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

Let's go then.

[ moving through an unfamiliar military base is a different beast than navigating a city she's spent a few weeks in. their chances of getting caught here are much higher, but somehow, their route is relatively clear. Yelena can't chalk it up entirely to luck— as they go, she notes telltale signs of several altercations that broke out on the base. whether it's double agents, deserters, or something else, she can't spare much time puzzling out the cause.

the research building looms large when they begin to close in on it, built to an obviously higher standard than a lot of the structures they've passed by leading up to it. there are no guards positioned outside that FrostNova can see, but if there's any will to maintain order left in the men here, it's likely some will be inside.

fishing the keycard she took from her jacket, she slots it into door lock, grimacing when the light flashes green with shrill, audible beep. ]

Ready?

Ready.

[They really can't leave the lack of guards up to luck, since Talulah didn't see all that many bodies, either. Which means they must have gone somewhere, and that might have been to guard the very important bit of research.

So when she enters the wing, it's quick, careful, and quiet. Ideally, they should get in and out without anyone noticing, but that's a pipe dream. As evidenced by the guards waiting just around the corner of the first corridor.

Talulah immediately kicks one in the stomach before kicking him to the floor, wanting to minimize noise and prevent him from raising the alarm to others. She trusts that Yelena can take care of the other one, which is an instinct she'll probably have to remedy when they get out of here. For now, though, it's fine to still work in tandem like they have been.]

[ black ice forms with a flick of FrostNova's wrist, a handful of dagger-sharp shards ripping through the air to sink into the guard's vital points like a shower of arrows. they collapse to the ground silently, and Yelena's already moving past them to get a peak through the windowed door at the end of the hall.

the building was already big on the outside, but the above ground structure isn't even half of it. her eyes widen as she takes stock of the hulking piece of machinery, only one part of a greater weapon and still needs an underground silo to hold it.

there's a few people, probably researchers, milling about anxiously, hauling equipment onto carts as they make to evacuate. they're aided by several armed guards, but relative to the kind of security this place should have, it's a skeleton crew. ]

Do you want to try and do this quietly? It's going to be quicker if you can just torch the place.

[Talulah takes stock of the interior briefly. There certainly aren't more guards than they can handle, and she's fairly certain she can take care of everyone inside and the weapon before an alarm is raised.

That doesn't mean no one will take notice, but she is very aware of the timeline they're on.]

I think we do need to be efficient.

[She takes a breath, and the air around her warms as she prepares to use her arts in as wide an area as possible.]

Watch for any stragglers or a trap springing. You can open the door.

[ Yelena takes count of the exits one last time before putting her hand on the door handle. the warmth in the air makes her pause for a moment, inhaling softly as she feels Talulah's arts begin to take shape, not just physically, but through the connection she'd loosely strung between them a few days prior. it's different from the Yeti's drawing from her to boost their own arts, a lick of heat where cold usually usually dominates. there's something almost ... comforting about it. proof that Talulah's alive, even if they get separated somehow later.

but she doesn't have time to dwell on it. with a swift push she shoves the door open, the sound of the heavy latch echoing through the cavernous research facility like a cannon. ]

[The first swathe of flame is just to make the researchers and guards scatter, so when she darts in to head towards the weapon piece, the route is clear.

There is a power source that she knows the general location of, thanks to the rudimentary blueprints in the folio. It's on the opposite side of the door, and Talulah jumps over the other machinery and monitors to get behind it. The two guards who try to follow run into a wall of fire from her arts, and after that, her attention is on destroying the part.

Its composition is strong enough that normal arts probably wouldn't be able to damage it at all, but all of Talulah's focused on one point does manage to warp and melt the metal.]

[ Talulah's flames draw screams of panic and dismay from the people inside, many of the researches making to flee, dropping any materials they might've been trying to salvage. after the initial burst, the soldiers take aim at Talulah, but their bolts drop like stones in the air, turned to chunks of heavy ice before they can get anywhere near Talulah.

FrostNova vaults herself over the railings to drop to the lower platforms, the metal flooring turning to a sheet of ice the moment she lands. spikes shoot up to puncture equipment like tin foil while Victorian soldiers are trapped in place like pests in fly paper, leaving them helpless as Yelena picks them off.

she goes as fast as she can, but it's obvious the staff have emergency training. a cart comes flying at her from overhead, shoved off a higher landing by one person, while another emerges from beneath a control panel to slam their hand over a conspicuous button. an alarm rips through the air, the sound so overwhelming its clear that the alert must be for the entire base. ]

[Talulah's fire has weakened the base of the structure enough that the whole thing is creaking and groaning by the time the alarm goes off. She curses under her breath, but it takes just a moment more of focus and intensity for the weapon part to finally collapse, molten metal sloughing off the sides to drip into the crater that had formed in the middle, ensuring all the internal components are unusable.

