[center][H1][b][u]Senior Laboratory Alma - The Graves [/u][/b][/h1][/center] 

[hr]

A woman sat in an office suffused by a source-less, ethereal, golden glow. [url=https://imgur.com/gallery/ciyazBc]Her features were sharpened by this light[/url]. She glanced around the well decorated office, letting her gaze fall on the intricately complex symbols that sprawled across the floor. They spiraled out from the center of the room, and had once been glowing with the very same golden light that now filled the room from the floor. The light was a sourceless thing.
She recognized the design as a temporary ‘Soul Cairn’. It was flawed. Whatever the trap had been designed to contain had clearly escaped.

[MANA] swirled in a whirlpool of faded power, an echo of a massive lake that had apparently passed through this space. Hm. ‘Improvised third tier spells’ indeed…
She snorted derisively, listening as the voice of her ‘Brilliant Star’ rambled on in the background of her hearing. 
This office wasn’t [i]her[/i] office, of course. 

It used to be under the purview of a woman named Josephine Heller. But… Well. 
Josephine had apparently taken a rather abrupt vacation. 
A mere twenty four hours before she had arrived, which was oh so terribly convenient. 

She clicked her attention back to the phone call. 

Maria Menagerie would later remember her words as if they were from far away. The excitement filling her body at the time was… Almost blinding. 
‘[i]The Night Star[/i]’. So close, so close at hand… how exciting!
“[color=Silver]My Brilliant Star! Light of my life, how [i]wonderful[/i]! I almost can’t believe that you’ve been so successful my dear![/color]” she intoned calmly, though the wide smile in her voice was audible. 

Never-mind that the smile wasn’t on her face. Never-mind that her expression changed not once during the entire conversation.

Her voice still held a happy smile, still exuded a happy warmth. 
“[color=Silver]But I shouldn’t ever doubt you, should I, my dear? You’ve done so well! The mages can be handled by either yourself- if you feel up to the task- or by an intermediary of our choosing. Either way. We’ll have to start moving forward with plans for her [i]rescue[/i]. Well! My dear my dear, it’s been [i]lovely[/i], but I will have to make this… Concise! I have two new tasks for you, my love.[/color]” 
She took a breath, ‘taking a moment to think’, as it were. 

“[color=Silver]I need you to investigate something for me, as a favor, my love. Our… Marble Statue seems to have gone [i]missing[/i], and I would love for someone to investigate the circumstances for me! I haven’t been able to garner contact, and we both know everyone answers our calls, no?[/color]”
A chuckle as she finished.

Then, before her daughter could reply.
“[color=Silver]And my dear? The… Missing project? I’ll pull Cobalt Weasel from following, and instead I’d rather have you, shall we say, observe. From a distance, preferably, my dear. We do not want to engage with the Templar. I’ll trust in your judgement, as you’ve shown yourself capable! I’ll have some… Discussions… About the details you’ve shared.[/color]”

Maria flicked her gaze to the assistant standing behind her shoulder, watching as the stoic man tapped at the integrated slatephone on his forearm. He nodded to her, and she turned away.
“[color=Silver]You’ve done supremely well, dear. I’ll have Copper Drake take you wherever you wish to go upon your return to Ichabod. I have to go now! I love you.[/color]”

The pause was long enough for the requisite reply, before the connection was severed. 
Maria stood, crossing her arms and thinking silently, before she turned to her assistant again. They were about the same height, both about five feet and eight inches. 

She hummed, he returned it in kind, a strand of [MANA] pulsing between them as speech without words passed. 
Then, as one, they turned and strode out of the office, taking in the carnage of the facility before them.

Blood, viscera, bone, salt-water and ink made a mess of everything.

She sighed.
“[color=Silver]Idiots. All of them.[/color]”