Mana Academy: Beyond Borders IC

[Finsternia]

Allistor Abendroth

The birds have started to chirp two hours ago, as the faintest bit of sunlight crept in the horizon. Allistor rose an hour later as the sky starts to shift from dark sapphire to soft water blue. The black haired student has made it his routine to wake up early in the morning to start jogging around the island and perhaps set off out of Mana's island and back again. However, his body is yet to recover. His bones are back in place yet parts of his body still sting with pain from phantom injuries. He made it a point for the teachers that he could manage himself and go to classes on his wheelchair yet the nurses forbid him to move too much. Sighing, Allistor started to circulate mana all over his body, to his broken mana points in his limbs and back to his torso. His body started to lift off the ground and his arms and legs stretched themselves. "Urk..." Both the pain of regaining control over his mana and the physical activity of stretching his sleeping muscles made him grunt and his face contort a bit.

The act made him sweat a bit, both from the sting and from worrying that his magic may fail him. Ice may lash out in his room and cover it in frost and in the worst case scenario his magic would hurt another student. For an hour he tried to temper his body again, filling his veins and muscles of mana, his mouth releasing bouts of warm breath that is visible in the coldness of morning. The knock on his door signalled that his morning exercise is at an end. Allistor plops back on the bed, which was set by the windows of his dorm room. Cecily would see the young man looking out of the window, looking at the early risers practicing their magic, studying, going off somewhere in campus, and many other things. He looks toward her for a second and waves. "Good morning professor. You don't always need to bring me food."

[Luminesa]

Allistor Abendroth

The birds have started to chirp two hours ago, as the faintest bit of sunlight crept in the horizon. Allistor rose an hour later as the sky starts to shift from dark sapphire to soft water blue. The black haired student has made it his routine to wake up early in the morning to start jogging around the island and perhaps set off out of Mana's island and back again. However, his body is yet to recover. His bones are back in place yet parts of his body still sting with pain from phantom injuries. He made it a point for the teachers that he could manage himself and go to classes on his wheelchair yet the nurses forbid him to move too much. Sighing, Allistor started to circulate mana all over his body, to his broken mana points in his limbs and back to his torso. His body started to lift off the ground and his arms and legs stretched themselves. "Urk..." Both the pain of regaining control over his mana and the physical activity of stretching his sleeping muscles made him grunt and his face contort a bit.

The act made him sweat a bit, both from the sting and from worrying that his magic may fail him. Ice may lash out in his room and cover it in frost and in the worst case scenario his magic would hurt another student. For an hour he tried to temper his body again, filling his veins and muscles of mana, his mouth releasing bouts of warm breath that is visible in the coldness of morning. The knock on his door signalled that his morning exercise is at an end. Allistor plops back on the bed, which was set by the windows of his dorm room. Cecily would see the young man looking out of the window, looking at the early risers practicing their magic, studying, going off somewhere in campus, and many other things. He looks toward her for a second and waves. "Good morning professor. You don't always need to bring me food."

She smiled at him as she looked and saw him sitting up in the bed. She could now see that he had been stretching, trying to accelerate the healing of his body. He had not wanted to stay much in bed, but he was still in too much pain to move around the campus. She could tell he was aching, and she approached him, looking over his wounds. She took his arms and used her Healing Magic on them, trying to soothe his pains. She also felt his chest, where she felt his heart still beating fast from his workout. She began to send Healing Magic through his chest. "It's to save you from going out in the cold. Your bones are still healing, and being out in the cold is not good for you right now. Even if you are an Ice Mage." Once she had healed him, she took the food from his nightstand and put it in his lap. "And now you need to eat. But first, tell me how you're feeling. Did you sleep well? You've been working hard to get well, I know, I just hope it's not keeping you awake too much at night." As she spoke, she looked around the room for Glacia. His strange pet snake always seemed to bother her just a little, and she jerked a little as she noticed Glacia in the darkness.

Outside, a mail-carrier had gone to get the mail for the day, and had found multiple letters in the mailbox, each addressed to different students. They were surprised to see all the mail, and addressed from Salzburg, Austria of all places. However, they simply did their duty and brought it to the island. Cecily had one letter in her mailbox, which she had not yet seen, as did John, Artosh, and the other teachers. The students also had mail, which John retrieved and slipped into each of the rooms, under the doorways. When he reached Allistor's room, he knocked on the door and peeked in. "Hey, anyone awake?...Oh, yes you are. Good morning!" he greeted Allistor. He smirked as he saw Cecily had already brought him breakfast, and then he brought the letter to Allistor. "Hey, you got mail. It looks like some of your classmates did too, someone's been busy writing from Austria to check on you guys."

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Henry von Kressel

"I have serious doubts about the bed part, Ms. Serial Heartbreaker, but odds are you have an interesting night x fight ratio in Spain... And my Mana 'escapades' involved fighting demons and a few crazy people. Same about my Parisian escapades, the Austrian escapades, the German and Polish ones..."

He couldn't help but laugh at his own lack of luck. He wasn't lying: even when there was a romantic intention in his escapes from a few of his obligations, they always seemed to involve trouble in any degree.

"I never actually met the Headmistress, but let's just say Solaine did an excellent job impersonating her. 'Parlez-vous français, monsieur von Kressel? If not we'll certainly arrange a translator! Send my regards to your father! Au revoir!' and the usual things... Mana lacks that kind of thing, at least institutionally. Students still gather around their 'equals', but teachers have a rule of treating everyone equally."

With a gesture of hand, Henry warmed up the plates using magic, heating them up as Eglantine seemed to run a marathon to get everything in place. Calmly, Henry just stared at her with a smile across his face.

"Eglantine... We already have dessert. Sebastian was scared about the possible implications of leaving you without chocolate, so he bought... A small stock, let's leave at that. And yes, my mother and my aunt will definitely want to eat. Kaiser, rescue Michel please!"

The big dog slowly walked to Michel, who laid on the ground serving as a mattress to the small puppy. Once more, Kaiser gently picked her up with his teeth, and carried her to a couch, placing her against the pillows to sleep comfortably, before returning to his owner.

Eglantine raised an eyebrow as Henry called her "Ms. Serial Heartbreaker", but she chuckled when he mentioned fights. "I've had a lot more fights than I've had boyfriends. I can tell you at least that much," she suggested. She found his mention of his own problems with women to be surprising, but given he had stated before that he had at least one ex, such a past was not that shocking. Henry had lived a sheltered life, but that did not mean he had never interacted with girls. His other times dating girls, however, had been riddled with disasters and battles that had distracted him from dating. This time had been no different, and they would probably encounter at least some difficulties at Mana. She was unsure what would possibly haunt them at Mana, but tigers could not change their stripes, nor could they tear them off and bury them somewhere in a ditch. Trouble followed Henry wherever he went, and so it would follow her.

At least the teachers, or at least one of them, would be pleasant. She was interested to see what sorts of friendships Henry had made as well, and whether he had ventured outside of making friends in Nobleblood Houses or not. Then again, she was doubtful that many non-Nobleblood people would be at this Magical school. Most were just private schools for wealthy Magical kids, but perhaps the American school would be different. She took a deep breath and reminded herself to continue cooking, but Henry stopped her as she began to count all her ingredients. He had prepared for dinner, and had gotten Sebastian to get chocolate for dessert. Halting her work, she turned and stared at him. "...What kind of chocolate? Cake? Cookies? Truffles? Or all three? My birthday's not for another seven months, you know," she joked.

In the meantime, Kaiser approached Michel, who smirked up at the big dog and pet his head. "Hey there, big guy. You've become kind of like a mom for Chloe, haven't you? Except you're a boy-dog, of course," he joked. As Kaiser moved Chloe off his chest, he sat upright and watched the older dog bring the puppy to the couch, where she continued to sleep. She would be awake in a few minutes, but until then, the house was peaceful once again. He decided he would go get Sarah himself, while Henry and Eglantine were talking, and as Eglantine asked him about the chocolate, he jumped to his feet, stretched, and walked to her room. Knocking on the door, he called, "Hey, Sarah, I heard you like breaking bones. I'd say I'm absolutely rattled, but I would only be ribbing you. Also, before you punch me through the door, supper's ready!"

Henry von Kressel

"Chocolate bars. He saw how you calm yourself down fast when you have chocolate around, so he decided to stock a few just for the sake of Austrian historical patrimony. So no need to worry, Ms. Cordon Bleu, you are relieved of your extensive cooking duties for today. Only duty you have for the rest of the day is to kiss me, actually."

Somehow, he had a feeling that Eglantine worked that hard to not think about her new life, or simply to state that she could be an independent person. Of course, she could prove that through pans and punches - and it was a quite charming feature for him - but sometimes she simply had to remind herself to relax a little bit. And when she didn't, Henry would remember her.

Sarah von Kressel

And the Frenchman didn't cease his flirting at all. Like an ongoing car fueled by stubbornness and the purest will to tease and provoke, Michel delved deep in his vault of puns and pick-up lines as an effort to lighten the mood and possibly get laid.

Opening the door, Sarah came out with her hair on a ponytail, while wearing shorts and a long-sleeved shirt.

"I wouldn't waste a door just to punch you, Michel. Let's eat!"

[Elysian Kentarchy]

Europe-Konstantin Abramov, on the road, close to the border between the Czech Republic and Poland, about 20 minutes out from Ostrava


“I do not like this… transportation.”

I look up from my book at my twin sister, this is the third time she has made that complaint and her face of discomfort hasn't changed. “I would have preferred a carriage as well sister but that would cause us to take weeks to get anywhere. We'll be in Salzburg in about 6 hours after we make it to Ostrava.” It isn’t a bad car, it is well made and big enough in the back for the two of us to relax and go over things and it has space to hide our weapons and armor within easy reach but it still is nothing compared to...

“I know but an open carriage would be nice…”

I smile, knowing what she means, “Maybe when we get home. Besides as we get further into these hotter climes we will be happy this device has ways to cool us down.” I do not mention a car like this or planes is practically essential now for if we travel anywhere. Now with the Abramov’s choosing their side and entering the war moving quickly is needed.

“I hope home stays safe…”

“So do I Anastasia.” After mulling it over I reach over and lay out a map of Europe in front of us, it is the most up to date map we have anyway on some notable parts of the fronts that we got. “For now it is best to discuss recent moves. You might see something I don’t.” I say this partially to alleviate the boredom that I am feeling too, we have studied this map a lot after all but we just got an updated one at our last stop in Krakow so it should have more information. Plus these impromptu war councils at least keeps our minds sharp. So I begin and draw a line with my finger along the border between Russia and both Norway and Finland. “When I last checked back at home it has been quiet, no moves have been made towards us from Scandinavia and the Sternbergs are quiet." While an attack by the Sternbergs was discussed for if they join up with the Rise our vassals should be able to hold them off for long enough for reinforcements to arrive. I trust in Eglantine's promise after all. "The home estate is safe for the moment. That will allow us to send most of the House to other fronts while leaving a token guard of mages from our vassals.”

She nods, that deployment was agreed upon by the two of us. “Not like they would find the main estate anyway, we can afford to lose Saint Petersburg if a sudden attack happened provided it doesn’t spread far and is blunted by our vassals. My concerns about the main estate being cut off remains but they shouldn’t be able to find it before we can act if such a cut off did occur.”

“It is a risk we have to take, but everything should be fine for now. Granted the home estate is only guarded by one of our House, several mages of our vassals and a couple servants but it will be enough, the enchantments there are strong.”