She can sense that Yelena is fine. The connection wouldn't be so steady if that hadn't been the case, but she still dashes over the railing to lean over it and peer down at the lower floors to see for herself.]

The part's destroyed, do you see a way out down there?

They were heading toward that tunnel—

[ she thrusts an arm out to point to the left, where a truck-sized opening sits recessed into the wall, likely made to transport large materials in and out of the research complex. ]

I don't know where it leads, but if they were planning to evacuate with equipment, there might be a vehicle we can use on the other end.

[ which could be guarded, but it seems like a better bet to Yelena than going back the way they came. ]

[Talulah jumps over the railing to join Yelena on the bottom floors, and observes the tunnel. As she expected, there's no way to tell what's further down there, or if there's another trap waiting, but it is their best chance for getting transportation out.]

Okay. Let's see where it goes, at least.

[She keeps barely enough of her arts lit on her hand in order to see where they're stepping through the darkness. The less time anyone at the other end has to see them coming, the better.

There's no visible trap waiting for them on the other side, but there are several researchers and a few guards still frantically trying to get supplies out. Onto perfectly serviceable trucks. When Talulah sees that, she doesn't hesitate to put a wall of fire up between everyone she sees in the room, the mere proximity of the heat a threat.]

Toss us the keys to these. Now.

[ FrostNova falls into step silently besides Talulah, letting her lead the way through the darkened roadway. she's more immediately concerned with what lies behind them, moving at a quick clip in case someone responding to the alarm sees the same path and follows their trail.

her contingency on finding more Victorians waiting for them at the end had been to simply kill them all and take what they needed, but she lets Talulah try her intimidation tactics without protest. she watches closely as she notes the panicked glances between the people wearing lab coats and the clenched jaws of the soldiers, spotting the movement of a researcher lifting their hand and the grunt that immediately goes for their weapon. ]

Don't be stupid.

[ the man takes a stake of ice to the shoulder for the attempt, and the gaunt-faced scientist tosses the keys over a moment later. ]

[Talulah scoops up the keys, effortlessly keeping up the wall of flame between them and the Victorians. There's an identification symbol on the ring, which makes it simple to find the right vehicle.]

I'll drive. You can--

[Keep the soldiers and researchers at bay, is what she's about to say to Yelena, before there's a rattling explosion somewhere nearby. It's strong enough that she has to purposefully keep her balance, and close enough that they'll likely run into whoever caused it if they drive out.]

[ the explosion rattles her teeth, making her shift her stance to keep from stumbling like several of the people around them. even at a distance, the noise rings in her ears, indicating weaponry that poses a real threat to anyone at the receiving end.

by the looks on the Victorian's faces, it's making the group rethink their exit strategy. FrostNova, for her part, doesn't budge. once you pass a certain point, the only way out way out is through. ]

Okay. You can drive.

[ she heads for the vehicle, waiting for Talulah to drop the fire and follow her. as soon as the flames recede, a wall of ice springs forth in its wake, creating a very physical barrier between the base staff and the two of them. it drops the temperature of the air several degrees in the blink of an eye, but Yelena barely seems winded by the act. ]

You don't need to floor it. We want the engine warmed up. Stop when you see something coming toward us, or the exit— whatever comes first.

Right.

[Once she regains her footing, she hops into the vehicle and starts the engine, letting it run while she waits for Yelena to join her. The tunnel leading outside is lit only by the backup emergency lights, but the brighter glow at the end of it is...unnatural.

They still have the rest of the compound to get through, but Talulah's not sure they'll make it that far. The fire burning on the bits of rubble from the nearby explosion isn't the kind caused by mines or mortars. Or ordinary arts.]

Dublinn's nearby. The younger sister.

Loughshinny, right? We don't have much intel on how she fights.

