Null's Game

[Idran1701]

Kyrie gives Rasmus a short look and a quick nod before turning back to Nezza. "You do have a point, Captain. But I can see why Rasmus is wary now. It reminds me of our clans; it wouldn't be proper to think a clan lying, but that doesn't mean we avoid confirming what we hear. Even though we might not have a reason not to trust you, I hope you won't be offended were I to ask if there are others that could confirm what you've said so far? Another student of your trainer, perhaps, or another soldier that served with the snow elf during the War?"

[Shinigori V2]

"Ask any Dragonkin old enough to have fought." Nezza says simply.

[Visavis]

"Alright. Alright."

Rasmus paused.

"Alright. Captain. Not talkin' about trustin' you or any've that.. what do you think we oughtta do, huh? If we're gonna find the Null people.. tell us again where we oughtta be goin'. Or maybe.. yeah, this is better. How can you help us?"

[Shinigori V2]

"Where to go..." Nezza repeats, quietly. "Well, The Null have two allies- The Clockwork of Pendulum and the Host- Humanoids with large wings and glowing halos. The issue is, Pendulum is well hidden and the Host are very xenophobic and elusive. But there's something you're overlooking; Null is the same as any other organization. They need supplies, shipments, clothing, that sort of thing. Nekana would be the place to check into that, unless you can get the location of Pendulum out of a Clockwork, or speak with one of the Host."

She shifts, putting a hand to her chin in thought. "As for me, I'd like to know why the Humans are searching for them in the first place. Call me paranoid, but Humans have a history of twisting demihuman and nonhuman arms for personal gain. If they're looking for Null en masse, it's probably not good."

[Idran1701]

"I'm starting to wonder that myself." Frowning, Kyrie works to put all this new information together in her mind, as her picture of how Null works starts to take shape. Deciding that Nezza deserves a bit of knowledge in kind, Kyrie figures there is no harm in explaining what happened on that first day; especially since it's something she could just as easily discover from another investigatory team sooner or later.

"From how they were described to us, Null was an organization working at disinformation, disseminating different intel to different kingdoms for their own purposes while claiming to be distributing free information for all. This entire operation looked to have been started by Lady Elvenblade, the White Templar, as she was leading the charge against them. From what she'd told us, they first discovered the breadth of the Nulls when Wells decided to compare information on Nekana with Savortia, and found out that they had told the two entirely different things; more than that, that the information Wells had would have led them into a total massacre.

"If you're right that this is some sort of human plot, then it's a big one. Besides Elvenblade, Dawnrider was there too, and King Juscow himself. So was Arnstron. And it probably reaches into Nekana; Yandice was there, and she wouldn't have shown up unless she had some sort of personal interest. I'd just assumed she had some stake in whatever Wells had almost stumbled into, but now I'm less certain.

"The one thing I don't understand, though, is that if this was a plot of some form, then why would they have issued an open call to every nation for this search? Why not keep things amongst themselves?"

[Shinigori V2]

Nezza stays passive...at least until the name Arnstron comes up. Her eyes change suddenly, taking on a glowing blue hue and changing to vertical slits for just a moment. "Arnstron?" She says, quickly snatching Kyrie by the shoulders. "What of his puppet? What about Envy!?"

[Idran1701]

Though taken by surprise, Kyrie keeps utterly still as Nezza grabs her. With ears folded back, she meets Nezza's gaze with narrowed eyes, her voice low and steady as she replies. "Yes. Envy was there too. Now, if you could let me go, Captain?"

[Shinigori V2]

Nezza lets go- Probably with slightly more force than she intends to, Kyrie stumbling to the side as the Captain brushes past. "Godsdamned psychopath! Ich'thenal ramadore..."

With that, the Captain rushes through the door of her own office, leaving the party alone. Stray coughs a moment later, adding quietly: "Wh...What just happened?"

[Visavis]

Rasmus is soon taking after her, waving for the others to follow.

"Hey! Hey, what's going on?!"

[Idran1701]

"...some people get extreme reactions to the alchemists. I don't blame them." Frowning, Kyrie heads after Nezza and Rasmus, worrying about the sore spot she may have touched on for her.

[Kelne]

"It did seem pretty personal," Sana observed, "I'm beginning to think we might get further if we set out just to talk with them to start with, rather than capture anybody. It'd let us try to set up a meeting in good faith if nothing else." Considering the high regard the Nulls were held in here, she doubted they'd get much in the way of support for trying to capture one of them.

[Shinigori V2]

Nezza storms out , followed by Rasmus, Kyrie, and the rest. She approaches the main entry to the Talonguard tower, as a pair of Talonguard approach from the other direction. "Captain Bluetusk!" One cries. Nezza simply holds up her hand to silence him, continuing to walk. "I already know! Lock down the rookery, make sure the whelps are safe and for Godssakes, get that door open!"

A pair move to open the large, wooden door...Though they're thrown back as it splinters before them, half the door flying off, the other half flying along it's hinges and slamming into the wall. Where the door was just a moment ago is...A woman. But there's something off about her. It's not her tattered Alchemist's uniform, seeming years past due for wash and repair. It's not her messy, filthy black hair that clings to her forehead and sticks up at odd angles. It's not her dull grey skin, not even close to a normal human tone and seeming to be a size wrong, like an ill tailored suit. It's not the row of interlocking shark teeth or the slitted green eyes or the toxic looking fog that seeps out of her nose and mouth on every oddly loud exhale. It's not even the fact that she's splayed out on all fours, head darting around like a demented lizard looking for prey.

No, it's the sensations that come with her. A faint scent of rotten eggs and burning lumber. An odd dimming of the lights. A distortion of the air around her, creating a heat-ripple effect, as well as a hum that Elves, Plainsrunners, and Nekana alike can just barely hear. And for those particularly sensitive to nature, a crawling sensation like a thousand tiny worms on one's skin.

The abomination of a woman scurries in, craning her neck and causing the seasoned Talonguard to back away from her. A moment later, she pulls herself up into a squatting position, as a man follows behind her.

Much more average, he's...Merely human. Short black hair, tussled just enough to be stylish. A regal, high ranking Alchemist's jacket of black and white covers most of him, with a scarf worn over that, and slacks and well made shoes completing the look. His hands are stuck in his pockets, and he takes a moment to survey the damage wrought by the woman, before taking a place at her side.

"My apologies." He says with a smirk. "Envy still has trouble with doors."

"What do you want, Arnstron?" Nezza asks coldly.

"Ah, Captain! Is it still Captain? No time for pleasantries, I suppose. Killed any more children recently?"

"What...Do you want?" Nezza demands again.

"I think you're well aware of what I want." Anstron counters, watching as Envy lowers herself to all fours again, scurrying around while the Talonguard seem more intent to keep out of her way than stop her. Finally, she jumps back to her full, suprisingly tall height next to Oleai. She narrows her eyes, leaning in and sniffing around Oleai's neck and shoulders, before running an oddly long, animal like tongue over her lips and teeth. "I SMELL it, sire!"

Arnstron looks towards the group, while Envy remains well within Oleai's personal space, continuing to inhale loudly, and exhale that nasty green fog.

Eeeeeehn. Haaaaaa. Eeeeeeehn. Haaaaaaa.

[Visavis]

The situation was delicate, one requiring a careful approach and possibly a masterful diplomat. Rasmus did not always have the proper discretion for a tense situation, or the knowledge of how to handle one. He was not a diplomat. He did, however, have a sword, which he was quick to draw from its scabbard. Instinct, rather than any real thought or plan, drove him to unhesitatingly swing the sword at Envy with a battle cry on his lips.

[Oleai]

Oleai, who had fallen silent once more - distracted by various oddities around the dragon's office - was caught far more than off guard at the door crashing open. Clearly expending a lot of effort not to leap twenty feet skyward from the startled fright.

Though she did flinch downward.

The smell hit her first, Envy's approach causing the fur on the back of her neck to stand up. In a moment of courage that surprised even Oleai herself - as Envy closed in and broke far into her personal space.. Oleai brought her hands up and with a subtle motion created a small breeze to blow some of the noxious fog out of her face. Without yet retreating.

Though the quivering of her entire body was sign enough she was ready to bolt at the slightest twitch. Ears pressed back against her head, knees slightly bent and ready to jump. But she stood there, clearing the air.

"W-w-what do you want? Leave me alone."

- But.. then Rasmus attacked, and that was all Oleai needed to signal her retreat. Legs kicking hard to launch herself back -aided by the breeze of wind turning into a powerful gust to launch herself further away.

[Idran1701]

With Rasmus rushing forward and Oleai falling back, Kyrie holds her ground between the two, keeping Stray close at her side. Wondering now just how long the two of them had been following their group, she keeps quiet and still, stepping back with Stray into the nearest shadows to hopefully fall out of notice. While part of her is tempted to follow Oleai's lead, her curiosity about the situation is too strong to deny; she can't help but want to know what it is they're doing here, and why after days of quiet they've revealed themselves so dramatically.

[Kelne]

Triya had reacted to the new arrivals with startlement, then with outright worry as soon as she'd recovered from the initial shock of Envy's entry. It couldn't be a coincidence that the two had shown themselves so soon after mention of their names, which had some seriously disturbing implications. Unsure whether this would all end in violence or not, Triya began surreptitiously sketching a glyph of warding to repel supernatural beings. That ought to make it difficult for Envy to land a blow or get a hold of her, even if it wouldn't do anything for the others.

Rasmus settled the question of violence by taking a swing at Envy. Unfamiliar as she might be with haemonculi, Triya knew enough to be aware that this was probably not going to end well for them. As she finished up her glyph, she weighed her options. A banishment might be worth trying. She didn't think anybody had ever actually tried to banish a haemonculus before, but they seemed otherworldly enough that a spell sending Envy "back where she came from" ought to bite home. Unfortunately, casting such a spell would take time. Time she wasn't sure Envy or Arnstron would allow her.

[Shinigori V2]

In the span of a moment, Oleai leaps away from a man-made monster, Kyrie imposes herself between samesaid monster and Stray, Rasmus shouts and slices at the beast, Triya prepares a binding spell, and a dozen spears are drawn. In that same moment, the world goes silent, allowing a particularly disgusting sound, not unlike a giant pile of loose meat being thrown into a large burlap sack and run over by a herd of turtles. A sucking-slurping-sticky sounding noise that somehow pierces everything else, demanding attention and overpowering the rest.

Ssscchhlshshsshhhhhk

Rasmus may or may not have experience cutting into human flesh. But Envy is not composed of Human flesh. It's more like a thick, chunky meat pudding, the resistance to his sword ever changing as he cleaves the homonculi nearly in two, before hitting something rock hard right in the middle. The Dragons, Arnstron, Nezza, and Envy herself all look down at the gaping wound left as Rasmus's sword penetrated deep across Envy's body- Deep enough to hit the lower part of her spine, just above her pelvis. Envy seems to wink at Rasmus for a moment, until it becomes clear she's not winking--Her eye is twitching. Then her entire head begins to spasm violently, followed shortly by her whole body, falling to the ground and wrenching the sword out of Rasmus's hand, as Envy's limbs jerk violently, bending unnaturally with a chorus of churning meat and snapping bones. After a moment of violent convulsion, she lays still like a fetid ragdoll, the tear in her side seeping blood that's a little too close to black, and another vile fluid; something green and awful smelling.

And then as easily as it was made, the wound begins to close. The flesh and tissue mends itself around the blade, as bones and joins pop into place. And not a moment later, Envy stands, Rasmus's sword still lodged in her stomach, pressing against her spine. She takes a deep breath- Eeeeeeeehn. Before releasing another wave of that awful fog from her nostrils and mouth. Haaaaaaaaaaa. "That...Was VERRRRRY....Rude." She says, unceremoniously pulling the sword from her guts with another disgusting sucking noise, and dropping it at Rasmus's feet.

[Visavis]

Somewhere in the back of Rasmus' mind was shock and disappointment over Envy's speedy recovery. At the forefront, however, was the impulse to punch Envy in the face with all of the force he could muster, which he immediately tried to do.

[Kelne]

At this point, Triya's preservation instincts kicked in. Namely, the preservation of Rasmus. As he wound up for the punch, she reached out and seized his wrist, arresting the move.

"She'd probably bite your hand off," she told him sternly, "Let's at least see if they're willing to talk first. If not, we'll go from there." Rasmus punching Envy in the face might be a decent distraction while she worked on a banishment spell, but she was fairly sure that the price wouldn't be worth paying.

[Idran1701]

Cringing, Kyrie stumbles back at Envy's display. Still, she holds her ground. About to step in for Rasmus, Triya beats her to it; instead, then, she just keeps quiet, waiting, still hoping to find out why they've made themselves so very public and what exactly it is they want. While she assumes they're here for the same reason she is, the entire situation still seems more than a little off to her.

[AlwaysAPrice]

Red had been largely quiet since her idea was dismissed, leaving it to a roll of her eyes to try and communicate her disdain for a younger race's inability to consider the longevity of reproductive gossip among a longer lived and slower to breed people. She was also pretty sure despite claims to the contrary that all Snow Elves did know each other, because she couldn't actually conceive of Garpaath as anything more than a circle of snow-laden huts around an ice fishing hole. And yes, someone had told her it was in the mountains once, but that didn't really have any effect on her imagination.

As the conversation with Nezza went on and Red learned more of just what this batch of travellers was investigating, it was harder to feign her preferred aura of irritated disinterest. From the sounds of it these Null were trying to manipulate Wells and others into war, and if they'd been involved in the Draconic War...yes, Red was now interested. Increasingly so when the name of the commander of the Black Riders was dropped -- she was far out of touch with her people and not on the best of terms with that contingent in particular, but between his attention and Autumn's, Red was starting to take whatever this was she'd stumbled into a lot more seriously.

Red meandered about at the back of the group while she listened, as much as she could without drawing attention to how much of her own attention was on analyzing the ways out of this room and places she could tuck herself out of sight to slingsnipe if things went sour. Or so she meant to do, until a wave of nausea that wasn't her own bubbled up under her gut and she abruptly plopped herself down in a chair off to the side of the room, mumbling a quiet 'whuh' under her breath. It was Spitter's queasiness she felt, of course. At first she thought the razorbeak must have unwittingly found something diseased to feast on, but the bird was smarter than that; despite her size and slight resemblance to a deathbird, she hunted like any other razorbeak, seeking healthy, vital prey, something that would put up at least a chase, if rarely a fight. Red's eyelids fell shut and she focused on her connection with Spitter, pushing the ongoing conversation aside as she slipped into Spitter's senses.

Something was wrong. The nauseating reek came from more than the air, there was an unnatural quality to the sensation that Spitter felt on some level more primal than the senses she could share with Red, something Red couldn't even describe to herself but could feel needling her spine in warning. Guys, she thought about murmuring. "Guys." she eventually did spit out, but too quietly to draw much attention while Nezza was demanding more information about Arnstron. She got out a stronger attempt as she rose to her feet, pushing Spitter's senses out of her head, "Hey, guys?" But they had all gone after Nezza before she could get their attention.

"Guys, I think something's--" She heard a door explode and sighed. As soldiers rushed past her in response to the disturbance, she decided to move away from the foul smell and disgusting skin-crawling sensation that accompanied whatever had just burst in and barged up the stairs to the barracks, using Spitter's view circling the Talonguard's tower to find a window where she could join her.

[Visavis]

Rasmus gave Triya a look of betrayal. She was, after all, somehow stopping him from punching something that clearly deserved punching.

He settled for trying to stomp on Envy's foot instead.

[Shinigori V2]

Rasmus, with the aid of Triya, stops his punch short- Probably for the better with Envy's jaws splayed open, waiting for the oncoming fist like an anthropomorphic bear trap, tongue flapping between the massive jaws like a confused worm waving goodbye. Opting instead to stomp on her foot, Rasmus is rewarded by a surprised howl of annoyance and pain--Though mostly annoyance. The dragons, at this point, seem a little confused as to what's even going on, with Nezza crossing her arms, and Arnstron sighing loudly. "If you're quite through attacking my assistant, I'd very much like to hear what she has to say." He turns to Nezza, scowling. "I'll remind you that smelling someone isn't against the charter of your city; the Elf should be arrested and shown the extent of your laws."

Red:

Getting away from Envy helps, a bit. But, only temporarily...As another Alchemist, this one a woman in less regal garb, flanked by a dark haired, pale skinned teenager, approach the Talonguard tower from the opposite direction. The woman is fairly unremarkable, other than the jeweled longsword at her hip.

The teenager, however...Looking at her gives the elf and her bird a splitting headache and a ringing of the ears. If Envy's powers was over smell and nausea, this young woman's is very clearly power over sound and fury.

[Oleai]

"B-but! Why was it smelling me? Ew ew ew!"

Oleai, who had leapt a good six feet away, was finally standing back upright from her fearful retreat (and inwardly cursing her own cowardice. This isn't how people act on big adventures!).

She took a few long strides over nearer to Kyrie, keeping an eye on Envy at all times lest the construct get the jump on her again. Or from her. "Why do we keep running into more and more horrible things? Blech! What do they want?" Her tone was starting to lean toward annoyance as well, moreso at their own string of luck than the two straws that had broken this camel's back.

[Visavis]

The lack of effect from his attack and the call for arrest shifted Rasmus' focus away from attacking Envy, begrudgingly. He took a step away from Envy, puffed out his chest with arms held at his sides, balled his fists, and locked onto Envy with a look of strong disapproval.

"Arrest me? I'm defending this place! You're the ones who broke in!"

He unclenched a fist to point at the shattered door from which they entered.

[Idran1701]

"Indeed, that does sound ridiculous. And I'd say that that kind of 'smelling' would be assault at the least, I'd say; would this alchemist himself would be utterly fine with strangers doing the same to himself on the street." With a slight frown, Kyrie steps up, trying to avoid looking to Envy as much as possible. Keeping close to Oleai, and giving her a quick, understanding glance, she turns back to Arnstron with a grimace. "What are you doing here, anyway? I apologize if I don't find such a dramatic entrance as accidental as you seem to be claiming."

[Shinigori V2]

"If that's how you want it, very well." The Alchemist says, narrowing his eyes at Kyrie. "The only way for this to be evened out would be to allow one of you to smell Envy. And Envy? Disembowel them."

Envy's grin almost tears her face as it widens, as she suddenly lunges for Rasmus...Only to be caught by Nezza and thrown back. "You, shut up." She says sternly, before turning to the party. "You, also shut up." She turns again, back to Arnstron. "Down to business. What do you want?"

"I want...Them, I suppose." Arnstron says bluntly, pointing towards the group. "They DID arrive on a Null ship, after all. The Invincible?"

[AlwaysAPrice]

Red barged through the halls of the barracks, using her small size to her advantage as members of the Talonguard held up their response to the commotion below trying to block the intruder's path. She ducked their grabs and skidded under an outstretched wing before she made, it seemed to them, a blind lunge out of one of the tower's windows. While she may not have been looking where she was going, Spitter was and she landed snugly on the razorbeak's back as the bird swooped alongside the tower's second floor to catch her.

They didn't even get a chance to appreciate the fading of their nausea when that subliminal roar pounded into both their brains as Spitter ascended. Red snatched at Spitter's harness to keep herself from falling off as the bird shakily corrected for the disorientation. When she saw the two figures approaching and realized the source of her headache, and deduced from that the origins of their earlier nausea, Red muttered a string of curses and she and the bird angled to circle the tower around to the front. She fingered the handles of the ripcords on the side of the harness, attached to the caps of a few alchemical grenades dangling from either side, but as they came around front she saw there wasn't going to be much use for them as Nezza's destructive visitors were already inside.

As the noise faded and the nausea surged up again, Spitter coasted down to the ground and Red rolled off. Before she sent the razorbeak back into the sky, she tugged one of the flash-bangs off the harness, then directed Spitter to watch the second alchemist's approach from far enough above to avoid as much as she could of the dueling sensory oppressions. That way she and Red would only have to contend with the latter's proximity to whatever sick thing was inside. Trying not to retch, Red slunk along the wall and peered into the entrance, giving the cap of the round little jar a twist to crack the inner ampoule and prime it for use.

[Idran1701]

With a slightly irritated glance towards Nezza, Kyrie doesn't bother listening to her order as Arnstron speaks up. "What do you mean a Null ship? There weren't any Nulls there; I think we'd have noticed if there were. It was a transport and freight ship, that's all."

[Shinigori V2]

"What're yooooouuu...ssssssstupid?" Envy hisses with a lopsided grin on her face.

'You wouldn't know if they were Null or not, would you?" Arnstron adds. "The Invincible is the secondary ship of Null's fleet, after the Solitaire. Used for then She doesn't need her heavier artillery."

[Idran1701]

Frowning, Kyrie sighs just a slight bit, ignoring Envy's cries. "If they were Null, then why did they help us? They had to have known who we were and what we were doing, if they're as far-reaching as it seems."

[AlwaysAPrice]

Red tugged her goggles down to protect her eyes, and wadded her bandanna over her nose and mouth with her spare hand to help with the reek. Without further ado, because there wasn't time for it by Spitter's view, she barged into the doorway, brandishing her grenade high with her hand covering as much of the etchings on the jar that could reveal its non-destructiveness to the Reisian as possible. If this bunch were the people she was going to be flying with, there was only one thing to say.

"'Ey, we need to get the flock outta here, before the other one gets here!" She kept her eyes on Envy and Arnstron, waving impatiently for the rest to hurry up and move.

[Kelne]

Well, this had been quite the revelation. A great many things had fallen into place with Arnstron's revelation. Not that Triya was feeling the least bit charitable towards him for his help. Ordering Envy to disembowel them had pretty thoroughly demonstrated that he was on the Mad With Power end of the scale. With the power to back it up, unfortunately.

Well, today at least he wasn't going to get what he wanted. Triya took the distraction provided by Red's announcement to quietly begin her casting. Fingers tracing out arcane sigils in the air before her, she cleared her mind of distractions. She was unlikely to get more than one shot at this, and it was important she get it right the first time.

[Idran1701]

Kyrie steps back at Red's sudden appearance, ears perked. "What's going on? Are we being attacked?" Glancing with newfound heightened suspicion towards Envy and Arnstron, she scowls, ushering Stray (and possibly Oleai) back towards Red. "What's happening?"

[AlwaysAPrice]

Red gagged into the wadded cloth when she saw the puddle of homunculus stuffing left over from Rasmus' greeting and realized why the stench seemed not just stronger but so much more vivid in here. Red saw Triya's hands begin to move and realized more distraction might be needed. She (reluctantly) dropped the bandanna, freeing her hand to ready her slingshot.

Is this a bad idea?

She wedged the grenade in the sling, drew it taut, and centered her aim on Arnstron, circling to both draw attention away from the side Kyrie was ushering on and to try to keep the alchemist between herself and Envy as she explained, "Another alkie's right out back with her own homo, a loud one instead of stinky like this SNAGGLE-TOOTHED WALKING SACK OF WET GOBLIN DIAPERS!"

This is probably a bad idea.

[Shinigori V2]

Red's gambit probably does as it's intended- Getting Envy and Arnstron's attention off of Triya, allowing her to cast freely. Arnstron takes a step back, as Envy lunges forward to guard him, falling into an animal like posture, ready to lunge forward. She gets a crazy look in her eyes as she runs her long tongue over her serrated teeth, drawing blood in the process. "Grenade!" She shrieks, almost happily. She rears back, shifting her weight and tensing up her legs, before pouncing forward, mouth wide open and claws outstretched, twisting her head to better rip and tear at Red's jugular and Spitter's relatively huge guts.

