She fired again, and again, and again to ward off the fear inside her. Rivka should have offered the soldier back his rifle but the thought never crossed her mind. It was hers to use now, until someone with authority ordered her to return it. Perhaps its owner was more disciplined, more able to cope with the fear, but he could not have done better. She was an artist. As much with the rifle as an instrument that was true, and even if these... creatures could ignore shots that should have killed them her art was still effective.

Because no quirk of enhanced physiology could ignore simple kinetics.

With the two soldiers playing rearguard she didn't need to fire so often; at Wei's order she kept moving, kept her head on a swivel, and her rifle up. For this flight she took her finger off the trigger; shooting an ally because she got jumpy would have been inexcusable. Especially when their escape was going so well. The stairwell was in sight, the soldiers were keeping the creatures at bay, and she was just starting to believe everything might turn out okay.

And then it went to hell with falling debris. First because it landed on one of the soldiers to the rear, then because it was blocking their path, and then because Chie chose to run back to try and save him. The Baeterraen girl's lips worked as though she was going to spit her fury, hissing Russian curses with venom and vigor bereft of her usual grace. It wasn't her problem. They'd all been given clear orders, instructions to stick with Wei, and it was that soldier's job to get them safely to their destination. Not the other way around. There'd be time for heroics when they were trained, when they had their full power. This was the time to run. No one would ever blame her for it. She stopped walking; her foot landed hard, the barrel of her rifle pointed away from both her salvation and the people still behind and she hesitated. No one would blame her but that wasn't the point. She was going to be an Ars Magi. She was going to be a hero. And that didn't happen just when it was convenient for her, it happened every day from the moment she made that choice.

And that included saving this idiot.

"Selma!" She hollered, planting her feet and swinging her rifle back towards the enemy. No longer was she firing single rounds; she was aiming for center mass, and she was squeezing the trigger in quick, successive shots. Two to the chest of the attacker closest to Chie, two to the one behind them, and reassess. Conservation of ammo was no longer her concern, her concern was putting enough shots into them to slow them down. Buy time. To that end she felt for the Nox around her, gauged what she could gather; she did nothing with it, not yet, because she would only get one shot. But she would take it if she had to. She was going to get everyone here out alive, and she would pull out every stop. "Get Chie, but keep my line of fire clear! I'll cover you."

Sorry, Kapitan. But no one writes songs for cowards.

---

A groan, a creak, and finally an almighty crash rung through the chamber of the station as part of the ceiling gave way ahead of them, coaxed downward by one of their (formerly) masked foes. Selma, for her part, didn't find much time to focus upon the uncannily wrong visage of their continued tormentors, not enough to truly comment upon it, before things destabilized further. The sudden obstruction of their path was one thing. Another obstacle that they'd get around, provided they stayed a consolidated unit— with Wei's guidance, Rivka and the soldiers' covering fire, and everyone's combined quick thinking, she was certain they could pull it off even if it took one more scrape with the bastards.

Chie had doubled back, however. A string of acrid Russian, uncharacteristic of the poised sniper she had come to know in the short time they spent together, heralded a hollered command from Rivka to retrieve the lost child amongst their quartet. Same conclusion, probably— they'd just need to stick together to get through.

"Leave it to me!"

Whirling on her heel, the scene that lay before her was one of rescue. One of the guys had gone down, struck by the debris— young Rosmarie, in her haste, hadn't noticed him 'till now. While the correct choice was obviously to keep moving towards safety, being the embodiment of humanity's hope for the future...

I understand.

I get it completely.

I don't wanna leave anyone either.

Long legs were such a boon when it came to quickly covering ground, one she was all too happy to abuse as she made a beeline for the pair. She was willing to dodge out of the way of whatever may have swiped at her, even shoulder-check them out of the way, but she couldn't risk overselling movements— there were bullets whizzing by from behind, after all.

"Heyyyyy, girl. C'mon, up and at 'em."

Drawing up to the pair, she quickly realized that Chie, bless her heart, had all but completely tapped herself out trying to get the debris off the soldier. If she was moving under her own power, it wasn't gonna be fast. Not nearly fast enough. When Selma had first tried to harness her element, she'd put herself through the ringer too— and wouldn't have trusted herself to outrun much of anything.

But that was fine.

"You've done what you could. Now just hold on, alright?"

She wouldn't have to.

The big girl grabbed ahold of her compatriot, arms hooking over the legs in the classical piggyback ride that any elder sibling had long mastered before Selma's age. The hopefully-heroine was light, and as soon as Selma had ensured Chie was balanced forward, into her back rather than dangling behind like a coattail, she was off again, back towards the group.

"We're not stopping 'till we hit the surface! Selma Express, leavin' the station!"

---

---

Chie drew a few sharp breaths, trying to once again gather the Nox in the area. She desperately tried to power through the taxing effect it had to her body, forcibly pushing past her limits. No luck. The attempts just caused her to gasp for more and more air. A voice rang out from next to Chie, but engrossed in her attempts as she was, she hadn't noticed anyone approaching her. It startled the girl, who wasted no time in quickly whipping her head around. Relief washed over her when it turned out to be Selma.

