Light of Amber - Series One

[Princess Tracy]

As Makoto talks of the reasons for fighting and death, Umiko looks sternly. When she's done, the air it leaves in the room is thick with her despair. She catastrophically decides to raise the mood after that, smiling a little when Makoto is done talking - though not until she gets to the fabled '5th reason'. "Oh, I don't know, I'd say there's at least 5 reasons to fight and kill. A 4th would be in self-defence; that you can spare someone's life is built on the assumption you can kill them - sparing and rehabilitating or whatever else is something you can do after subduing them, and that can be hard if you're using a big pointy stick like you do rather than fists. The 5th reason though," she says, feigning a sarcastic tone "Might be survival. You ever had human meat with barbeque sauce? Some fine eatin' to be had there..." she doesn't get far in her joke before there's a pop of light, and Umiko is left looking a little dazed, 2 feet being lost from her height and her costume vanishing as she returns to normal. "I-it was a joke! Just a joke, not a lie! Stupid transformation, so fiddly..." her aggresive attitude seeming to return, but more moderates, merely annoyed now a her abandoning powers, however minor a setback it may be. "I'm half-human myself, so I wouldn't be a cannibal for real.." She had some more to say, but between losing her costume for the moment and Sara talking, she lost her place in the conversation until Cymoril finished her piece.

Her costume gone, Umiko does seem to have some perspective gained for it nevertheless, listening to Sara and Cymoril. When Cymoril storms out crying, Umiko drinks the last of her tea, looking less blissful as her costumed self does as she stands, short hair bobbing slightly, and scoops up a fistful of her remaining salad. "I'll keep an eye on her." She points to Makoto accusingly. "And you.." She suddenly blushes, her eyebrows clamping together in embarrassed rage - the look of someone who just had their best friend play an obvious but brilliant prank on them, ifthey secretly had a crush on their best friend. "F-forget everything I said earlier, you're ugly and stupid and there's nothing romantically appealling about you!" Umiko had the worst poker face IN THE WORLD, unspoken vow to honesty or not. She shoves the salad in her mouth before she can embarrass herself any further, shutting up as she heads after Cymoril. "And your culture is unworthy of note," she slurs. It was quickly becoming apparent whatever she said might well be the inversion of the truth when she was ever embarrassed, though it was such a rare occurance there were only so many data points to judge that from

[Selinia]

Sera's tale elicits some faint eye-rolling (particularly on the topic of the suicidal maniacs with cosmic weapons of mass destruction), but Makoto listens in with genuine interest. She'd never been terribly fond of school, even when she was small - it was dry, and dull, and crowded beyond belief. But history... that was different. History was stories, and lessons. Terrible lessons, true - nobody studied history to learn what people did right - but it was something tangible and real nonetheless.

And stable. That was a definite plus. Makoto's planned contribution to the conversation was rather abruptly derailed by the sudden breakdown of the relatively cordial atmosphere. Shoving her tray away with a sigh, the redheaded mahou shoujo grabs Umiko by the shoulder as Cymoril flees the scene.

"Oh, hey. You're back. Nice to know I can look forward to some more brilliant inanity. But by the gods, don't go messing with the Bookwyrm right now." Makoto's head tilts as she glares at Umiko. "That girl has, assuming she is not completely fabricating this crap, just lost her best friend and only positive human connection. Since then, she's been in the same crash course of child soldier indoctrination as the rest of us - clumped together with a bunch of Fethin' strangers and told she has to save the universe."

"Now, if you seriously think you can stand in for that person, then congratulations, you are the villain of a cliche romantic comedy, in which case I am sorry to say that wacky hijinks are about to befall you in a rather tasteless fashion." A nod back to the table punctuates Makoto's words. "Otherwise, let's all sit back down and let the girl have some some to get her thoughts in order. Hell, if you want I'll track down a thesaurus and see if we can't get some decent insults into that vocabulary of yours. Whaddya say?"

[Snowfire]

Cymoril

The walls blur past as you run, haphazard turns left and right flowing past in a veil of tears as the loss and the pain and the fear and...everything breaches the bulwark that has been holding back the emotional storm this long. Echoes of gasping sobs are your only company, the Enclave empty to the point that almost all there is of it is deserted a silent. And the running goes on, tears streaming down, until you burst through a final door and find yourself in circular room full of sparkling crystal shapes.

Everyone else

Cymoril vanishes into the depths of the enclave swifter than any of you can follow, the sound of her heartache dwindling away until it is lost to hearing. Sara smiles tightly.

"Well, I had best be heading to rest." She says, stifling a yawn. "There are rooms set up just across the hall for you, with a common room linked to them. Any possessions you left in the ward will have been moved across." She stops for a moment, eyes going unfocused, and then pulls a Thesaurus from her robe. She lays it on the table, nods to you all, and withdraws.

"Good night."

[Princess Tracy]

"Normal people don't cry in front of other people - they hold it in until no one's looking if they want to be alone. Starting to cry then running away - it's a cry for help, befitting one in a mindset of being rescued by their knight in shining armour. She's pretty weak and needy," Umiko states with sudden insight, though one suspects it is hardly sudden so much as it is more likely constant. Makes one wonder how close a series of tabs she's keeping on everyone else's emotonal wellbeing. "I won't bother trying to fix her, but in case she gets in trouble, I'll follow her and try not to be seen. I've got no interest in being her Leader, now get the **** out my way - I go where I please and I know for a fact you're too much of a coward to stop me even if I was doing something wrong." She seems to stop on her way out as Makoto jokes about a thesaurus. "I know plenty of words, you bint. I spent the last year of my life basically living in a library - I daresay my diction is superior to your own command of basic language."

She ignores Sara and the others until the Thesaurus is actually produced. She grits her teeth and clenches her fist, embarrassed as she kicks the ground hard enough upon spinning around to leave a half-intended hole. "Screw this, stereotyping shrew. Rap battle you and me, let's go, I'll hit you with as many big words as your repugnant cranium can muster!" She seems to have forgotten about Cymoril, her pride challenged. "Where was I, oh yeah, Daina - a beat!"

[userpay]

So many things going on at once leaves Temeka a tad overwhelmed. From her close call and eventual triumph in the training room to the outpouring of stories afterwards. Yet it seems just as things start to settle down Umiko evidently begins to prep for yet another showdown. With a sigh Temeka just settles in a little deeper in her chair, Chisaki curled in her lap.

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Sorry for being brief, go several tests over the next few days but wanted to put something out at least.

Oh and while I'm thinking about it what has everyone chosen thus far for what Element they represent?

[Owrtho]

Daina followed the others as they moved to the room where the promised food waited. The smell of the many dishes prepared within let her know when they got close.

Entering the room after Makoto, Daina paid little head to the presence of the book, only noting its presence due to the minor squabble that ensued concerning it. Books had never particularly interested her, at least not those that lacked audio or text discernible by touch. Her attention was instead drawn to the table on the far side of the room where the smells assured her food waited.

Reaching the table, Daina stopped to try determining its contents. Moving slowly along the tables length, a finger trailing on the table nudging the various dishes as she passed. Using the smells and sound of the dishes as well as the feel of the plates as she nudged them Daina selected a meal consisting of some meat dish and a salad. Moving to the she placed the two plates, before moving back to the food to obtain a bowl of soup and a formal set of silverware with napkin. Making one more trip back to the food, she selected what smelled like a mug of hot chocolate and a glass of water, before seating herself at her chosen spot and making one last check that everything was located in its proper formal place setting before proceeding to eat, looking the very image of a proper young lady were it not for her clothes and died hair.

Her food now obtained, Daina turned her attention to the conversation of the others. They seemed to have settled the argument over the book, and the topic had changed to describing their homeworlds.
So, Umiko seems to come from some primitive to medieval fantasy land? Well I suppose that explains her tough poser kind of attitude. Makoto comes from a vaguely dystopian world with plenty of laws. Still she seems nice enough. To think they had plenty of magical girls there though. More than can be said for my world. There wasn't even any proof magic existed there.
Hard to think that a society could run off such simple laws.
And the suckup comes from a multi-world spanning empire filled with magic. How sci-fi.
As the others described their homes, Daina realized soon it would be her turn. Wait, how am I supposed to explain Aberash? It was completely normal. Multiple governments, one world, moderate technology, no magic... Not that they'd likely think of that as normal. This is going to be a pain I'd rather avoid.
Cymoril ran from the room crying. Daina tuned out the last bit of what she was saying as she began talking about her personal problems, distracted by her own thoughts. She did however catch that Umiko wanted to look after her and Makoto thought it would be unwise.
Well, perhaps a distraction like this will cause them to overlook asking about my home for now.
At Umiko's request for a beat, a small grin broke out on Daina's face.
Looks like it. So she wants to prove something? Lets see how well she raps to this.
Music begins playing from the turn table that have now replaced the dishes in front of Daina, her meal finished while the others were talking.