She nods again, trusting my words and draws a circle over Russia and the former Eastern European territories of the Russian Empire with her index finger. “Reports so far has been that our vassals are moving quickly enough to secure our old territories and set up patrols to search for signs of demons of influence by Rise and known Rise allies. We are stretching ourselves thin with the all the land we have to cover though, even moving with westwards, in particular into Belarus and Ukraine hasn’t alleviated the issue despite it shortening the line, especially with the move to increase patrols at the border with southern Finland and patrol the northern coast. Gaps can be a serious concern.”

“Not much we can do there. With our House being moved out of Russia along with most of our servants it is up to our vassals to keep the home front secure, I know you weren’t happy with the larger patrols close to the Finish border but it is needed as an early warning for Saint Petersburg if they come by sea.”

“I know but it only stretches our forces more thin.”

I examine the map again to try to find a way to reduce it. “How about we withdraw patrols from the Georgian border and the Far East, as well as from the Black Sea.” I start drawing a line with my finger. “Starting with Odessa to the border of Moldova here, up in between Kiev and Lviv and onto the border with Lithuania in essentially a straight line before wrapping around the Baltics to the coast. Would that reduce the gaps any?”

She thinks it over. “Minus creating a massive one around the entire Black Sea yes it would thanks to the reallocation of troops, the line isn't really shortened but it should work.” She writes down updated orders for me to sign later, including a note not to enter the Baltic states unless essential. “Any invasion of southern Russia can be stopped easily, so if war came to Russia from that way it will work."

“If the war comes to Russia…” I close my eyes and shudder at the thought. We are supposed to be the protectors of Russia, we are Russia’s Winter. We are the oldest noble family of Russia still in existence so the burden rests with us, or that is what I tell myself. “If war comes to Russia we will destroy them.”

“I expect nothing less.” She points elsewhere on the map. “I heard from Dominic,” she starts, speaking of a distant relation but still an Abramov. “That he, Anna, and the servants we sent with the two of them have arrived at the Aleramici-Gramont villa by plane and will be helping with repairs to the villa as it suffered significant damage while also serving as our representatives until we can head to Italy.”

“That should be enough to help them. Granted the climate probably will not agree with them. Far too warm.”

“Our orders with that was absolute so at least they they went without complaint.”

“True, as it should be. Now then…” I point my finger at northern France. “With the fall of the Aleramici-Gramont fortress in northern France most mages of our House are heading to France to reduce the ability of the Rise to capitalize on this gain, besides us and a select few others.”

“I hope it will be enough.” She points to another spot, the city Strasbourg. “Reports given to us earlier has shown that the Rise’s demons are as far north as Strasbourg. Clearly they have moved out of Alps.”

I frown and measure the distance between the Strasbourg and that fortress that was taken with my fingers. It is far too small for my tastes. “Ideally the demons at Strasbourg should be eliminated post haste, if they link up with the forces that took that fortress all our forces in western France will be trapped with their backs to the sea, cut off from the rest of the rest of our alliance. Alternatively immediately retaking that fortress is also an option and we turn it on the Rise, trapping their forces there.”

“Anything we should do?”

“No, we have done what we can by sending family to that front to deal with the fortress situation. What else?”

“Nothing beyond continual reports of demonic advances. Seeing as we are heading for Austria mentioning them doesn’t mean much.”

“Well that settles that then.”

“And it killed a few minutes.” My dear sister replies and I laugh as we both realize we have passed Ostrava.

[Luminesa]

Eglantine raised an eyebrow as Henry called her "Ms. Serial Heartbreaker", but she chuckled when he mentioned fights. "I've had a lot more fights than I've had boyfriends. I can tell you at least that much," she suggested. She found his mention of his own problems with women to be surprising, but given he had stated before that he had at least one ex, such a past was not that shocking. Henry had lived a sheltered life, but that did not mean he had never interacted with girls. His other times dating girls, however, had been riddled with disasters and battles that had distracted him from dating. This time had been no different, and they would probably encounter at least some difficulties at Mana. She was unsure what would possibly haunt them at Mana, but tigers could not change their stripes, nor could they tear them off and bury them somewhere in a ditch. Trouble followed Henry wherever he went, and so it would follow her.

At least the teachers, or at least one of them, would be pleasant. She was interested to see what sorts of friendships Henry had made as well, and whether he had ventured outside of making friends in Nobleblood Houses or not. Then again, she was doubtful that many non-Nobleblood people would be at this Magical school. Most were just private schools for wealthy Magical kids, but perhaps the American school would be different. She took a deep breath and reminded herself to continue cooking, but Henry stopped her as she began to count all her ingredients. He had prepared for dinner, and had gotten Sebastian to get chocolate for dessert. Halting her work, she turned and stared at him. "...What kind of chocolate? Cake? Cookies? Truffles? Or all three? My birthday's not for another seven months, you know," she joked.

In the meantime, Kaiser approached Michel, who smirked up at the big dog and pet his head. "Hey there, big guy. You've become kind of like a mom for Chloe, haven't you? Except you're a boy-dog, of course," he joked. As Kaiser moved Chloe off his chest, he sat upright and watched the older dog bring the puppy to the couch, where she continued to sleep. She would be awake in a few minutes, but until then, the house was peaceful once again. He decided he would go get Sarah himself, while Henry and Eglantine were talking, and as Eglantine asked him about the chocolate, he jumped to his feet, stretched, and walked to her room. Knocking on the door, he called, "Hey, Sarah, I heard you like breaking bones. I'd say I'm absolutely rattled, but I would only be ribbing you. Also, before you punch me through the door, supper's ready!"

Henry von Kressel

"Chocolate bars. He saw how you calm yourself down fast when you have chocolate around, so he decided to stock a few just for the sake of Austrian historical patrimony. So no need to worry, Ms. Cordon Bleu, you are relieved of your extensive cooking duties for today. Only duty you have for the rest of the day is to kiss me, actually."

Somehow, he had a feeling that Eglantine worked that hard to not think about her new life, or simply to state that she could be an independent person. Of course, she could prove that through pans and punches - and it was a quite charming feature for him - but sometimes she simply had to remind herself to relax a little bit. And when she didn't, Henry would remember her.

Sarah von Kressel

And the Frenchman didn't cease his flirting at all. Like an ongoing car fueled by stubbornness and the purest will to tease and provoke, Michel delved deep in his vault of puns and pick-up lines as an effort to lighten the mood and possibly get laid.

Opening the door, Sarah came out with her hair on a ponytail, while wearing shorts and a long-sleeved shirt.

"I wouldn't waste a door just to punch you, Michel. Let's eat!"

“Chocolate bars?” Eglantine was curious, and began to look around the kitchen. She did not see any boxes, and she had not seen anything when she had run into the kitchen. She gave him a confused look, and then a bubbly grin, when he said she just needed to relax and to spend time with him. “...Your duty, then, is to show me where these chocolate bars are! After we eat, of course.” She walked over to him and gave him a kiss, letting it last for a couple seconds before she pulled back. She then pulled a chilled bottle of wine out the fridge, and she put out the wine-glasses and utensils.

Outside the room, Michel smirked and whistled at Sarah’s casual appearance. “...Well, well, not dressed-up like usual! I’d say I like that you decided to let your hair down, but...well, your hair’s not down,” he teased. He then interlocked his arm with hers and began to walk to the kitchen. “...Say, once I bring you to your destination, I think I’ll go get Lady Anneliese and Mary Poppins in the other room. Just make sure you save me a seat.” He brought her to the kitchen, and then left her to march down the hall. He found Anneliese’s room, and he knocked politely. “...Lady Anneliese? Dinner’s ready! My niece prepared it!” he called.

[Serah]

"Oh bozhe moj, I think I broke her." Oliver chuckled before getting some pan fried potatoes and a steak, seeing as there was no fried chicken in the menu for once. 'Oh well, I'll just make some myself.' He thought, quickly rejoining with Soleil and putting a chair close to Ambrosia so she would avoid falling on the floor if she were to overheat.
Staring at her with an amused smile a raised eyebrow, he waited for her answer as to what she thought was a retro game. In truth, he didn't expect anything, he wasn't even sure if Ambrosia had even touched video games before, beyond maybe phone games to pass the time.

As she managed to stammer out Halo, Oliver shrugged.
"Ah, well I'll have to disappoint you. I don't have Halo and I'm much more of a Fire Emblem fan in terms of retro, but I do have some games that can be played in multiplayer." Again, the teasing glint reappeared with a smile turning into an almost smug grin, like a fox cornering its prey, he followed. "Like, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime for instance. It's a pretty intense game if you're not prepared to cooperate with your partner."
Leaving that thought just long enough for her to make her own conclusions, he followed up with the actual goal of the game.
"Handling a spaceship when each player has to man a station that handles different parts of the ship and has to run from one to the other to cover everything in the map in record time is quite hard to do, especially if you're not prepared to communicate where you are or what you're doing to the others."

He looked at Soleil again, this time, his teasing smile mostly faded and turned into a mild, yet content look.
"If we're not too tired after the snowball fight, I'd be up for that. Of course, I have other ones if this doesn't sound like something you'd like."

In response to all the teasing and switching back and forth between flirting and looking somewhat normal, Begnion growled at his master, signalling him to cut it out before he got involved.
"You'd do the same, don't lie to me." Oliver answered the dog, putting a finger on his nose, which ended up being swatted away.
"Fine, this is the most you've seen me smile in months and you tell me to stop. What a terrible guardian you are."
Begnion followed with a whine that sounded as close as a dog could get to a sarcastic 'Of course I am.'

...He doesn't even play Halo, you dummy. He likes RPGs! Think of an old anime game! C'mon, you can do it... "I like Zelda, actually, too! Um..." He mentioned a different game, one she had never heard about, and she trailed-off. It was some indie game, but from the title it sounded...romantic? She wondered what sort of game that was, but she was willing to play it with him if it meant she spent time with him. "...Okay! W-We can play that game too...If you want, I mean...um..." She twirled a strand of her hair around her finger, and she stared toward the floor. She felt so awkward now, with the butterflies finally settling in her stomach. She had never played a whole lot of video games, but she would be quite happy to spend some time with Oliver. She did not know Soleil quite as well, but judging by what she saw outside, she figured he might need a little company as well.

"I'd like to play it! We could build our teamwork skills by playing a video game! It's just a little cold to train outside anyway..." Soleil explained, as he put away a third doughnut. He worried he was going to get fat if he continued eating so many doughnuts, but he felt as though he was craving sweets quite a lot today. Maybe nerves had overtaken him. "...Then again...maybe some exercise in the afternoon would not be a bad idea..." He was not quite sure what he wanted to do with the rest of his day after he spent time with Oliver and Ambrosia, though he was glad to just enjoy the company for now...

As the conversation continued onto playing the game instead of going for a snowball fight, Oliver felt a light wave of disappointment wash over him, but kept it behind his smile, although his eyes almost betrayed him.
As his mask came back, he became more and more placid.
"You know, you don't have to pretend you like video games if you've never touched them before. I won't think any less of you." He continued, his smile progressively fading as he returned to his usual, unfeeling state.
As he stared and ate his potatoes, he entered a sort of dissociation state where he simply did things mechanically and lost himself in his own mind.
Such things tended to happen more often in his room, where nobody could see him.
He found himself thinking about what he'd done recently, what he'd promised, and how long he had left before he'd be forced back to europe.
"... Czechia sounds nice..." He muttered, as he progressively shifted into escapism, thinking of leaving it all behind and making a bee farm somewhere in the Czech countryside, making his own alcohol and living out the remainder of his life in between beautiful mountains and forests, playing old solo games on his home built computer, taking scenic photos with various drones. He genuinely just wanted to get out of this situation he had gotten himself into, and it showed in his eyes that seemed like they were progressively losing life.
"... I wish it'd rain more. I like rain, rain is good." he followed, approaching the end of his potatoes, his senses started to come back.

Dissociation episodes like this happened to him often, often enough that it could become an issue. But at the very least he applied himself enough that his mask wouldn't crumble around people, however, it seemed that flirting, and acting somewhat normal around people so early in the morning had already worn his psyche out.
As his eyes suddenly came alive once again, he glanced left and right, hoping nobody would've seen him dissociate. However, it soon dawned on him that Soleil and Ambrosia hadn't left. He purely hoped that they hadn't noticed.
Seemingly absorbing the meat with how fast he ate, he got up and got rid of his plates. When he came back, he felt somewhat anxious. He had never seen what he looked like when he had his episodes. Or even really knew what he did or said during those times. That said, if he felt anxious, it didn't show on his face. Briefly, he thought of saying something, but the potential of them not seeing it would negate it, so he simply kept his mouth shut and tried to act as normal as he possibly could.

[Serah]

Meliora Hendra, Theodore Hofmann - Outskirts of Strasbourg
Inside an old, recently refurbished Maginot Bunker (Ouvrage N°16)

As the dark, damp and silent interior of the old bunker welcomed them, the pitter patter of hundreds of people could be heard, all of them walking at different speeds, some running, some trotting. All of them rushing to their stations not saying a single word.
And two others, walking, against the flow of mages starting to man the maginot and turning it around the country it was supposed to protect. The whole plan was devised shortly after the end of the Indochina war, but had been deemed impossible years ago.
Now that the Hofmann had stabilized and started to mobilize, the plan to turn the Maginot against France to orchestrate its defense against internal threats. 'Projekt 155: Troyes' had been set in motion by the decision of the head of the house, Albert.

Now that the Jagtkreuz had sent additional reinforcements to man Ouvrage 16 to defend Strasbourg but at the same, the rest of the line was also starting to be manned with both regular and shock troops, mimicking the french mobilization of 1940, even the lines down in Italy were starting to be manned again in preparation for a possible attack.
Meliora and Theodore had been commissioned to oversee the plans to defend the city and HQ during its move to Ouvrage 16. It was all done in silence using as little magic as possible.

"Quite efficient, this whole thing. I didn't think you guys would be able to pull it off." Meliora started, nudging a rather annoyed Theodore.
"Of course. I've been working to stabilize the house for years, if they couldn't I'd be the one to kick their asses myself. Still pisses me off that the majors get the Sturmtruppen treatment and the rest of the hardworking minors get to work in there. They should have the right to be on the frontline just as-"
"Theodore." Meliora cut him midway, sternly, instantly causing him to remind himself of why they were here.
"Apologies, this won't happen again. Let's just get to it."

Stopping himself from talking any further, they both stopped in front of a massive vault door, seemingly put there recently. Putting his hand against a palm scan, the door unlocked slowly and let the two enter inside what looked like a gigantic engineering section behind a glass wall. Engines, workshops, and machines ranging from small arms and ammo manufacturing to shell manufacturing. Metal and Earth mages worked them in droves to provide for all the necessary components for the defense of the line, and by extension Strasbourg. Every single bullet that exited the line underwent a bath in holy water to provide some level of efficiency against lesser demons. If anything stronger appeared, then they would just use the bigger guns.
If the defense against Blanchefleur succeeded, they would send the Rise forces packing away from all borders, confining her to the insides of the country and holding any potential ally of hers away from french soil.

As they advanced within the confines of the glass room, they came upon a room that looked like a commander's quarters. In truth, this was the war room.
Within it, dozens of maps were written up, telling of the general topography of the surrounding area, what the outside of the main blockhauses, pillboxes and Ouvrage 16 looked like. Satellite imagery showed in real time what was happening over Strasbourg and drones flew around to keep any mundanes out. If Blanchefleur truly attacked, they would send a state of emergency to the french government, asking to barricade off the entirety of northern france by forcing the malfunctions and potential meltdowns of several nuclear power plants in the area. Thankfully, the southeastern and southwestern areas would be mainly empty of potential civilian casualties.
To the Hofmann, the defense against the Rise was well worth a couple Chernobyl scale incidents. And if anything, with their absolute leeway over operations, they would be able to mitigate the damage.

"Alright Theo. Show me what you've got planned." With a smile, Theo brought up a topographic display on a table and aligned it with a projector. It highlighted a plan to hold the city from the outside by sending several groups of shock troops, each with a trained Jagtkreuz mage to take specific quarters of the city, hold until reinforcements were to be airdropped, and beat back the invasion. Theodore himself wouldn't participate in the fighting, as he was deemed by Albert 'too strategical an asset to be sacrificed on the front lines unless absolutely necessary', but Meliora would partake.
She was set to be sent to Blitztruppen 4 'Cavalier' in capturing the old town, then, as that was done, she was to follow up and join Blitztruppen 7 'Tigre' and participate in taking back the heart of the town if it hadn't been done prior.
Fire teams were to be dispatched if necessary at all times and waited for orders in Ouvrage 16. But there was one team, the Groupe d'Intervention Magique D'Urgence, or GIMU for short, that was supposed to be sent in if all else failed. They were supposed to destroy any trace of Hofmann plans and traces and execute any potential stragglers with extreme prejudice, mundane or not.
In total, 10 Blitztruppen were to join the fight initially, with an additional 10 not counting the fire teams.
All of them would be trained mages, with each troop counting either a minor blood or a Jagtkreuz hunter.

"Looks pretty good, if a little... Confusing. But we'll manage. Demons are our specialty anyway. I'll go get ready along with the other Jagtkreuz hunters. As for the GIMU, do try not to use them too quickly. You know they are even less considerate of collateral damage than I am, do send them when everybody's either out or confirmed dead. We wouldn't want them to assassinate our manpower."

[Luminesa]

...He doesn't even play Halo, you dummy. He likes RPGs! Think of an old anime game! C'mon, you can do it... "I like Zelda, actually, too! Um..." He mentioned a different game, one she had never heard about, and she trailed-off. It was some indie game, but from the title it sounded...romantic? She wondered what sort of game that was, but she was willing to play it with him if it meant she spent time with him. "...Okay! W-We can play that game too...If you want, I mean...um..." She twirled a strand of her hair around her finger, and she stared toward the floor. She felt so awkward now, with the butterflies finally settling in her stomach. She had never played a whole lot of video games, but she would be quite happy to spend some time with Oliver. She did not know Soleil quite as well, but judging by what she saw outside, she figured he might need a little company as well.

"I'd like to play it! We could build our teamwork skills by playing a video game! It's just a little cold to train outside anyway..." Soleil explained, as he put away a third doughnut. He worried he was going to get fat if he continued eating so many doughnuts, but he felt as though he was craving sweets quite a lot today. Maybe nerves had overtaken him. "...Then again...maybe some exercise in the afternoon would not be a bad idea..." He was not quite sure what he wanted to do with the rest of his day after he spent time with Oliver and Ambrosia, though he was glad to just enjoy the company for now...

As the conversation continued onto playing the game instead of going for a snowball fight, Oliver felt a light wave of disappointment wash over him, but kept it behind his smile, although his eyes almost betrayed him.
As his mask came back, he became more and more placid.
"You know, you don't have to pretend you like video games if you've never touched them before. I won't think any less of you." He continued, his smile progressively fading as he returned to his usual, unfeeling state.
As he stared and ate his potatoes, he entered a sort of dissociation state where he simply did things mechanically and lost himself in his own mind.
Such things tended to happen more often in his room, where nobody could see him.
He found himself thinking about what he'd done recently, what he'd promised, and how long he had left before he'd be forced back to europe.
"... Czechia sounds nice..." He muttered, as he progressively shifted into escapism, thinking of leaving it all behind and making a bee farm somewhere in the Czech countryside, making his own alcohol and living out the remainder of his life in between beautiful mountains and forests, playing old solo games on his home built computer, taking scenic photos with various drones. He genuinely just wanted to get out of this situation he had gotten himself into, and it showed in his eyes that seemed like they were progressively losing life.
"... I wish it'd rain more. I like rain, rain is good." he followed, approaching the end of his potatoes, his senses started to come back.

Dissociation episodes like this happened to him often, often enough that it could become an issue. But at the very least he applied himself enough that his mask wouldn't crumble around people, however, it seemed that flirting, and acting somewhat normal around people so early in the morning had already worn his psyche out.
As his eyes suddenly came alive once again, he glanced left and right, hoping nobody would've seen him dissociate. However, it soon dawned on him that Soleil and Ambrosia hadn't left. He purely hoped that they hadn't noticed.
Seemingly absorbing the meat with how fast he ate, he got up and got rid of his plates. When he came back, he felt somewhat anxious. He had never seen what he looked like when he had his episodes. Or even really knew what he did or said during those times. That said, if he felt anxious, it didn't show on his face. Briefly, he thought of saying something, but the potential of them not seeing it would negate it, so he simply kept his mouth shut and tried to act as normal as he possibly could.

Soleil turned and looked to Oliver after thinking for a moment, and he noticed the sadness in his eyes. He seemed to feel as though he was drifting in and out of the conversation, like a ghost, or a cloud in a clear blue sky. He put a hand on his shoulder, and smiled at him. “But we’ll do the snowball fight first. I think that will be fun,” he assured him. He could see that Oliver had lost track of his two friends, and had started mumbling to himself about Czechia and the rain. Wanting him to feel he was a part of the group, he gave him direct eye contact as he spoke. “And then we can all come back here for more hot chocolate! We can spend the whole day together if we want,” he suggested.

When he turned to Ambrosia for her input, she quickly and confidently nodded to give her consent to this idea. “It’s better to have lots of company when it’s cold! Lots of...um...very nice company, too...” she answered, before unconsciously twirling a strand of her hair again. Oh no did you just flirt? Oh no. OH NO. WHAT WILL HE THINK?! I wonder if he likes girls who are open...or maybe not. Maybe he likes shy girls. But I’m a shy girl! Sometimes, anyway. WHAT DO I DO!!! She took a deep breath and stopped twirling her hair, and she gave Oliver a big, kind smile.

[Chrome Legion]

Król Dariusz


Król's unknowable eyes, or at least his attention, focused on the wraith-like being in front of him, flicking up from the monitor between them.

"The Maginot forts? An interesting place. Putting themselves on the front lines of old."

"They've set up quickly, not enough time for the magics to age. The wards will be nothing." The wraiths chilling voice whispered back.

"Yes... though even a place like that could have power. Find out if any of the bases they've infested were the sites of battles. Come to me when you've thoroughly completed your research. I will attend to our hopeful, and the young blood. "


Catherine de Sanguine Vivere


Catherine looked down at her desk. The two letters she had just finished. Both of them had been hard to write both dredged things from her past. Even if that past was recent, everything had seemed to happen so fast since she had reached this point. The Triad was almost destroyed. One last group and the Triad's leader. One last safe house to knock down. Then Catherine will have reached her goal. She was so close but now doubt was creeping up. What would she do once the Obisian Towers were hers? It had seemed so simple before, but now the future was so close, it was so damn blurry.
That was why she was sending this letter to her old teacher. One final test for her strength, and her mettle.

The letters disappeared, Erebus would see them to their recipients. With that work done, Catherine stood and walked to the door of her office. It was time to end the Triad, and even if the far future was uncertain, for now her purpose was clear.

[Luminesa]

Magnolia continued to meow with urgency in Rabbit’s arms, as he picked up the letter in one hand and sat back down on the bed. The letter was only a couple of lines long, written quickly by someone in a hurry. That someone happened to be Catherine of all people, and he blinked as he read and re-read the letter. ...Catherine is...in Romania?...And she has found...the Obsidian Towers?!... He put Magnolia back on the bed, and she crawled around Rabbit as he thought over Catherine’s words. His hands shook the more he read her words.

The Obsidian Towers. A source of horrid black magic, a hive of wicked souls in quantities beyond anyone’s imagination. To much of the Magical World, they were a myth. However, Rabbit believed much of the old apocrypha, the ancient stories which the modern Magical world had forgotten. The Obsidian Towers were one of those myths, almost too evil to truly exist. Yet he knew that they could indeed exist, and if one of his students had found them...

...To Bucharest I must go then... he thought with a weary sigh. He could not believe or understand why his student would try to tamper with such horrid Magic. She gave no indication as to her intentions. She almost seemed...flippant, as though she knew that he knew what the Towers were, and yet she still planned to do what she knew he would fin abhorrent. He would feel heartbroken if he was not so horrified. ...This...this can’t be right...but it also...it also could be...This is indeed her handwriting...and if she truly plans to activate those towers...The Hell she shall bring upon the living world...would make even Lady Blanchefleur afraid...

Rabbit heard Michel and Sarah down the hall, but his appetite was gone. He looked down at Magnolia, and took off his mask to kiss her tiny head. “...You must stay here for now...Henry will take good care of you, Magnolia...” he whispered to her. Danger pulsated in his chest, and he knew he had to hurry to Bucharest. He grabbed his travel bag and packed a change of clothes along with just a couple particular personal belongings. He left the gifts he had bought in his room, giving the smallest bag one more saddened look before he walked out. He approached it, and he looked inside the bag at the gift he had bought. “...I will return soon...and then...then I will come home...” He brought Magnolia out the room with him as well, only so that he could give her to Henry or Sebastian for the duration of his trip.

As he walked out of the room, he put his mask back on, and entered the dining room. Eglantine and company would notice his stiff posture, and his anxious breathing. He handed Magnolia to Henry without warning, and then stepped back. “...I know I am wanted at dinner...but I must go to Romania at once...”

“...Say what?” Eglantine questioned, blinking as she registered his seemingly-random statement.

“Yes. Catherine is there, and she has requested that I come find her. I do not wish for either you or Henry to accompany me. You must stay here and prepare to go home. I must go to face her alone. It will minimize any damage or harm that might be done onto-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what?...” she questioned, standing as she glared over at him. “...You need to calm down, sit, and eat with the rest of us! You’re not running out of here by yourself!” When he turned toward her, however, she flinched. She could not see behind his mask, but she remembered the piercing gaze he gave her when she intruded on his sleep. She stopped interrupting him, and let him continue.

“...She is planning to use Magic...which she should not use. Ever. I must save her, and to minimize what damage may be done, I must go alone...” he finished, “I am asking for you, Henry, to care for Magnolia while I am gone. If I am gone for longer than our last three days, please take her home with you to Mana, and my gifts. I...I may be some time. But I must do this...I am sorry for the sudden commands, but I am well enough and now must perform my duty as a teacher...”

[Serah]

As the conversation continued onto playing the game instead of going for a snowball fight, Oliver felt a light wave of disappointment wash over him, but kept it behind his smile, although his eyes almost betrayed him.
As his mask came back, he became more and more placid.
"You know, you don't have to pretend you like video games if you've never touched them before. I won't think any less of you." He continued, his smile progressively fading as he returned to his usual, unfeeling state.
As he stared and ate his potatoes, he entered a sort of dissociation state where he simply did things mechanically and lost himself in his own mind.
Such things tended to happen more often in his room, where nobody could see him.
He found himself thinking about what he'd done recently, what he'd promised, and how long he had left before he'd be forced back to europe.
"... Czechia sounds nice..." He muttered, as he progressively shifted into escapism, thinking of leaving it all behind and making a bee farm somewhere in the Czech countryside, making his own alcohol and living out the remainder of his life in between beautiful mountains and forests, playing old solo games on his home built computer, taking scenic photos with various drones. He genuinely just wanted to get out of this situation he had gotten himself into, and it showed in his eyes that seemed like they were progressively losing life.
"... I wish it'd rain more. I like rain, rain is good." he followed, approaching the end of his potatoes, his senses started to come back.

Dissociation episodes like this happened to him often, often enough that it could become an issue. But at the very least he applied himself enough that his mask wouldn't crumble around people, however, it seemed that flirting, and acting somewhat normal around people so early in the morning had already worn his psyche out.
As his eyes suddenly came alive once again, he glanced left and right, hoping nobody would've seen him dissociate. However, it soon dawned on him that Soleil and Ambrosia hadn't left. He purely hoped that they hadn't noticed.
Seemingly absorbing the meat with how fast he ate, he got up and got rid of his plates. When he came back, he felt somewhat anxious. He had never seen what he looked like when he had his episodes. Or even really knew what he did or said during those times. That said, if he felt anxious, it didn't show on his face. Briefly, he thought of saying something, but the potential of them not seeing it would negate it, so he simply kept his mouth shut and tried to act as normal as he possibly could.

Soleil turned and looked to Oliver after thinking for a moment, and he noticed the sadness in his eyes. He seemed to feel as though he was drifting in and out of the conversation, like a ghost, or a cloud in a clear blue sky. He put a hand on his shoulder, and smiled at him. “But we’ll do the snowball fight first. I think that will be fun,” he assured him. He could see that Oliver had lost track of his two friends, and had started mumbling to himself about Czechia and the rain. Wanting him to feel he was a part of the group, he gave him direct eye contact as he spoke. “And then we can all come back here for more hot chocolate! We can spend the whole day together if we want,” he suggested.

When he turned to Ambrosia for her input, she quickly and confidently nodded to give her consent to this idea. “It’s better to have lots of company when it’s cold! Lots of...um...very nice company, too...” she answered, before unconsciously twirling a strand of her hair again. Oh no did you just flirt? Oh no. OH NO. WHAT WILL HE THINK?! I wonder if he likes girls who are open...or maybe not. Maybe he likes shy girls. But I’m a shy girl! Sometimes, anyway. WHAT DO I DO!!! She took a deep breath and stopped twirling her hair, and she gave Oliver a big, kind smile.

As they had proven they had mostly not noticed his episode, he sighed internally out of relief and nodded.
Although he hadn't started to dissociate from being told they wouldn't do the snowball fight first, it seemed like they misunderstood it that way. And given his current situation, he had no will to tell them the opposite.
He couldn't quite organize his thoughts to form a coherent sentence, so he simply nodded again, giving finger guns as an answer to Ambrosia's flirting and smile. He, however did not look one bit as well as he previously did when flirting with her, he looked placid and deadpan as ever.

"Well, whenever you feel up to it, I'm good to go."

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Magnolia continued to meow with urgency in Rabbit’s arms, as he picked up the letter in one hand and sat back down on the bed. The letter was only a couple of lines long, written quickly by someone in a hurry. That someone happened to be Catherine of all people, and he blinked as he read and re-read the letter. ...Catherine is...in Romania?...And she has found...the Obsidian Towers?!... He put Magnolia back on the bed, and she crawled around Rabbit as he thought over Catherine’s words. His hands shook the more he read her words.

The Obsidian Towers. A source of horrid black magic, a hive of wicked souls in quantities beyond anyone’s imagination. To much of the Magical World, they were a myth. However, Rabbit believed much of the old apocrypha, the ancient stories which the modern Magical world had forgotten. The Obsidian Towers were one of those myths, almost too evil to truly exist. Yet he knew that they could indeed exist, and if one of his students had found them...

...To Bucharest I must go then... he thought with a weary sigh. He could not believe or understand why his student would try to tamper with such horrid Magic. She gave no indication as to her intentions. She almost seemed...flippant, as though she knew that he knew what the Towers were, and yet she still planned to do what she knew he would fin abhorrent. He would feel heartbroken if he was not so horrified. ...This...this can’t be right...but it also...it also could be...This is indeed her handwriting...and if she truly plans to activate those towers...The Hell she shall bring upon the living world...would make even Lady Blanchefleur afraid...

Rabbit heard Michel and Sarah down the hall, but his appetite was gone. He looked down at Magnolia, and took off his mask to kiss her tiny head. “...You must stay here for now...Henry will take good care of you, Magnolia...” he whispered to her. Danger pulsated in his chest, and he knew he had to hurry to Bucharest. He grabbed his travel bag and packed a change of clothes along with just a couple particular personal belongings. He left the gifts he had bought in his room, giving the smallest bag one more saddened look before he walked out. He approached it, and he looked inside the bag at the gift he had bought. “...I will return soon...and then...then I will come home...” He brought Magnolia out the room with him as well, only so that he could give her to Henry or Sebastian for the duration of his trip.

As he walked out of the room, he put his mask back on, and entered the dining room. Eglantine and company would notice his stiff posture, and his anxious breathing. He handed Magnolia to Henry without warning, and then stepped back. “...I know I am wanted at dinner...but I must go to Romania at once...”

“...Say what?” Eglantine questioned, blinking as she registered his seemingly-random statement.

“Yes. Catherine is there, and she has requested that I come find her. I do not wish for either you or Henry to accompany me. You must stay here and prepare to go home. I must go to face her alone. It will minimize any damage or harm that might be done onto-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what?...” she questioned, standing as she glared over at him. “...You need to calm down, sit, and eat with the rest of us! You’re not running out of here by yourself!” When he turned toward her, however, she flinched. She could not see behind his mask, but she remembered the piercing gaze he gave her when she intruded on his sleep. She stopped interrupting him, and let him continue.

“...She is planning to use Magic...which she should not use. Ever. I must save her, and to minimize what damage may be done, I must go alone...” he finished, “I am asking for you, Henry, to care for Magnolia while I am gone. If I am gone for longer than our last three days, please take her home with you to Mana, and my gifts. I...I may be some time. But I must do this...I am sorry for the sudden commands, but I am well enough and now must perform my duty as a teacher...”

Henry von Kressel

"You were Catherine's teacher, Rabbit. You're not her savior, legal guardian or her assigned angel. She's an adult, with the power of making her own decisions. If every time a former student tries to do something absurdly stupid or of a questionable nature you run away to solve their issues, you won't live your life Rabbit!

But... if I know you, you'll rush to her help at once, no matter what kind of speech I say... So at least take Fawkes with you. She's a trusty bird, and can deliver messages in case you need help in dealing with the situation. Even if I understand the nature of your worries regarding Ms. Catherine, this isn't your duty as a teacher. You might feel drawn to it, but this isn't your duty or obligation as a teacher. Take care of yourself, Rabbit."

Even if Henry tried to contain the clearly uncomfortable feeling he had about Rabbit's sudden departure, it was pretty clear in his choice of words that he was displeased with the situation. Not only the Committee shoved them away from the conflict, but now Rabbit was rushing to save a student that disappeared for quite some time and was an ally for Dariusz - a House that he wouldn't forgive or forget anytime soon - under the pretense of a teacher's duty.

Among the confusion, Anneliese slowly walked up to Rabbit, and hugged him. She did hear the news of his sudden departure, but waited until he made his case before any sudden moves. Holding Rabbit tightly, she decided to whisper a few words to Rabbit's ear.

"Don't risk yourself too much, Herr Rabbit. We all want you alive and well, and Henry loves you, even if he might not find the proper words or moment to say this."

Slowly, she let him go of the hug after planting a kiss on his cheek, as a last wish of a safe trip for her son's counselor. She was staying at Salzburg, of course, but she really hoped for Rabbit to return before Henry's departure, hoping that their return to Mana would be a less stressful experience for them.

[Luminesa]

“This is not merely about her being a rebel. This is about her possibly unleashing Black Magic that most modern Dark Mages could never dream to control,” Rabbit protested against Henry, taking a step forward. “The Obsidian Towers...she wishes to unlock their power. You probably know them as legends, but they are more than legends. They are, in fact, very real, and if she tries to use their power, not only will she destroy herself, but possibly much of the world around her...”

Michel and Anneliese entered the room at this point, and Michel’s ears perked as he heard the last sentence. “...What about destroying the world?...” he inquired. He looked to Henry and Eglantine, who a moment ago were both peaceful and enjoying each others’ company. Now they were both afraid and stressed, with Henry appearing to feel even angry.

“...Rabbit wants to run to Bucharest, apparently one of his old students is planning to use Black Magic for some reason, and he wants to go save her...” Eglantine explained.

“Bucharest?...Well, not by yourself, you’re not!” Rabbit turned to face Michel as he moved away from Anneliese. “...I’ll be sure to come with you, if you actually want to do this. You know traveling alone is a stupid idea, especially with all the threats we still have,” he warned.

Rabbit stared at Michel, and realized he would not be able to argue with him on that front. Henry and Eglantine needed to go back to Mana when the private jet arrived, and while Rabbit needed to join them, Michel was not required to join anyone. Considering most of the public was also not aware that he was alive, he decided that bringing along Michel was not the worst idea. “...Do you...really wish to come along? I do not know how long this venture will take...” he inquired.

“It’s not like we could never get a private jet if we come back late. If there’s a threat to the world, we can solve it! Besides, nobody in this room, save maybe you, knows Dark Magic as well as I do.” Michel spoke casually, but also with some gravity, as he answered Rabbit’s question. “The most important thing is you’re safe, the kids are safe, and that this old continent is safe from Dark Magic. That’s why we came here, and that’s why we’re going to stop your student from accidentally causing an apocalypse. Now, we just need to head to Vienna and get some train tickets. The sooner we leave the better.”

Rabbit nodded, but before he could speak further, Anneliese approached and wrapped her arms around him. For just a moment, he felt his fear wash away, and his face turned slightly pink under his mask. With her soft dress and warm embrace, he felt as though he had been wrapped in the rays of the sun, or caressed by a field of lilies. He hesitated to put his arms around her, and then he did, letting himself sink into the kind hug of Henry’s mother. He realized he had forgotten to give her the flowers he wanted to give her, and he felt ashamed. Yet then she whispered in his ear to come back safely. Her voice was like a cool breeze, soothing and steady, reassuring him that he was indeed loved by his students, even if they were upset by his decision. She then kissed him on the cheek, and he almost jolted. He hoped she could not feel his heart beat haphazardly against his chest. “...Thank you, dear. And for...nursing me back to health...”

He stepped back, and noticed Michel smirking at him. He seemed to notice Rabbit’s flustered reaction to Anneliese’s kindness, but Rabbt gave no reply in return. Michel then walked to Eglantine and gave her a tight hug. “I’ll be fine, just gotta make sure we don’t have anymore Black Magic to deal with than we have to,” he assured her. He then walked to Henry and gave him a hug as well, probably not the kind of hug Henry was used to receiving. Michel was a bit rough, unlike Rabbit, but he was genuine in his feelings of respect toward the boy. “Make sure Eglantine is happy, and your mom. And take care of yourself too, don’t stress over us.” He then walked to Rabbit’s side, and gave him another smirk. “...Ready to go, Lone Ranger?” he questioned. Rabbit gave him a confused stare, and Michel chuckled. He then took his arm, grinned back at the kids, and headed toward the door. “See you kids soon! We’ll bring back a souvenir if we get done quickly enough!” he called.

Rabbit was too shocked, and once again too anxious, to speak. He did look back at his students, but none of them could quite see the pain and the anxiety behind his mask. His heart wanted to say something, but he assured himself that he would be back on time. We’ll be done soon. We’ll be fine. Henry and Eglantine will hardly know we were gone. We’ll be fine... He got in the limo, and he and Michel soon disappeared.

Eglantine was left standing and staring toward the door once again, and then she looked back at her plates, which were now cold. She sighed. All her hard work, and nobody would have the appetite now to eat, herself included. “...I’m going to need a whole bottle of that wine now...Why does this have to happen now...” she mumbled. She sat down to eat, never minding that her food was cold. It still tasted decent, and she forced herself to eat and to drink, in order to take her mind off her nerves. Henry would be able to tell how anxious she was, however, when she dunked down her full glass of wine and then poured herself another glass. “...I ought to kill that classmate of yours. She’s nothing but trouble...” She muttered a few crass words under her breath as she took another sip of her wine.

[Kingdom of Irhk]

“This is not merely about her being a rebel. This is about her possibly unleashing Black Magic that most modern Dark Mages could never dream to control,” Rabbit protested against Henry, taking a step forward. “The Obsidian Towers...she wishes to unlock their power. You probably know them as legends, but they are more than legends. They are, in fact, very real, and if she tries to use their power, not only will she destroy herself, but possibly much of the world around her...”

Michel and Anneliese entered the room at this point, and Michel’s ears perked as he heard the last sentence. “...What about destroying the world?...” he inquired. He looked to Henry and Eglantine, who a moment ago were both peaceful and enjoying each others’ company. Now they were both afraid and stressed, with Henry appearing to feel even angry.

“...Rabbit wants to run to Bucharest, apparently one of his old students is planning to use Black Magic for some reason, and he wants to go save her...” Eglantine explained.

“Bucharest?...Well, not by yourself, you’re not!” Rabbit turned to face Michel as he moved away from Anneliese. “...I’ll be sure to come with you, if you actually want to do this. You know traveling alone is a stupid idea, especially with all the threats we still have,” he warned.

Rabbit stared at Michel, and realized he would not be able to argue with him on that front. Henry and Eglantine needed to go back to Mana when the private jet arrived, and while Rabbit needed to join them, Michel was not required to join anyone. Considering most of the public was also not aware that he was alive, he decided that bringing along Michel was not the worst idea. “...Do you...really wish to come along? I do not know how long this venture will take...” he inquired.

“It’s not like we could never get a private jet if we come back late. If there’s a threat to the world, we can solve it! Besides, nobody in this room, save maybe you, knows Dark Magic as well as I do.” Michel spoke casually, but also with some gravity, as he answered Rabbit’s question. “The most important thing is you’re safe, the kids are safe, and that this old continent is safe from Dark Magic. That’s why we came here, and that’s why we’re going to stop your student from accidentally causing an apocalypse. Now, we just need to head to Vienna and get some train tickets. The sooner we leave the better.”

Rabbit nodded, but before he could speak further, Anneliese approached and wrapped her arms around him. For just a moment, he felt his fear wash away, and his face turned slightly pink under his mask. With her soft dress and warm embrace, he felt as though he had been wrapped in the rays of the sun, or caressed by a field of lilies. He hesitated to put his arms around her, and then he did, letting himself sink into the kind hug of Henry’s mother. He realized he had forgotten to give her the flowers he wanted to give her, and he felt ashamed. Yet then she whispered in his ear to come back safely. Her voice was like a cool breeze, soothing and steady, reassuring him that he was indeed loved by his students, even if they were upset by his decision. She then kissed him on the cheek, and he almost jolted. He hoped she could not feel his heart beat haphazardly against his chest. “...Thank you, dear. And for...nursing me back to health...”

He stepped back, and noticed Michel smirking at him. He seemed to notice Rabbit’s flustered reaction to Anneliese’s kindness, but Rabbt gave no reply in return. Michel then walked to Eglantine and gave her a tight hug. “I’ll be fine, just gotta make sure we don’t have anymore Black Magic to deal with than we have to,” he assured her. He then walked to Henry and gave him a hug as well, probably not the kind of hug Henry was used to receiving. Michel was a bit rough, unlike Rabbit, but he was genuine in his feelings of respect toward the boy. “Make sure Eglantine is happy, and your mom. And take care of yourself too, don’t stress over us.” He then walked to Rabbit’s side, and gave him another smirk. “...Ready to go, Lone Ranger?” he questioned. Rabbit gave him a confused stare, and Michel chuckled. He then took his arm, grinned back at the kids, and headed toward the door. “See you kids soon! We’ll bring back a souvenir if we get done quickly enough!” he called.

Rabbit was too shocked, and once again too anxious, to speak. He did look back at his students, but none of them could quite see the pain and the anxiety behind his mask. His heart wanted to say something, but he assured himself that he would be back on time. We’ll be done soon. We’ll be fine. Henry and Eglantine will hardly know we were gone. We’ll be fine... He got in the limo, and he and Michel soon disappeared.

Eglantine was left standing and staring toward the door once again, and then she looked back at her plates, which were now cold. She sighed. All her hard work, and nobody would have the appetite now to eat, herself included. “...I’m going to need a whole bottle of that wine now...Why does this have to happen now...” she mumbled. She sat down to eat, never minding that her food was cold. It still tasted decent, and she forced herself to eat and to drink, in order to take her mind off her nerves. Henry would be able to tell how anxious she was, however, when she dunked down her full glass of wine and then poured herself another glass. “...I ought to kill that classmate of yours. She’s nothing but trouble...” She muttered a few crass words under her breath as she took another sip of her wine.

The Obsidian Towers were indeed a great danger. The myth had multiple versions, but in all of them, the point of convergence was the great danger it presented to magical energy and the mages around the world. It was indeed a matter of urgency, so Henry just whistled for Fawkes to accompany Rabbit in his journey: after all, even if Michel decided to accompany him, an emergency message was still a plan that should be covered.

Meanwhile, Sarah heated up Eglantine's plate, along with the rest of the plates that were on the table. Even if Rabbit had to depart in a rush, her stomach was still empty, and the food looked tasty enough for them. Anneliese joined the table, gently eating the pasta Eglantine cooked, nodding positively towards the quality of the food.

"Eglantine, this is absurdly delicious! You are quite talented in the kitchen, young lady. I'll definitely miss your presence and your food after you move to Mana. This house definitely needed someone like you here: a more charismatic and happy presence around the house always makes the mood better. Don't let the problems crafted by someone you barely know affect this lovely gathering, my dear."

As the lunch ended, everyone placed the plates near the faucet, and Henry intercepted Eglantine before she even tried to clean any of them. He knew that she was angry, and quickly arranged a bucket of ice, placing two wine bottles inside it, and proceeded to take away a few chocolate bars from Sebastian's secret stash, made under the specific purpose of calming her down when her mood was too bad.

Closing her eyes, he guided her to his room, a peaceful place in the palace that people seemed to respect. Not just because he was the owner of the place, but also due to Henry's known nature of being an introvert. Slowly closing the door behind them, he turned on the TV, and finally took his hands away from Eglantine's eyes, allowing her to see his private quarters for the first time.

"Well... I know you are angry and upset about Rabbit leaving to deal with Catherine's problems, and Salzburg's gardens tend to be cliché, so I did the opposite movement of finding freedom: I brought you to an indoors place, but it is somewhere you can feel comfortable... Besides, you can always watch something with me to take your mind away from the outside world. I also brought wine and chocolates, bad mood killer combo I'd say. Up for it? I can get the comfortable blankets."