[ in FrostNova's mind, she's the real threat they need to worry about. her exit strategy will trivialize the threat of any normal fighters, but if the Dublinn heir is close to Talulah's level of skill with her arts—

there's no use worrying about it now. she'll know what sort of obstacle they're dealing with soon enough.

whether it's luck or the sign of a trap about to close around them, no advancing enemies find them in the tunnel. the sounds of crackling flames and explosions grow louder as they roll closer to the surface, but Yelena says nothing else. the next time she speaks, the exit is no longer a vague shape in the distance. ]

Stop here. Don't turn the engine off.

[ she slips out the truck as soon as it comes to a stop. her steps echo on the concrete as she slowly walks a few meters ahead, putting a good distance between herself and the vehicle. Yelena considers the strength of the fire in the near distance, the size of the base, the direction they must be facing. there's limited finesse she can apply here, but she needs to exert some level of control— Talulah and their transportation have to be preserved. everything else is negotiable.

barely above a whisper, she goes through a brief scale, shaking the rust from her lungs. there's a flicker of movement ahead of them, a form in the flames, but then FrostNova opens her mouth and everything goes still.

Talulah can feel it, a knife of cold through their connection when Yelena unleashes her arts. frigid wind bursts out from her body, screaming down the tunnel, almost loud enough to drown out the bone-shaking intensity of sharp, operatic notes Yelena hits to channel her cast. frost explodes like snaking vines along the walls and ceiling, and the flame flares for several bright, terrifying moments as it feeds off the movement of air.

by the time she stops, it's guttered to a fleeting whimper. everything beyond the place where FrostNova moved to stand has gone dead, frigid, and the nearest sounds of battle have receded to nothing. when she turns back to look at Talulah, she looks like something dead. her skin is pale, so white it nearly matches her hair, tiny scales of ice flaking off her as she moves. the inside of her mouth and the corners of her eyes appear violently bright in contrast, red blood spilled across clean snow. ]

Should we go take a look?

[Talulah obeys the instruction and stops the truck, but as Yelena gets out and starts walking further and further away, her frown grows. Eventually, she opens the door and stands, leaning out so she can get a better look at where the other is going.]

What are you--

[Her half-spoken question gets answered a second later when everything, down to some metaphorical space deep inside her chest where the connection between their arts resides, turns bitterly cold.

It's a beautiful and deadly spectacle. Talulah can barely hear Yelena's singing as a medium over the initial howl of the wind and crack of the ice racing down the tunnel to swallow up the flames whole. She'd been on the other end of that sheer chill enough times during spars to know the effort it took to overcome, and if anything alive had been there before, that is certainly no longer the case.

Her breath puffs out in visible clouds in the aftermath. The cold can't touch her, not really, thanks to her arts, but...she can feel an echo of it, like warmth is just memory--no, worse. Like warmth is just a fairy tale.

She's careful not to slip as she goes over to Yelena, already gathering her own arts around her and sending it down that connection between them. Maybe that's all it would take, but when she finally reaches where Yelena's standing, she takes the other's hands, too.]

Before that, let's test if I'm able to counteract the cold. Maybe then you won't have to eat one of those candies.

[ while her arts may have just increased their window for escape, time is still against them. Yelena expects Talulah to clear the frost on the road when she moves, walk ahead to see what the world looks like past the mouth of the tunnel, something that immediately furthers their end goal. she's not prepared for the spark of Talulah's arts to rush through their connection, the sensation leaving her standing dead in her tracks.

FrostNova doesn't have the vocabulary to describe what it feels like. doesn't have a frame of reference for what to do next when Talulah takes her hands and she can feel something other cold. for a moment she's a child again, reaching out in desperation for a source of heat to banish the ice that took hold of her body and never really let go.

maybe it's that phantom memory that makes her body move on its own, Yelena's face nothing short of shell-shocked as she snatches Talulah's hands closer, holding them tightly to her chest. it's a stupid, dangerous thing to do— even her father can't touch her without hurting himself when she's like this. but Talulah's hands stay pale and strong, the skin the refusing to blacken from the contact with Yelena's ghastly arts. ]

It's warm. [ her voice is small, unbelieving. she can't muster anything more. ]

Good.

[She doesn't flinch when Yelena clutches her hands closer, even though she can feel the temperature drop even further, ice stinging the backs of her fingers. It doesn't matter, when her own internal flame makes it so that it's only discomfort and nothing more.

She keeps her breathing deep and even, feeding more of her arts in a steady stream between them. Typically, she's not very good at this kind of fine-tuning, but she doesn't want to experiment with what happens if she sends a surge instead.

