[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/200611/e27c881e7bd0977fcd1c2798ebaa7a72.png[/img][/center] [hr] So much happened so quickly, Ria wasn't entirely certain there was an order to it. Her brain felt like it was on lag from, well, [i]everything[/i]. Asher's magic was warming, especially with the same warmth seeping in through the cloak on her back from his arms wrapping around her to help, and it certainly helped her start feeling warmer. Her brain just felt sluggish. Especially when Lavinia and Gwen approached. Only for - in rapid succession - Lavinia to kick Asher extremely hard in a very sensitive spot after shouting for him to die and calling him a freak, Cloven to say some really confusing things that hit something inside and confused her further, and her sister threatening two of their guild-mates while insinuating she didn't have the right to give permission for others to touch her as well as demanding an explanation...while disrobed. Her eyes grew with each subsequent issue. Her mouth opened to respond to any of what happened as Asher crumbled to the ground and Lavinia stormed off and Cloven left his own way. All she managed to do was wide eye look from one guild mate to another with an increasing sense of panic at the unfolding situation. Her arms dropped to her sides, letting go of Marduk's cape. The cloth fluttered to the ground around her feet. All she'd wanted was to be able to warm up so she could be useful still. There were people around them. People that probably still needed help. There were buildings destroyed right outside the Magic Council's head quarters. There were still members of their own guild that were down. An ache built in her chest and clouded up her head. But at least she didn't feel cold anymore. Not in the same sense as she did. She felt...numb? Lips that almost never frowned cracked at the edges, the slightest down turn as she finally focused back on her sister. "[color=Aqua]Explain myself?[/color]" Her voice remained even, though not with her normal cheer. Just...even. She flicked her hand out toward her sister while her other arm moved in a wide arcing gesture. Muddy water from the ground around them swirled up to wrap around Gwen's chest and waist as a makeshift tubetop and mini skirt respectively as other water swirled up to form a thin barrier around the trio (with poor Asher almost forgotten on the ground to recover from the hit) from the growing crowd. "[color=Aqua]There is nothing for me to explain. Asher was assisting me and Cloven was talking to me. Whereas you are threatening members of our guild, in front of a crowd of strangers, after Lavinia attacked one of them.[/color]" That ache in her chest built. She tried to ignore it like she always did, but it kept pushing back. That tiny frown was all she afforded to slip through her carefully built defenses. It made her head hurt. [i][color=Aqua]Why did Lavinia kick him anyways? She isn't impulsive enough to do something like that. Especially since she didn't even make some maniacal laugh or quip or...anything to help explain the sudden outburst. And what did - [/color][/i] She stopped before she continued to ask that last question. The pang in her chest hurt more, and she could feel the temptation for water to build in her eyes. She closed her eyes and focused on breathing calm. No, she wasn't going to cry. It was fine. She could fix the pain Lavinia had caused Asher. She would figure out why Lavinia was acting erratic and help her work it out. Gwen was just being protective; she'd been unconscious and woke to see someone she had only met when they were being sent on this mission hugging her sister. Then Cloven...[i][color=Aqua]Okay, why did he have to be so confusing?[/color][/i] She needed to breathe and put on the good face. They were in a city the guild had saved from really being destroyed, surrounded by strangers that were looking for information. There were people still trapped in places; Rune Knights were already working to help, but that didn't mitigate the tension still in the air. There was no time in this moment for her to have issues when there were others that needed the help. She just needed to breathe. Why did the air around them make it feel so hard to breathe? What chill may have left Ria looking pale surely lifted. She looked her normal vibrant color, if not a bit more pink from head to toe from the thoughts racing through her head. It certainly wasn't from the warmth Asher had been helping her with before, but [i][color=Skyblue]Just take a breath, count to ten, and release it.[/color][/i] She heard her mother's voice in her head as a comfortable whisper, a memory of her early days of controlling her magic and getting frustrated she wasn't advancing as quickly as was expected. So she did just that, took a breath, counted to ten, and released it. She opened her eyes and the frown left her face. "[color=Aqua]Gwen, please go check on Luke. We still have guild mates that need my help, and I haven't checked in with him since the fight stopped. Felix got hurt, really bad, and Luke went to check on Leon healing him. I'll come check in with both of you when I'm done helping the others that need it. Okay?[/color]" Though Ria didn't give Gwen the chance to say if it was okay or not. She simply turned her attention to Asher as the barrier of water fell down around them. Crouching beside the injured mage, she put a hand on his shoulder and cupped her other hand next to his mouth. "[color=Aqua]Rejuvenating waters[/color]," she said as a ball of glowing water swirled into existence in her hand. "[color=Aqua]Here, drink this. It will help you recover from...Lavinia.[/color]"