[23:04] <@Trimangle> One evening, when Alex was able to scrape some free time ou of her schedule...she returns to Hazard's Hollow, purpose in her step as she knocks on the young girl's front door.
[23:05] <~Hazard> The door swings open as the last knock lands. There is nobody on the other side, but a wave of leaves rush behind the door.
[23:07] <@Trimangle> Alex suppresses another shudder, entering the house and closing the door behind her. "It's me, Alex," she calls into the empty room. "I'm coming up, okay?"
[23:09] <~Hazard> "O-okay." The voice sounds much closer than if it had come from upstairs. The leaves rush past Alex and around the corner like a verdant wind.
[23:13] <@Trimangle> Alex looks around to orient herself on the voice, then heads towards it instead of up the stairs. "Hazard?"
[23:16] <~Hazard> The hall bends around into the living room, and beyond it, a room with a table that seems like it was grown from the floor. A simple tablecloth is over it, and there are two place settings. A brown-haired head pops out of the kitchen. She brushes back her braid out of her eyes. "Uh, hey. Hungry?"
[23:33] <@Trimangle> Alex rests her hands on her hips, smiling at Hazard. "If you're already making something, I won't say no," Alex says gratefully. "Have you been well?" She advances toward the table, turning to look at Hazard in the kitchen.
[23:36] <~Hazard> A hint of a smile, and she vanishes behind the wall again. "Since last night? Well, I actually waved hello to Sirius today."
[23:37] <@Trimangle> "That's good," Alex responds, stepping over towards the kitchen. "D'you need a hand, or are you good?"
[23:43] <~Hazard> The kitchen is filled with a variety of vegetable-based foods. More than salad, there's a three-bean chili and garlic bread. The last stages of what appears to be a black bean pasta is being served up into a pair of wooden bowls. There is still more in the pot. "Nah, I'm just finishing up." She hefts the bowls of pasta over to the chili, and spoons some over the top.
[23:45] <@Trimangle> Alex blinks. "Oh, you didn't need to do all this," she says, zipping into the kitchen to at least pick up one of the bowls so Hazard wouldn't have to carry both. "I'm touched, though, and this looks really good."
[23:48] <~Hazard> "You've worked hard to help me, and you always serve everyone else." A few vines reach over and pick up the salad bowls, bringing them over to the table. She brings a small bowl of what appears to be cheese. "I wanted to repay you."
[23:57] <@Trimangle> A faint redness colors Alex's cheeks, and she takes her bowl over to the table. "I...thank you, Hazard." She smiles, and takes the seat Hazard doesn't take. "I try my best."
[00:04] <~Hazard> The leaves that formed her simple shirt, sweats, and apron shifts around to become a dress. It's green in color, but is lightweight, and has leaf-shaped fringe around the shoulders like a flared sleeve. The v-neckline flows around the golden collar. "Dig in. I made a cheesecake for dessert, though. Save room."
[00:11] <@Trimangle> Alex blushes and smiles, digging into the food. "Mm. Hazard, this is really good," she says, smiling broadly. "And I'll be sure to save room!"
[00:12] <~Hazard> "So, um... What d-" She steels herself a bit. "What did you want to talk about?"
[00:16] <@Trimangle> Alex tilts her head, putting her fork down. "After the last time we saw each other, I took some time to think about...your suit," she says, indicating the golden bands. "Came up with an idea that might work, and it won't cost us anything if it fails."
[00:19] <~Hazard> There's a light in her eyes that twinkles like diamonds. "Really? What do I have to do?"
[00:22] <@Trimangle> "I'm going to try to get you to visualize your mana in a sort of raw form, not shaped into a spell, and let it flow into those bands."
[00:26] <~Hazard> She considers this for a moment, but a sudden startle in her brings a blush to her cheeks. "Uhhhhandwhatisthatgoingtodo... exactly?"
[00:30] <@Trimangle> Alex doesn't speak for a moment, because she's taking another bite of her pasta. "Mmm. This is good," she remarks, putting her fork down. "Well, in theory, it should leave you in total control of your outfit, and therefore yourself." She frowns a little. "I'm not /entirely/ positive on that, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?"
[00:35] <~Hazard> "R-right." She fiddles with her chili-topped pasta a moment, then pops it in her mouth. "The riskier the road, the greater the profit."
[00:36] <@Trimangle> Alex nods. "Exactly," she responds, smiling as she takes another bite. "After dinner, though."
[00:41] <~Hazard> "Mhm." She seems relieved, and tears off a chunk of garlic bread. She smiles wide, with a golden crumb stuck to the corner of her mouth. "You think this is good enough? I'm trying to use my magic to produce crops to feed the people we saved from Eden Arms. Ea's idea."
[00:45] <@Trimangle> Alex glances up at Hazard, caught off guard. "Hazard, that's wonderful. You grew all of this yourself?" she asks, indicating the food on the table. "It's amazing. How are they all doing, by the way? Where are they all?"
[00:48] <~Hazard> "She said they put them up in an abandoned building.Set it up like a new apartment complex. Even took in a few of the homeless in the area." She pokes her fork tines into a patch of lettuce and tomato. "They're just short on food supplies is all. Glad I have some mad underground farming skills from Minecraft."
[00:50] <@Trimangle> Alex laughs. "Yeah, I s'pose so. I'm...really glad we were able to save at least a few of them from that world. Though...part of me thinks someone should put a definitive stop to PsiWolf. Secure the future of that world, keep it from going through a loop for eternity."
[00:54] <~Hazard> "I wish I could help, but that's not a mission I can go on. Maybe bring Ea and Tesla along. They've got firepower!" The tension seems to have melted from her body, and the nervous twitch of her eyes has dulled down. Bits of joy bounce up into her eye, like children trying to peek over a fence. Each time they do, it seems like she might be her old self, and sh
[00:55] <~Hazard> she looks up at Alex. Then, gravity pulls the children back down, and she descends to her meal again.
[00:59] <@Trimangle> Alex grins. "The three of us against PsiWolf. Hell yeah." She grins, cheered by Hazard's joy, no matter how fleeting it ended up being. Her grin settles into an honest smile, and her arm twitches as if it wanted to move, but it doesn't. Instead, she goes back to her meal as well.
[01:04] <~Hazard> Her eye flits to the twitching arm, and the muscles in her arms and neck snap to attention without moving. The children in her eyes duck down, and she wills her nerves to behave. Though her body doesn't move, her spirit bows low.
[01:09] <@Trimangle> Alex notices Hazard's demeanor; how could she not? With an effort of will, she doesn't say anything, and forces herself to remain calm and continue eating. ~This /will/ work,~ she thinks to herself.
[01:11] <~Hazard> "Alex?" She mutters. "What if this doesn't work? What if... I'm just a broken magical girl?"
[01:15] <@Trimangle> "Don't think like that," Alex says, shaking her head. "If this doesn't work, then we'll just find another way. You're not broken, just a little more complicated." She smiles. "I believe that it will, though."
[01:20] <~Hazard> "Complicated?" She thinks it through a bit, but doesn't seem convinced. "I hope you're right." He spins her fork through the pasta, collecting a spiraled mass on the end, with chili oozing over and through it.
[01:23] <@Trimangle> Alex takes another bite of pasta and chili. "Man. This is really good." She smiles. "I'm sure all the residents of Eden Arms appreciate it."
[01:29] <~Hazard> "I wish I could do more." There is no light in her blue eyes. The ancient depth seems to have taken a holiday as well. They are flat, and stare mindlessly into the puddle of reddish-brown bean sauce. "For them and for you."
[01:32] <@Trimangle> "Hey, hey. You're doing just fine by me, Hazard." She smiles brightly, as if she could cause her warmth to osmose into Hazard. "It's fine to want to do more, but don't let it beat you down."
[01:39] <~Hazard> She shakes her head and leans back against the back of her chair. Her gaze drifts to a spot on the floor with no obvious attraction. Maybe, if you look closely at how the grain of the smooth-polished wood swirls, you might see a llama, or is that a hand. It isn't very resolute in either event, and hardly worth staring at.
[01:40] <~Hazard> "I... I guess we just have to wait and see."
[01:41] <@Trimangle> Alex nods. "Mhm." She goes to work on her salad next, taking a large forkful. "Mm. This is really good. Lot better than...uh, what was the name of that place we went to?"
[01:45] <~Hazard> "Sweet Tomatoes? Yeah. Maybe its the magic in them to speed up their growth. I can use that in combination with hydroponics to get some really big specimens really fast." Her lip tweaks at the corner. "Advantages of living near Epcot, The Land is very helpful for a Plant mage."
[01:47] <@Trimangle> "Yeah, Sweet Tomatoes." She nods. "And maybe it is the magic," she allows. "Hard to say, but whatever it is, I love it."
[01:51] <~Hazard> The girl stands, her meal completed. Vines snake out and clear the empty dishes, pulling them over to the sink. She reaches into the refrigerator, and takes out a cheesecake with a crumbled black cookie crust and cherries on top. She pulls away the plastic wrap from it. "Then I hope you like this, too."
[01:53] <@Trimangle> Alex's eyes widen, and she grins. "Oh, that looks divine," Alex says happily.
[01:56] <~Hazard> She takes a knife to the dessert, slicing through the broad cylinder into sixteen pieces, pulling two out onto plates. A thin layer of the cherry glaze makes a stripe through the center of the slice, dividing the cheesecake in two. She walks thw plates over to the table, leaving one with Alex.
[01:59] <@Trimangle> Alex accepts the cheesecake, waiting for Hazard to take her seat before she partakes.
[02:02] <~Hazard> The girl pulls her skirt under her as she sits, and curls forward over her hands to watch with baited breath. Golden rings on her fingers keep them fully interlacing, and her bracelets make a pleasant, resonant clink as they brush against each other.
[02:05] <@Trimangle> Alex takes a bite and smiles blissfully. "Oh /man/," she says. "I haven't had a cheesecake this good in I can't even remember how long." She happily falls on the rest of the piece.
[02:08] <~Hazard> The little girl smiles warmly, and begins to break off pits of her own cake with her fork and eat it with rapt joy.
[02:11] <@Trimangle> Alex concentrates on her cake, and unfortunately, the piece is gone a little quickly for Alex's liking. "Oh man," she says again.
[02:13] <~Hazard> "I have a confession to make to you, Alex." She turns her face down towards her cake, hiding her expression.
[02:15] <@Trimangle> Alex tilts her head. "What's up, Hazard?"
[02:16] <~Hazard> She shuffles nervously, and pops another forkful of cheesecake in her mouth. "I..."
[02:16] <~Hazard> "I.... had to buy the ingredients for the cake from the store. I can't grow dairy, after all."
[02:17] <@Trimangle> Alex snorts, giggling. "That's fine," she gets out through her giggles. "It's still good, and I imagine the cherries are still from you."
[02:18] <~Hazard> "Well, yeah."
[02:20] <~Hazard> There is a slight blush from the girl, what is this, three tonight? As she digs in further. "Maraschino cherries. Had to look up how to make them."
[02:20] <@Trimangle> She nods. "It's still really good," she assures the girl. "Thank you very much."
[02:25] <~Hazard> "It's the least I can do." The little blue eyes look up at Alex again, the children seeming to have found a bench to stand on or something. "I did all the cooking for my group in my old life, so a dinner for two isn't much."
[02:29] <@Trimangle> "I certainly appreciate it," Alex says humbly. "I haven't had a home-cooked meal in...I can't remember how long. I don't think the pub counts as home-cooked."
[02:35] <~Hazard> "No. But it's still good. At least what I've had." She puts away the last bit of cake, then stares at the pot of chili. She chuckles lightly, with no hint of a smile to her face.  
[02:42] <@Trimangle> Alex stands up and carries her plate and fork into the kitchen, standing to Hazard's side. "Hey," she says, looking over after she places her flatware in the sink. "It'll be fine. This'll work, okay?"
[02:43] <~Hazard> "Naw. I just had a bad joke go through my head."
[02:44] <@Trimangle> "Oh, okay." Alex chuckles as well.
[02:48] <~Hazard> "So, shall we head up to my room to test this?" Her shoulders tilt a bit. "I'd rather not do it out here where Sirius might see me if things go wrong."
[02:49] <@Trimangle> Alex nods. "Sounds like a good idea," she agrees.
[02:53] <~Hazard> A sudden burst of leaves launches Hazard into the air and onto the second floor landing.
[02:54] <@Trimangle> Alex meets her shortly after, courtesy of a rising column of air.
[02:56] <~Hazard> She spins back to face her friend, her skirts twirling lazily around her shins. a few more hops, and she enters the hall, stepping lightly to the door of her room. With a twist of the polished oak handle, the tyke pulls the door open, making a sweeping bow to gesture inside. "After you."
[02:58] <@Trimangle> Alex inclines her head, following the girl. "Thank you," she says, stepping into the room ahead of the younger girl.
[03:02] <~Hazard> The door shuts behind Hazard's flowing hair. Perhaps its the lighting, but it looks like a darker, more saturated brown than the last time Alex was in this room with her, with hints of blond and red. The room is laid out the same, with the wood of the walls carved up straight, then arching in to form an oblong dome ceiling. In the center of that dome, there is a hole through which greenery can be seen forming a tightly laced cover for the skylight.
[03:03] <~Hazard> is a hole through which greenery can be seen forming a tightly laced cover for the skylight.
[03:04] <@Trimangle> Alex looks around at the room, smiling. "This room looks really nice," she says, looking up at the skylight. "The greenery makes it look even better."
[03:05] <~Hazard> "Yeah, just be careful about the panel underneath." She says, pointing. "It's malfunctioning now, but it's a springboard."
[03:07] <@Trimangle> Alex blinks, looks down at the floor, then up at the skylight. "...Why would you build that into your room?"
[03:09] <~Hazard> "Easy exit. Not a problem for me because wings."
[03:11] <@Trimangle> Alex barks a laugh. "Unconventional, but it makes sense." She shakes her head, careful to stay away from the indicated panel.
[03:13] <~Hazard> "Okay. Show me what to do."
[03:18] <@Trimangle> "Right. So what I want you to do is reach inside yourself for your magic, and draw it out without framing it into a spell. Just draw your raw aether out of your body and hold it above your palm." Alex demonstrates, turning her hand palm-up. Green streamers flow out of her arm and hand, collecting in a small orb hovering an inch or so over her skin.
[03:23] <~Hazard> The girl claps her hands together, palms at nintey degrees and in opposite directions. As she draws her hands back, streamers of energy flit back and forth, shimmering in different colors. They twist around each other, turning around and around until they become  prismatic ball.
[03:25] <@Trimangle> "That's the way," Alex says approvingly. "Now, I'm going to pull out every last bit of energy that's still in your bands, okay?" Alex slowly raises her hands so as not to spook the girl. "When I do that, I want you to try putting that energy into your bands. Okay?"
[03:26] <~Hazard> "Okay."
[03:27] <@Trimangle> Alex reaches out towards Hazard with her unoccupied hand, drawing her energy back out of Hazard's bands, leaving them empty, the faint green threads unspooling and detaching from Hazard and returning to their mistress.
[03:32] <~Hazard> The rainbow mists unfurl from the ball, twisting and tearing into streams that flow to the gold restraints. For a moment, they glow all the colors of nature, but the energy flows out of them and through her dress. The light dress shatters, reforming into the tiny outfit of her typical transformation. The glow fades from the leaves.
[03:33] <~Hazard> "Uh... I don't feel any different."
[03:34] <@Trimangle> Alex cocks her head. "Uh, hm. You know, I have...no idea how I'd know if that worked. Um...can you try that again? See what it does this time?" Alex narrows her eyes, looking at the different bands. "See if it acts any different now."
[03:37] <~Hazard> She claps her hand in the Elric style and draws out her mana again, letting it flow into her bonds. As soon as the energy hits, it flows over the suit. She moves her arms around in lazy circles, then shakes her head "No".
[03:39] <@Trimangle> "Hmm. Okay, I'm going to try something now." Alex draws a small section of mana off of her sphere. "I'm going to try doing exactly the same thing I did last time. If my theory's correct, the presence of /your/ energy in your bands will stop mine. Okay?"
[00:42] <~Hazard> She nods, tensing up. Her brow wrinkles, and one side of her mouth pulls up in a wince, activating her dimples. She reaches out her hand to Alex.
[00:44] <@Trimangle> Alex reaches out to Hazard, lacing their fingers together and letting her energy flow over Hazard's hand and wrist. She doesn't attempt to force or press it anywhere.
[00:47] <~Hazard> The energy slurps up into the rings at her fingers, lancing up the long glove and over her body.
[00:55] <~Hazard> The little fingers are yanked back by their root, the elbow bending mechanically. Her hips twist and a blush awakens in her cheeks. "Eh!..."
