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[Chevaleresse]

Kirari

She lingered for a brief moment before withdrawing from the gesture as abruptly as she'd thrown herself into it. She looked straight ahead and took a slow, but deep breath. "I'm not sure you'll feel the same way in a few moments." Another, shorter pause. Kirari was still unwilling to confront that. "Are Doc and Verna okay? They were both very kind to me."

[Glass]

Jessie

Aaaaah, Merf. What a delightful city. By which Jessie meant it was a hellhole.
She'd never really gotten the appeal of urban spaces. Too many people around, not enough trees and stuff. Too many lights, not enough shadows. Nowhere to hide-
No, stop. That wasn't a problem anymore.

Jessie had a plan. Hopefully, it would work quickly. Unfortunately, this was not a guarantee.
She made her way toward the Marta-Cavalad intersection; she'd need to actually see the girl before she could really decide on a course of action.

She muttered into the pin. "On my way."

[Takosher]

Astarte

The glare Nyna shot Astarte at the question was cold enough that the captain couldn't be sure her heart was still beating. She didn't need to answer the question any further. Instead, she pointedly ignored Astarte further, wheeling herself deeper into the house, towards the kitchen. It was an oddly welcoming place, given the identity of its only resident. The halls were painted in a warm orange, with a few heavily stylized paintings of landscapes intermingled with indented lighting traveling their length. The wooden floors had some slight ruts from Nyna's chair crossing them repeatedly, but were otherwise well kept. Astarte had never met any housekeepers, but it was hard to imagine that Nyna was the one keeping the place from falling into disrepair.

Upon arriving in the kitchen, Nyna finally acknowledged that Astarte was following her. "What?" she demanded without so much as turning her head.

Silvia and L

Cay looked slightly confused. "I'm not certain I see how Sally benefits Faith." she said, "Could you elaborate before I sign off on these choices?" Of course, Cay would cede to whatever decision L made, but she also wanted to cover all of their bases. She and L trusted one another not because they thought each other infallible, but rather because when mistakes were made they could rely on one another to help patch things up. So it went without saying that Cay wouldn't hesitate to double check L's reasoning on an important decision, regardless of whether or not the final decision actually required her input.

Jessie

Clawing through the crowds made it hard for Jessie to spot her target, but with a little help from Lali, she did manage to get eyes on the girl. Conveniently, the target had knelt down by a vending machine and was attempting to coax it into dropping a bag of chips that had gotten loose. Despite her ragged appearance and obvious misdeed, nobody bothered to pay the little girl any mind. In fact, the way people avoided giving her their attention was downright cruel, as more than once Jessie saw someone step on the girl's overlong hair without a second thought.

[Sutoratosu Akira]

Yava
"Birds?" Yava asked, choosing to go with the flow as she tossed a quick glance to Sola. At the same time she subtly slipped one hand beneath her poncho to rest on the hilt of her key. "Yis, indeed. What gave us away, friend?"

Eilyth
Seeing a few of her siblings upset at her role as beloved was a consolation that Eilyth had lapped up with glee. She hadn't really thought or cared about their potential reactions when she had agreed to it months ago, but goddesses it was satisfying to see the looks on some of their faces when the time finally came. That combined with how genuinely great a pair Leah and Brigitte made were almost enough to suppress the wariness that had been growing since her encounter with Cath-Helel. Almost.
     As the time to fulfill her duty came closer, she couldn't help but debate whether to let it lie. She had already decided that not only was she OK with this union, but that as Brigitte's chosen beloved she would rip and tear anyone who dare attempted to ruin it. Yet at the same time, the things she had seen and heard today were too much to simply ignore. It would've been one thing had it just been the ciphers, or Leah suddenly getting so serious, but the ciphers, Leah's demeanor change, and her being pulled into some eldritch realm and spat back out all within the span of a few hours?
    "She did say... she had someone for me to meet. And it's pretty damn obvious what she meant by it now." Perhaps... it would be fine then. Leah was obviously aware on some level of... something going on with all this. Perhaps she was even expecting some sort of follow up from Eilyth. A test of sorts? Eilyth had indeed met her friend, and now she was left with no end of further questions. Questions that only further burned a hole in the back of her mind as the ceremony progressed. And before the young dragoness even knew it, it was finally time for the big moment. If she was going to make a call, she was going to have to do it now.

And make a call she did. When she was finally prompted to present her judgement as a Beloved, she stepped forward and gave Leah a quick kiss on the cheek, as tradition and her own personal loyalty to her and Brigitte both dictated she should. But before she withdrew, she asked one simple question of the water meister, whispered so faintly only they could hear it:

 "Who is Cath-Helel?"

