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

[ 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. ]

Any train that's still running is far enough away that we might as well drive to the next city where we can meet up with someone.

[Knowing Victoria, they're probably going to have a high presence at stations one stop out from County Hillock, too.

Talulah starts driving again, at a little faster clip than they had before. There's probably no threat bigger than the one they just took care of, honestly, so being too cautious will just hinder their escape.]

If we're lucky, all of the damage Dublinn caused will have made a way out of here with no Victorians.

Incoming troops could be a problem, if they got a distress signal out. No one's going to follow behind us.

[ the chill from Yelena's arts and her towering constructs of ice hasn't entirely faded from the air yet, even as the high walls she put up to separate them from the Dublinn sister shrink into the distance.

it's too early to relax, she knows, but every meter they put between themselves and Hillock lifts a weight from her shoulders as the car rolls along. there's some guilt in that she can't quite shaking, knowing how many innocent people are trapped or fleeing in worse condition, but there would never be a chance to help them later if they had stuck around and gotten captured. ]

Do you have a place in mind? We'll have to dump the truck somewhere before we get close to anywhere with people.

Edited 2025-08-18 06:23 (UTC)

I think a signal might have been delayed, since I'm sure the army thought it was simple unrest for at least a little while.

[Despite how far they still have to go, likely, it is a relief to finally put County Hillock behind them. A little less constant vigilance, a little less uncertainty about their next steps. Although, it's regrettable that the destruction they're leaving behind them had been all but inevitable. Even if she knows there's nothing she and Yelena could have really done on their own.]

As for where to go next...I'm pretty sure there's a small town between here and the next biggest city that's friendly. And has comms.

Okay.

[ between their previous discussions and the local maps Yelena's spent her time in Hillock studying, she has an idea of the place Talulah means. this is her homeland, her area of expertise. Yelena doesn't see any reason to question her at this point, relying on Talulah something like a second nature to her now.

it's obvious, in retrospect, why she was successful in mounting a resistance when similar movements in Victoria have been swiftly dismantled. she makes you want to believe her, put your trust in her, follow her through to the impossible fairy tale ending she promises. ]

If you get tired driving, I can take over.

I think I'll be fine for the rest of the way.

[Talulah had to destroy the weapon part among some other things, but none of her arts usage had to cover the same ground as Yelena's.

"Home" is a bit of an odd concept. She doesn't truly feel it for Victoria in the way that maybe she should. Certainly not more than the other draco they've left behind in the city. It's ill-fitting in the same way Lungmen is, but Talulah had a lot of experience carving out places to exist for herself. And others, now that she's leading the rebellion.]

You can get some sleep if you want. It'll probably be daylight by the time we have to ditch the car.

You can't watch the road and keep an eye on everything else.

[ Yelena snorts dismissively, propping her elbow against the window and leaning her chin onto her palm. ]

What's your plan after you drive all night and we need to walk the rest of the way? Have me carry you?

I'd just walk. Do you really think I'd collapse the second I step out of the car?

[She casts a quick glance over at Yelena, nose scrunching slightly.]

Don't tell me the act rubbed off on you. Honestly, it'll be a relief not to play the naive and fragile noble anymore.

I think you're the type to keep walking until you're dead on your feet and hope no one catches you asleep standing up.

[ shrugging one shoulder, she turns her attention out the window, familiarizing herself with the shape of the rolling hills around them. the mention of the act makes her pause, the silence acting longer than it should for teasing little jab. Yelena played up the protectiveness in front of strangers for convenient excuses to keep their distance, but it wasn't all for show. she'd admitted that much the day the got split up in the city.

it's not an unfamiliar role to her— a lot of it was probably fueled by her drilled-in leader's instinct. once they're able to meet up with more of Talulah's rebels, FrostNova's sure the feeling will pass. ]

You don't have to worry about me, I hear you loud and clear. If I ever have to move you somewhere, I'll drag you by the ankles.

I definitely won't, no matter how far we have to walk.

[That might be the adrenaline or the relief of finally getting out of the town that felt a little more like a cage every day the tensions there rose, but Talulah is feeling fine.

Really, the only thing she'll probably miss is how easy it had been, out of necessity and then habit, to rely on Yelena to watch her back.

She could trust the other with a lot of things. In fights, with information gathering, with speaking her mind if Talulah asked her for an opinion or advice. It's not the same as when she trusts the members of the rebel group to carry out orders, either, but she supposes that when they get back to their respective duties properly, that dynamic will change.]

