vi. video. unseelie locked. night of the 7th.

[vrykolakas]

[News has reached the front lines. The Brucolac has rubbed his face clean for this broadcast, but his pupils are blown, blood drying in his eyebrows, and he hasn't taken off any of his armour.

He looks like cold hell.]

Those at Caer Scima who got out. The Ninth Spire has room for you; if you need to avoid the sunlight, the cellars are ready. Blood, food, medical aid, a place to sleep, whatever you may need. Go via fairy ring, or else follow the Criostal down to where it meets the sea.

I can't meet you. [He grits his teeth, rubs at one brow with a spike-gauntleted hand, sounds like he's furious at himself for it.] Needed at the front lines. Give me some days. Until I return, my captains have orders to take you in and treat you well.

Comments

Audio, locked as hell

[gordianknots]

If you get me headcounts from the spire I can try and get emergency redirects in terms of supplies for the influx.

Audio, locked as hell

[vrykolakas]

I'll send the numbers your way once I know them. But other spires will need assistance too, and I doubt we'll be the worst off.

La Llorona's on fire.

[gordianknots]

I've heard. If you know anyone with water magic now's the time to direct them to the problem.

video, locked;

[enthraller]

I take it things went badly at Caer Scima?

[It's not like he particularly cares for the Unseelie court in general, and it's probably for the best that the Seelie strike a heavy enough blow to balance things out again. But he's been reminded again and again lately that the lockets are monarch-monitored, so his expression is professional and neutral but with just enough controlled concern.]

video, locked;

[vrykolakas]

Rubble. Reul may be dead. The Jabberwock is out.

video, locked;

[enthraller]

That's... far more badly than I was optimistically hoping to hear.

Text // Locked

[fairyfoes]

Reul and Ridire dueled. Suspect High King of Caer Scima dead, unverified. The Jabberwock flies.

Coordinating guides of our Kin to assist new-made refugees. La Llorona is afire, badly, spread word, send who can be spared before whole forest and all fleeing through it are burnt.

Text // Locked

[vrykolakas]

Will do so.

[How can something like that die?

He can't ask, not now.]

audio; locked

[gandere]

... those who got out? [ There are people who didn't?

Rin's emotions have always been so easy to read even when she tries to mask them, but now she makes no attempt to cover them up remotely. ]

audio; locked

[vrykolakas]

The news at the front is that the Seelie tore it stone from stone.

[Of course there were casualties.]

audio; locked

[gandere]

[ Heaviness weaves arms around her and threatens to squeeze all the life out of her at the news, yet she somehow manages. Good thing she chose to address him only with her voice and nothing else. ]

The defenses were-? [ Were clearly not enough. ]

Who? Who did this?

voice; locked

[huntedby]

[There is large noise around Vanessa, and there is some shouting before she speaks up.]

I may send some people to you. I've been leading people to my Spire but I don't wish to become overrun--and the battle might end up here, as it's the closest to the Castle.

voice; locked

[vrykolakas]

It's doable. They're all interconnected by the rings. Prioritise sending me the ones who may need underground shelter from daylight, if you can. Best to use our resources wisely.

voice; locked

[huntedby]

Thank you--for various reasons it isn't good to have vampires around me. [Both she and them can become distracted.] I'll speak with the others and send those I can't keep in my cellar to you.

audio, night of the 10th;

[gehennawind]

[There's a familiar sight in the drying blood and in his eyes, if not a comforting one. She would lock this message if she knew the Brucolac's name, but until then, Paloma is anxious and evasive and desperate after several nights of shelter-less roaming:]

Kindred are welcome?

audio, night of the 10th;

[vrykolakas]

You're kin? Vampir?

[There's a new strain on his hoarse voice, hard to identify.]

[gehennawind]

[Wavering, but that answers that, doesn't it?]

Yes. [nearly going 'sir'] Not from around here or, or even this world. Are you? From around here?

voice. | locked.

[debts]

You sound like you've been working too hard.

[ The observation isn't entirely as light as it could be. ]

voice. | locked.

[vrykolakas]

Don't trouble yourself about it. A friend cut my throat for me three centuries ago. I've sounded this way since.

[This way being the harsh, whisperish rasp of his voice, not the particular tension drawing it tight just now.]

Where are you?

voice. | locked.

[debts]

[ Attractive. ]

Out.

[ (Purposefully vague.) A beat. She seems to give it half a thought before adding: ]

Out of the way, at least.

action; i am too lazy to put it on the log if this is cool!

[boutant]

[ Brennan has started howling, all but losing his mind; Ariadne had gotten him off the field (or more been herded off by him, his frantic snarling and snapping) and he'd manage to gasp out that Caer Scima had been attacked. He could feel it, had curled in on himself after revealing as much and then changed back into a wolf.

She has her own announcement of refuge to make, but she sees the Brucolac and she's over at his side, through the shadows, in an instant. ]

Do we have any solid information yet?

[ She's just as covered in blood as he is. ]

action; don't worry!

[vrykolakas]

La Llorona's on fire.

[He says it immediately, switching his locket off and turning to her, showing no surprise at her presence there. His voice is flat and serious, his mouth a tight-pressed line.]

action;

[boutant]

What?

[ She freezes, save for the drip of some blood that hasn't yet dried. It pauses on the end of her chin, lingering there before it drops, splashes against the ground. ]

Crap. I don't- How did they get past us? It wasn't the fairy ring, Grell has all sorts of alarms set up- we've been fighting, we've been trying to keep them here and then-

[ As many villagers as possible had been warned that La Llorona was in danger, that the Seelie was coming, but she doesn't know if it had been enough. Her manor will stand, it's warded against flame, but... ]

VIDEO.

[selfimage]

They won't stop until everything falls down, will they? [ there's defeat, and there's defeat, and this is beginning to look very much like the latter. ]

Ah, what a party to be welcomed to. Surprise, we want you dead. [ a little bitterly. ] Particularly vicious dead.

Tell me you're holding it together, to the least.

VIDEO.

[vrykolakas]

More apt than anyone would like. They would end this world, the callous cunts, for the sake of making it tidy.

[He shakes his head, long tongue lashing.]

I'm not in the ground yet.