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

[ 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.

[Thankfully, Talulah doesn't think she's done anything wrong in this situation. She's not sure why Yelena's pulled away, but she can at least tell it hadn't been out of distaste or similar. Unfortunately, this does mean she'll be reluctant to bring this up again.

They really shouldn't be lingering, though.]

There's still no way Dublinn wouldn't notice you clearing out the tunnel.

[So that means they're waiting beyond that boundary. Talulah looks back towards their vehicle, thoughtfully.]

We'll have to drive slowly through the ice. Be prepared for a fight.

[ avoidance isn't what Yelena wants from her either. she can't really say what she does want either, not in a way she can make sense of yet. dissatisfaction roils beneath her skin, but she can't delay them any longer. ]

It's hard to miss, but we don't know how they'll react to it either.

[ going off what they saw of the nobles, the town, and the base, it's clear that Dublinn's attack has been a long time coming. months, maybe years of planning went into what's happened over the last few hours, and the Taran forces have likely been trained for dozens of contingencies.

two arts users of Talulah and FrostNova's level, dumped into the middle of all of this out of pure, dumb luck, though? that's hard for anyone to prepare for. ]

I think we can stick to your plan for now. Victorian military-grade trucks have good handling. You drive and I'll block whatever comes at us.

[ and if Loughshinny Dublinn is out there waiting for them, well. Yelena's not above taking out her sour mood on a fair target. ]

[They are an unknown quantity in this grand chess match, and Talulah's resolved to use that to their advantage. With that in mind, she returns to the truck and waits for Yelena to join her before starting to drive slowly over the ice coating the tunnel.

For a while, there's nothing. Just the distant sound of battle elsewhere in the city and the tires rolling over the frost and ice underneath them. It puts Talulah on edge, and she's tense even after they've gone past the reach of Yelena's arts and are on a proper road again. Maybe that's why she hears the faint rumble followed by a whistle, as if something is streaking towards them through the air.

It lets her jerk the wheel hard to the right to avoid a boulder striking the ground right in front of them. Another follows, too quickly from it to be from a catapult or canon, which Talulah also swerves to avoid.]

They've got another arts user.

[She's a little out of breath from the sudden adrenaline rush, and tries to manuver the truck to where they can better dodge whoever is flinging rocks at them.]

Can you see where they're coming from?

[ it would've been nice if they could've put a few more kilometers between them and Hillock before having to abandon the truck, but things were never that easy. when she hears the telltale sign of an arts-based attack hurled toward them, Yelena moves out of her seat, half-hanging out of the open window as her eyes track the sort of the blast.

Yeah.

[ while the caster stays out of sight, FrostNova's seen enough to narrow down their location. if they're sentries positioned along the roads to pick off any fleeing messengers, they're not going to be heavily armored. when Talulah veers sharply to make a run for cover, a snaking trail of ice shoots out across the ground, exploding up in a volley of lance-like ice protrusions behind the hill where Yelena's estimated their location. ]

[Yelena's arts do flush their attackers out, and even as she's trying to drive through the mess and avoid any other projectiles, she recognizes the younger Dublinn sister, Loughshinny, easily.

The feline next to her is unfamiliar, but she's the one lobbing boulders at them. Talulah slows the vehicle just enough that she can focus, and the air heating around them is the only precursor to flames bursting from under their attackers' feet, like a flower blooming straight out of the earth. She doubts that will keep a fellow Draco at bay for long, but it's enough for her and Yelena to prepare.]

I don't think it's a good idea to keep running with those two on our tail.

[At minimum, it would draw the attention of every Victorian soldier in the vicinity. She'd really rather Loughshinny realize that Talulah and Yelena are not here to bother with politics or tensions boiling over, but that option has been off the table since Talulah realized they'd been planning to use her as a hostage at the party.]

They started this fight. Let's end it quickly.

[ how the Dublinn commander and her feline companion managed to follow them out here is beyond Yelena. why they're even this far away from the bulk of the fighting is another good question, unless they're chasing after the two of them directly, which isn't an impossibility.

she slips back into her seat, narrowly ducking another boulder flung in their direction. ]

I can start channeling when you stop. Freezing the ground will take care of whoever's with her, but I'll need you to keep Dublinn off me.

[ even after the energy she extended at the base, she should still enough left in her tank for a second showing. they can't afford to hesitate, not when they're this close to getting away, but Yelena knows this fight isn't going to be like their scuffle with the soldiers. ]

If you can't incapacitate her, let me handle it. It'll be better in the long run if I'm responsible for only one Draco walking out of here.

[They might have heard that a "hostage" went missing, which led them here, but Talulah really isn't concerned with that so long as they're standing between her, Yelena, and the road out of County Hillock.]

You could show a little more confidence in me.

[She stops the truck completely and hops out, the space around her turning hot enough to warp the air. Even if she hadn't been up against a fellow Draco, the situation is either their escape, or they get captured and killed. And Talulah won't let that happen, not with the information she has tucked into the inner part of her jacket. And especially not when Yelena is with her.]

Do what you need to. I'll keep her corralled.

