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(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?]

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