help me, darling. help me, please.

[rosestolilies]

[ So much to think about, and the clouds are no escape for your fine Queen today.

"Their own love in their rightful Queen can be strengthened. Compassion will show you both the way, I am certain. Some girls just want to ride the wind wear ever it takes them, and live life to the fullest."

Oh dear oh dear oh dear. Such a mess, it's all become such a mess! ]

- ♡ -
[ The mirror is recording as the Queen stands at the shoreline, the long stretch of the dunes at her back, the sheer plane of water before her. And overhead the clouds are still flashing with lightning, even as the serpent's bones rain down and warriors close in upon the ship. The storms are banished first, brushed aside with nothing more than an impatient motion. The ship will have to come down next, and she reaches upwards, pausing for only a moment when the High Priestess appears, her feet wet when the tide rolls in, and her head shaded beneath a paper parasol. She says something that can't be heard and the Queen nods distractedly, beginning then to reel down the Labrys as if she has caught it round with a lasso. The Pirate Queen appears at the rails, looking startled and irritated, calling out gruffly,]

Ready to open your mouth, woman?

[ Her majesty sighs, stating very deliberately, ] We do need to talk, yes.

[ The ship hits the ground with a spray of sand and sea, but the gangplank is lowered, and the Queen steps onto the ship, leaving the High Priestess standing at the edge of the tide. A squadron of large brown bears take up positions around the site. The Warrior Princess does not take long in joining them, her face cut and streaked with ash and blood. She does not take her eyes off of the ship, not even for a moment.

When the Queen reappears to see her there, she smiles bashfully. ]

High Priestess, you still have those bottled little folk, don't you, my dear?

[ Whatever the expression on the High Priestess' face, it is not pleasure, but she inclines her head obediently. Soon enough, a cat can be seen walking slowly down the beach, a rope in its mouth that is tied to a floating crate. The faeries inside rattle in their bottles, lights flashing within.

The Pirate Queen crows something rude and self-aggrandizing from the rails, grinning, and the damsels are led up from below deck by an honor guard of battered skeletons. The Queen opens her arms to them. ]

Darlings! I'm so glad to see you safe!

[ The Damsel goes to her, if no one else, and even she has soon moved on, hurrying across the sands to greet the Warrior Princess with a hug that is not returned.

The gangplank of the Labrys recedes when the crate is safely onboard, and though the ship does not seem to be moving, some of the skeletons wave cheerfully from the decks, giggling in that eerie way of theirs. ]


[[ooc; We will leave the comments open for all of you, but there will not be any NPC interaction on this post.]]

Comments

[fionna_time]

[Oh, that's good. Fionna's actually feeling the pain catch up with her, and it helped to not say anything so she wouldn't feel like almost throwing up or bleeding all over the place].

And you can, like, skate in the sky [she murmured]. That's pretty cool. Rgh, how do you do that?

[of_the_highest_caliber]

Hehe, that's because of my Wing Road. I learned it because I never could pick up how to fly, as a lot of mages can.

[fionna_time]

(Fionna rubbed the lumps on her head)

I've flown a few times. It's ok. I kinda dig this winged road thing more.

[of_the_highest_caliber]

Hehe, it's definitely my favorite way to travel over short distances. I feel really at home on it.

[fionna_time]

[Good thing they were talking: it made Fionna less drowsy].

So hoe's it work? Are you, like, warping through space time or something?

[of_the_highest_caliber]

Haha, no, it's nothing like that! It's just a solid ribbon made from my magic. Think of it kind of like... creating a slide from thin air! Except it's a lot more solid and it offers ideal traction for my skates.

[fionna_time]

Dude, that sound so math! So you were just born with magic? How does that happen where you're from?

[of_the_highest_caliber]

Basically! [ They're getting closer, so the Road has started a decline toward the front door of the inn. ] We have these organs called "linker cores" which allow us to channel and store mana. The energy and the potential to use it differ from person-to-person. Vivio has one, too, but our skills only overlap a little. [ Fondly. ] She takes after her mom in a lot of ways, but we're both more the close-combat types.

[fionna_time]

[Ok, that was starting to make sense! Now for the bigger question].

What is mana? You mentioned it a few times before.

[of_the_highest_caliber]

Magical energy, is the easiest way to put it. I can't really describe the feeling of having a linker core, or using mana for spells. It's kind of... like a charge? Like my whole body is wired up to be a battery. [ of course using that kind of analogy is more accurate than she'll let on. ] Mmm, it's really warm, though. So maybe it's more like a heat...?