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Roll for Perform (Disc Jockey) (1d20+20)[35]

[Princess Tracy]

Holy crap she actually did it. Seeing Makoto seemed about as ready for such a battle as the night they met fills her with a smidgen of hope as she clears her throat. Stepping back, she stands her full height, though still seems one of the shortest ones there even in this room full of short girls. "Yo, G," she utters, trying to get a feel for the beat and instantly everyone knows this will end poorly for SOMEONE's self esteem.

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Perform (rap) check (1d20+6)[8]

[Princess Tracy]

Yo, coward, you shouldn't insult ma word
Your hair is red but your belly's yellow
Your lance is long but your arms are short,
girl, go back 'til you can throw down with Umiko!

Let me tell ya, o evoker of drama, comfort, illusion,
I'll bring you to your conclusion!
If Daina got my back and the planet is round,
you may find yourself smashed straight through to the ground
-EQUATORS!

Ahem, you should know, you got your laws,
your magic girls, your stupid lowing book,
your flowing red hair, your eyes so... PSYCH!
Uptight, not amorous, you should lighten up,
world's turned tocrap and all you do is whine against your incline,
YO, your a hero right, accept it, if you ever learn some skill
some endurance, some wit, blockhead

You call me a bruiser, but I just take it rough,
you should know I'm owning you all off the cuff,
why don't you tell me more so I can tear you down -
or hell, maybe not, you'd be duller when you frown.

Ha! C'mon what you got?
Obstruct my forward motion, you're gonna need lotion
cause if you stand in ma way, you're gonna get BURNED

With the last word, throughout her series of odd dances, Umiko concludes it all as she crashes her foot into the ground, leaving another cracking hole as the stone gives way a bit and she throws her hands up in a victory pose, her mouth in a mocking smirk before one hand seems to 'give' Makoto an invisible mic in a gesture of clear 'your turn'

When you get to hell, tell them Umiko sent ya!

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I feel so dirty...

[Selinia]

Poetry? Makoto wasn't exactly schooled in this kind of thing - it traditionally being the purview of those with enough wealth and leisure time to practice standing around trading insults with one another - but she knew enough to know that Umiko was being more than a little over aggressive. And hell, what did it matter who won a stupid slam like this? The bruiser wasn't harassing the bookwyrm, and that was the important thing.

The redhead smirks, shrugs, and strings together her own 'rebuttal'.

I am afraid, dear cretin, that your syntax is lacking.
Your insults, misguided, beg meticulous smacking.
They are far from alone in meritorious drought -
Your godsawful syntax is quite clear throughout!
I've no clue, quite frankly, how we're both speaking Standard,
But the language is reeling from your vicious attack!
Did it kill your dear mum? Cut the poor thing some slack!
You're slurring your words like some gutternsnipe bum!

You lived in an archive? Were you eating the pages?
If you acted like this, I pity the sages!
Meticulous works just wasted in days!
Though that may be unfair - on reflection now, I know,
You'd have paid great attention to the books on the dinos.
How else would you learn how better to kill one?
I cede you a point, and the thought makes me chuckle,
High shelves must have sucked, with how you drag those knuckles!

If you think you can hurt me, be submitting some testing!
You're just pushing air 'till you prove you can best me!
Because me? I don't care! Your words are damn mellow.
They've the offensive power of a carton of jello!
You wriggle and squirm - rather funny to watch -
But I've gotten worse burns eating sweet butterscotch!
You think that you're wicked? You think that you're slick?
Stick to hitting on girls like some faux-edgy flick!

Heroes are actions, and we've all done jack sh!t,
Save get caught in the blast of a battleship hit!
I doubt we'd still be here, if we weren't soulless meat,
And being inhuman is hardly a feat.
I'll fight in this war, but make no mistake -
It isn't my choice, and its a job that I hate!
I'd leave to you, you bloodthirsty freak,
But my home's under siege, even now, as we speak!

So pardon me princess, if I come off as dull, rather -
If I'm dour, I've reasons, given now as we blather,
My world slips away like hourglass sand!
But now I'm off on a tangent,
I'm sure you get what I meant.

Makoto's dryly sarcastic rhymes are positively laced with venom - though as was often the case with her, it was hard to tell how much was genuine and how much was feigned for the sake of the slam-off. She gestures offhandedly to Umiko as she concludes.

So the floor's back to you, you ignorant hick,
Come back with some barbs that'll actually stick!

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko glares for a moment. I underestimated this one. Did she really freestyle that? hat last dismissive gesture appears to get her attention, she brings her arm back, ready to swing and before anyone can stop her, lunges forward dramatically. But rather than break Makoto's ribs, she instead thrusts forward an outstretched hand to shake that of the other girl as she smiles toothily. "You know what, redhead? You're alright." Putting up a fight in Umiko's second-preferred medium of that magnitude clearly earned her some points. "Come on, let's go find something hard to drink, take your mind off your troubles until you're tough enough to deal with them, whaddya say? Also I don't hit on girls - I just have a natural charm."

[Serafina]

Cymoril almost runs into the crystal walls of the strange room, sliddering to a halt at the last second.

Exhausted, she sits down and cries for who-knows-how-long. How fitting that she would run into a confusing dead-end.
'Just what happened to me anyway. Going on is pointless...but so is staying. Why not end it?'
While she sobs, memories flash before her eyes. First she is alone, and everything appears dark and damp. Colors are bleak, and everything drags on. Pain in Absence.
But thena tune inrudes upon the world, and changes it. Kaleidoscopic fractures form in the darkness, and the Absence cracks. She thinks of Vivio, and she begins to smile as words form in her mind.
'No trouble will break this ever again!'

Once, there was a maiden…
…who was driven from her land.
Great black stags chased her, and their eyes shone blue.
Monsters scrambled after her through the bush, though they found her not.
Stumbling on a log, she fell; and thought to surrender, and end the torment of the hunt; but then, she stood, and stuck out her tongue at the dark woods behind her.
“Love is smiling at your troubles,” she said.

Renewed, she begins to look at the room with some curiosity.

[Selinia]

"Gonna pass on the drinks, I think. See enough boozed-up vagrants and the substance really loses its appeals." Makoto smirks, taking a moment to tuck away a few strands of loose red hair. "Go ahead though, I won't stop you. We are standing in a cafeteria, in case you forgot. Where there's food, there's alcohol - unless this entire organization is staffed by kids... which it might actually be, come to think of it. Ugh, whatever. Just so long as the sober superbeings outnumber the drunk ones, we should be fine." The redhead gives Umiko's hand a firm shake before stowing both of her own in the wide picket of her hoodie and flashing a wide grin and chuckling.

"Heh, of all the random crap to share across worlds - slam poetry? Really, universe?" Makoto shakes her head in bemusement, most of her bitterness diffused by the sheer absurdity of the situation.

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko scratches her hair modestly, slamming far more genuinely than normal. "Heh heh, well it's not done that often in my world. But I found it in the library a few months ago, freestylin', and it seemed cool! All it did was confound most people when I tried it though, so I never got any actual practice at it before now. Thanks for that then!" Umiko looks around for about two seconds before giving up. "Eh, forget it, there's no fun to be had in drinking alone I think. It's a social thing, just sad when you do it alone." She stretches, looking towards Temeka and Daina. Slouching against the table, she pats Daina on the head. "How ya doin', Daina? Thanks for the beat, pity it favoured her. Do you drink at all? If not I might have to turn in." Still happy from her battle, she grins at Temeka. "Hey, we all shared a storytime, why don't you?"