[00:55] <@Trimangle> "No!" Alex yelps, panic squeezing her heart as she sees Hazard begin to move. Time almost slows for her as she convulsively jerks backward, pulling her mana back out of the poor girl's bands and returning it to the flow of her body.
[00:55] <~Hazard> Flop
[00:56] <~Hazard> The girl crumples to the floor. "Ow... I think I should grab a pillow or something..."
[00:56] <@Trimangle> "F-Fuck sakes!" she gets out explosively, catching the girl as she flops. "Okay! More testing required! New plan!"
[00:59] <~Hazard> "New plan is good." She brushes herself off, then pauses. The entire outfit begins to rustle as the leaves that have laced together to form its material shake themselves out. Sufficiently dusted, the little girl stands to her feet and prepares for new instructions. The blush has yet to die.
[01:03] <@Trimangle> "Okay. So. Now we're going to try....trojan horse." Alex pulls out another sphere of magic. "Here, try to sort of...helix your magic around mine." Alex shapes her green mana into a spiral, the shape straightening to a needlepoint. "Wrap it around."
[01:06] <~Hazard> Tiny fingers wrap around the verdant spire, weaving a double helix of rainbow mana around it. Opalescent lightning sparks between them like nucleotides, and draws the twin spirals in against the green shaft of light.
[01:10] <@Trimangle> "Right. So, here's how this is going to work...hopefully. Your bands like my magic, but they don't like yours the same way, for whatever reason. So we're going to try to slip one past it. We're gonna put this amalgam into it, then I'm going to shear mine off and pull it back. That should leave your magic inside. Right?" She nods, searching for Hazard's eyes.
[01:12] <~Hazard> "Seems legit." She looks up at the older girl, her eyes twinkling in the shifting light like the past few weeks never happened.
[01:15] <@Trimangle> Alex offers the girl a genuine smile. "Aight, here we go. Nice and easy." The distorted double-helix begins to flow through the air -- at least, the green side does. She takes it slow, taking care to not tear the structure apart. "Give your side a 'tail' of your own magic, so you can follow it up with more of yours, if need be."
[01:16] <~Hazard> She does so, connecting the ends of the mana genome to a streamer like an over-complicated balloon animal.
[01:18] <@Trimangle> "Alright." Alex nods, taking a slow breath, calming herself. "Nice and easy," she repeats, beginning to guide the amalgam towards Hazard's bands, attaching a thinner thread to the end of her side.
[01:22] <~Hazard> The verdant mana taps against the metal, and vanishes within like a ship through an event horizon. The pull stretches the lightning, twisting and yanking at the rainbow helix. The helix flows over the bands, splashing against them as wind mana jumps and bounds across the little girl's body. The convulsion pulls her hands apart, bending her arm like an overly  
[01:23] <~Hazard> forceful police officer.
[01:25] <@Trimangle> Alex grits her teeth, strengthening the connection at the tail end of the mana, binding her spire tightly against what remains of the rainbow, trying to draw it in behind. "Come on," she mutters. "Come /on/, this has to work...! Hold on...!"
[01:29] <~Hazard> The connection grows as the lightning bosons begin to spend more and more of their color-shifting as green. The helix begins to gather up again from the gloves...
[01:31] <~Hazard> And starts to move up the spire towards Alex, crawling, clambering up her feeding thread as the little girl's body is forced into a pose that, though cute and feminine, is also awkward and unsure. A staff appears in one hand as the voracious rainbow continues is rampage towards Alex.
[01:32] <@Trimangle> Alex has no idea if what she's doing is working...or /what/ it's doing to poor Hazard. She looks at the color-shifting with apprehension and trepidation...she doesn't know what it means. She gathers her mana into sort of a bowl shape and starts pressing Hazard's mana into her bands. "Come on!" she grates, more forcefully. "This /has/ to work!"
[01:34] <~Hazard> Fear, pain, something else. They are duking it out in the empty spheres of Hazard's eyes. It's like Vegeta Vs. Goku Vs. One-Punch Man in there, and the Kamehameha of it all is streaming out of her irises as rainbow colored light. "Ah... AAAAAAA! NO! STOOOOP!"
[01:35] <@Trimangle> It's another fraction of a second that she connects what she's doing to what Vix told her, and realizes this isn't something that can be /forced/ in the way Alex is attempting. There are two meanings to what's happening, and it's the metaphorical that's more important. She abandons her efforts and withdraws her magic, pulling the viridian energy clear. "NO!"
[01:36] <~Hazard> The tiny body falls, without even moving the knees to fall properly. She just crumples against them, and her feet slip out from under her. Her shoulders slap the floor, and her head moments after. Smoke pours from her bracelets and eyes.
[01:38] <@Trimangle> Alex catches the girl on the way down, her heart wrenching. "O-Oh god," Alex breathes brokenly. "H-Hazard? A-Are you....a-are...."
[01:38] <~Hazard> Silence, but for rasping breath.
[01:39] <@Trimangle> "I-I..." Alex's eyes water and she sniffles, shaking her head. "H-Hazard...th-that was stupid of me. I-I realized too late...." Alex holds the girl against her.
[01:41] <~Hazard> The pattern of breathing changes, forming some sort of sound, but so weak it just comes out as more rasping. Her fingers twitch repeatedly as her dilated eyes stare in horror at a blank wall.
[01:43] <@Trimangle> Alex looks at that faraway look in Hazard's eye and lets out a low cry, hugging the girl to her chest. "I-I'm sorry! I-I wasn't thinking!"
[01:47] <~Hazard> Being pulled back against the older girl, her spine flops her whole weight onto Alex. Where there was once a youthful mischief or ancient understanding, is just inky blackness and desaturated rainbow smoke. A moment passes, and a moist gloss returns. A shudder and flutter, and her eyelids lazily droop down.
[01:49] <@Trimangle> "Vix," Alex calls, still holding the girl against her. "I...I fucked up, Vix. I fucked up bad."
[01:51] <~Hazard> Cream fur crawls out like monstrous caterpillars from beneath the bed. They pull a vaguely vulpine body out from the domain of childhood fears, and Vix is fully in the world. "What."
[01:51] <~Hazard> "Have"
[01:51] <~Hazard> "You"
[01:51] <~Hazard> "Done"
[01:51] <~Hazard> "?"
[01:52] <~Hazard> You have no idea how one actually manages to pronounce a question mark, but Puchuus break the rules, and he seems to be making a point here.
[01:54] <~Hazard> (Wow, If this were an anime, end credits get inserted there, just saying.)
[01:54] <DrEvilKitteh> (NEXT WEEK, ON MEGUCA BALL Z)
[01:54] <@Trimangle> (Ehehehe)
[01:56] <@Trimangle> Alex looks up at Vix, her eyes reddened, about as horrified as Hazard's, and on the verge of tears. "I-I...I...." She wipes her nose and shakes her head. "I....I t-tr-tried. I thought that....her bands accepted my magic eagerly, but resisted hers....t-the story of the Trojan Horse. I thought t-that if...I guided her magic in alongside mine...th-then that would suffice. B-b-but I forgot about the c-contract!" she exclaims, shaking her head. "W-What I was actually doing....s-something caused a reaction...I-I don't...I never...!"
[01:59] <~Hazard> The creamy furball taps one of his tails against the little brunette's forehead. "This is bad." He says, James Earl Jones in a movie trailer surrounding you with his voice. "Her mana circuitry is fried. The power she's been using isn't flowing. It's all getting built up in the restraints."
[02:00] <@Trimangle> "F-f-fuck." She shudders. "I-I /swear/ I was just trying to do like I said!" she asserts. "Wh-what...c-can we do?"
[02:02] <~Hazard> "Healing will relieve the burned nerves, and she'll recover with rest, but her magic..."
[02:03] <@Trimangle> Alex stares at Vix, fear gripping her. "P-P-Please don't tell me..." she whispers.
[02:04] <~Hazard> "The magic of her staff can't flow with her like this. It could take a very long time for her to use magic again. She's powerless."
[02:07] <~Hazard> As if on queue, spots of brown begin to appear and spread across the little girl's clothing. Bits of the material turn up and become crisp, cracking off. As if spring suddenly turned to fall across her entire body, the leaves of her suit begin to die.
[02:08] <@Trimangle> "N-No...! I-I-I--" She starts weeping uncontrollably, her body wracked with sobs. "I-I-I w-w-was just t-t-...t-trying to..." She breaks off, sobbing and hugging the girl tight. "Th-there has to--no!" she says, distraught, panicked, as she notices the suit begin to die. "T-Tell me what to do, Vix!"
[02:09] <~Hazard> "Get her up on the bed. I'll call Alstaka and see what we can cobble together for her nervous system." In a puff of fur, he vanishes.
[02:11] <@Trimangle> Alex has a task. It's not a big one, and it won't help, but it's a task. She lifts Hazard up and carries her tenderly to her bed, laying her down on it. Then, she sits herself down against the wall, wrapping her arms around her knees.
[02:14] <~Hazard> Dead leaves trail as the limp body is carried into the Ikea bed with its faded red sheets and shaped-foam pillow. A black comforter with a bajillion abstract shape in various pastel colors marching across it, altogether making a very 90's look. A slight breeze wafts in from the skylight, and the oblong room turns it into a dustdevil. Dead leaves dance in pale moonlight, and the howling forms a haunting melody.
[02:15] <@Trimangle> Alex looks up at the skylight with a dull expression. She seals off the aperture with a viridian wall.
[02:28] <~Hazard> "Alstaka." It says, looking up at her. "You might recognize me better if I were made of a fluid."
[02:31] <@Trimangle> Her wariness falls away. "Yes, I would," Alex acknowledges. "I didn't know you could also make yourself out of leaves." Her eyebrow quirks. "Um, she's...right here. I fucked up bad, Alstaka. Um, I know a healer in the Overcity...we could take her there and you and she could put your heads together...Um. What happened, right. There's...I don't really know how I can explain it, but I was trying to get Hazard's magic to circulate in her outfit, and...something happened."
[02:33] <~Hazard> Vix pops up from the other side of the bed, and the two puchuu begin pacing around the limp body. Much of the crispy orange and brown leaves have drifted from the winds, and bits of pale skin is visible. "We will take care of her, Alex. She will recover from this."
[02:38] <@Trimangle> "Welcome back, Vix." Alex's heart unclenches just a little bit more. "Y-You have to believe me, both of you," she says earnestly. "I d-didn't mean to hurt Hazard. I thought I was helping."
[02:41] <~Hazard> "It is a failing of the more corporeal races." Tails are flying around, tumbling and caroming off each other. "Guilt serves no purpose. Blame is an excuse for inaction. Do, or do not. There is no think."
[02:42] <~Hazard> Strange to hear Vader's voice say a line so close to Yoda's.
[02:44] <@Trimangle> Alex chuckles, mirthlessly. "Well, I /did/, alright." She shakes her head, stepping closer to the bed.
[02:45] <~Hazard> Tiny pink gumdrop eyes bow with their head. "You did. Now we three will do."
[02:47] <@Trimangle> "Yes. We will." Alex's resolve firms. "Tell me what you need from me."