Ahahaha, see what I mean? [ She slows down at the bottom of the ramp and nudges the door aside with a skate. The Road behind them disappears into thin air. ] Here we go!

[fionna_time]

That's...sorta strange, but I guess its gonna just be one of those mysteries I never understand, like how Marceline floats or how Cake gets all stretchy and big. I guess we all just gotta work with what we got!

[Grins]. Heh, and here I am back here again, just like the last time!

[of_the_highest_caliber]

Eheh, yep, except things are a lot quieter. [ She gives a shout out for Suruga, to see if she's home, or if anyone else was visiting. Vivio is obviously out, and it does not seem like the bathing area is occupied at all. ]

Here. [ She rolls into the showering area and sets Fionna down gently. ] Go ahead and start washing up? I'll bring some supplies and spare clothes, and help you reach anything you can't get to. [ Stepping back, there is a flash of light and then Subaru is standing there with all of her other gear dismissed save for her sneakers, shorts, and tight black top. ] Sound good?

[fionna_time]

Hey, I don't mind a little noise!...Except right now, since I'm feelin' kinda achy.

Sure, ok! [She waits until Subaru leaves and slowly start to take off her clothes, wincing all the way. Crud, she was worst than she thought. There were cuts all over when the dinnerware had been lobbed at her, not to mention tons of bruising, a black eye and badly skinned knees, not to mention whiplash from the stupid snake thing. She runs the water, shoving her fist in her mouth the moment the water hits her body. THAT HURTS].

/consider this a warning for casual nudity at this point on!

[of_the_highest_caliber]

[ Subaru returns in a few moments, two spare robes set down on a changing room bench, along with bigger towels for drying off. She has stripped down a towel, herself, because even though her own injuries were on their way to healing, she could use a wash herself.

Though all she does is wash off her hands at a separate faucet before coming back into the showers. ] Okay, I'm back and... [ Wow, that was more than she expected. ] And not a moment too late. Are you clean? Let's dry you off so I can put something on those cuts. [ Though it might be kind of odd that all else she has with her is a single pouch dangling from forearm. ]

Re: /consider this a warning for casual nudity at this point on!

[fionna_time]

It's cool!

[blushed, smiling though the pain is great."

Ok. Thank you!

[of_the_highest_caliber]

[ And just as she said she'd do, it was time to get Fionna dried and bandaged up. Bandages that she pulls from that pouch which... doesn't seem like it should be able to hold THAT much linen. Much less linen, the bottle of disinfectant, and the cotton balls she was using to carefully dab at the girl's various cuts. ] I'm sorry for the stinging, but it's important. Kris hadn't even seen anything like this before. I think she learned a lot about first aid from watching me, which is kind of weird when you think that she can use healing magic.

[ Subaru was just talking, trying to keep Fionna's mind focused on the conversation and less on the necessary stinging. ]

[fionna_time]

[Fionna, who was trying to be tolerant of the pain,only winced slightly when the pain came].

It's ok, that always happen when you do the kinda stuff that I do! Though I don't really get how Kris's magic works.

[Trying to forget...]

[of_the_highest_caliber]

It's not like any magic I've ever used, either. She can do some amazing things, though, like her teleportation and...

Oh, take a look at this! [ She takes the pouch and hands it up to Fionna, as she works on her legs. ] Doesn't look like it carries much, huh? [ And, indeed, the bag is small and seems to be completely empty from an outside perspective, or if she tries feeling it up. ]

Now... do you remember that sword you gave me? Reach in and think about pulling it out! [ And then be marveled at the Bag of Holding putting the hilt right in the girl's hand. ]

[fionna_time]

[Fionna looks startled. Was she kidding? How was she going to pull her sword out of that thing, it was so small? She shrugged, and reached her hand in and thought of the sword].

Whoa! Is that it?

[of_the_highest_caliber]

Uh-huh! I think it's really neat! It's like what Mach Caliber can do for me, but inside of a bag.

[fionna_time]

Is it more magic stuff?

Oh yeah, Mach Caliber! She was in your body before, right?

[of_the_highest_caliber]

Exactly!

[ The mention of that incident, as always, makes her pause a bit. ] Mm, that's what happened once, yes.

[fionna_time]

Hey, how come that happened anyway? I never really understood that.

[of_the_highest_caliber]

[ Subaru shakes her head. ] We don't, either. I think it's safe to just blame the side effects of messing with the magic that makes up this place, and leave it at that. I know I won't be doing something that careless again anytime soon.

[fionna_time]

I hope so.

I like Mach Caliber fine, but I don't want anything bad happening to you.