So I guess you'll have to wait for another chance to drag me along like a sack of flour. Maybe if you win our next sparring match.

You're going to make me wait that long? I don't think we'll have an excuse to train together seriously anytime soon.

[ using their arts against one another in mock battles was feasible back in Ursus where they had ample military facilities to practice in. if they wanted to fight seriously in Victoria, they'd have to make a day trip out to some deserted spot in the countryside to avoid any collateral.

which doesn't sound like an awful way to spend her time, if Yelena's being honest, but they're in the middle of the war. they won't have the luxury of moving that freely until their controlled territory expands beyond the north. ]

If you're afraid of losing to me, you should come out and say it.

Aren't you the one making excuses when we could fight with practice weapons any time we wanted?

[It isn't always as interesting as when they can spar using their arts, but it's still an option. And definitely not a bad way to spend their time.]

I'll even give you the advantage of a polearm if you're worried.

[ after the Hillock incident, FrostNova's lucky she's even allowed out of Ursus again.

her and Talulah's disappearance had brought the war to a standstill, the rebellion unable to make any consequential moves while their possible capture remained a factor on the board. their forces had managed to apprehend the Victorian caster's responsible for their displacement, but they were confident that the pair had been transported directly to one of their bases. as time wore on and no declaration from the other side came, however, Ursus and its allies had dared to hope for a better outcome.

Yelena thinks gathering vital intelligence on Victoria's nightmarish super-weapon and managing to destroy one of its main components is more than a "better" outcome, but the incident caused enough panic among leadership to ensure she was kept close to the border for a good, long time.

it's months before she manages to secure a place on a more important operation again— ferrying much needed supplies to a rebellion outpost near one of the Grand Duke's home cities in preparation for a covert assault. the Yetis are forced to shed their uniforms, dressing down to the nondescript clothing a local supply caravan, and Yelena's stuck with lookout duty on the last truck as they make their way across the countryside.

they run into a little trouble with looters, and then a scare with some possible undercover military agents that leads them to shut down their comms for the last leg of the trip. their bad luck keeps FrostNova on her toes, focused on the present and not overly worried about who might await them at the meetup point. there was only a chance of Talulah being there the last she'd heard, and besides, what did it really matter to her?

she's missed Talulah since they parted ways. that's natural, she thinks— they were thrown into a high-stress situation, forced to rely on each other, and even though that might've caused a lot of people to clash, Talulah had called them friends. Yelena is missing her friend. it's as simple as that. she stays focused on the mission at hand and ignores that tug of warmth settled deep in her breast, urging her forward.

it's late by the time they roll onto the grounds of allied noble who's let the rebellion setup shop on their estate. Yelena had drifted off after taking a longer watch, tucked in the back of the trucks with the cargo, and only rouses after she hears some commotion coming from outside. it doesn't sound like an altercation, and there are already men positioning themselves to begin unloading, so she makes her exit casually, prepared to face nothing more challenging than a high-strung officer. ]

Hey, what's the noise about? [ she calls out as soon as her boots hit the ground, still rubbing sleep from her eyes. ]

[Talulah also thinks that getting intel on the superweapon, destroying a vital building block of it, and escaping a town that went up in flames thanks to tensions stoked by both Victoria and Dublinn had been a brilliant reversal of fortune.

Many in the rebellion do not share this outlook.

Oh, they're happy to have their leader back, of course. They couldn't make any moves even with her contingencies in place because they had no idea if she'd been alive but lost, dead, or alive but captured. Now that she's back, things can finally start moving again. Only now, she's usually trailed by an escort.

She's had one before, but not in this many contexts. One of the friendlier rebels tells her jokingly that she can think of it as practice for when they succeed. National leaders usually have plenty of guards and attendants, regardless of how well they can protect themselves.

Still, that's not the only adjustment she's had to make. Yelena might be held behind the borders of Ursus, but the opposite is true for Talulah. She has to go anywhere and everywhere that's required of her. It's not something she thinks is a burden by any stretch, but it is odd to be without Yelena at her side. Even when she gets used to sleeping on her own again, there's a persistent empty space somewhere in her periphery.

It doesn't help that the updates she gets are typically fairly sparse. Talulah likes writing letters, but there's no good way to get replies when she's on the move so much.

