scholiast | 🌱 inbox

(Lup goes suspiciously quiet on the other end: for a long moment, it's just her, making her way slowly down the steps and trying to ignore the distant screaming, the sound of people exiting the spire as fast as they can. Lucretia manages a soft, anxious:) Lup?

(But before she has time to panic, she hears footsteps pounding on the stone steps and knows that it's her even before she appears. Relief floods through her. She tucks her phone into her pocket, and scrubs her eyes again with her sleeve as Lup approaches, because they're staring to water something fierce.)

Ow, (she says thickly, and coughs,) fine by– me. Can we go, though, I can't see.

C'mon, [Even just a few stories above ground level, the smoke hangs so much thicker in the air up here. Lup slips her arm around Lucretia's waist and pulls her close, guiding her down the steps as quickly as possible considering one of them was completely winded and the other was temporarily blinded. It wasn't exactly a dream team scenario, but she's making due with what they've got.

As far as small blessings go, at least the rest of these upper floors seem to have been evacuated already, so there isn't much competition as they make their way downstairs. For once in her life, Lup's mouth stays shut as she concentrates on guiding Lucretia down each set of steps, careful to not pull her too hard forward with her and send them both flying.]

(Even though Lup's got her pretty close she still puts a hand on her arm, holds onto the sleeve of her shirt as Lup helps her down the last couple flights of stairs. The smoke is very thick, so she just closes her eyes tightly until they finally hit what feels like the last level; then, she cracks them open bit by bit to peer through the haze toward the door. Outside, the air feels hotter than usual; there are still a lot of people hanging about the spires, watching for other people, or just standing there in shock as the fires rage. At least it isn't as smoky; it's easier to see and breathe already. Lucretia sucks in a big lungful, and coughs only once.

Her glasses are so grubby from the smoke. She lets go of Lup so she can pluck them off, wipe them off on her shirt (which doesn't really help). It's to give herself something to do instead of look at Lup, because she feels like Lup is mad with her.)

Thanks.

[For someone who plays with fire as much as she does, Lup is woefully unprepared to deal with a fire of this magnitude. The smoke stings as they make their way down, wrapping around them and making Lup feel like her entire body was being weighed down. But Lucretia's already made the majority of the journey on her own, so as unpleasant as those last few flights are, it isn't long until they are both stepping out into air clear enough that they can actually breathe it in.

Getting out of the building alive isn't the end of it. Once Lup gives herself a moment to appreciate breathing again, she turns her gaze on Lucretia and quickly reaches out to rest a hand on the other woman's shoulder. She squeezes her there, proof they are still alive, before ducking her head in closer to get a better look. Again, her expression is all concern.] Hey, how are you? Should we find a medic?

[Smoke is nasty stuff and it's certainly not something her measly first aid skills would be able to handle.]

I'm fine.

(Lucretia's voice is a little hoarse, but aside from that she feels okay. The smoke has left her breathless; she clears her throat hard, and coughs for a while, steadying herself by putting a hand on Lup's arm.) Could really use something to drink though.

(Hey, that had been way too close, huh. Her legs feel a bit shaky at the thought of it, but she forces herself to keep walking away after she recovers from her coughing fit, because the air is still sharp and hot about them: the fire won't let them take a moment to catch their breath. Then she stops dead, turning around: there are still people milling about around them, a little crowd steadily heading south.)

Lup, we– nobody else was in there, right?

[Right, a drink. That's a good next step. Though Lup's doubtful they are going to have any luck finding something available in their immediate surroundings. Hopefully Lucretia will be good until they can make it back to their new place. They'll both be able to finally collapse there. She's still a little worried, the vanishing adrenaline from her body leaving the elf feeling anxious and a little weak in the limbs, but the pair continue to move forward, still talking, the coughing slowly subsiding.

Lucretia's going to be just fine.

Among the yells of the other people milling about, the fire brigade finally arrives, hoses in tow with their proper equipment on, at least a few of the volunteers rushing back into the building to search for others who hadn't been as lucky as Lucretia was. Lup's shoulders droop a little at the thought, but she continues to guide them away. Her magic can't do anything to help this. Her going back in would likely mean she wouldn't come back out again.

Not for the first time, Lup thinks how much easier it would be if she didn't have to worry about staying alive.]

I'm sure the fire brigade nerds have it all on lock. Everyone's gonna be fine. Don't worry about them.

(Sitting down is definitely the next thing on her list of wants; third, a shower? It feels like the smoke is in her hair and clothes, and she's probably more than a bit grubby if her glasses lenses are any indication. That, and she smells like fire and not even in a good way. Lucretia's still staring when Lup starts to guide her into walking again, her head twisting to look over her shoulder as the fire brigade arrives. Her stomach hurts, and she realises it's simply a soft version of the feeling she gets whenever they have to watch the Hunger consume a plane.)

I guess... (She knows Lup is just trying to distract her; there's most likely people in there that are not fine, will not be fine. But what can she do about it, exactly? Abjuration magic is useless once the damage has already been done.

She turns back around.) I didn't realise it was spreading that fast... I thought I had more time than that.

