[center][h1][color=silver]Annabelle Irons[/color][/h1][/center] [hr] As the Rose Knight had continued to make her way towards the graveyard and its crypt, Annabelle had been trying to do what she could on her end. At least whilst her Patron was busy looking at other things. She was being drained of her life and magic, but...what she still had left not in her chain arm would perhaps suffice. Anything to save a bit of, er, 'juice' in case she needed it. ...and she probably needed it. [center][color=red][MAGICAL SIGNATURE: RECOGNIZED - SECONDARY ASTRAL BARRIER TETHER ESTABLISHED][/color][/center] She'd managed to do this much, tap into the barrier surrounding the crypt itself. It was not a huge feat from the inside for her, due to her "unique" nature in regards to her and her patron. Though if she tried anything, Soth would in all likeliness notice. Plus it wasn't like she had the amount of power to remove the entire barrier, or force it all to power down at this rate. She was, after all, currently being drained like a battery in an old MP3 player. [center][color=red][BARRIER CONTROLS - LIMITED ACCESS GRANTED][/color][/center] A shudder of pain ran down the white haired magical girl's spine, even as the ritual chanting continued and she dug deeper into the magic of the barrier. Her face twisted into a scowl as the magical message run out inside of her head. Only limited access?! How limited was the access? Like "take down half of this thing" access, or "alter the permeability", or something else?! Annabelle dug deeper as her nervous system screamed at her like it was on fire, the void-touched magical girl looking at various options and tasks that she could perform right now. Though the more she looked, the worse her options seemed to be. Most things seemed locked behind a required amount of power that she couldn't output, at least as a lone and not-well-off-right-now magical girl. Though a singular option eventually flashed in her mind as she thumbed through everything. [center][color=red][ASTRAL BARRIER PARTITIONS - ACCESSIBLE OPERATIONS][/color][/center] [center][color=red][OPERATION 1 - REINFORCE EXISTING PARTITIONS][/color][/center] [center][color=red][OPERATION 2 - ADD A NEW PARTITION][/color][/center] [center][color=red][OPERATION 3 - REMOVE PARTIT-...ERROR, REMOVAL FUNCTION HAS BEEN DISABLED BY ADMIN][/color][/center] [center][color=red][OPERATION 4 - OPEN LIMITED ACCESS HATCH][/color][/center] She only needed to see the options that far down, though it was surprising how many more "operations" were here. Maybe she could force open a small hole, though? Er...maybe enough for one or two people, but only for a moment. Maybe. It seemed feasible enough, and it seemed her patron had disabled the ability to remove parts of the barrier already. Why, though? Did he halfway think she'd be able to do this much if he turned his back for a second? Or had he just been lazy about it all? She could feel Amaryllis getting closer and closer, however, too soon to think on any other ideas. She [b]had[/b] to do this, and [b]now[/b]! [center][color=red][OPERATION 4 COMMENCING- OPENING LIMITED ACCESS PANEL FOR 'PARTITION 27'][/color][/center] [color=silver][i]'Hurry inside! I am opening a part of the barrier, but it'll only stay open for a moment! And...be careful once you get inside![/i][/color] she communicated to Amaryllis, trying to urge the other girl inside. This, as an opening would appear before the Rose Knight's very eyes during her approach to the crypt...and not too soon or too late, either. Annabelle gave a grunt as she tried to channel some of her Soth-given magical power, the stuff being drained from her actually, as she selected the 4th Operation. She could feel the power swiftly dissipate from within her, like casting a spell, and she could feel the part of the barrier open up. Success!!! But as soon as she did that the creatures and minions in the room stopped cold. Their eyes (many or fewer depending on the creature) swiveled towards her, cold, calculating, but most of all...alarmed. They had felt what she did, but more than this the darkness magical girl felt a tremor from the tentacles of Soth that were holding her up in the air. That only meant one thing, and perhaps it was the one thing she had forgotten to take into account. Or rather, she hadn't had the time to calculate if he- Oh no. No no no. NONONONONONONO!!! [center][color=crimson][i]'Well well well...i took a moment to examine the handiwork of that Laat', not too shabby but still an inferior product i can improve upon in my own fashion. Yet in the meantime, you seem to have gotten [b]busy[/b]. I must say i am not surprised, but instead i am rather pleased! I shall let but this one in, as a token of my amusement. My hopes that a failed avatar would last this long have proven true, and more. To be able to still access my power within you and some of your own, even with such sheer and raw agony flowing through your fleshy coil? Mmm~ Hahaha! Its [b][u]spectacular[/u][/b]!!![/i][/color][/center] Soth had noticed. No, he'd even picked up on what she'd done when he wasn't looking. Was he that fast on the uptake, or just that powerful?! Annabelle struggled as the laugh of her patron rung out again into the ritual chamber, rebounding against the walls like a great hammer. But as she panicked, her mind racing with thoughts, she lashed out with the magic in her right arm as well. Or rather, [i]reached out[/i] was perhaps the better term for it. She'd recalled the image not too long ago with Amaryllis, even if unintentionally, and her magic grasped out at the one from that image like the hand of a drowning person. In the girl's own mind, a message or few flashed by. But- [center][color=red][EMOTIONAL LINK - RECOGNIZED][/color][/center] [center][color=red][OPERATION 5b - ONE-WAY PSYCHIC TRANSMISSION - ENABLED][/color][/center] [center][color=red][MESSAGE RECIPIENTS - IDENTIFIED - TRANSMITTING MESSAGE][/color][/center] -wait a second. [center][color=crimson][i]'Oh? I had installed that when forming this barrier... Twas' merely to announce my arrival to any possible remaining life upon the ritual's completion...an automatic process if you will~ ...But let us sever this to avoid more amusing incidents~"[/i][/color][/center] [center][color=red][SECONDARY ASTRAL BARRIER TETHER SEVERED - BY ADMIN][/color][/center] Annabelle felt her connection to the barrier shut down instantly. Such was the power of her Patron, and she couldn't even feel out where to access the barrier anymore at that. It was terrifying, but before the connection had severed... [center][color=red][MESSAGE SENT - ERROR: INCOMPLETE TRANSMISSION RANGE DUE TO INTERRUPTED PROCESS][/color][/center] ...The accidental message had made its way out. Albeit, within a limited range. The call would echo across the graveyard, into the minds of all of those there. It rang in the heads of all with a blood-curdling echo, yet at the same time carried the weight and raw emotion that only the human spirit could ever output. Yea, it was a cry for help in the most primal and easily understood manner possible. [center][h2][color=silver][i][b]'Regina!!!'[/b][/i][/color][/h2][/center] [@t2wave][@MadManMoon][@Shifter_Master][@Ariamis][@PlatinumSkink][@Vocab][@FamishedPants][@Flamelord][@ERode][@DarkwolfX37][@Card Captor][@BrokenPromise]