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Monika

"They should be okay... Marionette didn't seem to target Doc, although Verna..." Monika began, pausing for a few moments to figure out how to explain what happened to the other girl, "... She got a bit too close. If a medical team gets to her in time then she should live" the Major finished, casting her gaze back to where she had come from before quickly turning back to Kira, leaning back in her seat and folding one leg over the other, "So, I suppose now is where you explain the whole Kirari situation. Doc gave me the basics before my halberd arrived, but I figured I should hear the rest from you."

Astarte

Once again, Astarte found herself freezing at Nyna's glare, eyes trailing behind Nyna as the Lady wheeled herself past her and into the kitchen. Ordinarily, such a look would've sent anyone else running, but Astarte merely let out an inaudible sigh, following Nyna throughout and waiting for a proper acknowledgement. Which she got after what felt like several minutes, and even then only a simple 'what' without even a turn of the head.

Well, it would have to do.

“To cut to the point, the upper echelon has made a decision. We’ll be taking the fight to Katria, and all states and counties have been ordered to raise and prepare their respective militias for the war effort, which includes us” Astarte explained as she pulled out a folder of papers, ones regarding the entire situation between Tyran and Katria, walking over to place them on the kitchen table,  “Due to how our Governor runs things, all that’s needed is your approval to raise them."

[Takosher]

Yava

Too late, Yava noticed another employee surreptitiously locking the doors. Whatever she and Sola had just gotten into, they weren't getting out without a fight.

Worse, her response didn't seem to satisfy the first man. His eyes narrowed in slight suspicion and he reached into his pocket. "That lovely necklace you have." he said, his voice louder than necessary.

Sola might have been a little out of her element, but she still caught on to what was happening. Whatever sheltered life had turned her into such an unusual individual had also apparently taught her how to deal with a dangerous situation. Yava could see her carefully managing her breathing and expression, careful not to reveal anything when she said. "Oh, do you like it? I purchased it from a street vendor just this morning. It's a bit cheap, but it's also quite charming, wouldn't you say? I honestly can't understand why anyone would pawn it off like that."

The man seemed to relax slightly in response to Sola's story, that was telling. It made sense that Sola would have found it being resold on the streets, as long as one also knew it was stolen in the first place. Cheap as they were, these counterfeit necklaces must have had some value for whoever they were dealing with to make note of one disappearing.

Eilyth

Leah averted her eyes, but Eilyth caught the apologetic look in them anyways. For half an instant, Leah seemed unrecognizable to Eilyth, as though the two had suddenly become strangers. "Right now? You." Leah answered in a barely audible whisper.

[Chevaleresse]

Kirari

She took another deliberate breath. Verna was hurt. She didn't like that. She hadn't even done the hurting herself, and she wasn't sure whether that made it better or worse. And, to make dealing with this all the more difficult, Monica was here, and she knew. Once again, whether this was a positive or negative was uncertain. Too many, far too many uncertainties, uncertainties she'd thought she could be rid of. "I'll understand if you want to kill me on the spot." Kirari held up one hand to forestall Monika's immediate response.

"My name is Kirari Arceneaux. I remember watching the life fade from my own mother's eyes." A small, transient grin appeared on her face, seemingly unknown to Kirari. "I tortured hundreds of people to death in Katria because I wanted to. There was a girl in one of those villages, with teal hair and brilliant blue eyes." She looked at Monika, pupils nearly invisible within the depths of inky black irises. "I tried to take control of her brain. She fought it, of course, but her screams were delicious. She rose too far in the hierarchy too fast, and she grabbed some of my power. We both passed out." She gestured at herself in lieu of continuing, looking straight ahead as she fell silent.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

L

"I suppose it is a hunch." L admitted under her breath. To any other it'd probably sound as if she was frustrated. In fairness, she was, but not with Cay. L sipped on her tea as she thought of how to articulate her reasonings. The soft frost dance of the peppermint on her tongue assisted in clearing that awful haze that still clung to her. The Tiny Major slouched back into her chair, finding a certain comfort in the terrible cushioning. It'd probably be quite ordeal until she ever got to sit in her office again.

"I do believe so, despite the... oddity of Faith's weapon." She continued, bunched up in her mane of golden hair. It wasn't put up into the usual twintails, making L look quite like a tiny lion. Or, perhaps more like a small bird trying to look humongous. Their puffball of an officer was hardly shy around her own girls, she never hid that she was human from them. Many officers would consider that a mistake for certain. "It's rare that a Holy Weapon has no ties to their user, even the non-integrated variety. Miss Sally turbocharges those that she uses her powers on, and I believe this will interact quite favorably with Faith's tank. As we can attest that machine is nigh unstoppable on the battlefield, the list of miester's weaponry it's resisted is of a pedigree unmatched... we only managed through solid teamwork." L was unsure if her girls actually knew how little they managed to scrape by. "It is a gamble, a lot rides on my own ability to assess Holy Weapons... but, that gamble is more than worth it as far as I am concerned. It could take an already nigh unstoppable juggernaut to new heights. Her powers could find other use as well beyond that. It... just feels like the place my gut is leading me."

