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

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

[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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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.

A few days at most, I think. We were held up a little too, but that was because of the weather.

[Which in Victoria meant a lot of rain and mud.

She's aware of the escort trailing behind them as she leads Yelena through he camp, but thankfully, as she stops in front of the entrance to one of the larger tents set up, it doesn't actually take that much convincing to get them to stay outside of it. The other guards around probably have something to do with it, or they'll try to remain when they come back with the food Talulah asked for.

Regardless, she slips inside, holding open the flap for Yelena to follow in after her. For effectively being camped out in a noble's garden, it's certainly a lot nicer than some accommodations Talulah can think of in recent memory. A lot of them certainly didn't have a nice portable table and chairs to spread plans and maps on.]

Take a seat. I'm pretty sure the map there is accurate as of today.

A few days ... the run in we had with those Victorian scouts set us back longer than I thought.

[ Yelena remains in Talulah's shadow as they move through the camp, her eyes moving quickly over their surroundings, already starting on her mental map of the camp. this location is supposedly off the duke's radar, but she knows how fast that can change.

she begins removing her outermost layers once they're in the tent, hanging her raincoat (that's clearly a few sizes too big for her) over the back of a chair before she sits down. it's dry and reasonably lit, which is check all of FrostNova's boxes for nicer places to be in Victoria. a lot of the hideouts she's been to can't even clear that bar.

another odd, stray thought crosses her mind, that she should've waited for Talulah to pick her seat first so she could— what? pick the one nearest to her? make sure she sits somewhere she can see her face? she dismisses it stubbornly, chalking it up to some lingering funk from being woken up suddenly, and turns her attention to the map. ]

Are you just accounting for armed forces here? Or civilians too?

Enemy forces, bases, civilian towns and villages, and supply routes.

[Talulah stands long enough to point to each on the map as she lists them out, showing Yelena how they're annotated, before she sits in the seat closest to the other. Maybe it would be better for this type of discussion to sit at the other end, but...she just plain didn't want to.]

The pins and twine are possible routes or enemy encampments we don't have full confirmation on, but we suspect are there. Where were you when you had to cut out the comms, by the way?

[ Yelena tries not to show how pleased she is by Talulah taking the closest seat. she's being shockingly childish, reactions closer to how a kid feels when their favorite playmate arrives for the day, and even though she knows this, it's doing next to nothing to damper her mood.

maybe she hit her head while she was asleep and didn't realize it until now. it would be less embarrassing than some other options. ]

A couple of hours past a village checkpoint. We weren't expecting to run into any soldiers that far out, I thought they might've been following us.

[ her eyes trace over the map, picking out the corresponding town and road before indicating their approximate location with her hand. ]

Around here— but we didn't see anyone after that.

[Talulah makes a thoughtful noise and puts a marker where Yelena indicated. There really shouldn't be enemy forces out that way, but maybe they're missing something.]

I'll have scouts check certain areas. Even if they did follow you from someplace we know about, I'd rather not chance an ambush.

[Although, even with this new potential problem, the sense of ease she feels can't quite be shaken. It's as though something has slotted into place now that Yelena's back in her presence again, although she's just going to assume that comes from trust rather than anything else. Thinking too deeply on what else it could be is...unproductive, is maybe the right word. Distracting, possibly more accurate.

Thankfully, a distraction does come in the form of one of the rebels coming in with tea and food, which Talulah makes space for. He glances quickly between Talulah and Yelena, before he apparently decides it's not worth it to stick around and leaves with a brief salute.

Odd. But Talulah merely shakes herself and pours a cup.]

The stack of papers next to you should be the most recent reports, if you want to take a look.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

im too lazy to do a proper transition pt 2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject