Ludelle had calmed down somewhat but her mood was still far from perfect. Now that she was feeling better physically she found a thousand things to be annoyed at, from the white décor to the lack of computer anywhere around to her own matted hair. Yet she wasn’t allowed to leave because some magical tonic or whatever had been hooked up to her arm and was dripping away as if she had all the time in the world. Luckily she really did feel tired and didn’t want to move just yet. She’d found a calendar and confirmed it’s been over a week of her life that had been stolen. A week and three days. Plenty. Too much.
 
As more people entered the room the stormy clouds over her head seemed to thicken, especially at the sight of her ex-friend and the I’m-gonna-touch-you-fucker. At first Ludelle glared at the small group, pretending she could blend in with the wall. Then, when Sirius sensed the venom in her stare and beat a hasty retreat (with a shiny smile, of course), curiosity got the best of her and she questioned Marielle’s condition.
 
“What’s up with her?” Her eyes lashed at Adéla, and so did the next comment. “She one of your next freak experiments?”
 
Adéla was taken aback by the venom in Ludelle’s words. “What? No! Why are you…?” She trailed off, “Oh.” Sighing, she moved Marielle onto a bed of her own, “No. She decided to pick a fight with someone a hell of alot stronger than her. Things happened as might’ve been expected. I’m bringing her here so she…” she trailed off again, gesturing towards the red haired woman, “can fix her up again. And keeping an eye on this guy.” Poking Sirius painfully hard in the chest, she moved to a position between the two beds and glared balefully at him.

There was the sound of a door closing and then footsteps. Then the redhead appeared, her expression soft as she wandered to Marielle. Her eyes glanced over at Ludelle and she grinned wryly. “Sorry for the interruption. Mind having some company for a little while?” She paused, eyeing the woman. “Can I get you anything?”

“A bullet.” Ludelle’s eyes detached from Sirius for just a moment. “To put in between his eyes.”
 
Adéla slipped the pistol off her belt, holding the handle out to Ludelle, “Be my guest.”

“Woah, okay, I think I’ve experienced enough hostility for one day.” Sirius smiled, waving his hands up and backing off to the door. The redhaired pirate was intriguing. Her features were soft and her attitude likewise. She seemed innocent and cute… just the type to be corrupted. But of course, he’d never lay a hand on someone like her. He departed with a nod, reassuring the newcomer (as the only one willing to listen) that if she needed him she could just shout.

The young girl looked back and forth at the bickering two until she watched Sirius’s silhouette leave the room. 
 
Ludelle stared at her feet for a moment, then looked at Adéla and the new girl in turn. “What am I doing here? Calder said this was the “Tower of Stars” but… what am I doing here? What do you want with me? Am I a hostage? Or have the Blade reached this place too already?”

The redhead smiled. “For whatever reason Shard and Miss Marrowblade have chosen you to be a part of this place. You are not a hostage, but a member of this large…” She paused, looking for the right word until warmth settled in her heart. “...Family. Yes, family is the word.” With that she looked at Marielle. “Everyone has a place here,” She stroked strands of the magician’s hair out of her face. “Even if...they feel lost.” Strangely, the girl started to hum. Normally it would feel out of place conversation, but the notes somehow snugly fit in the somewhat quiet room. Little did they know of what her humming does in Blackwing’s infirmary. 

Ludelle wasn’t quite sure what the weird girl was on about and her thoughts got even more scrambled as she started humming. Her words and her song were surely supposed to be calming but after the whole ordeal with the prison her body was still resisting it. Resisting everything really, evidently the whole world was against her recently, the entire guild, the fucker in the prison, and that little traitor… The girl’s eyes stabbed at Adéla again before looking away. They had some scores to settle. But first, she needed to regain her bearings. Get out of this stupid white room, wash the dirt off her face and hair, and most of all – get back online. If only she could get her hands on some sort of tech, she’d surely feel better instantly.
 
She looked around the infirmary again, searching. Nothing useful. She sighed. Out of everything the redhead had said, only one name rung a bell: Shard. And he was definitely not part of the Stygian Blade. Not anymore anyway. “A family huh? So no obligations and orders?” She scoffed at the girl. “And I’m just free to leave?”

Adéla shrugged, “Well, yes. You could walk right out the door right now if you wanted.” 

The strange girl stopped her humming and turned back towards Ludelle. “Families have obligations, but only if its members are willing to accept them.” A slightly melancholy look crossed her features as she eyed Ludelle. She leaned over her and smiled. “My name’s Iris.” with that she caressed her cheek and exhaled. Suddenly all of Ludelle’s physical pain was gone, as if it evaporated into the thin air. Iris glanced over at Adéla and smiled as she stood up straight and wandered towards the door. She began to hum again, but the noise seemed to transmogrify into words that slipped inside Adéla’s mind. 

[I]I can see promise in you. Take care of your friends, they’ll need you.[/i]

With that she left the room, and if they looked back at the magician, they’d see her skin and flesh were completely clean of impurities, as if she hadn’t fought at all.
Adéla murmured under her breath after Iris left the room. “Great promise… is [i]that[/i] what she sees?” She had to fight the urge to chuckle darkly, whatever promise the girl saw in her, it almost assuredly wasn’t the kind most people here would be amenable to. 

She glanced over at Ludelle, noting how she continued to either ignore her or shoot venomous looks. The room suddenly felt like the walls were closing in on her, and she swallowed the urge to run as fast as she could, instead bowing out as politely as she could. “I’ve got to go for now too. If anyone needs anything, please call.”

Ludelle frowned at the door for a few heartbeats after she’d find herself alone again. The scenery had changed but somehow the darkness that had engulfed her for so long was still sticking to the inside of her heart. “Family”, they said. “Here for you” they said. Lies. Shameless deception. How could they all talk so easily about things they didn’t understand? Heal the wounds and no scars would remain? 

Deception! How dare they all pretend that her world hadn’t crumbled to pieces, that being betrayed by her best friend and by the love of her life was something a few gentle hums could cure?!

Now that the pain and fatigue had all gone, her rage exploded and lit her nerves on fire. Her eyes scanned the room frantically and, spotting Marielle, the sudden urge overcame her to bash the girl’s face black and blue as it had been. No amount of magic could cure the heart’s ache and her heart was screaming in agony. 

In the last moment she managed to steer her fist away from the unconscious girl and into the bed next to her. The frame gave a shrill wail as her fist impacted it with enough force to make the metal legs shudder and bend. Her arm came up again, and then down. On the third hit the bed collapsed and crashed on the ground. 

Then Ludelle moved to the wall and started pounding it, sending dust and plaster flying. Her voice counted the hits with a grumble that gradually turned into a wail while the dent grew. At last her skin broke and her blood smeared the wall as she collapsed in a heap and cried her eyes out.