[right][color=1462ba][i][h2]Mariette[/h2][/i][/color][color=57a345][h3][i]and Eli[/i][/h3][/color][/right]

If the magic of the universe was working as correctly, the common men who had seen all that should be explaining it away in more reasonable terms at first possible opportunity. Regardless, now Mariette held herself in place under the deck of the Bastion, mostly because she didn’t want anyone to see what it had took to open the portal, or what followed.

The moment they drove through the massive portal, all Mariette’s other portals vanished, including those which held her in place. She and the mirror fell off the wall, her tentacles quickly wrapping around them both as they hit the floor, trying to prevent any damage from happening. She succeeded, of course, but the mirror having been torn from the magic circle meant the portal behind them suddenly crumbled and collapsed behind them and any who might have snook in along with them, the arc cracking and falling before vanishing into thin air.

… Okay, that’d do. Ensuring she was fine, Mariette stood up, dusting herself off, and got ready to show her face again.

On deck, Eli had been holding on, blinking in amazement at the blood moon on the horizon.

[color=57a345]‘Thaaaat’s not usually here,’[/color] she stated the obvious, gesturing at the moon, taking out her notes and looking them over. While she was doing that, Alicia made a comment about that they only found Libby Bibby when looking for allies…

[color=57a345]‘Yeah, me neither, it’s a blow to my pride that my notes could only find one…’[/color] She made a peeved expression. [color=57a345]‘Still, one’s better than none, I’ll just hope Libby’s super-capable and not a trap,’[/color] she then added, before looking over to what Helga was saying, and then what Alexander was saying. Huh, there was a lamp out there, couldn’t see it… Still, to Amber’s question about how her sailors were doing, Eli lifted her fluid wings with an expressionless face to call out in similar tone. [color=57a345]‘We’re living for now! Ask again later!’[/color] … Then lowered her wings to look over the notes submerged in them again.

… And somewhere around here Mariette walked out through a portal onto deck again, holding a stuffed bunny and a focused expression, dress still damaged from the earlier attempt on her life. She had left the mirror in a hopefully secure state below deck. She couldn’t carry it with her everywhere. She’d check with Absolute Direction to make sure it was still there every now and then.

[color=186cc7]‘Welcome to the Overcity. Those new to this place should beware not to wander the Sprawl, lest you might never find your way back to the world whence you came,’[/color] Mariette warned. [color=186cc7]‘Unless a person claims otherwise, assume I’m the only one who can navigate this world or bring you back from it. For now, the direction we’re heading…’[/color] Testing with Absolute Direction again, Mariette slowly lifted her free hand to point in a direction before them… in the direction of the blood moon. [color=186cc7]‘Justine is that way. We should hurry.’[/color]

… Mariette didn’t really care much about some lantern she couldn’t even see, frankly.

[color=57a345]‘The ritual has started? What ritual?’[/color] Eli turned and asked Helga, frowning, eyes interested in what knowledge the girl might hold about the workings of the enemy. Of course, Mariette and therefore Eli by extension were suspicious of Helga, but for now.