And, usually, she wouldn't be showing up at a relay station on some noble's estate, but the noble in question had wanted to meet and speak with her, so there's nothing for it. She's thankful she made that decision when she hears Yelena's team will be arriving as well.

Only...there's no contact from them after a while. Naturally, she knows that without other information this doesn't mean anything. There might be interference, they saw an enemy outpost too close for comfort, or any other reason they needed to travel with no comms on. But knowing that didn't really do much for the way her thoughts went skittering down the worst-case scenarios.

She hadn't seen Yelena in so long. There's no recent reassurance of her voice or presence, no real idea of what she's doing besides bare-bones information. So maybe "high-strung officer" is a good descriptor of Talulah ultimately breaking away from her alarmed entourage to go see what had happened when she sees the rest of the caravan arrive...sans Yelena.

(The Yetis have been acting extremely odd around her ever since she and Yelena got back from County Hillock, and she can't fathom why, but that's a problem for another time.)

Of course, the person in question steps out of the back of the vehicle shortly after, and Talulah only feels an overwhelming sense of relief.]

Yelena. [She strides closer but stops just short of...well, she's not entirely sure what action she would have taken to ground herself to the other's presence after so long, but the knowledge that it's not something she should do in front of so many eyes stops her short.] Your comms went dark, and I was wondering what happened.

[ FrostNova had a jab readied for whoever appeared to own up to the commotion, but she goes quiet when she hears Talulah call out her name.

her first instinct is to reach out and take her by the hand. there's some childish, giddy impulse bubbling up inside her, like she's a little kid waking up on a holiday morning. she squashes that instinct fast, all too aware of the awkward coughing from one of the Yetis after Talulah called her by her name. they've been gossiping about what happened in Hillock— over what, exactly, she's not sure, but they all get weird whenever Talulah's brought up now. exchanging glances and whispering amongst themselves, but refusing to tell Yelena what the story is.

it's driving her up a wall, but at the same time, she can't let whatever games her unit's been playing behind her back get to her. she lifts a hand to Talulah's forearm, giving her a quick squeeze as she reignites the arts link between them, a harsh flash of cold rattling Talulah's heat. ]

That's a normal part of moving a duke's home turf, last I checked. Do your new babysitters have you jumping at shadows now?

[The shock of cold is not exactly pleasant, but it's familiar, and for that reason, Talulah accepts it gladly.]

Well, not when there's not meant to be much activity where you were. And the fact that I have an escort should tell you everything.

[The entourage in question does not look happy that Talulah all but gave them the slip. County Hillock had put a lot of people quite on edge.

But none of that really matters when Yelena's in front of her for the first time in a long while.]

Did you have more to do after arriving here? I was just about to read over the intelligence we've gotten recently, if you wanted to come with me. Save me a report to your father, maybe, if you played messenger.

The old men want a status report on things here, with a timeline of when the rebellion thinks they'll have the area under their control.

[ with a better grasp of the weapon Victoria had been hiding as an ace up its sleeve, a sense of urgency had taken root in many of the Ursine generals. they want to capitalize on the setback the army had suffered in Hillock, and think upping the pressure on the grand dukes is the most straightforward way of going about that. ]

Can you help with that, or do you need to hand me off to someone?

[ she idly wonders if Talulah's minders would let them discuss things in private. it feels stifling to have to speak to Talulah with an audience that requires a certain amount of decorum— the two of them are far beyond that, but everyone else suddenly seems intrusively interested in watching them interact. ]

I can handle that. Let's go.

[There's also no reason for her escort to be any nearer than guarding the entrance when she's trying to have a conversation that involves sensitive information with the leader of an allied group, frankly. Besides that, Talulah doesn't really like having an audience like this.

As she passes by Yelena to head in the direction of their makeshift war room, she lightly touches her shoulder. It's an unthinking gesture, an unspoken follow me, but there's probably something startling to others about how natural it is.]

We should probably get someone to bring us food while we're at it. If I'm hungry, you're probably starving.

[ Yelena's ears swivel around when Talulah touches her shoulder, as if she's aiming them to pick up a certain noise, but just— falls into step besides Talulah without comment, sticking close to her side. ]

I could eat.

[ she's not that hungry, given that her job for the last few days has been sitting around and watching the countryside roll by, but she's missed sharing meals with Talulah. in this case, she's happy to follow Talulah's lead again. ]

How long were you waiting? I didn't think we were running that behind schedule.

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im too lazy to do a proper transition pt 2

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