[Sutoratosu Akira]

Yava
Yava's eyes flickered to the man at the door for barely half a second, then back to the one in front of them. Locked doors were no obstacle to her, but it was something she made sure to note as she continued sizing up the situation. As she had expected, the sudden question about birds was a test of membership. When she inevitably failed it, the red flags had gone up. Sola's quick thinking had seemed to take a bit of the wind out of them for now though, and Yava genuinely found herself rather proud of her boss/protege's great save.
    With her small stature, general demeanor, and the fact that Sola did not have her weapon right now, it was in her best interest to not allow this to devolve into a fight if possible. Yava also didn't quite like the ideas of what birdman here might be hiding in that pocket of his, and she didn't even know right now if doorman might have something similar in his own. She debated if she should start any preparations, but decided it was best to simply keep her focus on the two immediate threats rather than split it.
    "Mm, right?" Yava said in concordance with Sola's tale. She gave birdman a look of confusion though, asking "What was this about birds though? I trust you didn't just ask for fun. Something you want to know about them? Name species, friend, see if I can help."

Just in case birdman actually followed up on the offer, Yava silently thanked Yorshka's departed spirit for having educated her on her favorite hobby for all those years. It was strange how that woman could've been so fond of the creatures when they had all been stuck in an unforgiving jungle of concrete and steel and never saw more than a handful of varieties through their whole lives if they were lucky. Maybe birds had just reminded her of pleasant things, and better times.

Eilyth (several hours after the wedding)

The bizarre and frankly disconcerting answer she'd gotten besides, the rest of the wedding had gone rather well. Some of her sisters had been catty little bitches during the reception, but that was to be expected in their family. Eilyth had tried to enjoy the rest, but well...
    "Right now... you. Right now? What, is this like some like chain letter bullshit? Did I just get marked with some fucking curse like this is a bad horror movie? I mean, wouldn't surprise with what.... what I saw in that damn room, but... me? I'm her now? How even...?" She shook her head in annoyance, propping her feet up on the desk. It's surface still bore the deep scars of her brief tantrum months earlier. She'd really have to fix that at some point. Not important right now though. "So... if I'm Cath-Helel now, who the hell had the name before me? Dammit, should've asked what she was, not who."

She issued a deep sigh in frustration at the whole mess. There was only one person who could give her the answers she needed. What was Leah hiding? Why had she gotten that look on her face, like she'd done something she felt awful about? That wasn't normal Leah, Eilyth knew it. That wasn't even serious Leah. The one who had answered her in that moment had been a stranger.
    "Well, Amicus, what the hell are we supposed to do now?" She asked indignantly, "Apparently I'm to become some eldritch creature who haunts forgotten corners of reality. It's could be a potentially useful status for dealing with the others, but I don't quite like the idea of spending eternity in a darkened madhouse plane."
    To her surprise, her rhetorical venting was answered by a quick flex of motion around her neck. A subtle, guiding tug, the same type she'd felt when deciding how to proceed with Brigitte. She gritted her teeth in further annoyance.
    "Goddesses, Ami, that much is fucking obvious. Of course we're gonna keep watching and taking notes of anymore weird stuff. Not much else I can think to do right now, aside from try and find time to ask her more questions."
    Another flex, this one harder, seemingly annoyed. Eilyth briefly considered the option, but almost immediately after shook her head, sighing.
    "No... no. oh forget it, we'll... just deal with whatever comes our way here. Like we always have. We'll figure it out eventually... hopefully before any really crazy shit happens. It's you and me against the world, just like always buddy."

[Takosher]

Yava

A woman walked out from behind the sales counter, striding confidently towards the two interlopers. "Empidonax flaviventris." she said. Her voice was crisp, clear, and commanded attention.

She was very tall and carried herself with a confidence that was definitely deserved. Her body wasn't anything standout beyond her height, perhaps even below average if one wanted to rate, but she managed to work it so well in her favor that it would be a sin to call her anything but drop dead gorgeous. She had medium length brown hair with a gentle wave that definitely took a lot of effort to keep just right. Her fair skin was spotless and had just the right amount of makeup to make you unsure if she was wearing any or if she was just naturally perfect. She wore a crimson dress to match her eyes, the slit down the side revealing her legs as she strutted through the establishment that was clearly miles beneath what she deserved. Even amongst everything else about her that already made her stand out, her fingernails drew the most attention. Once again colored in red, they were at least two inches long and filed to a point, like tiny daggers extending from her fingers. As she walked, she casually flexed her hand in a way that reminded Yava of the time she'd accidentally pissed off a mobster. That was a very bad memory.

