[Lina closed her eyes, pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose, and tried to force herself to calm down. she knew she was really, really high-strung right now. she knew she needed a plan. and she sure as hell knew she didn't have one.]
I have to do something. [did she want to say this so soon? nope. but she's gonna do it anyway.] It's my sister.
[ "punch it" sounds like a valid strategy to the memories inside of her, but practically? not the best plan for someone who doesn't have any apparent powers.
except the power of knowledge to shock Jen with, it seems. ] It's, wh-
[ okay, hang on. this must be an app thing. right? it has to. it's off-the-wall enough. Jen reaches for her phone even as she steps closer. ] How can you be sure?
[ being a Beta user, Jen couldn't make out the entirety of what Amelia's warning on the network was about, but with what Lina showed her, she could piece things together. the picture it wove together was bad. real bad. ]
Oh shit...
[ Jen pushed the phone back to Lina, cupping that hand in both of hers. ] Okay. Now I get the need to panic, but you can't, okay? If it's that big there's nothing you can do.
[she looked down at her phone, at the challenge from her sister, and then at Jen's hands all the way up to her face again. Lina's eyes, brilliant blue and burning with determination, said everything her mouth needed to say, but that wasn't going to stop her.]
I can't just sit here and let this happen anymore. I have to fight back. I'll figure it out when I get there.
[ that determination is burning bright and Jen can respect that. she feels the same sort of fire making its presence known from some deep place inside of herself, but she should know that it's not enough. ] Do you even know what you're up against except that it's huge and it has to do with your sister? How dangerous it could be?
[ her grip is firm with her mechanical fingers even as she puts away her phone, to free her hand to fish out a small golden ring with a stylized "L" on it out of her pocket. she clutches it in her fist. ] At least let me go and have a closer look at it before you go throwing yourself at a floating skyscraper or whatever it is.
[Lina shook her head, letting her own hands fall to her sides as she put away her own phone. her eyes closed only for a moment while she tried to think of what to say.]
We've never known what we were up against before now. If you're going in for a closer look, just let me ride behind you or something.
[she was maybe a little distressed and didn't have the presence of mind to assume anything different, any other way Jen could have gotten up close and personal.]
I ... Okay, that's fair. But this isn't a dream right now. At least, I'm fifty-fifty on that.
[ she pinched her own arm and winced. ] Nope! Feels pretty real to me. So.
[ Jen swapped the ring over in her hands then put it on her left index finger. she flexed her hand and cracked her knuckles. ] I plan on flying up to take a look. [ she also walked over to grab her keys to pocket them. so Lina doesn't, like, get any ideas about riding off without her. ] Just. Can you stay put for a minute?
[okay, no, were they sure this wasn't a dream? she sounded dumbstruck as she repeated Jen's words and tried not to focus on how she could... how she would find some way out of this. because she wasn't going to be left behind.]
Sorry, did I miss another Retrospec thing? Or could you do this the whole time and you just never told me?
[ she was already opening the door before giving her answer. ] Oh, no, this isn't a "me" thing it's a - "gift" thing. [ Jen flashed the ring, briefly. ] Kara doesn't need it to fly so she gave it to me in case of emergencies. This definitely qualifies.
[ clear of the door, she floats up just a few inches off the ground. ] I'll be back.
[ she probably should have qualified that with a "soon" or something, but left it open because even she couldn't promise that if she left right now and saw something that she wouldn't just make a beeline for it. ]
[from Kara. okay. well. there fell another puzzle piece in her theory on who Jen's mystery woman was, but there was something bigger at stake here. something much bigger. walking out into the real world, she watched Jen start floating and just barely get out of range, and her hand reached out to grab at Jen's ankle and hold her in place.]
[and, knowing Jen wasn't about to go anywhere, Lina looked up stone-faced at her roommate. her tone, like her grip, was firm but not dangerous. it turned out that Jen wasn't the only person who could keep secrets.]
[ Jen stumbled rather comically as she very much did not expect Lina to get a hold of her, much less to have the strength to actually anchor her. and believe it, she definitely tried to coast loose of that grip. ] H-Hey! You- When did...?
[ she sighed, relaxing the will to fly off and moved toward the ground to stand on her own two feet once more. ] You're not going to let me leave or live it down if I go without you. [ that wasn't a question. her expression softened as she took a step back mentally to put herself into Lina's shoes. ]
You may not believe me, but I get it. If I had a sister who was in this deep, I'd want to do everything I could to help, too. No matter the consequences. [ she bit her lip. ] If you're sure. Then. I'll take you closer but a safe distance. Okay?