"Selma! I-I have to..." she tried to stammer out, but couldn't find the right words or the breath to speak them with.

"You've done what you could. Now just hold on, alright?" Selma reassured her.

The big girl hoisted Chie onto her back, the latter being too worn out for protest. Even if she had been in a condition to fight it, deep down Chie knew she shouldn't. The situation was dangerous. They needed to run, but now she'd dragged Selma into her recklessness. Chie wrapped her arms around her, holding on as tight as she could.

"I'm sorry for... burdening you all."

Crystal continued backing up, accelerating her pace as Rivka put shots into their assailants. Since she was keeping an eye on them, she saw when two of them stood back up and one revealed its face. She felt a shiver run down her spine; there was something very wrong here. She glanced over to her luggage and gave a quick "sorry" to it for having to abandon it. She turned and began running towards the others just as the woman(?) behind her raised their arm and a loud screech of metal came from above. She barely had time to glance up before the debris fell, nearly crushing her, a lighter piece hitting her left arm and cutting it open on the shoulder.

She didn't have time to think about the pain or to lament their bad luck. She jumped back as another piece fell right in front of her, limiting her movement. As more fell, she quickly found herself effectively trapped behind the others. She'd have to run back a ways and circle around, but that meant she'd be a good target for the apparent monsters they were running from. She considered climbing over it for a moment, but her left arm wasn't working like she wanted it to; the damage from the debris must have been more serious than she thought.

The young girl turned around to face the now-unmasked figure. There was no way she was going to take them down if she could barely move one arm, but standing still wouldn't get anything done. Holding her shoulder with her right hand, now soaking in blood, she ran a few steps towards their foes, ready to change course and sprint around the displays that had blocked her in as soon as she could.

There’s enough ambient Nox for Chie to draw on, invisible pollution waiting to be transformed into magical power. The trapped soldier finds the debris—and everything else—become lighter as gravity begins to shift. Not much, but enough to get the job done. The man makes another desperate push, the force this time enough to shrug off the slab of metal pinning him down. His rifle is lost, but he rises unsteadily to his feet afterward.

The man hardly has time to thank Chie before Selma arrives to sweep the smaller girl up. He’s soon stumbling after, letting the big girl lead the way. Their path will intersect with Crystal’s, back toward the enemy before they can loop back aground.

The crack of gunfire still rebounds through the subway station, each shot from Rivka’s borrowed rifle lighting the dark space. So too do the rounds from captain Wei’s pistol, and those of the guards who are still armed. All of it together is enough to ward off further attack, the path made clear for those still caught behind. Soon Crystal and the others can wave their way to the stairwell, joining together with Wei and the small vanguard.

“Up, go!” Wei’s hand flags the small party up the stairwell, taking up the rear. The stairwell is long, and the lack of a working escalator means it’s a jog to the top. Once they clear the exit they’re greeted by a rush of cold air and a view of the darkened city streets, the road barely illuminated by flickering streetlights.

Captain Wei and the soldiers join them shortly, just in time for the chunky, square-shaped military vehicle that pulls up in front of the subway entrance. After a quick shouted order the rear doors of the vehicle open, and Wei hustles the group inside. As soon as the doors shut the vehicle lurches to life, peeling off down the street.

There’s no pursuit from inside the yawning darkness of the subway exit. The masked figures do not emerge to give chase, and soon the structure is lost from sight.

“Take us to base.” Wei instructs the driver, her attention turning back to the prospective Ars Magi after. “Are any of you injured? You-“ She gestures toward Crystal. “Your arm. Come here.”

After some digging a first-aid kit is found. It’s not especially helpful, but some bandaging can be done.

Wind buffets the car as it travels onward, navigating through the darkness. It seems, for the moment, the group has reached safety.

---

"I don't wanna hear it," the big girl huffed in simple response as she ran, settling into a cadence of long strides and steady breath, a rhythm echoed by the soldier behind the pair as he managed to pull himself free. "Only apologize when you've done something wrong."

It had been a poor choice, short-sighted and rash for sure. Doubling back like that definitely didn't make things any easier for the immediate goal of escape, yeah. But—

"Wanting to save somebody who's in trouble ain't that. Else I'd be apologizing too, y'know?"

And really, that was all she had to say.

Beneath the covering fire of Rivka, her pilfered rifle cracking through the subterranean air in tandem with those of their escort, Selma made quick work of the gap between them and their peers, sparing only a moment's thought to wince at the nasty gash that had opened up on Crystal's arm before their small unit surged forward again, towards the light of imminent freedom that gently filtered down from above. The counterattack had, thankfully, been enough to beat back those masked things enough that they didn't get the chance to go for any of the girls again. For her part, the erstwhile farmhand just tried to keep her wits about her, and ensure her passenger was never endangered.

"Up, go!"

At Wei's behest, she charged up the stairwell, the rest of their motley crew close behind. Taking two, sometimes even three steps at once, a broad and toothy grin playing across her features as the kiss of cold air began to touch her skin. Cold, fresh air— much more preferable than the stuffiness of a subway. The difference was subtle to people who commuted between the two daily, got used to it, filtered it into the background, but after their trials down there it was stark and liberating compared to the oppressive life-and-death below.

"We made it..." she panted, just as much to herself as to Chie and the others, having taken most of that case as what equated to a dead sprint.

Even having lived upon Hasta's "outskirts", Selma found herself taken a little aback by how much darker the cityscape before her was than what she was used to. Dimly illuminated by the weak, artificial off-white of streetlamps, the buildings were as blue-black monoliths in comparison to the seemingly omnipresent glow of the metropolis that had always been in her nighttime horizon.

If she squinted past the light they were under, for instance, she could see stars.

The telltale sound of peeling rubber and massed boots on stone pulled her out of the spell, as the four were quickly ushered into the cuboid, utilitarian, and definitely armored looking transport. By sheer luck of the draw (and taking a second to finally let poor Chie down so she could get in ahead of her), Selma was the last to enter, and occupied a seat closest to the edge, hurting a little for leg room but refusing to complain.

Especially given the circumstances.

"Pheeeeeeeeew..."

As the car (van? whatever it was) got rolling, and Wei set to work trying to at least close that nasty gash on poor Crystal's arm, she instead seemed to release the breath she hadn't known herself to be holding in one big ol' sigh before turning her gaze onto the other three, a somewhat tired smile on her face. Finally, they could relax a little.

"Looks like we made it out in one piece, gang. Three cheers for teamwork."

She raised her fist and pumped it with a small "Woohoo!" before continuing.

"Man, that was nuts back there. Never heard of masked ghouls like that, not that I can remember... Gonna give me the creeps for days. Anyone mind if I play us some music to lighten the mood a li—"

Whomever had deigned to be looking her way as she was prattling on saw the big girl's face freeze mid-sentence, as the spark of some intercepting realization took from her emerald eyes the light that hadn't ceased once throughout the raid upon the station.

Whomever hadn't, heard the dull konk as the side of her hard skull met the reinforced glass of the window beside her, suddenly slumped into the wall of the vehicle.

"My phone's in my backpack..."

A hollow, inconsolable groan floated through the car.

Aaaaaagh! Gott Verdammt!

“Never fear, devushka,” The Baeterran drawled, for there was no better word for the way she stretched the sounds. Far from danger they were languid even as they were crisp formed with deliberation but uttered in no real rush. The sound must be perfect, but the delivery? That would come when she deemed. But now she sounded magnanimous, flushed in face and soul with the feeling of victory. The triumph to which fear had given way once vanquished. “It’s a little cramped, but if you would hand me my case I can manage. I’ll even waive any performance dues, though if someone wanted to donate t-”

Her eyes snapped fully open, fingers tightening on the barrel of the rifle she still held safely safetied and tucked between her knees as realization came home with the clattering of luggage on tile and an imagined twang of snapping strings. Her case, dropped in the explosion. Her case, forgotten in favor of the rifle in her hands.

A rifle she now looked at with disgust, elation curdling as her lips curled back.

“Nekhoroshiye, kovarnyye, grebanyye zombi sukiny synov'ya!”

Her foot met the floor. Hard. Actually, that was more uncomfortable than anything since the explosion. All of her belongings had been left behind. The clothes were fine; she had paid a pittance for them, and she would pay a pittance to replace them. Her phone was in her pocket, though the screen may have been cracked. She would have to check. But her guitar. Any sheet music she had brought along. Her tuner. It wasn’t her best. She wasn’t an idiot, she would never have brought her best equipment along on a military transport! But it was all she was allowed to bring! Now someone would have to ship something along, and God knows if the stupid academy would allow care packagesm and-

Rivka scowled, slumping in her seat as though deflated. The esteemed Captain Wei received the only energy she had left in the form of a look that could kill; even acknowledging that it wasn’t her fault (which Rivka did begrudgingly), that they were all safe (no thanks to most of their guards), and that the Captain had done her job (did it count if it was done for her?) she was still the only possible target for her ire at this moment.

The Academy would get a fucking bill.

---

---

"Selma is really strong," Chie thought to herself. Not just strong, either. Kind too, with all her reassurances. It felt strange. As if that twang of guilt and doubt never left Chie, but instead got overwritten by the other girl's unwavering optimism. She still knew the danger of the situation, of course, but as she clung to Selma, somehow, she figured everything would turn out okay.

Captain Wei, quick to act in their time of need, shepherded the girls up the subway's staircase. Chie heard the gunshots of the various riflemen-and-women echo behind her, but was too scared to look back even if she could. It was only by Selma's attitude that she could keep calm at all, at least up until the cool night breeze brushed her skin. The subway wasn't particularly warm by any stretch of the imagination, but the flow of air tickling her skin made everything just that little bit colder. Made everything feel like they were outside, at last.

An armored vehicle pulled up in front of them and the four girls were helped inside. Chie had forgotten to thank Selma for letting her down, though given the situation, it'd have been a surprising if the other girl had held it against her. Chatter quickly filled the somewhat claustrophobic environment. It had sunk in to the girls around Chie that all their luggage was left behind, with some taking it harder than others. Chie herself paid it no mind- neither her luggage nor the chatter. Her mind was on something else as the vehicle drove through the night.

"Captain Wei," she shakily addressed the officer. It felt like a lump was caught in Chie's throat, but she still managed to share her question: "Those... masked people that attacked us. Do you... does the military know anything about them?" she asked.

There was so much more she wanted to add. 'Are they terrorists?' 'Were they coming for us?' 'Did one of them use magic?' and so forth. For now, however, she kept it simple, if only because Chie was still shaking like a leaf and couldn't muster much more.

Crystal followed the group up into the refreshing air of the city. At least, it was refreshing after what had just happened. Once they were all in the car, she kept her gaze out the window towards the subway, until Captain Wei called her over. Some quick bandaging was applied and her hand was cleaned of blood which helped settle her mind. She quietly took inventory of what she had on her and what she had to leave behind. Her phone was still with her in her back pocket, though she wouldn't be surprised if it had been damaged when she rolled on it earlier. Her favorite headphones were gone, as were her sketchbook, though luckily it was unused so there was nothing of value lost. The most devastating blow, besides the headphones that is, had to have been the backpack. She had dozens of packs of gum in it, all varying flavors, all different tickets to different mindscapes and now it was like she had lost the keys to her own mind. Hopefully the school would be near a few candy stores, but she doubted it. Even if there were it wasn't likely that she'd get the really good stuff. She wistfully placed a hand on her right pocket where the last of her gum stash was; a pack of basic bubblegum and a pack of watermelon. Good for introductions but not for much else.

She was awoken from her reverie by the sound of something smacking against the glass window. There had been talking until now but it had just been drowned out by her racing thoughts. She glanced over to the source and saw Selma looking rather upset. Sounding rather upset, if her groan was any indication. This was followed by the markswoman for a moment until she burst into something about zombies? Crystal never was good at remembering languages, but that stood out to her. Finally, someone asked the important question.

"Those... masked people that attacked us. Do you... does the military know anything about them?" It was Chie who asked the captain, but it echoed Crystal's curiosity as well. Further, why were they after them? It made sense to go after recruits because they'd be easier than trained Ars Magi, but why capture them, as the figures seemed to want? They had to know that recruits wouldn't have any intel. Then there was the question of the one using, what appeared at least to be, magic. If it was an Ars Magi, what were they doing trying to go against the NOI, by extension of attacking Nova Lux recruits? And if it wasn't... Well, it wasn't too much of a stretch to think of Nox being used by a creature made of the stuff in a way similar to magic, was it? But she kept these thoughts to herself and planning to, even if she never learned the truth, to make a story about the concept.

She turned her attention towards Captain Wei to wait for her answer.

The van rumbles through the empty streets, heading steadily toward its destination. Its passengers can feel the heavy winds buffeting against the vehicle and see the small trees planted along the street sway, shaking and shifting shapes in the dim streetlights.
“I don’t know who they were.” Wei responds, “But I know what.”

“They were corrupted. That’s what happens to people who’ve been exposed to too much Nox--or a Void. Sometimes they turn.” This isn’t common knowledge, the official line being merely that overexposure is poisonous to the human body. Not many civilians get to see the actual effects, and this one seems to be uncommon.

“An Ars Magi will investigate this further. You four are going to be held under guard until we can ensure a safe transport.”

She has little else to say on the matter, turning her attention a static-filled radio afterward. Several more minutes and dark streets pass until the transport arrives at the gates to Calcaria’s military base. It’s a cramped series of buildings and hangers, the roads between lit by small bulbs installed in the cement. The group is unloaded near the barracks, a spare room having been hastily prepared for their arrival.

Captain Wei ensures that Crystal’s wound is attended to by a medic before she takes her leave, promising to return in the morning. The guards too make their exit, with several being posted outside for safety. The girls are left alone in their temporary quarters soon enough, just the four of them and several small cots that will serve as their resting places for the night.

---

"Buaaaaaaagh!"

A graceless thud accompanied the graceless groan as over six feet of jolly green giant flopped onto one of the cots spread through the room, face first into well-earned reprieve, spartan though it may have been. She'd not exactly slept on worse per se, but there were quite a few times she'd managed to nod off on similarly harsh surfaces. Stacks of hay may have been one thing, but bales of it, or for that matter sacks of root vegetables and tubers, were quite another indeed. This wasn't much more than sturdy fabric over an aluminium frame, so she personally placed them roughly evenly.

The material was a bit like a burlap sack, come to think of it. It was why it stood up to the rigors of her body slam.

"Certainly wasn't expecting that kind of welcome to the world of Ars Magi..." she murmured into the drab olive material, replaying the brief conversation they'd had with the good Captain in the van. Nox poisoning was less toxicity and more corruption into a mindless zombie? School started before you even hit campus, they said... albeit they probably weren't talking about this. Let alone that you had to throw out what you thought you knew about pre-established subjects.

To think that they'd need guarding to such an extent so soon with such clear reasons kinda put a damper on the fantasies every girl grew up with.