[02:53] <~Hazard> The leafy creature chimes in like a bell. "She requires a large amount of acetyl-L-carnitine. Her body will generate it on its own given rest and diet, but we can suppliment magically for now. In the meantime, we have to soothe the pain she's in by soaking her in warm water."
[02:54] <~Hazard> (I looked that up on WebMD...)
[02:55] <@Trimangle> (I had to look it up too. I still have no idea where you get it outside of a supplement. Carni- makes it sound like something you get from meat, but...)
[02:56] <@Trimangle> "Acetyl L-carnitine. Right. Um...is that something you get from eating meat?"
[02:56] <~Hazard> "Especially plentiful in mutton or chicken. But magic will do for now."
[02:58] <@Trimangle> "Okay. Warm water, right. I--her bathroom's this way." Alex walks off to the girl's master bathroom, and starts preparing a tub.
[03:01] <~Hazard> Mutterings from the bedroom can be heard, high and low. They monitor their volume to make it hard to hear over the crashing water in the glazed wooden basin. The only word that comes through clearly is "Overload". High in pitch, like a piccolo.
[03:03] <@Trimangle> Alex calls back into the room, "You know, it's safe to tell me exactly how I screwed the pooch on this one. I think I ought to know, so I can not fuck up the next time."
[03:05] <~Hazard> "Actually, Alex, we may have another problem that will need your assistance." Vix says.
[03:06] <@Trimangle> Satisfied with the water, she shuts off the tub and rejoins the pair. "Yeah?"
[03:08] <~Hazard> As she returns to the room, bright light sears her eyes. The restraints shine like miniature suns, so bright that their shifts in hue are imperceptible. "The bonds are building up the power of the Sylph Sniper to an overload."
[03:09] <@Trimangle> Alex curses and shields her eyes, blinking away the sudden spots. "Okay, that sounds -- and looks -- like bad news. "Wh-what do you want me to do?"
[03:12] <~Hazard> "You have to force the mana out with your own." Says the deep voice behind the light. "Force it back into the staff."
[03:13] <~Hazard> "Why can't I do this, comrade?" Comes the lighter voice from an imperfect silhouette.
[03:13] <@Trimangle> "But that would --" Alex begins to protest, and shuts her fucking mouth in a hurry. "...R-Right."
[03:13] <~Hazard> "It should not come in contact with our power, Alstaka."
[03:14] <~Hazard> "It does not react well to Puchuu intervention."
[03:16] <@Trimangle> "O-Okay. Right. Right!" Alex nods, bouncing from foot to foot for a moment before settling down. She dives into herself and dredges her mana out of the deepest part of herself. A circle of green energy etches itself in the space around her feet, sending streamers of green skyward around her body. She starts to glow, faintly, the light pulsing like the beat of an aetheric heart. "And this won't harm her? You think?"
[03:16] <~Hazard> "Do, or do not."
[03:18] <~Hazard> A bolt of mana careens through the room, leaving a many-hued scorch mark across the floor. A springboard in the center of the room launches into action.
[03:18] <@Trimangle> Alex yelps at the bolt of mana flying across the room. "Right. Worse problems if I tarry. I can always pull my mana back out afterward. Okay." She takes a breath, then holds her arm out, palm facing Hazard. Energy begins streaming off of her hand towards the girl on the bed -- specifically, to her bands.
[03:23] <~Hazard> Green wraps with rainbows, like a photo of a Hawaiian horizon twisted and stretched into streamers. They wrestle, curiously at first, then with rapt fury. The tiny girl convulses, tossing dead leaves into the air. Her limp corpse is pulled into the air, and a staff appears before her. Lights war. Bolts scream. Some dude in Nantucket changed the channel on his TV set, but that has nothing to do with this story.
[03:29] <@Trimangle> Alex grits her teeth. "Take it /back/," she grates, staring at the staff. "Take your magic back," she commands, driving her mana into the girl's bands, hating the necessity but more scared of the consequences of inaction.
[03:32] <~Hazard> Like a thousand angry wraiths, the light breaks away from the golden bands, streaming into the disk floating in the crook of the staff. Many colors of light race up and down through the grain of the wood, losing intensity and speed as they run. Finally, The glowing comes to an end.
[03:37] <~Hazard> The young body touches down to the ground, standing in the same awkward, but youthful pose as before. Orange, red, and brown continue to drift to the floor. The staff lands in her hand, and she leans on it gently.
[03:39] <~Hazard> Her mouth hangs open lifelessly, and her eyes remain closed, but there's color and breath to her still.
[03:39] <@Trimangle> "O-Okay. That's....creepy. I-I can pull out now, right?" Alex looks between Vix and Alstaka. "And she won't be..." She gestures to Hazard's current pose.
[03:40] <~Hazard> "You may release her, Miss Ridgeway."
[03:42] <@Trimangle> "Right." Alex shudders and reverses her aetheric flow, calling to her mana and drawing it out of the girl's bands, making sure to catch her as she crumples. "Why does she always strike a pose..."
[03:43] <~Hazard> "She is as you think of her."
[03:45] <@Trimangle> "Yeah but it's creepy. Can I make it so that if I have to do this, she /doesn't/ do that?"
[03:46] <~Hazard> "That may be a conversation for another time. Alstaka and I will procure medications for her and build them up with what kinds of magic we can. Please, take care of her."
[03:47] <@Trimangle> "You have my word," Alex says softly, carrying Hazard to the tub. "She's gonna hate me when she wakes up...she already felt useless, and now you say I've...burned her magic out of her? Or at least her ability to tap it?"
[03:53] <~Hazard> "I cannot speak of her feelings. All you can do is work for her betterment while you can." Tails curl around the two creatures, and as those tails flit away, the weight and presence of the puchuu is gone. The child drifts down into the water, the last few leaves floating at the surface. The twitching of her hands eases, and her breathing evens out.
[03:55] <@Trimangle> Alex sighs, unconsciously relaxing now that the Puchuu are gone. She lets Hazard drift in the water, keeping her head above the waterline. "It's gonna be okay, Hazard. Puchuu and Alstaka are gonna fix you up right."
[03:57] <~Hazard> A slight spasm of her back shifts her body, but the girl floats serenely, like a blossom on the top of a pond. A peep of a moan escapes her lips.
 
 
Later, Hazard's Hollow
[23:57] <~Hazard> The child Hazard lays in her bed, covers pulled over. Only her head and a thick golden collar pokes past the sheets. She's curled up, knees tucked up ever so slightly, and her arms laying haphazardly across her pillow. Her contoured pillow cradles her neck, but despite this, a slight bit of a snore escapes her. The sunlight streams in from the sunroof, the leafy branches pulled away to their natural positions.
[00:03] <@Trimangle> Alex is sitting in a chair next to the bed. Has she moved lately? Is she awake? ...Is she alive? No, maybe not, and definitely yes, in order. She has been standing the little girl's guard for the past while, now.
[00:06] <~Hazard> Another figure steps inside the room, laying a gentle, tiny hand on Alex's shoulder. "Haven't you gotten any sleep, dear?" The voice is young, but there is a motherly warmth to her tone. "Alex? Alex, how long sice you ate something?"
[00:10] <@Trimangle> Alex's eyes open, and her gaze shifts to Hazard on the bed as she pulls herself upright. "Hmm?" she asks, rubbing her eyes. "I just...closed my eyes," she says, looking over at the girl ahead of her. "Um...how long since I ate something...last thing I ate was dinner here. What time is it?"
[00:14] <~Hazard> "It's past four in my world," Ea replies. "I think it's a similar time in this one. Four in the afternoon. Here." She rummages into her bag and pulls out a lunchable. "Suzy brought us all her dad's pizza for career day, so I didn't eat this."
[00:17] <@Trimangle> Alex pulls her phone out and checks it. "...Yeah, it's about that time," she remarks. She looks at the Lunchable in Ea's hand, moving hers to join it. "...Thanks," Alex says with a soft chuckle. "Um...I don't have y'all memorized...Ginny?" she guesses.
[00:20] <~Hazard> "Minnie, dear. Bill's wife." She pulls out a bundle of clothing from her bag. There are a few tiny tee shirts and some shorts, as well as a bag of underwear and a bag of socks. "Vix told us that her powers fritzing also made her suit vanish. Thought she could use this."
[00:23] <@Trimangle> "Minnie, right." Alex shakes her head. "Sorry. Um." She looks at the bundle of clothing, nodding and setting the Lunchable down next to her. "Yeah, it was...weird, seeing it happen." She sounds subdued, not her usual self. "I'm sure she'd appreciate this."
[00:26] <~Hazard> The redhead sits down on the bed, careful to keep where Hazard's legs aren't. Her puffy, curly-cue pigtails frolic in the light breeze from the skylight. "How are you doing, Alex?"
[00:28] <@Trimangle> "Not great," Alex admits. "I'm on standby until Vix and Alstaka can give me an idea of what happened, and why. I...something burned out when I was trying to help her, and Vix told me she doesn't have access to her staff's magic anymore; that something was damaged."
[00:31] <~Hazard> "And you blame yourself, I take it." She pulls out her lighter, and begins flicking it open and closed absentmindedly.
[00:35] <@Trimangle> "I did the thing," Alex says, shrugging one shoulder. "I wasn't trying to harm her, but it was my action that caused it. So I'm responsible, but I don't necessarily have a guilty /conscience/ over it."
[00:38] <~Hazard> "Really? Looks like you're beat to hell, girl." She runs her fingers in little semicircles under her eyes, as if she were drawing bags there.
[00:40] <@Trimangle> Alex laughs softly. "It wasn't very fun, let's put it that way. Wild mana surges, watching god only knows what happen to her...yeah, I'm not 100%."
[00:45] <~Hazard> "And how are you making that situation better right now?"
[00:46] <@Trimangle> "I'm standing Hazard's guard," Alex replies. "When she wakes up...who knows? I'll have to explain what happened and explain that we're waiting on assistance from Vix and Alstaka."
[00:51] <~Hazard> "You shouldn't do so without rest, Alex. Your brain doesn't work well when it's like this." She flicks the lighter a few more times, then lays it down on her lap, cradled by the brown skirt. "If she's hurt, and you're hungover from a lack of rest, it could hurt you, too. You could both say things you regret."
[00:53] <@Trimangle> "Maybe," Alex admits. "But I couldn't just leave her. I mean, yeah, this is a safe place, and Sirius is somewhere nearby, and Vix could be here in a moment's notice...but I wanted her to see a friendly face when she woke up. Not to be met with an empty room and damaged powers."
[00:57] <~Hazard> "I'd offer to stand vigil, but my 'mother'-" Air quoting as hard as she can, "Wants me home for dinner. You don't think you could sleep right over there while Sirius watches?"
[01:05] <@Trimangle> Alex laughs. "Parents, huh? Um...I suppose I could do that," she agrees. "I kinda...I dunno. Maybe I should."
[01:06] <~Hazard> "Let me ask you, when she wakes up, what is the first thing you're going to do?"
[01:08] <@Trimangle> "The first thing? Say hi, ask how she's feeling. Then get into the explaining."
[01:12] <~Hazard> She nods, then stands up, smoothing out her jumper's skirt, and tucking her lighter into a pocket. She tosses her bag onto one shoulder. "Be careful, Alex. Good luck."