[Snowfire]

Cymoril

The crystals shimmer with internal light, shattered rainbows reflecting across the ceiling in a ever-changing swirl of shifting lights. Whispers of sound drift on those currents of light, echoes of echoes of words spoken worlds away. But under the sound and light, the distracting echoes and reflections, there lies power. You can't tell how much, not easily with the whispering light all around you. But it is very clearly there. Focusing in on this room, pulling in the whispers and visions.

And one whisper rises out of the almost soothing hum, a faint, blurry image forming around Cymoril as it does so.

"Damn it Hayate-chan, I don't have time for this! Vivio is -"
"Nanoha, please. We're doing everything we can and I promise you that you'll have the support you need. But you need to hear what Carim has to say."

[Owrtho]

The rap-off complete, Daina allows the music to stop. She pauses a moment in thought upon hearing Umiko's question before deciding honesty works best in this situation. Her hands briefly dance across the turntables playing out a reply.
♪Only the♫rare♫glass of wine♫sorry♪
Only really at events where politeness dictates partaking in some really. A brief apologetic smile shows on Daina's face as her response is heard.

OOC:

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For those curious, the songs are in order:
Only the Horses by Scissor Sisters
Not Myself Tonight by Christina Aguilera
A Steel Guitar and a Glass of Wine by Paul Anka
Insanity by Oingo Boingo

[Serafina]

Tears start to well up in Cymorils eyes again, but she tries to calm herself and listen as good as she can, silently ordering Sturmbringer to record as much as possible.
'Are they looking for me? Oh please oh pleas oh please...no, that's probably just an echo from the JS-incident...why would they bother someone like Carim for someone like me...i don't want false hope, but...'
She slaps herself before her thoughts derail further, mumbling "damn it, stop that and listen!"

[Snowfire]

The image solidifies around her, shifting gently to show faces that Cymoril knows very well through Vivio. But the expressions...they are not smiling. Not what she remembers of those people from her meetings with them. Nanoha's face is drawn and taut, but she nods reluctantly to Hayate.

"I...fine." She says finally, allowing the Ground Force General lead her into the small drawing room. "But this had better be worth the time away fro-"

"Oh, I think I can safely say it is." Knight Carim Gracia responds from the centre of the room. It is dark, the blinds lowered and secured - and even though it is simply a vision Cymoril can almost feel the weight of the powerful protective magic - as if the room around her is straining to bypass them. Carim crosses the distance between herself and Nanoha, pulling the Ace of Aces into a hug. "I am...so sorry. I should have-" Nanoha shakes her head sharply.

"You couldn't have known Carim-san. No one could have predicted this." Nanoha sighs. "Yes, if Vivio had come to one of us about this perhaps it wouldn't have happened. But from what we've managed to piece together this is old magic. Far older than the TSAB." Carim's shoulders slump, head downcast.

"Except....I did predict this, Nanoha." She replies softly. "Not...not the exact specifics, but the basics. I just never thought it would be so...literal."

"What?" Nanoha's voice was as soft as Carim's, but there was an...undercurrent.

"You...you know my Rare Skill."

"Prophetin Schriften, of course I do. Are you saying that you knew this was coming?"

"No! No." Carim trailed off. "Nothing like this." She stepped back. "But the last one...it is probably better if I simply read it." Nanoha nodded, and the golden cards swept out around her in a ring of glowing knowledge. Carim reached out, plucked a single card from the ring, and held it up, eyes still closed as she recited.

Called to Center of Light,
Forgotten Knight of Storms,
The Blade will release her,
Take her from all she loves,
But not at its own will.

Amber must provide,
The Gate cracks,
The Barrier beside it.

The Guardians of the Child out of Time,
Will find the way,
For the Child and Knight are linked,
By bonds of Love and Duty,
And Oaths stronger than simple death.

The card falls from her hand, back into the dozens whirling around her which fold together back into a deck which she catches deftly. Then she slumps, Nanoha catching her.

"Are you all right, Carim-san?"

"I'll be...fine. That one just took more than usual out of me. I'm not sure why." She shakes her head. "But it doesn't matter. Now do you see why I asked you to come here?"

[Serafina]

Cymoril jumps up in joy. "They are looking for me! Empress be blessed, thy are looking for me! I...i might see Vi-Chan again."