All right— if you make this quick, I'll let you order me around for real.

[ Yelena doesn't make quips before battle too often, but the words leave her mouth before she can think better of it. whether it's the mounting pressure of their situation or Talulah's glibness rubbing off on her, she doesn't have time to ruminate on it now. as soon as the truck stops, she's out on the other side, her eyes on their opponents.

there's no sparing Talulah from her cast range this time. even through the blaze of her arts, Talulah will feel the full effect of the rapidly dropping temperature in the air around them. the wind stirs as FrostNova's voice cuts through the sound of fire and breaking earth, a tune she often hums under her breath taking the shape of a full, disarmingly soft lullaby.

within seconds, the ground beneath them freezes solid. a sheet of ice spreads from where Yelena stands like a rising tide, ensnaring anyone who isn't strong enough to break themselves free in time. ]

[Talulah has, after all this time, gotten used to the cold from Yelena's arts. Even if it's much worse than normal to be in the thick of it instead of during a spar or when they're more coordinated, she's used to dodging around the frigid wind and ice pillars.

In fact, it's giving her a subtle advantage. She knows how to melt the frost around her feet and when and where to move, but the Dublinn sister does not. And she also has to deal with Talulah's arts, streaking through the air and across the ground like they're a living thing, strong enough that the roar of their advance can be heard over the crack of Yelena's ice.

Her main goal is to keep Loughshinny far away from Yelena and the other target, or split them up entirely if possible, but Talulah notices quickly that she seems quite determined to stay in a predetermined range. Which usually involves things like Sarkaz witchcraft rituals, or combined casting, or--

Ah. It would be that her arts are both entirely the same and utterly different from her sister's, wouldn't it?]

Yelena! Change of plans. Her arts can heal. We'll be here forever if we don't focus on a single target.

[ Yelena doesn't stop singing immediately, her attention split between Talulah and the feline caster struggling against the cold. her screams of frustration are audible over wind and flame, not quite able to keep up between the ice crawling up her legs and how impenetrable the ground has become around them. only Loughshinny's halo of arts keeps the other young woman's skin from turning black and brittle under the extreme conditions, but it's not enough to let her stay in the fight.

the more important target here is obvious. Talulah won't get a verbal response, but Yelena's decision will become clear after her voice quiets and spears of ice shoot up beneath Loughshinny's feet, forcing her move and split the concentration of her flames partially away from Talulah.

given her casting aptitude, people often underestimate FrostNova's physical capabilities. when Loughshinny stays to the side, Yelena has darted across the road to greet her, a mere exhale of her breath calling a cloud of freezing down onto her. ]

[Talulah immediately takes the opening to put up a wall of fire between them and the feline caster. There's no way after dealing with Yelena's arts that she has the capability of throwing more of those boulders, but her flames are strong enough that they'd be slowed down regardless.

Unfortunately, it's a simple application of science that the hot and cold interplay along the ground is forming small cracks here and there, and the caster's earth arts are exacerbating the problem. It would be to their benefit if they could widen one of the fissures where they wanted it to go, physically splitting Loughshinny from her companion, but that would require her staying still long enough that she'd be an easy target.

It's better that she turn the full concentration of her arts towards Loughshinny. Between the fire and Yelena getting into her space, she has a choice between retreating beyond where her healing arts can reach their target, or take the full brunt of the flames and ice bearing down on her.]

[ Yelena never thinks in absolutes on the battlefield, but she does favor some outcomes over others. their opponent is being attacked from two sides now, given the option to withdraw to a safer position or try to repel both of them at once. with no chance of backup, moving is the better option by far, but Loughshinny's legs lock in place, her own fire desperately encircling her as she stands her ground.

FrostNova can see the tremors in her arms as she struggles to keep her weapon up. she can also see how her eyes aren't focused on either of them, but cast beyond Talulah's wall of fire, where the other caster's been pinned down. the feline's still yelling, practically barking orders at the draco who should be her superior by what little Yelena knows of Dublinn's hierarchy. she seems like kind of a hassle, if FrostNova's being honest, but if Loughshinny refuses to give up her position, there can only be one reason why.

wreathing her body in cold, Yelena darts out, grabbing Loughshinny by the sleeve and pulling her close enough that Talulah will have to diminish her own flames to avoid hitting them both. ]

I can rupture the ground beneath your friend right now and run her through on a spike like the Vampires do when they want to show off. Can you heal her through that? Should we test it?

Edited 2025-08-13 06:14 (UTC)

[Talulah drops her arm to her side, and her flames immediately split to either side of Yelena and her newly acquired captive. There's still a blistering wall of hot air that breezes by, but Yelena's arts likely mitigates the worst of it.

She keeps half of her attention on the other caster, making sure she doesn't break through the barrier between them, but otherwise, she simply advances a few strides.]

She's not bluffing. And I'll do something worse if you're thinking up some kind of escape plan.

[There's an obvious threat in the flames still wreathing her hand, as pointed as a finger on a trigger.]

We don't actually have much of a quarrel with you right now, Dublinn. And in my opinion, your loyalty is wasted on your current company...that "leader" of yours included. Cut your losses.