[01:14] <@Trimangle> "I'll do my best," Alex says, sighing. "Thanks for coming by. Good luck to you, too." She turns to the table beside her and opens the lunchable, nibbling at it.
[01:16] <~Hazard> "We'll be thinking of you." She closes the door quietly.
[01:18] <@Trimangle> Alex glances at Hazard as she continues to work at her food, opening the drink pouch and sipping from it.
[01:22] <~Hazard> There is a squeak.
[01:24] <@Trimangle> Alex looks over at the girl on the bed.
[01:24] <~Hazard> She exhales, exiting the typical rhythmic breathing of one asleep.
[01:28] <@Trimangle> Alex tilts her head just slightly, leaning back in her chair.
[01:30] <~Hazard> Her eyes make an overture of opening, but never manage to draw back the curtains. Each time she tries, she lets out a puff of air, then shuts them again.
[01:33] <@Trimangle> Alex turns herself towards the bed, focusing her attention on the girl, taking up the bag that Ea left.
[01:34] <~Hazard> "Uuooooow."
[01:35] <@Trimangle> "Afternoon, Hazard," Alex says quietly.
[01:38] <~Hazard> "Ale- whas isso brigh?" Her words slur like she's had a couple fists of liquor. "Uuuuuuh. Errythin hurs. Wha ha'en?"
[01:39] <@Trimangle> "I'm still not a hundred percent sure. I tried to help you, like we discussed, but it ended up backfiring instead." She rests her hand on the girl's shoulder. "All things considered, are you alright?"
[01:40] <~Hazard> "Ow."
[01:42] <@Trimangle> "I'll chalk that down as a 'maybe.'" Alex laughs a little.
[01:46] <~Hazard> She finally manages to open her eyes, but only barely. Squinting through her eyelashes, her eyes have none of their usual blue, just the white scelera and an abyssal black pupil. A bit of smoke puffs into the air. "Di we do ii?"
[01:49] <@Trimangle> Alex's eyes widen slightly, and there's a slight gasp as she looks into the girl's eyes. "I'm afraid not," Alex says softly. "I...something happened when I was trying to help you put your magic into your bands. It caused some sort of feedback loop, but by the time I stopped, the damage had been done."
[01:52] <~Hazard> Her eyes flutter, and she stirs, slowly rolling onto her back. Some of the covers go with her, wrapping her in her sheets. "How lo' washeye ou?"
[01:52] <@Trimangle> "It was after dinner when we started, and it's four PM now. Twenty hours or so? I have some clothes for you."
[01:54] <~Hazard> "Have you bee her the who ti?"
[01:55] <@Trimangle> "Yes," she admits. "I didn't...feel right, leaving. Even though I maybe should have gotten some sleep at home."
[01:59] <~Hazard> Her right arm pulls itself free from the comforter and red sheets, weighed heavily down by fatigue and the heavy golden bands. Her skin, normally porcelain pale, is now sallow, and sheet white. The arm reaches out for Alex.
[02:02] <@Trimangle> Alex meets Hazard's arm halfway, taking the girl's hand. "Vix says that whatever I did ended up damaging what he called the mana 'circuitry,' meaning the Sylph Sniper's magic can't flow. But we'll fix this."
02:04] <~Hazard> Shakily, the hand returns the grip, but without much strength. "I'mma beh honess. I cannd understan a wor of this. I juss ha one quesshun."
[02:05] <@Trimangle> "What's that, Hazard?"
[02:06] <~Hazard> "Why am I nekkid?"
[02:07] <@Trimangle> Alex opens her mouth, remembers what Hazard just said, shuts her mouth. Cocks her head. "Your suit was created by magic; since it's damaged and disabled, it went away. Ea came by and brought some clothes for you."
[02:09] <~Hazard> "Oh. Okay. Makes sense." What may pass for a smile in some recovery wards creeps across her face. "Didja look?"
[02:10] <@Trimangle> Alex shakes her head. "I would never. I haven't touched your sheets since I put you in bed."
[02:12] <~Hazard> "Yankin' yah chain." She breathes in, deeply at first. A tiny puff of air out, followed by a cough. "Not like therss mush to look a anywaysh."
[02:14] <@Trimangle> Alex giggles. "Still. ...Hazard, I'm sorry about this. We'll fix it, mkay?"
[02:17] <~Hazard> The arm pulls gently on Alex's hand. The other hand pokes out of the sheets, beckoning the older girl to the smoked out face and its slightly crispy, brown braid.
[02:26] <@Trimangle> Alex leans in, looking the girl over. Her free hand takes Hazard's free hand.
[02:26] <~Hazard> The little girl leans further up, shakily towards Alex's ear.
[02:27] <@Trimangle> Alex ducks her head, towards Hazard's ear.
[02:28] <~Hazard> As she moves past, the little lips pucker, kissing her on the cheek. "Thank you."
[02:30] <@Trimangle> Alex draws back, smiling. "O-Of course." She runs her hand through the girl's hair.
[02:31] <~Hazard> "Now, get some rest. I'll call you, and you can tell me all that... stuff."
[02:34] <@Trimangle> "Okay, Hazard," Alex submits. "You'll be fine here for a while?"
[02:35] <~Hazard> "I'mma sleep. So tired. Much pain."
[02:38] <@Trimangle> "Alright. Get some rest, okay?"
[02:38] <~Hazard> "Right back at ya..."
[02:43] <@Trimangle> Alex rises from her seat and heads over to the door. "I'll see you later, okay?"
[02:44] <~Hazard> A slight snore.
[02:49] <@Trimangle> Alex pauses at the threshold, turns back and smiles at the girl. Then, an echo of her own voice returns to her. "The Sylph Sniper's magic..." She shakes her head and exits, the words following her.