[For Lup, that seems to be all that was needed to break the tension.

She laughs, giggling like Lucretia's just said the absolute funniest thing in the world. And maybe the timing is completely awful, but it just doesn't seem like it's going to stop now that the dam is broken.]

You... You are so ridiculous. [Spoken with a fondness that Lup reserves only for her friends. That kind of sentence would be said with a lot more judgement to anyone else in Hadriel, but for Lucretia? Lup sounds almost amused.]

One of the most brilliant minds across all of the planar systems and you don't have the common sense to know fire spreads fast? I'm revoking your everything.

Stop it, (she says hoarsely, but she's starting to laugh too, albeit in a kind of horrible, wheezy way. The smoke is still lining her throat; she really needs that glass of water! Eventually she just ends up coughing for a while, and giving Lup a playful shove in lieu of any further mirth.)

It's not my fault I haven't seen how real fire spreads in– however many cycles!

(Only Lup's fire, which always explodes bright and harmless whenever near her, smouldering deep into whichever hapless creature she had cast it upon. Lucretia loves to watch her cast magic. She can always do so much more than the spells permit some how, like she's forcing extra energy into them with the sheer force of her passion.)

You're right about one of the most brilliant minds across the planar system though, I'll let you have that one.

[They must look insane. Two women walking out of the fire to the south, smoke billowing over their heads, just clutching each other and laughing. The whole city is burning and they just can't help but laugh, leaving the panic behind them.

But Lucretia starts to cough and Lup's laughter cuts out immediately, worry knitting it's way between her brows again. She looks about ready to scoop the other woman up herself and carry her home, but Lucretia shoves her instead and Lup's concern quickly fades. She's fine. Everything is going to be alright.] Fair. My fire is hella more convenient.

[By the time that Lucretia is going for the brag, Lup rolls her eyes but continues supporting her friend on the path southbound, taking a slower pace than she'd usually like.] You know, I really should have seen this coming. I mean, you already have one death under your belt because you couldn't leave your shit behind.

(She's touched over Lup's obvious concern, the way her laughter dies immediately the moment Lucretia starts coughing; she tucks her arm back around Lup's waist as they start to walk again, slowly making their way south along the broken, dry ground. The laughter is just true to their brand at this point. Lucretia privately thinks that without Lup around, she would worry so much more than she actually does. But, speaking of:)

You know I'm fine, right, (she says, and gives Lup a little squeeze around the waist. She may be wheezy, but she's no cycle forty-seven Lucretia. She's made of sterner stuff, now.) Don't fret so much! You saved me.

(Lup bringing up this particularly dismal death makes her snort.) Hey, hey– my shit's important, okay? Nobody else is going to do all this hard work.

[Oh, Lup knows. She's noticed the new way that Lucretia holds herself since her arrival weeks before, the strength there in her stance, in her tone. Knowing the other woman's not nearly as delicate as they'd all teased her for brings a certain sense of relief. It reassures Lup that a touch of smoke won't immediately be Lucretia's downfall, even if it's hard to completely erase her worry. But she's talented enough at pushing that feeling down, down, down and never addressing it again.]

Right, [she responds with a shrug, all too casual. Like she doesn't know what Lucretia's saying. Her? Worry? Never.] I sure did. I expect you to write something awesome about me rushing in to rescue you. Feel free to leave out the part where we almost fell down the stairs.

[Lucretia's snort is a good distraction from the commotion behind them.] You're not wrong, none of us are writing down shit. But that crap's replaceable. You? Not so much.

I will write a soliloquy, (she promises, and she's only half kidding. It's the stuff of poetry, the image of Lup storming a spire on perilous fire to rescue her from the smoke. Something a hero right out of an epic would do, and, really, that's the kind of cool Lucretia has always considered Lup to be. Homeric.)

But I can't promise I'll leave out the stairs. It offers, uh– (what's the word she's looking for. She's smoke-addled, still a little breathless.) Benignancy? Something. I'll work it out later.

(She gives Lup a little grateful squeeze about the waist.) I know, I know. It's just– it's weird, thinking we're not immortal here. I'm used to being far more expendable than this.

Benignancy? [Lup turns to shoot the woman a feigned look of repulsion, complete with her tongue sticking out. Just to add to the effect.] Gods, I'm suffering from fucking smoke inhalation over here and you're busting out four syllable words on me. Not cool, Lucretia. Not cool.

[But that squeeze around her waist draws a small laugh from the elf again, unable to help herself. That earlier rush of adrenaline has faded and now she just feels damn tired, but there's still a certain feeling of pride swirling in her chest. Because she did save Lucretia, all the while keeping her own life intact. Her best friend is here beside her, whole and mostly unscathed, and somehow Lup managed to keep from dying in the process.

It's a good feeling, even if suddenly having to be careful with your life feels very restricting.]

Yeah, you're telling me. How did we ever get on before the Starblaster? I look back on my life and just think, 'Shit, how the fuck did I survive that'? [How many times had Taako and her nearly bit it as children just trying to survive?]

🌱 inbox

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject