video — un: starburst.

[valeas]

( Hello, Eastbounders.

Once again, a dynamic and alarming duo greets you, with no better news than last time.

In fact, it doesn't seem to be an announcement at all.

The first thing the jostled communicator picks up is... a sound. Guttural, croaked, agonising. It belongs to Lady Arabella, throwing herself upon what becomes quite obviously Wrath's frame. Her mouth opens wider, and wider still, as though she might want to swallow him whole.

The sound becomes a scream, unending.

Wrath's golden gaze stares at Arabella like one might survey a mildly interesting change in the scenery — his own expression impassive as her grip tears the buttons from his shirt.

His companion, on the other hand, reacts a bit more angrily, Emilia's initial concern shifting into something more vicious. As Arabella attempts to latch on to Wrath however she can, Emilia strikes back at her, prepared for a fight. Except it never quite comes: no sooner Arabella is thrown off, she stops,

backpedaling into the communicator that turns the video black. )


NOTE: Again, the second link leads to Grudge-y things. The video is short and choppy and hectic, taking place not long after the assassination attempt on Arabella. Wrath and Emilia helped in the rescue efforts and were, uh, rewarded. For more details, feel free to read here.

Comments

audio | un:workstormit

[bravelyrunsaway]

That is not how she was behaving when we were escaping the summit itself. What lighting strike led to this?

[inferus]

We were brought to her residence following our aid to her at the summit. She wished to thank us, and she showed us this bouquet of lilies which she had received earlier in the week. She thought it may have to do with what occurred at the Sanctuary.

When I read the handwritten note to her, she reacted as you saw. ( He turns the device toward the note to show what was written on it. dolly, back in your dollhouse. )

[bravelyrunsaway]

Here she just had her people hand me and Moran a greased up key. Let me see that note closer, love, do you mind?

[inferus]

It's Wrath. ( Wrath does turn the video toward the note so he can see, however. ) It is not magical in nature, but it had its effect on her regardless.

[bravelyrunsaway]

( raised eyebrow. it's wrath is as bad as saying "it's mansbane," please do not ask why a teenager past was having to invent surnames, he's made it Work, Somehow. )

This whole storming place is magical in nature, does it set no one else's teeth on edge? Not active, but it's everywhere.

( see: unknowing side effect of being a magic battery. magic sensitivity! )

So the words unlocked the response. Different phrase than what our key said.

[inferus]

I would imagine it would only be noticeable to those who can sense magic to begin with.

( Wrath does not mind feeling all the magic humming around the city. He prefers sensing that to places that would be more absent in it. That hollowness would be difficult to grapple with. )

It appears so. It's possible your key was meant for someone else entirely, but the phrase may have a similar effect.

[bravelyrunsaway]

I'd be storm-struck lucky to go nose-blind to it all tomorrow!

( take him to the hollow places, where he feels more himself than this. he sighs, a touch more of a growl than the human sense of a sigh would be. )

The possibilities are many, the knowns are few. I must have some doubt that running around telling people to wake up can be outright as violent as what you witnessed, if only because people say that normally. I don't know about you, but I have, often and readily enough.

[valeas]

Reading it out loud is what seemed to do it. The bouquet itself is alien to Minaras. When paired with the note, she does believe it might be linked to today's attempt. ( Emilia can't say that she disagrees, either, though Arabella must have more than one enemy. )

[bravelyrunsaway]

Which means what, sniff around Eidris, or head further afield? Weak, you can grow flowers in a hothouse, place of origin isn't that simple. Even if it is, that's not the trick played, huh? It's the words.

Beitang Moran and I were sent away with a thank you and a greased key with its own etched in phrase, also from what your lady there refused and claimed not her own. Yet someone had, as with the flowers and note, intended it to be hers. Talk about a rot.

[valeas]

Correct, the words themselves were the trigger. I studied the bouquet and found nothing suspicious or ominous. Merely a charm meant to preserve the lilies for longer. A charm easily broken, at that. ( someone wanted those words to reach arabella, and she was right to be wary. )

What was the phrase?

[bravelyrunsaway]

Wake up.

( said easily, swiftly, and dryly. )

[valeas]

Ah. ( speaking of ominous. ) Both notes on their surface appear contradictory, except the reaction to the one Arabella showed us was more like something awakening in her indeed. ( something bottomless and painful. )

[bravelyrunsaway]

( a pause. )

Forgive me for not being familiar with the pastimes of children with dolls, but would you say there's nothing related? People aren't as biddable as dolls, not even well paid, unless you have them so entirely under your power. Waking up from a dream, being someone else's toy. Both asking for reactions?

( he sighs, disliking the whole of it. a headache and a half. )

Or run with the obvious, since I dislike riddles. A key to waking up. Flowers for the one playing house. Whatever you want to say, nothing about a dollhouse is real. It's all child's play, love, made up. She didn't handle being reminded of that well at all.

[valeas]

( emilia is skeptical enough to believe arabella a flawless performer, if not for wrath's ability to sense emotions. )

Whatever I want to say?

Her confusion and fear were very real, I assure you. She cannot be reminded of something she is unaware of.

[bravelyrunsaway]

I believe that much, having watched whatever that was. It doesn't make the dollhouse real. It makes it appear that to her, it all feels real, until something steals away that belief.

Whatever she was in those moments is not who she believes herself to be.

[valeas]

Maybe not real, maybe a figure of speech. I'd admittedly never seen a droid before. ( she wouldn't call them dolls, but they're made of parts, and willing possession seems to be a thing here. ) Regardless, there's not much to go on right now. I'll need to look into this further.

Will you tell me how things go with your key?

[bravelyrunsaway]

When there's anything to tell—