She turned, propping her head up with a hand, and considered the other three, this now in mind. They were all (more or less) quiet types. That didn't bother her at all— she knew still waters to oftentimes run deep. Keeping to oneself was just as much a virtue as being outgoing. You had to know how to listen and think just as much as you did talk and do. Selma was good at the latter for sure, but the former was definitely their forte. At least, that was her understanding. Maybe she'd be wrong.

But regardless, with what they had all just gone through, sticking to one's own head replaying that nightmare over and over again would drive someone nuts. Drive her nuts, at least.

For all she'd despaired at leaving her stuff behind, she didn't like the thought of it being the note everyone went to sleep on. Poisoned thoughts made for poisoned dreams made for a poisoned day tomorrow, which they definitely didn't need after tonight. Lightening the mood would go a long way, definitely.

"Y'know what I'm gonna miss?"

A question, entirely rhetorical, cast itself into the silent void between them all.

"Mama's stew. Always made me crash after a long day. She just loaded her biggest cast iron up with beef, potatoes, onions, and carrots, like she was prepping us for hibernating the whole winter away."

Her musings flowed freely and fondly, a nostalgic smile gracing her features. Nothing like home to set a soul at ease, right? Worked that way for her.

"At least, the pepper and stock sure warmed a girl up like it. What about you girls? Anything from home you feel like you're gonna kill for after a week?"

And, to be entirely fair, she was curious about her new friends, too.

---

---

Chie's question weighed heavily on her, silence having fallen inside the car when Wei had given them the answer. The people that attacked her weren't actual people- they were turned into monsters by the Nox. They could've been anyone. Could've been her, for all she knew. The Nox had breached Calcaria- maybe not in her district, sure, but what of others? What about those who lived closer to the border? Try as she might, Chie couldn't shake off the worry she felt. She looked up and to the soldier who had been stuck under the debris not long ago.

Would he have turned if she'd just left him there?

She didn't get much more time to think on it, the car pulling to a stop. The four girls were shepherded into a part of Calcaria not even Chie had been to before- and for good reason. The average high-schooler had no need for a trip to a heavily guarded military center, the heart of Calcaria's defenses. The environment felt cold, not from the chilling night air but the rigid and practical nature of the buildings around her. The dimly lit pavement didn't help matters.

Once Wei had left after the four were shown to their temporary , Selma had wasted no time in crashing on top of one of the cots. It was sudden enough to get a small yelp out of Chie, but not surprising enough for her to comment on it. The adrenaline was wearing off for her, too, and her earlier stint with magic hadn't helped Chie in feeling any less exhausted. She stumbled over to the closest cot not occupied by Selma and sat down on the edge of it, pulling out her phone from the coat she wore. Its screen was cracked now, hardly surprising, but was otherwise unharmed. She looked at the hour, which read 22:53. Its barely been two hours since she stood at that dock, waiting on the airship. Only a few hours ago, she was dropped off there, saying goodbye to her father as she reassured him she'd be fine on her own. It was surreal, in just a few-

"Y'know what I'm gonna miss?"
"Eh?"

Chie snapped back to reality, albeit slightly confused, when Selma was the one to break the silence- again, that is. Not that Chie got much time to think on that, either. Selma wasn't looking at any one of them in particular, merely wistfully musing on her mother's stew as she kept her eyes fixated on the ceiling above them. It wasn't much of a story, but Chie could feel the warmth in it nevertheless... or maybe that was just Selma's natural charisma at work again. It wasn't like Chie got much of a chance to figure it out- her thoughts were occupied by the question Selma had asked the four of them at the end. What would Chie miss...?

"I suppose... it's seeing my father come home."

Maybe that sounded strange, but Chie didn't have much else.

"He isn't home very much and he can't really cook, so I'm the one making dinner for us. It's lonely, but when I see his eyes light up after returning from his work, I... I feel like I can keep trying my best."

She raised her head and turned her body to look at the other girls, a sheepish look on her face. "I-I'm sorry, that must sound super weird... I'm just worried about leaving him there without me, you know?"

Crystal reached into her pocket, deftly pulled out a single stick of watermelon gum, and threw it at Selma. "...Gum. That's what I'll miss. Mixed Berry is hard to come by outside of Bellanum, so I always had to special order it, and I doubt they'll have the right kind near the school. Probably won't have the other best kinds, either."

She turned to Chie. "But you'll be back. Someday. Strong enough to protect him. That should be worth it." She opened her mouth to say something more but froze. "Oh... Oh shit..." The girl glanced around nervously, suddenly changing subjects. "How long do you think it'll be before we get to the school, or at least near a pharmacy? Who am I kidding, it'll take at least until we get there and then... a day or two? Shit. Shit!"

