Friction Hearts

1.3.1

"Oliver can handle the fire at the Guard Station. Luminis, Tanken, are you okay to take the other two on your own?"

"Yes." Luminis' answer was immediate.

"Um, uh –" Tanken sputtered.

"Tanken, follow Luminis. Split off to help Oliver if you can. Nobuko and I will handle the other one. Go."

Luminis nodded once and sped off. Tanken spun, spotted her, and followed a beat later. To his credit, looking only a little lost.

Nobuko's eyes flickered to Clarion. Disapproval hung on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't deign to comment. It was relatively harmless to let Clarion take point, let her play Guild Master. She didn't have to like it, however.

Nobuko didn't pretend to play at politics, didn't have the mind for it, but she kept aware as best she could. Clarion Jones played the politics game. Emphasis on 'play'. No particular goal, and more of a mind to piss off the most people possible with a single action. It was easier to name the controversies Clarion wasn't somehow involved. If not the product of a mid-life crisis, Nobuko had no doubt that Frantic Heart was some spectacular middle finger to somebody. Most likely Lady Eulalia Morrow because most things Clarion Jones did were, and likely more than just the Morrow matriarch. Nobuko always thought it prudent to exit the scene when a select few characters made their appearance. Their limited interaction was not a coincidence. Nobuko regretted not taking a harder stance in discouraging Willow from seeking Clarion Jones' help. The sooner they could wash their hands of the women, the better.

Nobuko resigned herself to observing for now. The primary goal was to keep Willow safe after all.

Speaking of, Nobuko's charge wasn't holding up very well. Disappointing, but expected. Willow was still, unblinking. Nobuko watched for it, but Willow's chest barely rose and fell in breath. Nobuko dropped to Willows side, close as she could get without touching her.

"Breathe, Willow. You're in control. Remember your counting," Nobuko spoke clearly with smile in her voice, divorced her worry from her tone. It was a harrowing second before Willow answered.

"Yeah," Willow muttered. Her pale eyes were glazed, mind far from the present, but she began to breathe. Nobuko observed, made sure inhale and exhale were far enough apart that Willow wasn't hyperventilating. In only a few seconds there was a shade more colour to Willow's face, and she didn't look quite so sick. Nobuko shifted, watching for Willow's twitch toward the movement. Nobuko grasped Willow's hands to anchor her only then. Willow squeezed back in recognition. It would have to be enough.

"Thank you," Willow whispered.

"There you are." Nobuko squeezed her hands again, bringing them up to her cheeks so Willow could feel Nobuko's beaming smile. "All better!"

The slight raise at the end of Willow's mouth that answers Nobuko can barely be called a smile, but it was something. Nobuko was incredibly uncomfortable in the role of a comforter, but it was necessary for this assignment. Nobuko didn't do things by halves. Nobuko taught Willow well, besides. The girl visibly steeled herself.

She stumbled up, clumsy as a newborn deer, and all but falls into Clarion, who'd been silently watching up till now. Willow clutched her arm. "What about me?"

Nobuko almost pulled Willow back, because Willow was in no state for fighting, but Clarion spoke before she could.

"You need to get into the guild." She steadied Willow and hauled Guard Riley to his feet in one movement, draping an arm over her shoulder and marching him along. "You too Casper. Safest place in Dahlia."

"Clarion is right." Nobuko would concede that. She let the relief touch her smile and ushered Willow along with a hand to her back. "Come on, and oh! Let me help with that." Nobuko draped Guard Riley's other arm over her shoulders and began forward. All three of them were roughly the same height, so it wasn't much of a hassle, and much quicker than just Clarion dragging him along. More practical.

"Don't worry, Guard Riley the guild house is expertly warded!" Nobuko's smile radiated practiced optimism and good cheer, was carefully cultivated to raise spirits. Guard Riley gave her a queasy smile back.

And she wasn't lying. According to Kobayashi Corps records Clarion Jones could really only claim proficiency in Solid Script. She was, in actuality, a Rune Systems Mage with a Warding specialisation, an official Warding Master even (and she wouldn't let anyone forget it, Nobuko learnt in the briefing). When Nobuko had considered renewing the Warding Scheme on the Kobayashi estate, Clarion Jones came highly recommended – Nobuko had immediately dismissed the option but credit where credit was due. Willow would be safest inside the guild.

