eastbound | video - un: starkov / dated 11/12

( the video opens on Alina looking winded. the focus is on her face, sweat trickling down her brow, strands of hair plastered to her cheeks. she's looking past the camera at something else. behind her is a dimly lit hallway, only the wall and light on the wall barely peeking out past her face. )

Be careful if you're invited to any parties these days. ( her eyes flick to the camera, then she lowers the camera to reveal her upper chest. just below her throat, across her collar bone, is a deep, angry slash that still drips past the neckline of her dress.

she raises the camera to her face again, her eyes darting around herself rather than watching the screen. ) That was meant to be my throat. Others weren't so lucky.

The Brotherhood left a message after the slaughter for the families seeking alliance with Macaluso and Taravast. ( her eyes flick back to the camera. ) Basically, don't do it; this is the only warning. ( she searches her memories a bit for the wording- ) "Never seek alliances that could imperil the Brotherhood's interests again."

( she sighs, closes her eyes and shakes her head before reaching up to wipe the strands of hair from her brow. ) I could use some help. I caught one. ( she flips the camera around to show the hallway behind her lined with the carnage of four undead envoys in pieces on the floor. ) But I still need help to clean up.

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... i was going to turn my video on too, but then i realized you already saw me.

i'm in the corridors to the north of the banquet hall when you get here.
also, my name is Alina.

Hermione.

[Is she well versed in the corridors of the palace? Not so much. It takes a while, and she makes use of a number of notice-me-not spells, because despite carrying a bag with a few corsets on top of bandages and bottled oxygenated water, she is small and paranoid.

Eventually, though, she'll make it. And at that point, because she imagines Alina isn't exactly standing in full view with four undead after a fight, she whisper-calls:] Alina?

( how not-in-full-view should Alina be...? because she's not as hidden as she should be.

she has moved herself behind a column while she's waited. but the carnage is still there, and she's waiting on Eleven to help her get rid of the bodies. it's all her brain can really process right now. sit. wait. endure the carnage she helped to create.

she looks up at her name and stands, stepping out from behind the column with one hand still trailing on it. ) Hermione? No one gave you trouble, did they?

[Jesus Merlin Christ, there's just bodies and blood and gore everywhere, and for a moment Hermione freezes. Right - right! Not hidden. Not entirely hidden. She blanches, pales, and then springs back into action.]

No, no-one today. Sit back down. [She will go over, to crouch in front of her, still casting an eye on the carnage.

She might not want to deal with the bodies, but she can make this tidy. Her wand comes out of the holster, and with a few evanescos and scourfigys, it's just a couple of undead lads taking a nap. No blood, not even scuffmarks.

She casts a Disillusionment Charm over the two of them, sod the corpses, and brings her attention back to Alina.] Right, well - that will buy us some time. Is that shallow or deep?

( sorry for the carnage there.... Alina wishes she could say it's the worst she's seen. but it's far from it. and worse, she seems to be growing more and more accustomed to it.

that's a disturbing thought for another day.

at Hermione's command, Alina sits back down. she watches Hermione without fully processing what she's doing. but she gathers the wand does the magic and soon enough the carnage is a little less than it was. well that's helpful.

Alina touches her chest a bit, then winces. ) Deep I think. They were aiming for my throat, trying to kill me.

That was really useful what you did.

[She lets out a little laugh, bordering on hysterical if you want to be generous with it, and tries not to think about the scar from where Bellatrix pressed her knife against her neck, tries not to remember that specific feeling, tries - and therefore can't think of how well she knows the shock Alina is about to go through.

She keeps her voice soft and gentle. Kind.] You'll be less impressed when I can't close it - but thank you.

[She pulls the bottle of oxygenated water out and the clean bandages, and meets Alina's eyes, solemn.] Right, well - this will sting, so you best bite onto something and not scream. I've put a spell to keep us unnoticeable but sound will still carry.

( Alina isn't disappointed that Hermione can't mend the injury, but she is surprised. then again, you would be too when a beautiful, magical girl appears and cleans up all your mess and then says there are apparent limits.

logic is hard tonight...

Alina lets out a deep sigh. she's been buried under a building before. she suspects this'll be in the same range as that. she takes a blade from her ankle sheath that she uses to obscure her Grisha steel, and cuts off a swathe of her sleeve before bunching it in her mouth.

she braces herself, and gives Hermione the go ahead to continue. )

[She's a resourceful girl, and she's admirable like that. If Hermione takes note of how quickly she found something to bite on is neither here nor there - the cut worries her. It's bleeding, though not worse than when Ron got splinched.

And worst case scenario, she has sewing supplies (which she doesn't use often anyway) and nerves of steel (for now) and they can make something work.

First, she cleans the blood off, pouring the water onto the exposed part of her skin and the wound itself; then she presses the bandage tight against it.]

( the water smarts. it's not even that cold, but it's cool enough against the burning of the open wound. it forces a hiss from between Alina's teeth and she grinds her teeth on the sleeve-strip in her mouth. but it's bearable past that.

then she presses. for a second Alina jerks forward, nearly doubling at the pain. Eleven thinks he can heal it later, but it's deep and wide now and damn if that doesn't sting. she groans into the self-fashioned gag and digs her nails into her palms as she squeezes her eyes shut.

the pain returns to a dull throb shortly and Alina takes a deep breath through her nose. she opens her eyes again and looks to Hermione, nodding briefly to tell her to continue. )

[Keeping pressure is the best she can do - that, and wishing she had Dittany on herself, that would be nice.]

Have you spoken to anyone else who is coming to help?

( as the pressure sets in, the painful thudding returns. it's not great, but it's bearable. that's all that matters.

Alina pulls the gag from her mouth gingerly, then nods her response. ) Especially people to help clean up the bodies. It'll be sorted soon.

Hopefully someone who can heal that better than I can. [Apologetic, she tries to smile, and gives the wound a look.] If it were truly bad, you'd have bled out by now. [murmured, matter of fact. It's the worst bedside manner ever.

She flinches.] Sorry. That was rude. [Whatever pushes her to do this, she'll never have time to figure it out. Is it revisiting a traumatic experience? Is it staring a young woman in the eyes while she's injured and trying to not see Lavender, or Tonks, or Luna?]

I have some experience too. [With her free hand, she tugs at the collar of her blouse, revealing the scar left behind by Bellatrix Lestrange's torture. Hardly something to make a joke of, and yet Hermione is trying to be optimistic here.] You'll be okay.

video - un: starkov / dated 11/12

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