What she says next can't hold or encompass all of what she really feels, how it's more than gratitude that she can help. It's a tiny grain of thankfulness to the twisted form of the universe, of her cursed fate until now, if it meant the parallel lines of their paths intersected for now.]

I'm glad.

[ Yelena stands there clinging to Talulah's hands for longer than she realizes. her sense of shame trickles back to the forefront of her mind slowly, needing to be defrosted along with the rest of her body. she can be painfully conscious of the way she presents herself, knowing the responsibility that comes with her position and the sort of image the princess of Ursus needs to maintain— but right now, even with her arts weighing down the air, Talulah's warm.

... and looking at her. like she's something Yelena doesn't have a word for. she blinks, frost flaking off her pale lashes, and feels a spike of heat pierce between her ribs, too sharp and unrelenting to be from carefully woven bond between them.

she drops Talulah's hands as suddenly as she grabbed them, taking a step as some color returns to her face. ]

Sorry. I didn't mean to do that.

Sorry? What for?

[Objectively speaking, Yelena stepping back and freeing Talulah's hands from the biting cold should feel better rather than worse. But she still feels inexplicably bereft when Yelena pulls out of her hold.]

And are you sure that was enough?

[The relative darkness makes it a little hard for Talulah to see if the frost that had been clinging to the other's hair and face and clothes had melted completely.]

I'm fine. I shouldn't—

[ be using you like my personal space heater, is what she means to say, but that's not what was happening, was it? they'd discussed trying something like this before, and it's clear Talulah has no objections about FrostNova getting in her personal space.

there's no solid logic behind Yelena's sudden aversion to Talulah's touch, at least not one she can voice out loud. aversion isn't even the right word, because if Talulah offered her hands again, Yelena doesn't know if she could turn her down, and that's ... dangerous. she's not in a position where she can allow herself to be vulnerable like that, and yet she wants to.

she really, really wants to. ]

—get used to shaking off my arts that quickly. You make it too easy. If we keep going, I'll never want to leave you alone.

That's a bad thing?

[Talulah almost wants to laugh. Yelena phrasing it like that brings up a similar feeling to the one Talulah had when they'd been hiding out at the party earlier, a sense that she shouldn't be taking so much pleasure from the other being near her. She obviously hadn't minded in the least, especially with how much they'd had to rely on each other during their time behind enemy lines.

Ah. Maybe that is the problem.]

Mm. But I guess I can't always be around to help, is what you mean? I don't want to make things more difficult for you whenever we're not fighting together.

Yeah. That.

[ she latches onto the explanation Talulah provides like a lifeline, suddenly feeling rushed to provide sound reasoning behind her actions after repeating the last thing she said in her head a few times. out of context, it sounds kind of ... suspect.

they really aren't in the position for her to over-analyze her own wording. since when does FrostNova even do that? she's clumsy with her words all the time, routinely too blunt to be an effective negotiator. Talulah's aware of it at this point, too— she takes a steadying breath, suppressing a shiver that can't be blamed on the cold. ]

If the Dublinn sister was out this far, there's a chance she's still active. We should get moving. I'll let you know if I need your help again once we put a few kilometers between us and the base.

[This really isn't the time to be arguing or lingering, but Talulah can't help but feel...frustrated, might be the correct word, at the sudden shift in the conversation. She doesn't like it, how quickly Yelena's pulled away and how eager she is to move on. There's an instinct pulling at her to dig her heels in if she ever wants a hint of that closeness from before again, but...

But. There's really no time to. It's already ridiculous that she's even thinking of risking their lives or the state of the rebellion for her own hangups. With visible reluctance, Talulah straightens and casts her gaze down the still-frozen tunnel.]

Maybe this has been their target all along. Should we take the truck? You chased anyone out of here, but there's no telling if there's a trap waiting at the end of this tunnel.

[ a similar unruly emotion simmers inside of Yelena. she wants to move on from this, but also wants to make sure Talulah knows it's not because she did anything wrong or upset her in some way. FrostNova's better at expressing herself through actions rather than words, and with the self-imposed limitation on moving any closer to Talulah than she already is, she has no way to get her point across.

at least Talulah's response gives her something else to worry about. she blinks, looking between Talulah and the end of the tunnel in mild confusion, like she can't understand what she's talking about. ]

A trap? We should be able to disarm if it's a tripwire or a mine. [ another pause as she thinks, before I look of understated realization crosses her face. ]

If you're talking about people, there won't be any that close. The wave I sent out was enough to cover 200 meters in front of us.

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