"Wait!" Willow shot forward, fretting around the trio and halting their awkward shuffling speed-walk. "Wait! I need to help! People are getting hurt because of me, I can feel it! I have to help them." Willow pale eyes implored them, unnervingly accurate in pinpointing their eyes despite her blindness. "Nobuko! Master Clarion?"

Guard Riley piped up dazedly. "We need to tell Captain Lacoste –"

"Sent Oliver to the guard station already," Clarion cut him off cheerily. "Willow, honey, they're after you, specifically. If you go we might as well gift wrap you." Clarion began forward again, sidestepping Willow. Nobuko was forced to follow along.

Nobuko was in agreement regardless. "She's right, Willow," she said it not unkindly but brooking no argument. Willow's safety came first.

Willow trailed after them, worrying at her bottom lip. "But – "

"Nope." Clarion did that annoying mouth pop thing at the end of the word. "We're stretched thin enough as it is – the defending team always has the disadvantage, and night's falling fast. If we let you out there we'll have to defend civilians, defend Dahlia, defeat Liliger Depth and the Chief, capture Liliger Depth and the Chief, and keep them from nabbing you. Those are our win conditions." Clarion counted the points out on her fingers. "Liliger Depth's? Theirs is to get you. That's it."

Willow looked gutted, was perilously close to tears. Nobuko might've been annoyed but she was far more relieved to see Willow as lively as she was because the alternative was disastrous. Regardless Nobuko agreed wholeheartedly with Clarion, but it was convenient not having to be the one to break it to Willow.

"But this is all my fault." Willow's voice was small and strained. Nobuko frowned, felt it necessary to reach out, but Guard Riley's weight held her in place and she didn't know what she could say.

Clarion pauses in her step. "Oh, honey no." She cooed. "We need to talk about that when all this is done, but right now I really, really need you to get in the guild."

There's a long silence as Nobuko and Clarion waited for Willow's answer. She trailed after them dejectedly, head down.

Guard Riley spoke up then, speech slurring, "So, uh, you guys do some renovations since yesterday?"

Everyone looked up. Guard Riley was right. The Guild did not look like that yesterday, or even 5 minutes ago.

Clarion released an unholy, high pitched noise. "They didn't!" She sounded genuinely offended.

The inn turned guild was a monstrosity of a thing, but that had been true from the first time Nobuko laid eyes on it. The guild squatted obstinately on a street at the edge of Dahlia. Large, square, and featureless. An opaque block of dark wood and darker windows, casting giant shadows over the surrounding landscape, no doubt dragging down property value. Lone, struggling vainly against the oppressive mien, was a skinny signpost/mailbox combo hammered down out front. It announced "Welcome to Frantic Heart!" in the inspired (absurd) choice of highlighter pink text on canary yellow backdrop, but the bright colours fought a losing battle against the yawning chasm of darkness that was the actual guild face.

But it wasn't dark now. Dusk had well and truly fallen but the guild lit up Sap Street like their personal sun. Runes overtop of runes covered the entire surface of the building. The roof tiles, all three stories, all four sides, shining gold and eye wateringly bright. Everywhere except the entrance. It was as if someone had pitched a bucket of blood over the double doors. The mass of red pulsed. Tendrils streaked out like blood splatter, spreading like a disease. It made to climb up the glowing guild walls before their runes shifted, moving through layers like a focusing microscope, and the golden light burned through the infection. But the golden light did little damage to mass of red at the door. A stalemate.

Nobuko couldn't bear to move forward for a closer look. Magic thrummed in the air, overwhelmingly potent. Nobuko could feel it like electricity in the air before a storm. A physical weight pressing against her lungs as she breathed it in, and pushing her down.

Clarion rushed to the building, undaunted. She unceremoniously let Guard Riley's weight fall onto Nobuko alone, and Nobuko stumbled before she could properly adjust. Willow darted in to take some of the guard's weight onto herself, but Willow was too short to be of much help. Nevertheless Nobuko was finding Willow much more of a help than her 'Guild Master'.

"Thank you very much, Willow." Nobuko smiled at her warmly. Willow can only grunt in answer, buckling under the guard's weight.