That is until Triya's spell completes, at least.

There's an odd...Whining noise for just a half a second, as time seems to slow. The universe seems...Confused. The spell acknowledges Envy as something disgusting, unnatural, something that simply should not be. However, the spell also has no place to send her. There's an odd shimmer in the air between the pouncing Homonculous and her intended dinner as nature itself tries to figure out what to do.

In the end, there's a sudden flash, not unlike very localized lightning, and an odd, audible 'poik!' noise...As Envy is suddenly and very violently thrown the other way, eliciting a surprised HURK from the creature herself...And then a nasty series of crunches and snaps as she goes careening through the wall of the Talonguard tower...and the building beside it...And the one beside that, rolling to a stop, body shattered, broken, and oozing Gods only know what onto the cobblestone of the street.

Nezza watches, before gesturing to a pair of dragons. "Get that thing off the streets before the Whelps see it! And you!" She turns, barking orders at another pair. "Back door! Intercept Arkwright and Sonata!"

The two pairs quickly salute their acknowledgement, breaking off in their directions. The interception team hurries past the group, the sound of a door opening and closing heralding their departure. Though only a moment later, there's a terribly loud, unearthly shriek from behind the tower, loud enough that the Demihumans and Elves of the group can feel the scream itself throbbingin their ears, and the very stones of the tower seem to try to bend away from the noise.

All the while, Arnstron wears a cocky smile, despite what just happened with his assistant.

[Idran1701]

More than a little overwhelmed by everything at once, Kyrie is about to speak after Envy's sudden blast from the building when that nightmarish scream shakes her to her core. With a shudder, she takes a breath, giving Stray and Oleai a quick look to make sure they're all right before looking back to Red. She seems to know more than any of them what exactly is going on here, and hopefully that will carry forward from here. For now, she ignores Arnstron but for a very brief scowl sent in his general direction.

"What's going on? You said there's another outside?"

[AlwaysAPrice]

Red stares wide-eyed at where Envy was a second ago, her heart racing in her chest, and mouth twisted to the side in a "ogodthisisgonnahurt" pucker. It takes her a second to realize the flash came from Triya's spell, that her fingertips are still quivering on the grenade, barely keeping it from launching right into the alchemist's stupid smirk. She gives Kyrie an incredulous look as the question follows the stone-rattling shriek.

"That freaky noise bomb that just went off back there? Yeah, it's not gonna be outside for long. So figure out what you wanna do with this priss in the foofy shirt and let's go, unless the lamprubber can do that trick twice. If they brought two of these freaks they mean to do some damage, I vote let the pros deal with it. Nez sounds like she knows what's up."

[Kelne]

"The trick is doing it again without getting my head ripped off," Triya said, a bit shaken herself by Red's close call. She found Envy very disturbing indeed, both for the sensations she evoked and because of the way she and Arnstrong seemed a dark mirror of a Master-Djinn relationship. But whereas Sana was essentially moral, if capricious, Envy seemed to lack any such restraints on her behaviour. She might lack a djinn's ability to reorder creation, but something about her suggested she was just as dangerous.

And there were two of them.

"We should definitely put a lot of distance between us,” she went on, “I don’t think Envy’s going to stay down for long. Ideas?” The one thing she was certain would get them well away from the murderous homunculi would be a wish, though just where Sana would send them instead was an open question. Calling Sana in might well escalate the situation, but she didn’t see that they had much choice.

There was one other person whose opinion they should probably get, she decided as she rubbed her thumb against her ring, “Nezza? Can we help here, or should we get out and hope that without us here to be captured, they'll stand down?"

[Shinigori V2]

Nezza jerks her head for the door. "We have no treaty with the Alchs. We can hold them here legally for at least a day and I don't have to tell them anything."

Arnstron narrows his eyes at Nezza, then turns to the group. "You can run, but it won't do you much good. We can still find you."