[Lina was more than content to let Jen free when she was convinced that she was at least going to get a few more words out of her. and honestly, she was really pleased with herself that that had worked—standing up for herself like this wasn't new, but she was rustier on it than she would've liked and she might as well have tried it with somebody who already trusted her.]
Okay. [and the stone in her expression eroded juuust a little bit.] But don't think I'll be happy about it if you end up getting hurt. Let's go.
Obviously, the feeling's mutual. [ which is why she's really hoping someone was exaggerating things and the actual problem and solution are simpler than they sound. ]
Alright. Hop up. [ Jen stepped in and leaned down, moving to support Lina in the same way that she had done so that time after the spa. ] And hold tight but don't, like, strangle me.
When were you going to tell me about that, anyway?
[see, Lina had taken a lot of time trying to get used to her newfound strength. she'd gotten okay at handling it, but it was far from perfect—still, she doubted she'd actually hurt somebody unintentionally with it. least of all Jen, whom she'd never even hurt intentionally. well, in most scenarios.]
[she wrapped her arms around Jen's waist and brought herself close. and her serious demeanor melted away for a moment; she kept their goal in mind, of course, but she couldn't deny that this felt nice. it was a good way to bring her spirits up before what was damn sure not going to be a good experience.]
About the same time you were gonna tell me you could fly. It's new.
[ Jen held on tight and rolled her eyes. ] Okay, well, I wasn't going to say anything unless I needed to. So, that's fair.
[ once Lina's secure, she started to lift off again. swifter this time, even with the added weight, since the ring didn't seem to care. it's only going to take a few long seconds to reach a height where they can see over most of the buildings in the city and beyond it. slowly, she begins to rotate them in the air and look around. ] Now. Which way would this be coming from?
[okay, no, she was gonna need a second to get used to this before she answered, because holy shit. she's actually flying? like, she was clinging to Jen, sure, but she was flying and this was the kind of thing that people literally only dreamed of. and it was happening. okay, no, she'd be able to appreciate it later.]
Amelia's post was garbled to hell and back, but I'm pretty sure she said it was coming in near Apprassage. [she tried looking off in that direction to see if she could see this giant building, but it felt a little, uh, dangerous to be doing anything like that when she was relying on Jen to not drop her.] We'll probably be able to tell.
[ obviously she could take her time. Jen was a little too into the moment to relieve any tension, like. admitting this was a heck of a lot better than falling into an unknown abyss, which is about their closest shared experience to-date.
she slowly turned off in that direction, using landmarks as a guide, and then flew off in that direction. Jen's careful not to go like, full tilt, but faster than jogging that's for sure. and with a lot less effort. ]
That was... that woman? Huh. [ that whole. meeting scenario was still super weird for her, but she doesn't want to think about that except for one thing. ] Did she say she was... going that way, herself?
[ because forget that building, she isn't sure she wants to drop Lina off new a dragon. ]
[the tone of Jen's voice was easy to pick up on, and Lina couldn't lie: The idea of running into Amelia again, maybe in full dragon form, was utterly terrifying. nights and nights of dying by dragonfire couldn't be overcome with one sort of okay conversation with the dragon woman borrowing Jen's body. Lina inhaled, tried to control herself. tried to be calm; then, tried to be confident.]
I don't care if she's there. I can deal with a dragon if it means saving my sister's life.
[ Lina's either really good at putting up a front, or she really has come around to being a stronger (mentally) and more confident person as per their last intense, uh, moment. either was as likely. Jen slowed down some so the rushing of wind didn't make it as hard to talk. ]
You won't be dealing with this alone. Just remember that.
[ out of her eyes, a flashing of something green on the horizon. Jen picked up speed. ]
[she wouldn't punctuate that the way she normally would have if they were on the ground; it didn't seem safe. instead, she would just wait for Jen to bring them to where... Clover was. the flash of green, as they drew closer, only grew clearer. the shape of the building, massive and floating and supported by something that she couldn't immediately make out from this distance, became downright obvious, and the first thing Lina did notice was the absolute size of this thing. this was going to be more than the two of them could reasonably take care of, fight and flight or not. they were going to need help, and Lina had no idea where that help would come from, but jesus did she hope other people had gotten Amelia's message.]