Her medicine hadn't even worn off yet and she was already on the verge of a panic attack just thinking about it. All pain in her arm and elsewhere was entirely forgotten in favor of overwhelming anxiety. What if she wasn't able to get her meds in time? She left them behind in her luggage, what were the chances that she could get them on time to take them? Nil, as far as she could figure. What if she got to the school and was such a wreck that they rejected her? She wouldn't be able to handle that, she'd probably... No, no. It would be okay. They accepted her knowing her problems, it wouldn't make sense to reject her once she got there just because of external circumstances preventing her from being on top of things. Still, the idea terrified her. The thoughts wouldn't go away. They'd kick her out, she'd be the biggest failure her family had ever had, her uncle would lose political sway and public support having a failure for a niece, she'd end up being a NEET, living off her family like a leech, going on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on until she had a panic attack so big it killed her, and then she'd be remembered as the most pathetic would-be Ars Magi of all time, she'd be famous, no, infamous, forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and her family would never live it down and they'd lose so much clout that they'd be shunned from society and her uncle would disown them and they'd end up on the streets for generations and considered horrible because of the fact that their genes were similar to those that created such a failure as her, leaving them to die out and be removed from the gene pool resulting in a true death for them all because of her and her fucking luck and dumbass bullshit to not grab her luggage with her medicine or at least to die in battle against the Nox to save the others because then she'd at least be a hero but no she had to turn tail and run and now everything was going to fall apart and she was hyperventilating and her pupils were dilated she could feel it and she was going to get kicked out and she was going to end up dying alone as a failure the likes of which had never been seen and she was bleeding she was bleeding her nails were dug into her wrist she was bleeding and she saw it and she didn't even feel it and she was bleeding and she was going to get rejected and she was going to ruin her life and her muscles were tensing so hard that her wound reopened slightly and she was bleeding and she was scared and she was watching her whole life fall apart before her eyes and she was going to be a failure and she needed her fucking meds she was going back for them now!

Crystal stood up shakily, prying her right hand from her left wrist, revealing five bleeding marks if anyone happened to look at it, blood running down her left hand and from her fingernails on her right hand. She put her good hand on her head and started slowly walking towards the door. It seemed that her medicine was wearing off. She didn't take her dose for today yet and, in order to ensure she had a dose for today, had skipped yesterday's pills. She was on the last two days of her prescription and the damn pharmacist wouldn't give her and extra two days worth of pills, only calling ahead to the school to make certain they had them available. They did, but that didn't help her now. She reached the door, started to open it and prepared to bolt out as fast as she could until she reached the underpass they had been accosted in.

The very concrete was tense, soaking up the energy from the men and women within its walls determined to tie themselves in knots. Rivka didn't see why; their precious possessions hadn't been lost to marauders, no-good barbarians without the manners God gave the most ungrateful bastard. Nor, in her very humble opinion, had they exactly provided much reinforcement to their protective detail if they had known that a Nox breach could cause an infected state like the one they had just dealt with most handily. And then her things would still be fine.

Was she being unfair? Yes. Was she in a mood to be more charitable? Absolutely not. She didn't have Nox corruption insurance!

She walked through the face sullenly, with her nose pointed defiantly in the air and her 'borrowed' rifle still held at her side by the barrel. No one asked her to return it, anyone who got close enough was studiously disregarded, and they were thus spared a blistering explanation of what would be required for her to return the firearm that would have blown the confidence clear out of their merely mortal frame. And then there was their room, a place that she surveyed in its entirety within moments of setting foot inside. Four cots. Little else. There were the most rudimentary of comforts like a blanket and something that might charitably be called a pillow, but... Rivka's frown deepened. Not for the accommodations, she would learn to deal with far fewer comforts as an Ars Magi. But she would have liked something to eat after that misadventure. Or at least a shower. A military base surely had a locker room. Maybe there were facilities tucked away at the back of the room, but she had more of a feeling that a room not usually intended for human habitation had been converted for their use. The Baeterraen had half a mind to walk out and and a shower and a sandwich. Even an MRE would suffice. What, really, were their guards going to do? Shoot her? She'd seen their aim. They needed the target practice.

Scowling more deeply than ever she stowed the rifle under her cot and eyed it unhappily. On the one hand she would have preferred to fold the blanket up and use it to bolster her pillow. On the other she was sure to get cold in the night without it. She was already going to have to sleep in her street clothes, she wasn't going to forgo the comfort that a blanket would provide. The blanket unfolded with silent, precise motions and Rivka draped it over her cot. Shoes unlaced and she sank back onto the bunk for all the world as though she had been rendered liquid, with no more sound than she had made since her outburst in the transport. Even with her eyes closed and fingers laced behind her head her scowl didn't abate, but she turned her ear to better hear Selma's question and its answers. Their voices were as telling as their answers; Selma's friendly confidence describing a humble, important part of her life, Chie's hesitancy to describe what she would miss, timid by comparison, and then...

There, a discordance. Not anger in Crystal's expletive, nor fear per se, but...

"It isn't so strange to worry about the loved ones you leave behind. Or to feel proud of the help you provide." She said simply, sticking her legs straight up and using the momentum from dropping them again to easily sit upright, eyes opening and head tilting to regard Crystal even as she finished speaking to Chie. "Even if it were, it wouldn't matter. Everyone has something to keep them going."

"If you need something, Crystal, I'm sure a base of this size has a properly stocked medical staff. Do you want us to-" But Crystal was already moving, and something in Rivka's otherwise disinterested eyes flickered. From seated to standing in a single movement, the cot beneath her unprepared for the movement rose on one end and allowed her to place her feet onto solid ground and reach the doorway before Crystal in a few quick, deliberate strides. "Crystal."

"Crystal." She repeated, in a much softer, soothing voice. She wasn't- quite- blocking the doorway, but she had definitely and deliberately placed herself in the girl's path. The musician continued steadily and calmly, flashing a reassuring smile while she spoke. "It's okay. A pharmacy on base should have anything you need, we just need to send someone to get it. I'm a little hungry, myself, so why don't we ask them to bring back something we can eat, too? I'm sure they can at least rustle up some cardboard MREs, though that's almost enough to put me off the thought altogether."

"You're going to ruin your shirt," She added gently, gesturing slowly and carefully to her arm. "And I don't know about you but I don't have anything else to put on anymore. Let's take a seat and have someone take a look. Alright?"

---

It was around getting thwacked in the forehead by an errant stick of Watermelon Burst^TM that Selma found herself needing to sit upright again, the brewing conversation having caught enough interest to discourage her artfully sloppy lounge. Chie's answer was much like her own, in a way. A mother's cooking and a father's smile weren't terribly far removed branches from the same root of "family", after all.

"Worrying's pretty normal, I gotta agree. Just means you've got a bead on the important stuff, if you ask me." she concurred after the others had made reassurances of their own, favoring the Calcarian lass with a toothy smile that disappeared with Crystal's now-rising voice. The twintailed girl...

Well, to put it in familiar terms, her hackles were raised like a spooked dog, right before they started growling or barking at something. Her eyes darting about didn't look angry, but her pupils going huge and her breath going short and shallow reminded Selma of more than a few of her brothers, imminently before an explosion.

Some kinda stress that had suddenly swamped her—

"Hey, you alright?"

"Shit!"

"Woah! Hey, what's wrong?"

And there it was. The raven-haired Ars Magi to be rose to her feet quicker than her balance could keep up with, causing a momentary stumble that revealed five bright red lines upon her arm. She'd clawed through her skin that quickly? How hard of a grip did that even take? Whatever the hell had gotten into her, it was driving her towards the door without even a passing thought spared for those wounds... If Rivka hadn't stepped in and gotten (sort of) in her way, she might have already been out and into the hall by now.

First things first, if she was gonna hurt herself once, Selma didn't want her to hurt herself again. She too rose, in the wake of the pair, and covered the majority of distance between them with one, two, only three steps. Not enough to crowd her while she was in this state, between her cold sweat and listening to Rivka's pointedly calming tone Selma got the distinct sense that being a physical obstruction might do more harm than good. Cornering a scared animal was one of the Five Great Mistakes she'd learned as a young'un, and while Crystal was a clearly unanimalistic sweetheart as far as Miss Rosmarie could tell, some principles extended beyond their diction.

So instead, a hand fell upon the Norban's shoulder, giving what she hoped was a reassuring squeeze. Close enough to reach, in case things escalated. Not that she knew how any of this was about to go...

Truthfully, a panic attack wasn't exactly in her Amazing and Varied Situational Toolbox. It wasn't lost on her that this came about right after she'd tried to make the situation less tense, less strained either. It honestly felt like her efforts had backfired completely. Maybe she wasn't too good at heart to hearts.

"She's right, they've gotta have something here that can help."

But if she didn't try, she'd feel like a much worse friend regardless.

"We got through this much together already, didn't we? I'm sure you'll be okay. You can trust us."

The lightest of pressures backwards, a coaxing suggestion more than a command back into the room. Or a hug. Whichever was better.

Crystal stopped as Rivka moved in front of her. Her breathing was erratic and quick, her eyes glanced at the door as she considered busting through it. Just as soon as the thought hit she felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped slightly, but the words the other girls spoke got to her. They were right. It was foolish to put herself in danger if there was a way not to. There was no reason to go to the furthest lengths when there might still be an easier way. She tried her best to calm her breathing, but it was difficult. She carefully stepped back and started back towards the bed.

"You're right." she said as she sat back down and breathed out heavily, trying to cope. "You're right. Hopefully they'll have a decent stock of medicine here, but what if they don't? I..." she shook her head. No. She was supposed to be stronger than that. She'd learned coping mechanisms, and when she needed them she simply forgot them? She clenched her fist. Unacceptable. She closed her eyes and tried to take deep breaths. "I don't know if they'll be able to requisition what I need if they don't have it on base. But I have to hope they can, right?" She wasn't over the panic attack, really, but she was slowly regaining control of herself. She looked down at her wrist and winced. That was going to hurt later. She'd just have to hope things worked out.

"Sorry to worry you all like that." she managed to say, smiling somewhat grimly. She paused a moment with her eyes closed before continuing. Reaching into her pocket she brought out a tiny notepad and the very last part of a pencil, opening her eyes and writing down the names of her two medications. "If it's not to much to ask, could one of you find someone and ask them if they can get these?" She caught her breathing getting worse again and tried to calm it. "And some food for Rivka, and anyone else who's hungry, of course." She smiled again, slightly more genuine this time.

---

---

Everyone's words of comfort set Chie's heart at ease, but she wouldn't get the chance to feel relaxed for long. Something was wrong with Crystal, clearly, as the girl shot up in a panic and scrambled over to the door. Luckily for everyone involved, the other two girls had quickly gotten a handle on the situation and made Crystal calm down. Well, at least calm enough to sit back down and talk about what bothered her rather than running off in a panic.

"Oh! Please allow me to do this," Chie offered when Crystal asked the group to scour for her medicine. She pushed herself off the cot and walked over, taking the note out of the girl's hands. Chie made sure to read the two names back to Crystal, just to confirm she got it right, as well as making sure Selma didn't need anything. Just before heading out the door, she turned to the group and said: "I'll be back as quickly as I can, I promise."

Stepping outside, it was no real surprise that a guard immediately came over and asked why she would leave the room. "Ah, well you see..." Chie started and quickly explained the situation. She may have exaggerated a little in how hungry Rivka was, but Chie wanted to make sure she could fulfill the duty she took upon herself to the best of her ability. The guard muttered to another soldier for a bit before agreeing to take Chie to the medical tent and ask the staff on-hand. All throughout her dealings, Chie remained as polite and soft-spoken as she could. She bowed, made sure to express her gratitude for all of their help so far; anything to win favor. Despite the stiff and professional atmosphere, everyone she spoke to greeted her with a smile and a laugh. It was a bit scary for her at first, but the more she spoke to people, the more she saw just how... normal everyone was, even in an emergency like this. It offered comfort.

"...so that is why I'm terribly sorry to ask for more than what you've already done for us, but would you please grant our request?" Chie said to a different officer she was talking to, finishing it off with a bow. One of the medical staff had already agreed to send a soldier to deliver Crystal's medicine to their room, but that didn't do much to alleviate Rivka's hunger. Her request was met with a smile; hopefully that was a sign she won him over. Hearing the words that followed, then, made her eyes glisten like the morning sun. "Yes, thank you so very much!" Chie replied, bowing once more in both respect and gratitude, before being escorted back to the temporary room.

Stepping back inside, Chie gave everyone her warmest smile. "I'm sorry it took so long, everyone! The soldiers on-base have agreed to temporarily open the mess hall again for us. I'm truly sorry if anyone else isn't very hungry, but I thought it would be nicer if we could all eat something together, even if it isn't much. The guards will take us there when we're ready to go," she explained.

"That sounds perfect." Rivka replied, stretching back out from her cross-legged position on the cot. The musician hadn't said much since getting Crystal back to her cot, but she had tried to lighten the mood by humming and occasionally commenting on things to the two remaining girls in the room. Not much, perhaps, but she didn't think bothering Crystal further would be very productive. Keep an eye on her, yes, chat if she looked like she was having more trouble. But better to leave her be. "Certainly enough to get us through the night, yes?"

She turned her head towards Crystal again, tilted slightly as she pulled on her boots and lowered her voice again. "Are you feeling well enough to go to the mess hall, Crystal? Or would you prefer to wait here a little longer?"

Crystal gratefully took the medicine from the soldier who arrived and swallowed them immediately. She was still jittery, but just knowing that she'd be back to normal once they kicked in was enough to help her overcome most of her anxiety. Still, she was a bit embarrassed from how she was acting, and her wrist was hurting quite a lot. She looked towards the other girls and gave a slight bow of her head.

"I'm really, really sorry about worrying you all. I had to skip my meds yesterday, and obviously I left behind todays dose. I was terrified of them not having them here, and having to wait until we got to the school to take them. That combined with not having taken them yesterday was... well, you saw what it did. Thank you all so much for stopping me." She looked towards Chie specifically. "And thank you very much for getting the medicine and asking them to open the mess hall." She bowed her head further for a moment before straightening back up.

"I'll be okay. We can go eat whenever you girls are ready."

---

"Let's get goin', then! No skin off my back!" Selma crowed from on high, visibly relieved that it all worked out without a hitch in the end. Crystal was finally looking better now that she'd downed a couple of those pills, her mind seemingly set at ease by the medicine. When the apology came her way, the big girl had simply grinned and waved it away, the thanks hot on its heels. The girl's circumstances were still beyond her full understanding, but knowing they'd gotten her back in a good space was all that mattered, in the end. For that reason, she personally didn't feel like she deserved thanks, either— Wasn't helping a friend through a tough time what a friend was supposed to do? One by one, she watched the girls step out into the hall proper.

As Crystal passed by, Selma reached out for her once more—

"Everybody knows a meal's best when it's shared with friends, after all."

And threw her arm around the raven-haired girl's shoulder, joining her in lockstep and putting on any young sapling's winningest smile as she hooked her other arm around Chie in much the same manner. Hunching her back, she leaned downward enough to pull the two in close for a conspiratorial whisper as the trio walked down the hall, escorted on either side by their guards and a little behind an unmistakably purple mane.

"Now then... I know she plays it cool and collected, but we rush Rivka on three. Nobody escapes the line, not even our little tsaritsa. Make sure we get here in here!"

For the confines of a notedly Spartan and alert military base, the walk to the mess could have gone a whole lot worse.