[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/DVjv2A1.png?1[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/PIt6O9j.png[/img][/center]
[hr][color=gold]Location:[/color] Sirrahi research lab -> a Desert
[hr][color=gold]Interactions:[/color] Trypano [@A Lowly Wretch], Desmond [@Th3King0fChaos], Sileen[@Force and Fury]
[hr][hr]
Ingrid had been serious about not going through with this if it posed too great of a risk to Nine and her siblings. Nine seemed resolved to accept what might come about from this for the sake of bettering her people. Ingrid couldn't argue with that. Ingrid had never thought too deeply on the way the world operated, she was always too focused on her social standing in the past to care. For someone who has traveled across the continent, her worldview is much more narrow than she thought. Perhaps it is time to change that. 

With Seven directing Ten to prepare the transport and revealing how little time they had left, Ingrid only felt how little time there was. She wanted to talk to them more about their world and understand them even if it was superficial. She wanted to spend some time with Nine, not as a test subject but as equals. But there was little opportunity for us now. 

Everyone rushed through the halls, Ingrid wasn't in the best shape so she relied on the Gift to enhance her body, using kinetic magic to help keep her going at a reasonable speed. The stairs provided a unique challenge to someone who failed oh so miserably getting on the boat earlier. Ingrid leapt through the air, clearing them ease and as she descended she drew her own momentum of falling to fuel more of her run knowing Penny might need to draw more than the rest of us only having 1 leg after all.

As they ran, Nine decided to start the explaining what exactly were they studying. To Ingrid it seemed like a simple test. The hypothesis felt like it came from someone trying to confirm a bias rather than actually test anything. Ingrid knew but was important to retest things as that is the nature of science but she couldn't help but see their professor as a dick. Some of their talks went over Ingrid's head but she got most of the information about the experiment.  Seven came to a stop and they entered the room that seemed to hold their means of transporting us.

The room was a busy-looking room. Full of everything one would need to have their own laboratory, somewhat similar to Hugo's chambers. It was different and Ingrid could tell that they were researchers, there was a certain air to it. It was mystifying how much they could achieve with technology. The energies they had under their control without the Gift was astonishing. Using so many with such ease and a surprising amount of magnetism.

Nine seemed to bring up Seven's interruption to her earlier to our benefit as Seven quickly relinquished and gave an opportunity for us to grab some stuff as a reward of some sort. Ingrid believed the memories were more than enough but there was no time to talk about that. Ten had called over for the coordinates that they needed and Ingrid found that hard to answer as they she had no way of describing the school other than saying its name, an issue that would have never mattered to her if it wasn't for this one moment. Ismette seemed to be able to handle it and was the first to ask for her reward. 

[color=8882be][i]Temporal magic?[/i][/color] Ingrid thought as she heard Ismette's request. More interesting to Ingrid though was this 'cure' Ismette was looking for. Ingrid wanted to know more about what was going on and if she could be any help to her so she made a quick note of it for after they get home. They seemed receptive to Ismette receiving it. It touched Ingrid that Nine would openly say that she would trust us with that kind of knowledge. Ingrid had some time to look around before Nine returned to help her pick her final selection. 

Ingrid smiled at Nine, [color=8882be]"Finished up with Desmond?"[/color] Ingrid asked, seeing if she had Nine to herself even if it was just for a few moments. Seeing that the coast was clear, Ingrid moved herself and Nine behind the shelves to get a smidgen of privacy. [color=8882be]"Hey,"[/color] Ingrid said shyly as she rubbed the back of her neck then smiled at Nine, [color=8882be]"I know we don't have long but I wanted to thank you. I know you said that this time with us has changed you but it has changed me as well."[/color] Ingrid looked away as she tried to summarize her thoughts in an efficient way. [color=8882be]"Before coming here I was so focused on myself. I think I always cared for people but I never allowed it to be my focus. I never took a hard look at myself or the bubble of a world I lived in. I learned so much from this time away from the academy. It was painful and scary but it has opened my eyes to many things. I only know now that there is much more for me to do before I can say I have bettered myself now."[/color] Ingrid looked into Nine's eyes, placing her hand on her cheek, [color=8882be]"Whether you know it or not, your passion has changed me. I want to go out into the world and learn about it in a way I could never see before."[/color] Ingrid went in for a quick kiss before backing away again to continue. [color=8882be]"I want to help you with your own mission. I can get information and interact with humans in a way that you can't right now. That is why I want Temporal magic. To send you pieces of our culture. To give you information that is needed to convince your own people. I want to help people on my side as well and sadly the only way for me is to increase my standing through skill. I…"[/color] Ingrid was cut off as they had ran out of time and had to get to the platform.

Ingrid wasn't a crier and she held herself until Nine said her goodbyes and told Ingrid that she could call her Sileen. [color=8882be]"It was wonderful getting to know you Sileen. I have no idea when we will be able to meet again but I will promise to never forget you."[/color] Ingird felt bitter sweet about the goodbye. She didn't know how long it would be until she could help Sileen but in any case, Ingrid knew she would never say forget her.

The portal wasn't that intimidating after all Ingrid has been through. She was ready to go through when Sileen turned her around and kissed her. Ingrid closed her eyes and let it happen. A last kiss to send her off. It was nice Ingrid thought but as Ingrid took one last look at Sileen, she could see Sileen wink at her. There was something in that wink but she couldn't tell what it could be at the time. 

There was no time to ponder what the wink met as it seems the coordinates that Ismette gave put them into the desert. A very hot desert. Luckily Ingrid was dressed pretty lightly. Benedetto pointed immediately to the army of thousands marching towards a compound. [color=8882be][i]Oh for the love of the Pentad[/i][/color] Ingrid thought. From the hired hands of the Doge to now thousands of soldiers. Could things get worst? Of course they could, they be dragons now.

Ingrid looked up and saw the froabases. They already deemed us to be the prey they were looking for. With the army over there in sight, Ingrid didn't want to do anything that would garner their attention. Trypano already made a hole to hide from them. Honestly, it seemed like the most reasonable option considering not being on the army's radar sounded nice. So I guess it was time to dive into the hole. Before going into the hole she whipped up the sand around her to create a blind spot for the dragons. Ingrid went down into the hole with less flare than Desmond as she was trying to create a dust storm to cover their stealth from the dragons. Ingrid did her best not to get wet though as she had no idea if the chainsaw would blow up if dunked into the water Trypano was making. As she made it to Trypano Ingrid smiled and said, [color=8882be]"Thanks for the hole. Hopefully, the dust storm above gets them to waste a bit of time for us to escape."[/color] Another adventure awaits them in the desert now.