Loushinny is shaking from exertion and what Talulah first assumes is fear, but after a beat recognizes it as pressure instead. Considering all the players and events of the night, she must be at a very heavy crossroads. The orders of her sister. The safety of her companions. The hopes and dreams of the Taran people.

Talulah can't say she doesn't sympathise, in some way. But that's not as important as her and Yelena's escape. Which might actually be viable now that Loughsinny is so distracted. Minutely, Talulah flicks her tail, a signal she hadn't been able to use at the party, but one Yelena hopefully takes as a sign to do what she needs to so they can both get out of County Hillock once and for all.]

[ from another sort of person, Yelena would take Talulah's signal as sign to do what she'd mentioned a few minutes ago. there's only one way to make absolutely certain Loughshinny won't continue her chase, and with the other woman in her grasp, all it would take is a flick of her wrist to spill the red dragon's blood over the frozen ground.

it wouldn't be the worst move, long term, on FrostNova's part. as lost and desperate as she looks, the inferno claiming the city behind them was started by her flames. she's not innocent, and anyone weak-willed enough to be swung around like a blunt weapon by a sycophant doesn't seem like they'll be of much use in the future.

but she hasn't made a move to attack her, as close as they are. her head is turned toward Talulah, eyes glassy as she absorbs her words, and Yelena has a wide opening to use her arts without fear of reprisal.

with surprising force, she shoves Loughshinny back. the sounds of fire and wind are eclipsed by a thunderous crack as the ground shakes beneath them, tendrils of ice weaving into the broken ground to tear the minor fissures into gaping chasms. the cold around them is bitter— each breath in like a knife to the lungs, the temperature dropping well into the negative double digits. snow and ice roll off Yelena like waves from a frozen sea, becoming so fierce that she's barely visible through the squall, her feet lifting off the ground from the unbridled power of her arts.

when it quiets, the landscape is transformed. great ruptures in the earth separate Talulah and FrostNova from their two pursuers, a wall of ice further trapping the Dublinn commanders on their respective islands. Yelena stands straight-backed, a minuscule tremor in her knees and the bone-white color of her skin the only sign that she was the source of the storm. ]

All right. That's— they can't get through that.

[Practically speaking, killing her might cause some serious problems down the road. It really would be taking a chance that some aspect of Eblana's arts wouldn't let her discover who did the act.

But despite the fact that this night had to be spearheaded by Loughshinny, Talulah really does think it would be a shame and a waste for her to die here.

Yelena reads her intentions well, which she'd banked on, and she has to redirect most of her energy to keeping on her feet and staving off the bitter cold that shocks the whole area. There are tiny, sparkling motes of frost that float and glimmer faintly around them in the dark in the aftermath, and Talulah's crossing the short distance between her and Yelena automatically.]

Let's not stick around to find out.

[She takes the other's hand, sending a faint surge of warmth through their connection, before moving to head back towards the truck. Hopefully, after all the fighting around it, it's still functional.]

[ Talulah reaching out so casually takes Yelena be surprise. it shouldn't, given their last interaction after she dipped heavily into her arts. she'd gotten the sense that Talulah felt rebuffed by her reaction and might be reluctant to touch her again. Yelena would've been completely fine with that— she'd told herself, eager to refocus her attention on their escape and ignore how much the thought stung her for some reason.

the sudden flash of heat is a relief, bringing a trace of warmth back to her skin, but Yelena's eyes go wide when she realizes the source of heat is Talulah's hand. if that weren't bad enough, Talulah starts walking while still holding onto her, and Yelena's forced to remember how to put one foot in front of another while unbelievably comforting licks of warmth pass roll up her arm. ]

I should— probably stay back when you start up the car.

[ if it even starts at all. Victorian engineering is second to none, but the sudden cold fronts FrostNova's capable of summoning can fry just about any tech. ]

Huh? Why? I think the damage is already done if you've frozen it.

[Yelena still feels a little cold, but not to the point where she'd damage the vehicle if it isn't already broken beyond all saving.

Talulah's already using her free hand to send little flares swirling around to warm up and defrost different parts of the car, hoping that it's enough to get the engine working. She doesn't let go of Yelena until she's at the driver's door, and that's only because she assumes the other will go around and open up the passenger's side.

When she hops inside and tries the key, there's nothing but a few ominous clicking sounds. But after a few more tries, the engine whines and then rumbles reluctantly to life.]

Okay, let's go. I'm sick of this place, and have no idea how long this truck is going to hold after what it's been through.

[ FrostNova's movements are little delayed after Talulah lets go of her, idly clenching her empty hand once before she seems to remember that she still needs to get into the truck. the stupor doesn't last for long, and she's lifting herself back in on the opposite side before it becomes too obvious. ]

Are we still heading for the train station? We'd have to steal tickets or smuggle ourselves on board.

[ the adrenaline from the fight that lingers in her system keeps her focused, but Yelena can feel the repeated use of her arts beginning to set in. she slumps incrementally in her seat as Talulah drives off, keeping here eyes on the road. ]

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