership on the way, they'll be in an irreversibly awful situation. Blowing their cover is the much preferred alternative, in her mind.]

[hypothermy]

[ FrostNova gives a curt nod, walking stiffly over to the opposite wall. ]

Yeah. We can't afford to be captured by either side here.

[ she places her palm flat against the wood paneling and releases a mild wave of cold on the surface, pushing through the grain to feel out where the metal is hidden beyond. with her pulse still hammering in her eyes, it takes her a few seconds longer than usual to find the right pipe.

once she gets a hit, it doesn't take much effort to send frost creeping along the plumbing. she can visualize it snaking through the house, freezing its veins, concentrating the ice on the upper floors to prevent any servants from sticking around where they need to get through.

the effect isn't immediate or easily. there's a loud thunk somewhere above them, but that's the only indication either of them have that Yelena's succeeded at first. after a few minutes, a smattering of hurried footsteps and aggrieved voices fly down the hallway in a rush, and Yelena finally turns to face Talulah again. ]

All right, let's go.

[reunionize]

[Talulah doesn't take much more prompting--the more time they spend waiting around, the greater the chance is that someone besides drunk partygoers runs into them.

Even through the back hallways, she tries to hide her face as much as possible. There's nothing to do about her clothing, but hopefully, someone thinks she's some random noble avoiding being seen for whatever reason rather than a person of interest.

Once they're deeper into the servants' sections, though, she realizes she doesn't know exactly where the coatroom is.]

Right or left?

[hypothermy]

Left.

[ Yelena motions for Talulah to follow, down into a narrow hall. the light is dingy, but there's a coat rack and a door at the end of it. she begins with the ones that look like what the other valets were wearing, quickly going through them until she feels something promising in a breast pocket. ]

I've got one.

[ they may want to get a few to make finding a car one matches to easier, but her thought is interrupted. it's muffled, the impact coming from the other end of the house, and for a split second Yelena thinks she might've overdone it with the pipes— then the explosion hits, and the foundations of the house shake. ]