[Luminesa]

Soleil turned and looked to Oliver after thinking for a moment, and he noticed the sadness in his eyes. He seemed to feel as though he was drifting in and out of the conversation, like a ghost, or a cloud in a clear blue sky. He put a hand on his shoulder, and smiled at him. “But we’ll do the snowball fight first. I think that will be fun,” he assured him. He could see that Oliver had lost track of his two friends, and had started mumbling to himself about Czechia and the rain. Wanting him to feel he was a part of the group, he gave him direct eye contact as he spoke. “And then we can all come back here for more hot chocolate! We can spend the whole day together if we want,” he suggested.

When he turned to Ambrosia for her input, she quickly and confidently nodded to give her consent to this idea. “It’s better to have lots of company when it’s cold! Lots of...um...very nice company, too...” she answered, before unconsciously twirling a strand of her hair again. Oh no did you just flirt? Oh no. OH NO. WHAT WILL HE THINK?! I wonder if he likes girls who are open...or maybe not. Maybe he likes shy girls. But I’m a shy girl! Sometimes, anyway. WHAT DO I DO!!! She took a deep breath and stopped twirling her hair, and she gave Oliver a big, kind smile.

As they had proven they had mostly not noticed his episode, he sighed internally out of relief and nodded.
Although he hadn't started to dissociate from being told they wouldn't do the snowball fight first, it seemed like they misunderstood it that way. And given his current situation, he had no will to tell them the opposite.
He couldn't quite organize his thoughts to form a coherent sentence, so he simply nodded again, giving finger guns as an answer to Ambrosia's flirting and smile. He, however did not look one bit as well as he previously did when flirting with her, he looked placid and deadpan as ever.

"Well, whenever you feel up to it, I'm good to go."

The snow had more-than-powdered the ground at this point. The trees, the buildings, and the grass were all a similar shade of blinding white, and the snow crunched under the students' boots as they stepped outside. Ambrosia let a shiver escape her, but otherwise she was glad to run out into the snow. "It's literally everywhere!" she shouted, as she rushed out into the courtyard. She jumped into the snow and made a snow-angel, excited to feel the fluffy coldness around her. With the sun covered by the sky, she did not feel the usual prickling pain she felt when running outside. She did not even need her umbrella. She grabbed a ton of snow in her hands, and then began to mold it into a large snowball. "...I can throw one in both hands!" she yelled. She put one on the ground, and then made another one, before picking them both up in her hands. She threw both of the snowballs, but one fell short. Soleil's snowball only hit his foot, as he backed away, while Oliver got pegged directly in the face.

Soleil followed them outside, and watched as Ambrosia pegged Oliver with a snowball. She was giggling, joyful and silly, enjoying herself for the first time in a while. Soleil smiled at her, and also at Oliver. He hoped that Oliver was also enjoying himself. He himself enjoyed the cold, the quiet of the world outside when only the three of them were awake and outside. He did not hear the horrid whispers in his mind, the nightmarish screams, the terror...He just heard the laughing and the shouting of Ambrosia in the background. He inhaled deeply, and then exhaled, and saw his breath float through the air as frost.

"Wait, here I come!" He ran out to join them, and he grabbed a snowball in his own hands. He pelted Ambrosia with it, and then he grabbed one and aimed at Oliver, only for her to hit him in return. He pelted another one at her, and hit her in the face. Soleil then turned to Oliver, and smiled. "C'mon, Oliver! Join in! That's why we're out here!" he called, before Ambrosia hit Oliver with another snowball.

[Serah]

As they had proven they had mostly not noticed his episode, he sighed internally out of relief and nodded.
Although he hadn't started to dissociate from being told they wouldn't do the snowball fight first, it seemed like they misunderstood it that way. And given his current situation, he had no will to tell them the opposite.
He couldn't quite organize his thoughts to form a coherent sentence, so he simply nodded again, giving finger guns as an answer to Ambrosia's flirting and smile. He, however did not look one bit as well as he previously did when flirting with her, he looked placid and deadpan as ever.

"Well, whenever you feel up to it, I'm good to go."

The snow had more-than-powdered the ground at this point. The trees, the buildings, and the grass were all a similar shade of blinding white, and the snow crunched under the students' boots as they stepped outside. Ambrosia let a shiver escape her, but otherwise she was glad to run out into the snow. "It's literally everywhere!" she shouted, as she rushed out into the courtyard. She jumped into the snow and made a snow-angel, excited to feel the fluffy coldness around her. With the sun covered by the sky, she did not feel the usual prickling pain she felt when running outside. She did not even need her umbrella. She grabbed a ton of snow in her hands, and then began to mold it into a large snowball. "...I can throw one in both hands!" she yelled. She put one on the ground, and then made another one, before picking them both up in her hands. She threw both of the snowballs, but one fell short. Soleil's snowball only hit his foot, as he backed away, while Oliver got pegged directly in the face.

Soleil followed them outside, and watched as Ambrosia pegged Oliver with a snowball. She was giggling, joyful and silly, enjoying herself for the first time in a while. Soleil smiled at her, and also at Oliver. He hoped that Oliver was also enjoying himself. He himself enjoyed the cold, the quiet of the world outside when only the three of them were awake and outside. He did not hear the horrid whispers in his mind, the nightmarish screams, the terror...He just heard the laughing and the shouting of Ambrosia in the background. He inhaled deeply, and then exhaled, and saw his breath float through the air as frost.

"Wait, here I come!" He ran out to join them, and he grabbed a snowball in his own hands. He pelted Ambrosia with it, and then he grabbed one and aimed at Oliver, only for her to hit him in return. He pelted another one at her, and hit her in the face. Soleil then turned to Oliver, and smiled. "C'mon, Oliver! Join in! That's why we're out here!" he called, before Ambrosia hit Oliver with another snowball.

As soon as they got out, Oliver could feel the cold start to grip his hand, he hadn't really taken care of getting of getting a glove. The snow covered yard looked absolutely serene and calm as ever, should he had been there alone, he could've stared off in the distance for ages.
However, he was quickly knocked out of his reverie by a rogue snowball to the face, as he absolutely wasn't ready for it to start immediately. As the snow fell off his face and let his hair fly back freely, he seemed to let go of all his inhibitions, as he returned to being a kid again. In truth, this situation reminded him a lot of the times when things weren't so dire, and frankly, he wasn't about to contradict himself now.

"Oh you're absolutely in for it n-" In the middle of voicing his threat, he was once again brought out of it by another snowball from Ambrosia, on the shoulder this time.
Ducking, he made a snowball, somewhat cheating by using wind to pack it together as fast as possible, and threw one back at Ambrosia, then immediately at Soleil before diving for cover.

"GRANAT!" He shouted, throwing several more, smaller snowballs at once. His tactic now was not to throw well, or powerfully. It was to cover as much terrain as possible to build acceptable trenches.
Snowball fights were an oddly serious, yet fun business for Oliver. It wasn't something one might expect from him, but he did make things interesting.

[Luminesa]

Mana - Soleil and Ambrosia

Nobody would be simply standing and staring into the distance alone, at least not among the three merrymakers on this cold Saturday morning at Mana. Oliver was shaken out of his reverie by Ambrosia's snowballs, and after a few moments he did join the snowball fight which she and Soleil had initiated. Soleil turned to look at him as he got hit, and he saw the energy, the spark, the happiness return to his face. He was glad to see his friend so happy, and even getting serious about the snowball fight. Oliver used Wind Magic to pack together his snowball, and so Soleil attempted to do the same. He threw snow into the air, and then created a small whirlwind which curled and clamped around a lump of snow, forming it into a snowball. It was not the most graceful or efficient method of making a snowball, but in his excitement he threw care to the wind along with his snowball, which was rather large and well-packed. He slammed Oliver in the back of the head, while he himself ducked and tried to hide from Oliver's snowballs. He managed to take a couple of hits, before he got behind a tree and started forming snowballs in his hands. He almost started to make a little fort, while Ambrosia distracted him.

Ambrosia was glad to be partaking in an activity which was not being graded for skill or finesse. She made snowballs as big as she could manage, as lumpy and clumsy as they came, and she chucked them at Oliver. She could not stop laughing at how silly the three of them looked. She had not had this much fun, either with her family or with any classmates, in ages. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, BUT..." She summoned a whip made of fire, and she smacked a tree branch, trying to reach for heavier snow. She indeed got the snow...and had to jump out of the way to avoid being buried into huge piles of snow. When she got the huge amount of snow, she rolled a huge snowball behind which she could try and hide. She then made more tiny snowballs and pelted them toward Oliver, since she could not reach Soleil. "Prosécho̱!" she shouted, as she barraged her classmate with snowballs.

Salzburg-Eglantine and Henry

Almost everyone could feel Eglantine's bad mood, and everyone tried to support her to make her feel better. Sarah took Eglantine's plate and heated it, while Anneliese proceeded to eat and to compliment her cooking. In fact, she was so free in her compliments of the pasta that the girl could not help but smile. For once, she let herself take pride in her work, rather than getting embarrassed over the praise. She needed to feel good about something for once, instead of wallowing in fear over something she could not control. That's right, I can still control...a little of my situation. I can still cook, and...sort of...take care of the people around me...Or at least take care of myself...maybe... She gave Anneliese a grateful smile and nodded to her. "...Thank you, Lady Anneliese. You're...very kind..." she replied meekly. She then continued to eat the pasta herself, while now taking slower sips of her wine. She felt better in the presence of Henry's family. They loved her, and she had done so little to win their confidence. They just accepted her, flaws and quirks and all.

Henry, of course, had his own plans to make Eglantine feel better. He kept her from trying to clean dishes, which would be left to do later, maybe tomorrow morning even. He met her as everyone left the kitchen, and surprised her with a ice-bucket that contained two bottles of chilled wine. He also snuck some of Sebastian's chocolate bars, and she could smell the chocolate She blinked and gave him a curious stare. "...You're planning to get me drunk or something?..." she questioned. He did not answer, and instead closed her eyes before leading her away through the mansion. When they entered his room, she blinked and became pink in the face. She had never quite been in his room before, and she felt...uncertain. He had a large, luxurious room full of books, and a huge, cushy bed in the center of the room. When he explained why he brought her to his room, she turned and stared at him. "...Sooooo...Netflix and chill is your plan, then?" She smirked and gave a small chuckle. "...Sure, we can watch something. Act like normal teenagers, snuggle under blankets with wine and chocolate in a big mansion, and watch TV...Hmmm...I don't even know what good movies we could watch, I haven't thought about movies in forever...or TV. Anything you like? I bet you probably don't like what I like," she suggested, with a nervous smile.

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Salzburg-Eglantine and Henry

Almost everyone could feel Eglantine's bad mood, and everyone tried to support her to make her feel better. Sarah took Eglantine's plate and heated it, while Anneliese proceeded to eat and to compliment her cooking. In fact, she was so free in her compliments of the pasta that the girl could not help but smile. For once, she let herself take pride in her work, rather than getting embarrassed over the praise. She needed to feel good about something for once, instead of wallowing in fear over something she could not control. That's right, I can still control...a little of my situation. I can still cook, and...sort of...take care of the people around me...Or at least take care of myself...maybe... She gave Anneliese a grateful smile and nodded to her. "...Thank you, Lady Anneliese. You're...very kind..." she replied meekly. She then continued to eat the pasta herself, while now taking slower sips of her wine. She felt better in the presence of Henry's family. They loved her, and she had done so little to win their confidence. They just accepted her, flaws and quirks and all.

