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In the weeks that followed the field readiness exam, Crystal had spent a decent chunk of her time recovering from it, and twice as much trying to make up for doing so and take her mind off of it by training. The girl didn't know why Mara had acted like her family name meant something to her, and perhaps she'd never know. Still, she hadn't been foolhardy enough to try to wean herself off her crutches despite the now-blooming thought of trying to do so. Crystal would never admit it, [i]especially[/i] to Mara, nor would she ever thank her for it, but simply [i]surviving[/i] the ordeal got her thinking that maybe she actually did have the strength to overcome her mental handicap. She had never considered trying to do so to be a good idea until her exam instructor had shown her that it was, however minutely, possible to do so at all. But with the increasing possibility that lives would depend on her functioning at a proper pace, the needed time to experiment with that possibility was nonexistent. And so the days leading to the storm she made the decision to use her coping methods more effectively, rather than less often. 

As the storm raged, the twin-tailed girl had a strong need to politely but firmly reject Liam's kind offer of coffee. While she didn't particularly care for the stuff, she knew that the caffeine would likely be useful... unfortunate then that she had chosen citrus as her passcode in the time leading up to it being presented to her. To be faced with such a (literal) storm of Nox would put many of her fellow Nova Lux students on edge. It was enough that she herself felt the need to preempt such feelings with such a choice. She didn't have time to lament or feel bad about it; she had to be ready to go at a moment's notice.

The call to mobilize came, and Rivka led them through the door. Selma gave her usual reassurance, both via her words and her clear confidence. [i][color=00aeef]Stick close[/color][/i] echoed in her mind as she transformed in a brilliant flash of azure. As she passed through the door herself, she chose to swallow the now nigh-flavorless confection she was known to be addicted to, rather than waste further time being proper.

Standing just outside, where the rain could reach her, she breathed in the chilly air slowly, holding it for a moment before an equally deep exhale. [color=00aeef]"Right."[/color] A glance was cast over her shoulder towards the non-combatants who would be remaining behind Kheper, and as Hiems materialized in her loose grip so too did a light smile on her lips.

[color=00aeef]"Consider it safe."[/color]