[this was... Clover was in this massive, magical building somewhere. controlling it? piloting it? how the entire hell were they going to extract her from it? because she wasn't about to let her sister die. blowing the thing up wasn't an option. she sighed inside her head and narrowed her eyes wearily. this wasn't going to be easy, that was for damn sure. suddenly one big dragon didn't exactly seem like the worst of her problems.]
[ Jen, too, was struck by the sheer scale of this thing. there didn't have to be much around it save for maybe some roads and trees at that distance to know it was HUGE and MOVING. she picked a nearby tall building's flat roof to set down at first because she didn't want to lose sight of it but also needed to. steady her nerves. formulate a plan. something. anything. ]
Holy shit... [ or maybe just. stand in awed silence for a bit. at least until she comes right around toward exasperation. ] Why does everything have to keep getting bigger? What's next: the moon?
[yeah... awed silence sounded like a good idea. at least Jen was in the mood to be exasperated, because Lina couldn't find the words even after touching down. she stayed close, her hand on the small of Jen's back and her mouth hanging open.]
Jesus... how are we even going to get her out of there?
[that shouldn't have been her first priority, really. this thing could destroy the city in a single attack if it wanted to, she figured.]
If my memory is to be believed, I'm really good at breaking walls. [ it's meant to be. funny? reassuring? some combination thereof that doesn't involve feeling so small and insignificant and generally screaming internally??
she held on to Lina. ] Hopefully someone else has some more, uh, subtle ideas.
[god, she hated this. she couldn't even focus on Jen's jokes or the reassurance her touch brought. all she could do was force herself to remember to breathe and try to concentrate on their next steps from here.]
Okay. Okay, we can handle this. Right? It won't just be the two of us, and we can... we can stop this and we can save my sister.
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[Lina closed her eyes, pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose, and tried to force herself to calm down. she knew she was really, really high-strung right now. she knew she needed a plan. and she sure as hell knew she didn't have one.]
I have to do something. [did she want to say this so soon? nope. but she's gonna do it anyway.] It's my sister.
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except the power of knowledge to shock Jen with, it seems. ] It's, wh-
[ okay, hang on. this must be an app thing. right? it has to. it's off-the-wall enough. Jen reaches for her phone even as she steps closer. ] How can you be sure?
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I've got a pretty good idea.
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Oh shit...
[ Jen pushed the phone back to Lina, cupping that hand in both of hers. ] Okay. Now I get the need to panic, but you can't, okay? If it's that big there's nothing you can do.
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[she looked down at her phone, at the challenge from her sister, and then at Jen's hands all the way up to her face again. Lina's eyes, brilliant blue and burning with determination, said everything her mouth needed to say, but that wasn't going to stop her.]
I can't just sit here and let this happen anymore. I have to fight back. I'll figure it out when I get there.
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[ her grip is firm with her mechanical fingers even as she puts away her phone, to free her hand to fish out a small golden ring with a stylized "L" on it out of her pocket. she clutches it in her fist. ] At least let me go and have a closer look at it before you go throwing yourself at a floating skyscraper or whatever it is.
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We've never known what we were up against before now. If you're going in for a closer look, just let me ride behind you or something.
[she was maybe a little distressed and didn't have the presence of mind to assume anything different, any other way Jen could have gotten up close and personal.]
What's your plan, anyway?
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[ she pinched her own arm and winced. ] Nope! Feels pretty real to me. So.
[ Jen swapped the ring over in her hands then put it on her left index finger. she flexed her hand and cracked her knuckles. ] I plan on flying up to take a look. [ she also walked over to grab her keys to pocket them. so Lina doesn't, like, get any ideas about riding off without her. ] Just. Can you stay put for a minute?
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[okay, no, were they sure this wasn't a dream? she sounded dumbstruck as she repeated Jen's words and tried not to focus on how she could... how she would find some way out of this. because she wasn't going to be left behind.]
Sorry, did I miss another Retrospec thing? Or could you do this the whole time and you just never told me?
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[ clear of the door, she floats up just a few inches off the ground. ] I'll be back.
[ she probably should have qualified that with a "soon" or something, but left it open because even she couldn't promise that if she left right now and saw something that she wouldn't just make a beeline for it. ]
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[and, knowing Jen wasn't about to go anywhere, Lina looked up stone-faced at her roommate. her tone, like her grip, was firm but not dangerous. it turned out that Jen wasn't the only person who could keep secrets.]
You're taking me with you.
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[ she sighed, relaxing the will to fly off and moved toward the ground to stand on her own two feet once more. ] You're not going to let me leave or live it down if I go without you. [ that wasn't a question. her expression softened as she took a step back mentally to put herself into Lina's shoes. ]
You may not believe me, but I get it. If I had a sister who was in this deep, I'd want to do everything I could to help, too. No matter the consequences. [ she bit her lip. ] If you're sure. Then. I'll take you closer but a safe distance. Okay?
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Okay. [and the stone in her expression eroded juuust a little bit.] But don't think I'll be happy about it if you end up getting hurt. Let's go.
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Alright. Hop up. [ Jen stepped in and leaned down, moving to support Lina in the same way that she had done so that time after the spa. ] And hold tight but don't, like, strangle me.
When were you going to tell me about that, anyway?
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[she wrapped her arms around Jen's waist and brought herself close. and her serious demeanor melted away for a moment; she kept their goal in mind, of course, but she couldn't deny that this felt nice. it was a good way to bring her spirits up before what was damn sure not going to be a good experience.]
About the same time you were gonna tell me you could fly. It's new.
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[ once Lina's secure, she started to lift off again. swifter this time, even with the added weight, since the ring didn't seem to care. it's only going to take a few long seconds to reach a height where they can see over most of the buildings in the city and beyond it. slowly, she begins to rotate them in the air and look around. ] Now. Which way would this be coming from?
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Amelia's post was garbled to hell and back, but I'm pretty sure she said it was coming in near Apprassage. [she tried looking off in that direction to see if she could see this giant building, but it felt a little, uh, dangerous to be doing anything like that when she was relying on Jen to not drop her.] We'll probably be able to tell.
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she slowly turned off in that direction, using landmarks as a guide, and then flew off in that direction. Jen's careful not to go like, full tilt, but faster than jogging that's for sure. and with a lot less effort. ]
That was... that woman? Huh. [ that whole. meeting scenario was still super weird for her, but she doesn't want to think about that except for one thing. ] Did she say she was... going that way, herself?
[ because forget that building, she isn't sure she wants to drop Lina off new a dragon. ]
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[the tone of Jen's voice was easy to pick up on, and Lina couldn't lie: The idea of running into Amelia again, maybe in full dragon form, was utterly terrifying. nights and nights of dying by dragonfire couldn't be overcome with one sort of okay conversation with the dragon woman borrowing Jen's body. Lina inhaled, tried to control herself. tried to be calm; then, tried to be confident.]
I don't care if she's there. I can deal with a dragon if it means saving my sister's life.
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You won't be dealing with this alone. Just remember that.
[ out of her eyes, a flashing of something green on the horizon. Jen picked up speed. ]
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[she wouldn't punctuate that the way she normally would have if they were on the ground; it didn't seem safe. instead, she would just wait for Jen to bring them to where... Clover was. the flash of green, as they drew closer, only grew clearer. the shape of the building, massive and floating and supported by something that she couldn't immediately make out from this distance, became downright obvious, and the first thing Lina did notice was the absolute size of this thing. this was going to be more than the two of them could reasonably take care of, fight and flight or not. they were going to need help, and Lina had no idea where that help would come from, but jesus did she hope other people had gotten Amelia's message.]
[this was... Clover was in this massive, magical building somewhere. controlling it? piloting it? how the entire hell were they going to extract her from it? because she wasn't about to let her sister die. blowing the thing up wasn't an option. she sighed inside her head and narrowed her eyes wearily. this wasn't going to be easy, that was for damn sure. suddenly one big dragon didn't exactly seem like the worst of her problems.]
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Holy shit... [ or maybe just. stand in awed silence for a bit. at least until she comes right around toward exasperation. ] Why does everything have to keep getting bigger? What's next: the moon?
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Jesus... how are we even going to get her out of there?
[that shouldn't have been her first priority, really. this thing could destroy the city in a single attack if it wanted to, she figured.]
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she held on to Lina. ] Hopefully someone else has some more, uh, subtle ideas.
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[god, she hated this. she couldn't even focus on Jen's jokes or the reassurance her touch brought. all she could do was force herself to remember to breathe and try to concentrate on their next steps from here.]
Okay. Okay, we can handle this. Right? It won't just be the two of us, and we can... we can stop this and we can save my sister.
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