"Sorry," slurred Guard Riley.

Clarion stared at the red blockage with no little amount of reverence. "It's devious is what it is. How didn't I sense them put this here?" Clarion muttered to herself. She knocked on the door, waited a beat, then kicked it with a sportsman's force. It, unsurprisingly, doesn't budge. Nobuko considered herself patient, but she was also a person very concerned with efficiency.

"Clarion, if you'd please, what is it?"

"Rune slime. Functionally? Really weird rune wall," Clarion finally answered. "Come closer and you can almost make out the symbols. Damn good work."

A troubling implication, rune work that Clarion acknowledged as good. One to consider after dealing with it.

Clarion had begun to mutter, hissing under her breath. "Rune slime. What asshole has time for rune slime."

"Can you take it down?" Nobuko interjected.

Clarion blinked. "Ehhhhh," she hedged.

"Is there any other way in?" Nobuko prodded after that less than confident answer. "Underneath it maybe?" She looked to Willow.

Willow squinted, toes wiggling in concentration. "It goes underground as well, feels like a lot of magic."

Clarion nodded. "Thought as much. And the whole building's warded, front door's really the only entrance. Wards took months to put up, it'll take a while to take even one section down, and it'll take even longer to put it back up." Clarion huffed out a breath. "And there's no point in getting inside if the wards are down." Clarion's face melted into a smirk. "Assholes did their research."

"Clarion. Solutions please." Nobuko felt more like she was the leader here. "Is the situation salvageable, or are we moving on?"

Clarion waved a hand in the air. "Chill out for a bit." She knocked on the rune slime again, squinting at the tiny symbols scribed into the writhing mass.

Nobuko bit her tongue, absolutely certain Clarion was being difficult on purpose. But It seemed they'd have to trust Clarion with this. Nobuko was a consummate professional, so she turned her focus to keeping lookout. Though Willow was much more suited to the job.

"Willow."

"On it." Nobuko taught Willow well and she understood perfectly. Nobuko was pleased. She could rely on someone here at least.

Clarion began to throw variety diagnostic spells against the door. Minutes passed, a virtual eternity in battle time, before something of note occurred.

Willow blanched, jerking to her left a second before an explosion sounded in the distance. There was great crash, reverberations carrying through the ground. Guard Riley hissed, clutching his head.

The fight starting in earnest. Clarion had hardly flinched, too caught up in her study.

Nobuko's every muscle was tensed, ready to join the fight or alternatively drag Willow away from it. Willow wasn't safe here.

"Clarion." Nobuko let her voice sharpen. "Any luck?"

"Oh, yeah!" Clarion face broke into a wide grin and she spun to address the group. "You'll love this Nobuko. Manuel Lorne."

Nobuko's blood ran cold. Instinct compelled her to step away from the runework, but the weight of Guard Riley and Willow attached to him didn't let her get far. Not enough to matter, not if those runes were what Clarion was implying.

"I know right?" Clarion was mighty amused. "He would have the nerve."

Manuel Lorne, Black Market rune dealer, a rune Mage on par with Clarion, though a great deal more pleasant to do business with. It didn't make sense that Liliger Depth would have access to his work.

"Are you sure?"

"One hundred percent!" Clarion grinned, then noticed Nobuko's expression. "Oh, don't give me that look, this isn't that bad. In fact, I think I could just – "Clarion began to mutter to herself again, twisting to take in the rune slime in its entirety. "Ugh, but it's gonna suck ass. Nobuko!" Clarion pointed to her. "You put down first-aid as a skill in your forms?"

Nobuko eyed Clarion. "I did."

"Here." Clarion somehow manifested a container and bandages from a side pocket of her dress and handed them to Nobuko. " I'll need your help in a bit." She shooed them backwards, away from the rune slime.

"Solid Script: Shield." The words appeared in front them, half again as tall Clarion was. She slapped more paper runes along its sides. "Everything behind there." Clarion was skipping along before anyone could respond.

Nobuko resigned herself to observing Clarion through the 'D' of 'SHIELD' even as common sense told her to flee Dahlia with Willow in tow.

"Nobuko, what does Manuel Lorne mean?" Willow tugged on her arm.

"Oh don't worry! I'll explain after Clarion's done." Nobuko speaks so that Willow hears the smile in her voice. Panicking the others would do no good right now. Runes were Clarion's domain, after all. Nobuko could trust Clarion to handle this.

Hopefully.

Clarion wrote up her own SHIELD right in front of the blockade. She paused, then wrote SILENCE behind her. She poked her arm through the opening at the top of the 'E' of her SHIELD to touch the rune slime. There was a period of 10 seconds where Clarion did nothing, Nobuko counted. Then Clarion took a single deep breath. Inhale, exhale. And her arm exploded.

Nobuko tackled Willow, shielding her bodily. Guard Riley rocketed into the dust storm, all but tripping into the explosion's crater. "Hey! You okay?! Oh – Oh, god – " the guard cut himself off, and Nobuko could make out his silhouette tripping backwards in his haste to back away, dry heaving. Willow staggered back in Nobuko's hold, hand to her face.

"Blood? Blood! That smell! – and – " Willow wretches. "What is – ? Nobuko! What happened?" Willow's grip on Nobuko's arm was white-knuckle tight and trembling.

Nobuko narrowed her eyes. She gathered magic in her palm, and pulled the dust away with the wind. "Gale Force!"

Both of Clarion's SHIELDs had fallen to the explosion. Clarion herself knelt in a meter deep crater on the ground, swearing. "Okay, ow, ow, ow, fucking hate pain – Nobuko, help now, please."

Clarion sat with her upper arm in a shaking death grip. Red from the elbow, blood streamed down in steady lines to pool at her feet. The skin was gone, burnt off. Nobuko wrinkled her nose, she knew the smell. There was only mangled, angry red flesh beneath. In the mess Nobuko could make out a length of puckered, red welts running down her forearm, branching out like exposed veins at her palms to the ends of her fingers. Nobuko recognised the pattern as a magic system, and realised what Clarion had done.

'Well, well, well.' Nobuko could admire that sort of nerve, even as her entire being rejected the insanity of that move.

Because even if Clarion still had use of that arm she'd never cast from it again.

She could question Clarion later, however. The rune slime was gone, and while she couldn't say the same for Sap Street, the guild – and its protective wards Nobuko could deduce – were fully intact, if no longer glowing.

And that's what mattered.

"What happened?!" Willow broke from Nobuko's hold but still gripped Nobuko's hand, forcing Nobuko to follow her to their guild master and Guard Riley. The exposed earth raised to meet their steps, magic circles blooming from Willow's feet, and they avoided tripping as Guard Riley had. Willow dropped to Guard Riley's side, rubbing circles on his back.

Nobuko hoped Guard Riley wasn't representative of his force. In her opinion a guard should have a stomach for these things, but perhaps her opinion was skewed. She joined Willow in supporting the squeamish guard to a standing position.

"Are you alright?" she asked him. Two out of four down. One taken down by herself. Ridiculous. Hopefully they were both still mobile.

"…Yeah, but uh, your – your guild master exploded her arm?" Guard Riley looked dumbfounded, the statement more a question than anything.

"What?! Nobuko?"

"In an effort to take down the slime, yes."

Which did seem stupid as a letter mage, who's hands mattered a great deal, point to Willow for realising that. At least they had access to the guild. Nobuko rested a hand on the head of green curls, and the tension in Willow's shoulders gave way. Good. Keeping a cool head in situations like this was ideal. Nobuko would forgive it just this once, considering this was very much Willow's worst nightmare come to life and her promised saviour just exploded her arm.

Nobuko looked down at Clarion. She shifted the shape of her eyes and the features of her face into one of worry.

"Was that the best decision as a letter mage?" 'Tell me you have a logical reason for this,' she asked with her eyes. There was no time for Clarion to be stupid. Nobuko had no pity for stupid.

"Shut up," Clarion bit out.

Nobuko blinked, stared down at her blandly. "Pardon, but your… decision hasn't inspired much confidence in me for you as a leader."

"S'necessary. Arm's best choice. No time. S'fine, Ambidextrous," Clarion replied distractedly. "Letter Mage thing, most of us are – " Her eyes squinted shut. "Just, Willow, Casper, in the guild, now." Clarion did her best to usher them through the now open door with one arm. "In, in. Shit, fuck. Stings like a bitch–Nobuko."