A smile shines from her face, and the confusing room now seems to be filled with brilliant light. She tries to express her joy as best as she can, but no dancing, singing or shouting does it justice.

After a while, her joy winds down to a content, warm feeling - at which point Cymoril notices Sturmbringer whispering to her.

Scripture of the Expectant Maiden
Once, there was a maiden…
…who was always looking forward to the way things would be.
She said, “Someday, I’m getting out of this place.
Someday, I’m going to kill that boy that put me here.
And while I wait, I don’t much mind,‘cause it’s better to dream tomorrow than to be there.”
“I’m holding at bay,” she said,
“what I know to be true.
That I’ll never get out.
I won’t let my dreams die!
I’ll hang on to hope,” she said,
“until Time itself ends". But —
“There’s always an ending,” said Time.

She shivers, but the thought of Vivio keeps her warm despite that dark whisper.
"Okay, that's it - time to put an end to this, and to Sara what this room is, and if these verses mean anything to her."

[Princess Tracy]

Umiko digs around for anything vaguely alcoholic. "Come on, if you guys don't drink you'll make me look like a raging alcoholic." Finding a promising looking bottle and grabbing everyone's cups, she fills each of them with the contents, rather expertly pouring as she offers each of the girls a drink, taking one herself as she holds it up in a toast. "Surely discovering a new world and blowing up a monster or two qualifies as an occassion, right?" If at least one other girl takes her up on her offer, she'll cash cups with them before gulping the entire cup down heartily

[Owrtho]

Hearing Umiko's statement, Daina thinks a moment. While not overly fond of drinking herself, commemorating notable events with a toast of wine at a party or gala was hardly a foreign experience, and this first day of training certainly seemed an event worthy of such things. Perhaps a sip of wine wouldn't be out of line... Still what even is that?
The proffered drink in question was liquid, and had come from what sounded to be a glass bottle if the sound touching the glasses while being poured was anything to go by. Other than that though, Daina found herself unable to make out anything about it without further inspection. Certainly she doesn't want to drink anything that could be considered strong.
So decided, Daina tentatively takes her glass and sniffs the contents, hoping to gauge the approximate alcohol content.

[Selinia]

"Don't mind me!" Makoto slouches down in one of the cafeteria's many chairs. "Go ahead and imbibe all the unknown substances you want! I'll be right here to provide medical assistance. And by medical assistance I mean slapping you to your senses when bugs start crawling out of the ventilation shafts and the air turns fuchsia."

[Princess Tracy]

"Oh, grow a pair," Umiko taunts Makoto, thrusting one of the drinks towards her. "Do you really think this pansy world will have the good stuff? I'm a valleyfolk - I would need to drink nothing less potent than wyvern poison to get smashed form just this dose. I fight T-Rexes! I'm Umiko Cliffcrush!" Already seeming drunk befor eshe even drinks, Umiko gives one last look of challenge towards Daina before downing the whatever-it-is in a single victorious grunt.

[Snowfire]

To Diana, the liquid smells like some sort of tropical fruit juice. As Umiko discovers, it does not seem to contain alcohol. As she quickly discovers moments after swallowing it, that is not to say that it does not have side effects - although the others in the room see the visual one first.

A paper mache crown pops into being on her head, as a little electronic fanfare plays.

Cymoril

Cymoril tries to locate the way out of the room, the walls, anything, but finds that the image around her prevents her from doing so. And so, it continues.

"I understand, Carim-san. But what do you think it means?" Carim smiled weakly, allowing Nanoha to help her over to a chair.

"If I'm right, it means that we were - all of us - wrong about Cymoril." She shakes her head. "I know you looked into it, Nanoha." Seeing her open her mouth, likely to protest, Carim continued quickly. "I'm not objecting to that. I'm just saying that, somehow, we must have been wrong. Devices are powerful, but implanting an artificial linker core is something that we don't think even Al-Hazard could do at the height of its power." Nanoha nodded, but frowned also - this time in thought.

"Except...Carim? Sturmbringer overloaded every magical sensor within fifty miles of the Saint Church orphanage. Their are clerks still going through and replacing all the systems that were closer and got burnt out." She shook her head. "The last activation equal in measure to that level of power was either Hayate-chan, or Vivio's forced activation during the JS incident.