Henry, of course, had his own plans to make Eglantine feel better. He kept her from trying to clean dishes, which would be left to do later, maybe tomorrow morning even. He met her as everyone left the kitchen, and surprised her with a ice-bucket that contained two bottles of chilled wine. He also snuck some of Sebastian's chocolate bars, and she could smell the chocolate She blinked and gave him a curious stare. "...You're planning to get me drunk or something?..." she questioned. He did not answer, and instead closed her eyes before leading her away through the mansion. When they entered his room, she blinked and became pink in the face. She had never quite been in his room before, and she felt...uncertain. He had a large, luxurious room full of books, and a huge, cushy bed in the center of the room. When he explained why he brought her to his room, she turned and stared at him. "...Sooooo...Netflix and chill is your plan, then?" She smirked and gave a small chuckle. "...Sure, we can watch something. Act like normal teenagers, snuggle under blankets with wine and chocolate in a big mansion, and watch TV...Hmmm...I don't even know what good movies we could watch, I haven't thought about movies in forever...or TV. Anything you like? I bet you probably don't like what I like," she suggested, with a nervous smile.

Henry von Kressel

"Netflix and chill, yes. And well, what can I say... whatever you want to watch. If it makes you smile, I am up for it. I'll be right back with the blankets. Mi cama, su cama, as they say in Spain."

Quickly, Henry went to a department of his closet. He grabbed a pile of blankets, and placed them over Eglantine, who now looked like a blonde blanket burrito, before he pulled the curtains over the windows, making the room a little bit darker, turning his room into an improvised movie room, in an attempt to make Eglantine's mood better. As everything was ready, he placed himself next to Eglantine, and with the TV on, he hugged her and placed the remote on her hand.

"So, what's your choice? I just hope it isn't Friends or Lucifer."

[Elysian Kentarchy]

Europe-Konstantin Abramov, Salzburg

The car comes to a stop and the engine is turned off causing me to wake up. "We're here." The driver says to us while getting out and walking around to the door on my side.

I nod and shake the woman who is sleeping with her head on my shoulder and shake her. "Wake up Anastasia, we're here." My sister opens her eyes and yawns, not bothering to cover her mouth.

"How long was I asleep?"

I look at the small clock up front. "About four hours." She nods and composes herself while straightening out her hair, no point in appearing sloppy when she is representing the entire House and I do the same.

"How do I look?" She asks while checking a small mirror.

"As expected of a princess of Ice." I reply, and it is true that she is dressed as expected of her role, and after that I tap on the window and the driver, a servant of one of our vassal houses, opens the door letting hot air flow into here and we both sweat.

"How hot is it in this country?" My sister asks, fanning herself.

"About eight degrees Celsius my Boyar."

"Far, far, too hot." She grumbles, wiping her forehead with a handkerchief and I agree but that is why we have magic so we both make the sign of the cross to harness our stored mana and cool ourselves down to a far more tolerable temperature. Admittedly a mundane usage of our magic but better that rather than appearing sweaty.

After that I get out and then extend my hand to my sister which she takes and lets go of when she gets out. "Well I suppose we should introduce ourselves. I think."

"You aren't used to making social calls at all."

"And you are worse than me sister." I jab back at her, and I leave the driver instructions as we approach the doors of the estate with Anastasia slighting behind me. It doesn't compare to home, for nothing can to us, but I can feel the age of this manor and can understand why some would call it home. "It is different." I mutter and knock on the door and when someone answers I speak. "Excuse us, I am Konstantin Abramov, Boyar of the House Abramov, and this is my sister Anastasia, could we please speak to the person who is in charge of this estate? I'm afraid me and my sister do not quite know who to talk to."

[Luminesa]

En route to Romania-Rabbit and Michel

Given the risk of public transportation, Rabbit and Michel decided that taking a train was too much of a risk. When they parked close to the train station in the city and saw the traffic, Michel turned and looked back at Rabbit with a pained expression. "...And we didn't bring disguises or anything...Not like people are going to ignore a dude in a kimono and a rabbit-shaped mask..." he muttered, "...And I should have gotten some makeup to maybe hide my own face. Blanchefleur's gonna be looking for me for sure..." He gave a large sigh, and turned to the limo-driver. "We're just gonna high-tail it to Bucharest. I can drive if you get tired."

"...Michel, do you have a driver's-"

"Of course I've got a license! I did actually bring my wallet in case we get stopped by authorities...Mostly because I like to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible, if you can catch my drift," Michel explained to Rabbit. Rabbit simply relented, as did the limo driver. Running on a GPS and hope, Michel and Rabbit rode the limo toward Bucharest. For the two hours or so, neither of the occupants spoke. Rabbit did not seem keen on talking for some time, so Michel went to sleep while his companion stared out the window. The air was tense as they tried to rush out of Austria quietly. The limo driver also seemed aware that neither of them wished to speak for some time, so he focused on driving as fast as he could.

Maybe three hours or so later, Rabbit woke-up, and he stared toward Michel, who was humming a song quietly as he rested against the seat. The Rise Mage looked back toward him, and then toward the limo-driver. "...How long you think we're gonna be?" he questioned.

"...Should be about...eight more hours. I will definitely have to pull-over at some point and stop, unless you really want to try and take the wheel. As long as you don't get us into a wreck, we should arrive by tomorrow morning," he answered, with a chuckle. He seemed aware that both of the men were anxious, and tried to make a joke to lighten the mood.

Michel smirked, and then looked over at Rabbit. "...So this kid, she means a lot to you, huh?" He tried to strike a conversation about a topic to which Rabbit might respond.

"I care for all of my students. They are...the only family I have..." he answered quietly, "...The idea that one of my students has actually decided to use such Magic...which could destroy her soul and the souls of many...frightens me...Catherine was one student I did not quite...know as well as I should have...and now I wish I did know her better..." He rubbed his temples, and sighed. "...I wish I knew whatever was bothering her...that led her to this conclusion. That this was what she needed to do...I never even spoke to her about it, the one time we did have a one-on-one conversation..."

Michel shook his head, as he watched Rabbit mourn over his student's actions. "...Well, that's why we're going to go stop her. I guess you can ask her then. But you know, Henry...was right. You can't save every kid. In this case...the problem is that we might save her...or we might not..." When he realized that his words did not give Rabbit any sort of comfort, he added, "...That of course doesn't mean we can't try."

Rabbit nodded, and stared toward him. "...If she cannot be saved, then we must save those souls whom her actions shall affect...One way or another, we must succeed..." he answered. He clenched his fists with determination in his lap, but then unclenched them. A stray thought passed through his mind, and he turned to stare out the window to mull over that thought. Because Michel could not read his mask, he turned away and took his turn napping.

The drive continued monotonously for several more hours, until the driver and Michel decided to switch. They stopped on a country road in which nobody would spot them, and they switched sides of the limousine. Before Michel started driving, he turned on the radio, which was accidentally just a little too loud and spooked both the driver and Rabbit. A loud blare of static shot at them, and Michel flipped through the stations until he found a classic rock station. "Life In the Fast Lane" was playing, and the limo driver and Rabbit stared at each other. Michel grinned at them, and buckled himself in the seat. "Gotta keep myself awake while we finish this drive! Let's see if we can beat the sun to Bucharest!" he cheered. The loud rock music did break-up some of the stress, though the limo-driver looked exhausted and hoped the noise would not carry into the morning.

Michel was just considerate enough to turn the volume down a little, while Rabbit and the driver rested. He drove fast enough that the world outside hardly mattered anyway, so there was no point in staring out the window. At around 4 AM, both passengers would feel the wheels brake hard under them, and jolted awake to "Don't Fear the Reaper" playing on the radio. Rabbit rubbed his temples once again, and he shook his head. "...Oh goodness...Michel, is everything alright?" he mumbled.

"Yeah! We're here, time to go!" Michel called to him, as he turned off the radio. He then turned to the limo-driver. "Thanks, I left $50 on the seat, go get something to eat," he told him. He then got out the car, pulling a pair of sunglasses out of his jacket as he stepped out. He put the sunglasses on, and he smirked at Rabbit, who looked to question him about the money but said nothing. Both men got out of the car, and as the limo-driver nodded to them, he got back into the driver's seat to go get something to eat. When he drove away, Michel and Rabbit went to find Catherine. "...Slept well?" Michel inquired.

"About as well as I could under these circumstances...but I'm used to not sleeping well," Rabbit answered, "...or waking-up to old rock and roll...but anyway, I know where the Obsidian Towers are...at least according to the legends..." He then led Michel through the city to their location. Romania was quite cold, and many of the buildings in Bucharest were still preserved from the reign of the Soviet Union, rather stark and almost barren. Yet the city still had plenty of beautiful places, its own cathedrals and beautiful corridors of the city. However, Michel and Rabbit were not at all in Bucharest to visit the beautiful sites. They were headed for quite an un-beautiful place, in fact, in which a horrid battle would take place...

[Serah]

Mana - Soleil and Ambrosia

Nobody would be simply standing and staring into the distance alone, at least not among the three merrymakers on this cold Saturday morning at Mana. Oliver was shaken out of his reverie by Ambrosia's snowballs, and after a few moments he did join the snowball fight which she and Soleil had initiated. Soleil turned to look at him as he got hit, and he saw the energy, the spark, the happiness return to his face. He was glad to see his friend so happy, and even getting serious about the snowball fight. Oliver used Wind Magic to pack together his snowball, and so Soleil attempted to do the same. He threw snow into the air, and then created a small whirlwind which curled and clamped around a lump of snow, forming it into a snowball. It was not the most graceful or efficient method of making a snowball, but in his excitement he threw care to the wind along with his snowball, which was rather large and well-packed. He slammed Oliver in the back of the head, while he himself ducked and tried to hide from Oliver's snowballs. He managed to take a couple of hits, before he got behind a tree and started forming snowballs in his hands. He almost started to make a little fort, while Ambrosia distracted him.

Ambrosia was glad to be partaking in an activity which was not being graded for skill or finesse. She made snowballs as big as she could manage, as lumpy and clumsy as they came, and she chucked them at Oliver. She could not stop laughing at how silly the three of them looked. She had not had this much fun, either with her family or with any classmates, in ages. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, BUT..." She summoned a whip made of fire, and she smacked a tree branch, trying to reach for heavier snow. She indeed got the snow...and had to jump out of the way to avoid being buried into huge piles of snow. When she got the huge amount of snow, she rolled a huge snowball behind which she could try and hide. She then made more tiny snowballs and pelted them toward Oliver, since she could not reach Soleil. "Prosécho̱!" she shouted, as she barraged her classmate with snowballs.

With a great smile despite being hit left and right, the fact that the others had also used magic meant that he was also allowed to do so to launch as many snowballs as he wanted.
Being a history buff, he had studied military theory for some time, and given the current situation, this was unfolding into a stalemate similar to trench warfare.
Gathering wind in front of him, he pushed it back behind him and made it gather as much snow as it could possibly hold, in turn, this created a small blizzard that he used as mobile cover as he threw snowballs that, unlike what he previously did, were much heavier.
Despite what one might expect, he didn't use metal to bolster his defenses as he figured it would be more akin to cheating than anything else as nothing would effectively be able to hit him.
In a snowball fight, he much preferred being something akin to a blizzard ghost, which he positively succeeded at being.

"HAH!" He shouted, throwing as many snowballs as he could, even though he was functionally blind after only a few seconds of his blizzard gathering up constant snow. His strategy of mobile defense was not invincible, but at the same time, it wasn't quite what he would've done in a real combat situation. Thankfully, this wasn't one.