"Would you mind letting go of that?" the red woman threatened Yava, "I'd hate to see this come to violence, little insect."

Astarte

"You can just forge my signature." Nyna spat, "I don't give two shits about war. It's not like Yfar will notice who actually sent the troops."

Nyna rifled through her alcohol stash, angrily jostling bottles in a way that was most definitely going to break one eventually. Of course, the order had also requested Nyna's presence on the battlefield, so even if she did take Nyna's instruction, Astarte still wouldn't have fulfilled her duty. And even if Yfar didn't notice Nyna's absence, there was little doubt that Solamon of Inferno would let it go unaddressed. It would not bode well for Astarte to get on the bad side Vyne's noble Dame. She'd heard far too many stories of the unlucky ladies who made the mistake of thinking the kindly princess didn't have the strength to back up her station. Solamon was second in strength only to Phoebe Valedictor and the Dames Supreme. Of course, Nyna was probably the next one down the list, but the idea of her coming to Astarte's defense was laughable at best.

[Sutoratosu Akira]

Yava
She took a moment and ran through the odds. But she already knew they had just plummeted. And she didn't have the time to try and change them. This woman had clearly detected her weapon through no obvious means. What other capabilities she might have were a complete mystery. She had two grown, and likely armed, men backing her up. Sola didn't have her weapon, and Yava knew she herself was far from the best in a straight fight, especially when caught off guard with no time to prepare. They were well and truly trapped. Their best shot at getting out alive was to comply for now.
    "Chyort" she cursed under her breath. keeping her eyes on the woman, she left her key where it was on her belt and put both hands on the table in clear view. "...Very well then."

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Astarte

"That... Leads to the other part, unfortunately" Astarte continued, mentally and physically steeling herself for the likely burst of anger that was going to come towards her with what she was about to say. She despised this duty of hers, having to convince this child to acknowledge her responsibilities. But she lacked the strength or weight to do anything about it, and if Nyna decided to kill her, then someone else would naturally take her place,

"The order also specified that once your approval is released, your presence on the battlefield would be required. Yfar might not notice, but I'm sure Solamon would, seeing as she's taking part in the campaign."

[Glass]

Jessie

...these people were paying less attention to the girl than they did to her! At least they had an excuse with Jessie, but this was a child! What the fuck was wrong with these people?!

Stop, calm down a moment. It won't do any good to approach the kid looking pissed. Take a breath. Good, another one. Ok.

Jessie made her way through the crown to the girl, kneeled down by her, and tried to give a comforting smile. She wasn't sure how well she was doing at that.
"Do you need some help with that?"

Silvia
We have encountered some technical difficulties. Please stand by.

[Takosher]

Yava

"That's much better." the woman in red said with a gentle smile that didn't reach her eyes. Something about this woman didn't sit right, something other than the clear danger she presented. A danger that seemed to expand beyond Yava and Sola, as the two employees were both keeping their heads down around her.

"Now that we can have a civil conversation, I believe introductions are in order. My name is Ambrosia. What are yours?"

Sola tensed slightly. She might have been disguised, but she hadn't planned to directly confront anyone without breaking that disguise. If they ran into a difficult situation like this, the mask was supposed to come off. Sola's authority and reputation alone would have been more than enough to put the average gang member in their place. But Ambrosia was clearly a much greater threat, and giving away Sola's identity without good reason would only add to that danger.

Astarte

Nyna stopped abruptly and a cold silence washed over the kitchen. She didn't say anything as she turned and wheeled towards Astarte with a look of pure rage curling across her lips.

Jessie

The girl looked over her shoulder and glared at Jessie with the sort of scorned petulance that only a child could manage. "No." she said vehemently, "I can do it my self." 'Self' was punctuated with an angry kick towards the machine, which did very little to help. She spoke with an odd, stilted tone that made it sound like she was reading off words that she didn't actually know. It might have just been an accent, but it was certainly a strange one if so, because aside from the odd pacing she spoke very well.

[Glass]

Jessie

...not the expected reaction, but Jessie supposed she should have expected it. Some kids were like that.
She'd probably been like that, if she was being honest with herself.

She shrugged, stood back up, and leaned against the wall beside the vending machine.
"Fair enough, I guess.
If you don't mind my asking, though, what brings you out here? You don't sound local."
Jessie tried to sound casual. She'd never been good at that, but she was trying. She probably sounded a bit stilted herself.