"And the Wolkenritter have now identified Sturmbringer as the first of the Belkan Imperial Guard Devices. There are entire legends written about those Devices - and they were all thought destroyed at the fall of Belka. Who knows what it's capable of."

"Not the point Nanoha." Carim says softly, eyelids drooping. "What matters...is that you find her. And that Vivio goes with yo-"

The vision cuts off suddenly, darkness filling space around her - utter, total darkness. Something wild and deadly batters against an invisible wall around her, sending a chill through racing across her body. And then Light flares all around her, shattering the void and returning the room to its original state - silent but for one final whisper.

Once, there was a maiden...
...who knew her home would find her.
She saw the Fate ahead.
And accepted it as hers.
But Fate was not the only one.
Whose hands danced on the Loom.
And in darkness, laced her thread.
Serenity its deadly gift.

The Empress must endure that which,
Her mother endured for her.
For without -
The ending shall come.

[Serafina]

"Sturmbringer, you got all of that?"
"Jawohl, Herrin! Apokryphen vollständig und verifiziert."
"Good, then let's show it to Sara, because i sure can't make sense of most of this. And i don't want to get Vivio into any trouble if she comes looking for me!"
And with that, Cymoril storms back to the others.

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Yes, Mistress. Apocrypha* complete and verified.

*that means a text of questionable authority, but mostly because it is not widely known or referenced, not necessarily because it is inaccurate. Should fit.

[Owrtho]

Studying the contents of her glass, Daina determines it doesn't seem alcoholic. However, the noise that comes from Umiko's head moments after drinking it causes Daina to think better of doing so herself. She carefully sets the glass back on the table wondering about the contents and what caused the noise.

[Princess Tracy]

"Heh heh, wow, why isn't maic used for party tricks more often? Much nicer use." Umiko reaches to the crown on her head, removing it, then gacefully places it atop Daina's worried head. "Ha, anyone know what this even is? Someone else drink, this is fun. Just wish it had more of a kick, this flavour" Umiko casually tilts her drink in offer to Chisaki.

[Snowfire]

Chisaki peers carefully at the liquid in the glass, sniffing tentatively and eyeing Umiko with some suspicion. Then she tilts her head for a moment, seems to smirk, and a pink tongue flicks out, lapping up a little of the substance that has had such strange effects on the person offering it.

Nothing happens.

There seems to be a slight flicker in the air, a strange ripple around the construct-cat's illusory form, but it vanishes so fast that you almost question it was there.

Cymoril

Cymoril finds her way back along the ways she ran blindly so easily that it is almost as if she's being led. She comes through the doors to the sight of Daina wearing a brightly coloured paper-mache crown, Umiko offering a glass of....something to Chisaki, and the disguised mecha-kitty doing something remarkably close to snickering.

The feline notices her first, meowing brightly at the sight of the now dried eyes and fierce confidence shining in them, before jumping down off the table on which she's perched and flowing across the floor to the Knight.

"Cymoril better now?"

[Serafina]

Cymoril just stares at the other girls in disbelief before Chisakis words even register in her mind. As they do, she laughs out and hugs the kitty.
"Yes, i am alright. And i don't really want to interrupt the party, but i think i need to talk to Sara as soon as possible - do you have any idea where she is?"

[Princess Tracy]

"Hey, this one's back," Umiko casually remarks, before snapping her fingers. "Oh crap, I was supposed to follow you and keep you out of trouble. Ah well, it turned out fine I guess. The, ah, Sara girl. I think she's sleeping, through, like, there," she remarks to indicate vaguely to where she remembered Sara going. Really she wasn't paying much attention past the point when she slapped the thesaurus on the table and things snowballed from there.

Umiko thrusts the drink at Cymoril. "Hey, girlie, this is mild stuff but it seems to have some amusing stuff going on. Magic or something, but no one wants to have a sip besides me - and the cat of course. Sure I can't convince you to join us?"

[Serafina]

"Magic drinks? Where do you get this stuff? But no thanks, i'd rather on the weird stuff that just happened to me, it might be important."