Nobuko wondered briefly if Clarion meant to make it sound like the last two words were inherently connected in her mind, but there were more important matters at hand. She took hold of Willow's hand and grabbed Clarion's good arm to pull her along too. "Please don't swear. While I understand your distress, it's unbecoming," Nobuko chirped.

Clarion really was a bad influence on Willow. Nobuko took her job seriously and would protect Willow from all manners of harm, including obstructions to her development into a respectable young woman.

Clarion scowled at Nobuko. "Yeah whatever, I'm being a pussy ass bitch about things but I exploded my arm so I get to be, now ointment," Clarion snapped. "Please," she added after a seconds thought.

Good enough.

They hurriedly closed the door and settled on one of the larger tables after Nobuko had sent Willow off to fetch water and clean towels to begin tending to Clarion's arm.

"So what did you do?" Nobuko finally asked. 'Let's hear the logic behind this.'

"Overloaded the Rune."

"…What does that mean?" Willow asked from her seat across the pair with Guard Riley.

Nobuko pulled out the roll of bandages and began wrapping the length of Clarion's arm - not an easy task when Clarion insisted on being such a baby about it, flinching back every second. Honestly.

"It's like shorting a circuit – " Clarion hissed as the ointment made contact with her skin. "Fucking hell – magic," she bit the word out, "is just energy. Magic Runes are just spells, every spell's got a limit."

Of course that of all things would occur to Clarion. Clarion Jones, while a renowned party girl and all-around reckless idiot, was also known for flashes of brilliance and a monstrous magic reserve (Nobuko suspected second origin shenanigans). Nobuko didn't know if this counted as a point to 'reckless idiot' or 'brilliant,' but she was leaning more towards 'reckless idiot.' True, you could overload any spell, and while it was practical impossibility to overload an enemy mages spell during casting, magic runes were particularly vulnerable to this. It was a bad idea for a many reasons however. Foremost being that the more complicated the spell the more it tended to backfire horrifically, and magic runes by their nature were complicated spells.

Nobuko eyed Clarion's ruined arm. Case in point. 'Why in hells would she ever risk that?'

Not to mention the mana cost involved. Clarion could afford to be wasteful in that area, but Nobuko never cared for wasteful people.

Guard Riley spoke. "Won't it have overloaded your runes?"

Clarion scoffed. "I'm a Warding Master," Clarion announced. "my stuff is top notch. Manuel has no finesse. My runes can take loads more and I'm smart enough to put in redundancies."

Nobuko hummed, finishing up Clarion's bandages. She'd give Clarion that, Nobuko appreciated cockiness when it was earned. Downplaying reeked of validation seeking, and she had no respect for those that boasted without the ability to back it up. Plus bragging distracted Clarion enough for her to sit still for the bandaging. You had to appreciate the small things in life.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay!" Nobuko beamed at her. Clarion was useful if annoying.

Clarion took it as a challenge and beamed back, twice as bright through gritted teeth. "Oh, I don't doubt it."

"And how much magic did the overload take?" Manuel Lorne was no rookie. How much damage had Clarion taken?

Clarion tried to flex her arm, swore, and held it frozen in the air. "'Bout half," she hissed.

Nobuko frowned, miniscule. From Nobuko's research that would've been a bit more than Nobuko's full reserves, and Nobuko was only below average in terms of reserves. That Clarion even had the full arm left was miraculous. Even worse, Clarion expecting to fight off a dark guild with half her reserves and one arm was stupid. It did not matter that it was a no-name, half-rate, backwater town dark guild. An unnecessary risk was always stupid. The attitude she had about all of this grated.

"Pardon, but are you taking this seriously." Nobuko is calm staring at Clarion. Politely concerned is a practiced expression, but the trace venom in her tone is very intentional.

Clarion glanced at Nobuko once before flouncing off to dig in a drawer in the corner of the guild hall, ruined arm still held frozen in the air. "Oh, deadly." She grinned.

Willow fidgeted at the table when Nobuko doesn't respond. Guard Riley took a loud sip of water.