[Luminesa]

Salzburg-Eglantine

Henry and Eglantine had no idea who had answered the door, or that Abramov was coming with reinforcements to aid House Von Kressel. Eglantine was determined to relax anyway, and while she would have answered the door if she knew, she much preferred being here, taking time away from fighting. She snickered as Henry mentioned a couple of the shows that he did not like, and she took the remote and began to flick through the selections on Netflix. "...Nah, I've never watched Friends, never heard of Lucifer, either. Sounds a little like Supernatural...that one was kinda silly, except one of the guys was kinda cute...the older brother..." She almost felt weird, talking about mundane things like TV shows for once. She felt even weirder, and almost bashful, when she found a show that she wanted to watch-Snow White with the Red Hair. Henry would most likely be surprised by her choice in TV shows, or at least she thought he would be confused seeing that she liked a cheerful, cute, pretty shoujo anime.

She did cuddle near him as the show started, and gave him a bashful smirk as the theme played. She definitely could not see Henry watching such a show on his own, but he seemed just happy to watch whatever she wanted to watch. She grabbed a chocolate bar and began to munch on it, before turning to watch Episode 1. This is...almost bizarre...watching TV like a normal teen...just...all of these last two weeks...I don't even know how I'm supposed to react...just...let things be?... So much had flown her way that she hardly knew which emotion to feel. For now, however, she wanted to feel happy. Henry also wanted her to feel happy, and so she relaxed, putting her head against his shoulder and wrapping herself tightly in the blankets he retrieved for her.

Mana Academy-Ambrosia and Soleil

Oh great, he's using Wind Magic even more now, to his advantage! Well then! I guess I'll have to level the playing field somehow... Ambrosia hopped out from behind her mound of snow, and before she made anymore snowballs, she summoned a set of small fireballs and blasted his snowballs into vapor. The sudden warmth flashing against the chilling cold felt good, as the vapor washed over her face. She then summoned more snowballs, and chucked them at Oliver once again. She hoped he would keep trying to hit her. If Magic was on the table, she would simply evaporate as many of his snowballs as she could.

Soleil, on the other hand, began to sneak closer behind Oliver. He had mounds of snow in his arms, and was approaching the area which had been untouched by footprints, in his blind-spot. When he made his way to the spot he wanted to reach, he threw the mound in the air, and used his Wind Magic to push it all toward Oliver. Before Oliver could turn to see what had hit him, he had been barraged by a blizzard strong enough to knock him off of his feet. The smaller Mage giggled, before covering his mouth with his hand to keep Oliver from hearing him. His face was pink from being outdoors in the cold, and now it became even colder, because he felt he had put his own strategy in danger.

Ambrosia could not help but start laughing, however, as Oliver got hit hard with a surprise attack. He had not been paying attention to Soleil behind him, and had paid the price. "BULLSEYE!" she yelled, as she carried more snowballs in her arms and laughed. Even Oliver's own blizzard did not faze her too much. She tried to move through it to hit him with her snowballs, but she was so tickled that she simply fell on her face in the snow and rolled around. She was having too much fun to take the snowball fight seriously.

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Europe-Konstantin Abramov, Salzburg

"And you are worse than me sister." I jab back at her, and I leave the driver instructions as we approach the doors of the estate with Anastasia slighting behind me. It doesn't compare to home, for nothing can to us, but I can feel the age of this manor and can understand why some would call it home. "It is different." I mutter and knock on the door and when someone answers I speak. "Excuse us, I am Konstantin Abramov, Boyar of the House Abramov, and this is my sister Anastasia, could we please speak to the person who is in charge of this estate? I'm afraid me and my sister do not quite know who to talk to."

As the door slowly opened, the well-suited butler of Salzburg would greet them.

"Boyar Konstantin, Frau Anastasia. I am Sebastian Müller, butler and servant to the Seat of Salzburg, who is currently occupied by Lord Henry von Kressel. Given recent politics, if you are here for the most... complicated international affairs involving Lady Blanchefleur Rise, you'd be talking with Lady Sarah, who'll act as the Regent of the Seat until Europe is safe for Lord Henry's return. Please, do accompany me."

The elegant worker that resided in the historical palace guided the Russians to a guest room, richly decorated with paintings on the ceilings and walls: the golden details in the couches made that room feel like a time machine that placed them back to the Europe of the Ancién Regime, an Europe of princes and princesses.

Soon after Sebastian left the room, Sarah entered with firm and hurried steps. With a less messier ponytail than the one she uses at lunch, she now had a more professional, serious look. Sitting at a chair opposite to the Abramov brothers, she crossed her legs and stared at their unusually pale complexion.

"It's a pleasure to receive your visit here, Mr. Konstantin and Ms. Anastasia Abramov. As Sebastian probably informed you, I am Lady Sarah von Kressel, the person responsible for running this Seat in the next months. So, please tell me, what business do you in have in this part of Austria?"

Salzburg-Eglantine

Henry and Eglantine had no idea who had answered the door, or that Abramov was coming with reinforcements to aid House Von Kressel. Eglantine was determined to relax anyway, and while she would have answered the door if she knew, she much preferred being here, taking time away from fighting. She snickered as Henry mentioned a couple of the shows that he did not like, and she took the remote and began to flick through the selections on Netflix. "...Nah, I've never watched Friends, never heard of Lucifer, either. Sounds a little like Supernatural...that one was kinda silly, except one of the guys was kinda cute...the older brother..." She almost felt weird, talking about mundane things like TV shows for once. She felt even weirder, and almost bashful, when she found a show that she wanted to watch-Snow White with the Red Hair. Henry would most likely be surprised by her choice in TV shows, or at least she thought he would be confused seeing that she liked a cheerful, cute, pretty shoujo anime.

She did cuddle near him as the show started, and gave him a bashful smirk as the theme played. She definitely could not see Henry watching such a show on his own, but he seemed just happy to watch whatever she wanted to watch. She grabbed a chocolate bar and began to munch on it, before turning to watch Episode 1. This is...almost bizarre...watching TV like a normal teen...just...all of these last two weeks...I don't even know how I'm supposed to react...just...let things be?... So much had flown her way that she hardly knew which emotion to feel. For now, however, she wanted to feel happy. Henry also wanted her to feel happy, and so she relaxed, putting her head against his shoulder and wrapping herself tightly in the blankets he retrieved for her.

Henry von Kressel

"I stopped taking Supernatural seriously the moment they killed the Death. You know, that kind of thing that deeply bugs me in a few series, but I won't give you a speech on that."

As Eglantine chose the less Eglantine thing to watch - a type of cute anime that Henry definitely wouldn't watch under any possible circumstance, except this one - Henry couldn't help but smile. Somehow, even the whole Japanese thing sounded good, and it wasn't because of the animation of the Eastern type of animation, but by the simple fact that Eglantine was slowly opening up. Perhaps the potential bone crusher had a carefully hidden soft side, wrapped in wine, screams and constant threats of aggression.

"Who knew that Eglantine Rise, of all people, is a cute anime fan? I am impressed. But please, don't judge me if I end up sleeping right next to you. I'll try to make it to the second episode, I promise."

[Chrome Legion]

Hailey Winters


Haily hummed softly to herself as the figure behind her slowly paddled the small boat towards mana. Her tune was neither happy nor sad, but stirred up some kind of melancholy in between. Even with out concentrating on it, magic trilled through the notes she struck. A cloud of fog escaped her mouth as she toke a break and sighed. Hailey struck quite the contrast to her companion, bundled up in a baby pink parka with mittens, nothing like the dark, elaborate robes worn by the man behind her.

"You sure you want to make this big of a splash? I mean, how do you know how they'll react?" Hailey scruntched up her face as she spoke, the cold left her with a running nose.

"Well, I hope they don't decide to reject us. Mana is supposed to be neutral, away from the houses in Europe. As I understand that's one of the reasons for it's existence. Any ways, I'm trying to draw at least a little attention. Keep them all guessing."

The figure fell silent as Hailey started her humming back up.

"How about you. Are you really sure you're willing to help us?"

Hailey chuckled, a laugh that hid a bit of sadness. "You konw, I actually thought about it a lot. I guess I accepted pretty quickly, but I knew you wouldn't force me if I wanted to back out. Hell, I'm sure you've planned for that." She took off one of her mittens, letting her bare fingers touch the cold metal of her scepter. She was told it was platinum, and the jewel sitting on the top was one of the largest Sapphires ever found. She thought it was one of the most beautiful things she had seen. Especially the setting for the jewel, a group of four songbirds, expertly shaped out the metal. She could never get a straight answer about exactly where it had come from though. That did bother her a little bit.

"Yeah, I think I'm pretty sure about this.... Guess that was a lot of weasel words..."

"Don't worry Hailey, what ever you decide it's your decision. I'll be your tutor no matter what you do."

"You know how fucking weird it is that you're so understanding and shit? Kinda creeps me out." Hailey looked back and made a faux disgusted face.

The land had snuck up on her, and she noticed when she looked back that the man with the glowing, burning amber eyes wasn't paddling any more, they were drifting to the shore where a man was waiting for them. Hailey sucked in a quick breath, suddenly worried about how they would be received.

[Danceria]

Mana Academy-Ambrosia and Soleil

Oh great, he's using Wind Magic even more now, to his advantage! Well then! I guess I'll have to level the playing field somehow... Ambrosia hopped out from behind her mound of snow, and before she made anymore snowballs, she summoned a set of small fireballs and blasted his snowballs into vapor. The sudden warmth flashing against the chilling cold felt good, as the vapor washed over her face. She then summoned more snowballs, and chucked them at Oliver once again. She hoped he would keep trying to hit her. If Magic was on the table, she would simply evaporate as many of his snowballs as she could.

Soleil, on the other hand, began to sneak closer behind Oliver. He had mounds of snow in his arms, and was approaching the area which had been untouched by footprints, in his blind-spot. When he made his way to the spot he wanted to reach, he threw the mound in the air, and used his Wind Magic to push it all toward Oliver. Before Oliver could turn to see what had hit him, he had been barraged by a blizzard strong enough to knock him off of his feet. The smaller Mage giggled, before covering his mouth with his hand to keep Oliver from hearing him. His face was pink from being outdoors in the cold, and now it became even colder, because he felt he had put his own strategy in danger.

Ambrosia could not help but start laughing, however, as Oliver got hit hard with a surprise attack. He had not been paying attention to Soleil behind him, and had paid the price. "BULLSEYE!" she yelled, as she carried more snowballs in her arms and laughed. Even Oliver's own blizzard did not faze her too much. She tried to move through it to hit him with her snowballs, but she was so tickled that she simply fell on her face in the snow and rolled around. She was having too much fun to take the snowball fight seriously.

Sadly, Soleil should have expected Oliver's friend from Florida to eventually make his way northward. Just over six feet, the cocoa-skinned man cracked his knuckles and a grin to his smaller companion. A creature that resembled a road-runner with an owl's head, donning a rather cozy sweater much to its chagrin, conversed with it's master in Spanish, before haplessly holding his luggage onto the avian. Unzipping his bag, he fished out a rather plain looking wooden baseball bat, but sparked with hidden runes and powers in the hands of its wielder. "I am Carlos Leon Carabalí-Peláez de Lucumí!" he announced to the young man. "Sworn defender of the Ancient House Hofmann. You have assailed my brother from another mother, prepare to be swatted!"

With a mighty swing, and a mixture of air and ice magic, the young lad was flung conveniently onto Ambrosia. The baseball bat sizzled with every snowflake that landed upon it, for it was a carefully constructed heirloom for breaking kneecaps. Be they cryptid, mage, or non-magical person, the Rompedor de Huesos had served the rag-tag house for decades, and in the hands of a warrior, would not fail now.

Laughing a greeting to Oliver, he picked him up and dusted off the excess snow. "Man, leave you for a couple seconds an' already you get yourself in a scrap. Let's even the odds, yeah?"