'You don't have to follow me.'

Bella watches Redana's retreating back without saying a word in exchange. Her fingers pinch the cold glass, and her eyes dip to stare at the swirling dark red liquid, instead. The name on the side is visible even through the wine. All around her is the sound of panicked cries, clattering bells, and heavy feet running both toward and away from danger. Assassin, assassin is the cry ringing in her ears. Assassin, assassin say the stench of creeping mists. Assassin, assassin whisper the softly blooming flowers that creep along the ground.

'You don't have to follow me.'

She doesn't. Hi Bella bye Bella. It's so clumsy and stupid it makes her want to laugh. She sips at her wine, instead. Not so much as a smile. What would she smile about? It could technically be any of them, she supposes. Assassin, assassin. Her sisters. If Beautiful was awake again she could be capable of anything. Beljani seemed less likely. Harder to set her off, easier to contain her, but even still. Surrounded by Magi she could set off this kind of terror, too.

'I'll come back this time. I promise.'

Bella lifts the glass and drains it in a motion, as has become her custom. She smacks her lips together and winces. This was stolen from her personal stock on the [I]Anemoi[/I], and mulled it as part of some twisted experiment to turn it palatable. Dipshits. What the fuck were cloves and anise supposed to do for something this oily? The orange notes begged for herbs, a lemongrass or something. She should punch whoever was responsible for this.

'I'll come back this time. I promise.'

'Bella, you're okay. You're okay! Oh Hera and Aphrodite, thank you for keeping her safe!'

It won't be her. It can't be her. She's dead. Even though this feels like her, looks like her, smells like her, it's not. She's dead. Bella killed her herself. She is dead and buried and she is not to be trusted in the first place. Bella sniffs the air like an animal, and scowls.

'Pretty disciplined of me, huh?'

'You don't have to follow me this time.'

'so... I'm happy. That's all I wanted. I just wanted you to see...'

'You don't have to follow me this time.'

She's going to be sick. The memories crawl in her head like insects, buzzing and bursting with every fresh flower she notices. Bella paces. She turns back and forth, cracking her tail like a lash as she goes. No. No. No. It can't be. It can't! She can't breathe. Her chest is going to collapse. The walls are creeping closer; soon they will crush her.

'Hey, Bella! How are you doing?'

"...Mynx."

Don't have to follow? Fucks sake, Redana. Of all the times for you to try. Bella spins one final time. The pressure of the blood rushing through her body looks like it could kill her at any moment. But she glides over to Dolce with the poise of a goddess. She puts the signed glass in his hand before he can say anything.

"I don't have anyone else I can... just... make sure it doesn't break. I don't have anything else right now."

She turns her back to him immediately. That treasure was the only thing holding her in place; now that it's been safely handed off, she vanishes like she's been shot out of a cannon. Toward danger. Toward Redana. Toward Mynx. Easier than breathing to run. It's in her blood, after all. She slips between formations of soldiers and under the foot-endings of floating Magi like she was born to move. She has something to protect. Several things. There are things that need to be said.

The further she goes, the more toxic the miasma. She was an idiot to deny the obvious. Bella picks up the place and dives into the thick of it with reckless abandon, but the thicker it gets the more it feels like she's feeling behind instead of catching up. She wheels about and heaves, growling with frustration. Typical Mynx, damn her. Toxins and trickery and lies, there when you don't need her, and find when you want her.

Toxins, and trickery. And softness. Support. Best friend, the only one to ever put up with her bullshit. Toxins. And an antidote for every single one. She puts her hand to the wall, follows it to the floor, and... there! Bella plucks a small white flower from the ground, and pops it stem and all into her mouth. Fuck, it's as bitter anything. That wine would've loved this. And when she swallows, suddenly she can see the golden path unfolding before her. She rushes down it in pursuit of a princess, and a mistake begging to be set right. Whatever the cost, she...

She doesn't have to follow. But she does.

[Overcome: [b]9[/b]. Bella expends a use of her Clever Tricks to make it stick]