Clarion paused, took in their unconvinced faces. "Okay fine, look." Clarion stared each of them in the eye. "Playing field's changed, biggest threat isn't Yosuke and his crew anymore."

"Manuel Lorne." Nobuko shook her head. No half-rate, backwater town dark guild should even know the name.

"Right! Manuel Lorne."

"Manuel Lorne?" Guard Riley is a great deal more coherent than 10 minutes ago, but was still swaying the slightest bit in his seat. "The guy you said made the slime thing? Why's he special?"

"Well to give you an idea, I know for a fact the Fiorian Crown go to him for war weapons. Bomb runes to be precise."

"War weapons?!" That shocked the guard into alertness. "Bombs? War weapon bombs?!"

"Bombs!" Clarion chirped. "Damn good ones, too." Clarion squeezed her upper arm like a stress ball. "Things just got very serious." She smiled ear-to-ear. "Manuel's stuff will level cities. And he can't do small-scale – not won't, can't."

And if Clarion thought losing an arm was worth gaining a safe house…

"There are war-grade bombs in Dahlia." Nobuko finished the thought out loud, heart dropping to her seat. How did things get this out of hand?

Guard Riley was in a state. "This is insane… Insane…"

Willow collapsed into sobs. " Oh God! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! It's all because I'm here!"

Nobuko swooped in before the situation can really go south. She seized Willow by the shoulders, hard enough to bruise. No time to be sensitive. "Willow. You are in control.

"I – I –"

Nobuko held Willow steady, as if she could impart strength into the girl through pure whim. The situation was grim and she needed Willow to pull it together now.

Nobuko herself had expected something like this, if lower scale. Studying Willow's case had revealed a period of 2 months about half a year ago when Chief Ockham had all but disappeared into the ether after doggedly hunting Willow for years. He'd definitely been planning something. There was no way Liliger Depth would even know of Lorne's work, and this wasn't their modus operandi besides. The chief had been one of the wealthiest men in Fiore before the tragedy and the Magic Council had failed to locate even half his wealth following it. Nobuko knew very well Manuel Lorne's first language was jewels. Damn the consequences.

'Damn that man.'

She'd been bracing Willow for something big, but not this big. It was unfortunate they'd only had a little over a month together.

"Willow, I know it's hard but we need you to pull it together now. You are in control."

"I – I'm in control." The tears were still flowing, but Willow's voice was sure. Nobuko nodded and pulled the girl into her arms. Willow gripped her by the vest, fingers digging into Nobuko's stomach, but Nobuko doesn't say a word. Dire as this was, it was a good learning moment. If the girl managed to get through this she could get through anything – and Nobuko would ensure Willow survived this.

"Ah fudge. It's not your fault kid. Sorry for freaking." Guard Riley's concern for Willow apparently trumped his growing panic. He knocked his chair into Willow's, moving beside her to pat the sniffling girl's back, an echo of the support Willow had given the guard moments before. Good, they'd need all the help they could get.

Willow drew back to speak. "But it's because I'm here. Everyone in Dahlia is going to die because I came here, because I'm selfish – "

"No." Clarion cut her off. She crossed her arms - or as much as she could with one and a half arms - and then winced as she accidentally brushed a bandage.

"No?" Willow squeaked. It's surprise more than anything that halted Willow's tears.

"Nope! And that's not gonna happen," Clarion said, and her conviction could persuade gods.

Willow's face scrunched. "How do you know?"

Nobuko was curious as well. What ace did Clarion have up her sleeve?

Clarion smirked. "'Cause Lorne's a punk, and I'm awesome," she said it like it was fact. "It's all cool. I'll fix it, promise!"

Nobuko blinked. Well, it was more useful than assuming they were doomed. She'd take it. "I agree. Everything will work out just fine!" Nobuko beamed.

Guard Riley, who'd Nobuko would place as at least a decade older than everyone present, physically bit his tongue to keep from saying something. Nobuko doubled the wattage of her cheer and shone. No time for doubt.

He turned away, shielding his eyes and facing Clarion. "How can you be sure there's even a bomb, though?" Guard Riley was pleading now.

"Trust me, I know for a fact there's a Lorne rune bomb here." Clarion located the drawer with what she needed. Nobuko couldn't identify what exactly that was because Clarion opted to gather all of the drawers contents to her chest with her one good arm and fling all manner of junk onto the table instead of asking for help.

"Good news is there's only the one bomb!" Clarion disappeared into a side room and reappeared with even more junk. "And yours truly is a rune master who is very familiar with Manuel Lorne's work."

"Great! Right Willow?" Nobuko encouraged the girl, nursing the hope in her eyes.

Nobuko waited for Clarion to elaborate on a plan, but Clarion, reliable as she was, had moved on to muttering to herself. "And the whole door thing was embarrassing enough - can't believe he got me! Like hell I'm getting taken out by Lorne's stuff. Ew. As if." Clarion stuffed a whole roll of bandages in her mouth and bit down, hard. Nobuko wondered if she'd finally gone feral.

"Clarion - "

Before Nobuko could question her, Clarion slams an ink pot down on the table. Obviously magical, shining like a beacon in Nobuko's frankly less than mediocre magical sense. Clarion drove her whole injured arm into the pot, much farther than should physically be possible considering its size. She made a noise that might have been a scream, muffled and keening, and a magic circle sprung to life around her. Misshapen, barely a circle, and blurry for all of a heart stopping second before it stabilised. Clarion pulled the limb out, slowly, painfully, to reveal an arm black up to the shoulder. Soaked with magical ink.

Clarion spat out the wad of bandages and panted. "Right then," she said with strained cheer. "Here's the plan."

Guess who's back! - and I'll always come back :D Unless I've stated I've abandoned this fic, it's not abandoned ( ᵔ▽ᵔ)b It just turns out my profile pic is a lot more accurate that I thought. I am a hysterical snail of a writer.

I know this chapter is much shorter than my usual but! that's because I've split a 12k and growing behemoth into 3 parts, all in Nobuko's POV still. I'm choosing to post this way because it'll hopefully mean less wait time for you guys between updates, and more useful comments in reviews for me because there's less stuff for you guys to get lost in :D Expect the next chapter in 3-4 days. Most of it is already written!

About the SYOC:

This is entirely my fault for keeping an annual update schedule, but a lot of users who's OCs I've accepted don't seem to be active on ff . net anymore D: A problem, because I can't reach out to them about their OCs. Plus they're highly unlikely to come back and enjoy seeing their OCs brought to life - and that's the fun of SYOC!

If you have an OC I've accepted, please PM that you're still in!

Since it's so early in the fic and I haven't introduced everyone, I'm going to be sidelining some OCs with inactive users as main POV characters in favour of OCs submitted by active users. Some are too integral to plot at this point, but I'd really prefer being able to work with users as I write xD

Special thanks to Reduced20! If you ever feel bad about messaging me so much, don't, because I'd bet this would have taken a lot longer to come out if you hadn't xD Also thanks to scarlet. the. hunter for checking up on me, and Origm2012 for giving me fic advice and reading my rambling (you can imagine how long my rambling would've been). All awesome dudes :D

I must acknowledge that Mother of Learning, a work by Nobody102 up on Fictionpress, inspired a lot of what's going on in Rune Systems as a magic. I'm trying to make it somewhat original and put my spin on things, but I still want to give credit where it's due.

Special apologies to whoever's waiting on this fic xD (omg, why you poor souls D:) And apologies to the many people whose PM's I haven't answered and basically ghosted this past year. You guys probably don't want to be involved in this fic anymore because I've shown myself to be incredibly unreliable and rude, and that's very valid! I wish you the best and hope you stumble upon many better written SYOCs with reliable authors :P If you're cool with the fact that I be like that sometimes I think you should reevaluate your standards for the people you let in your life (...and please PM me that you're still interested (￣▽￣*)ゞ).

And now some questions!

What'd you think of the chapter?

Should I up this to an 'M' rating? I don't think I'm going gorier than anything that happened in this chapter (I'm too wimpy to write darkfic (¯▿¯)). I don't think what I've written is gratuitously dark, but does it strike you as 'T' still? I mean, the swearing's probably a bit much, but c'mon let me have my fun!

Do you recommend getting a beta? Pros and cons to the choice? Does it help get writing out faster?

Review replies are up on my profile, because they honestly take up too much space in a chapter :P