The Irene Girls

Saving Nekoette

After a little bit of doing nothing, Marie dragged Avalon to the party, Marie tried to get Avalon to dance but eventually gave up since Avalon refused to get up from the table. Marie simply danced by herself and at one point stopped to check on someone who had fallen asleep on the ground.

Marie has become slightly tired from dancing and decides to sit down for a moment, however someone grabbed her hand, Levin. "W-Would you like to dance with me?" Levin asks slightly nervously. Marie stops for a moment, almost dumbfounded. "Oh- Yes. I-I'd love to." Marie replies quickly. Marie and Levin dance for a moment and talk for a little, eventually they stop and Marie goes to sit with Avalon. After Avalon teases Marie for a moment about Levin, Marie notices Dante grab his sword and begin to run away from the safe hold.

Marie grabs her sword from beside the table and runs up to the kid who was just speaking with Dante. "What's going on?" Marie asks sternly. The little boy is out of breath and struggles with his words. "Nekoette... B-big men... Took.. Her." Marie nods and readies her sword. "Avalon, let's go!" Marie yells over her shoulder. Marie notices Aphmau walking up to the little boy, now with more urgency than before.

Marie takes off onto the path and follows behind Dante. They run and arrive at a rebel camp. Marie stays back while Dante takes out a man, sadly her reflexes aren't fast enough and Dante gets shot before Marie can pull him back. A man is about to kill Dante when Aaron stops him. Marie quickly recites the incantation and once again, time slows. Marie takes out the two other men before they can even draw their swords completely. Aphmau takes out the archer then Marie quickly unties Nekoette. Marie whispers another incantation under her breath and time is restored to its normal pace.

Aphmau runs to Dante's side to check on him, it's not good. Dante was shot through the abdomen. Aphmau, Aaron, Avalon, and Marie all helped carry Dante back to the safe hold's watch tower. Nekoette trails behind holding her father's hand.

"This wound is... It's too close to his heart... We can't fix it without doing severe damage to his organs." A woman named Donna says sadly. Aphmau begins to ramble about how there must be something Donna can do while Kawaii~Chan yells in distress about it. Marie simply sits on her bed with her legs tucked into her chest and face buried, waiting for the worst to finally happen. Marie refused to let Avalon into the tree house insisting that this isn't something she should see.

After all, all Marie could make of the situation was death ripping apart another family.

Dante begins trying to calm Kawaii~Chan and succeeds. However, it's only followed by Nekoette yelling that it is all her fault and that she's sorry. Levin begins speaking of going to the Yggrasil forest and finding a healer, only to be cut off by Zoey. Then Dante speaks again about how he should've waited instead of attacking alone and it was his fault, not Nekoette's fault. He begins to speak to Aphmau, how he should have waited for her, Marie had heard Aphmau yelling behind them about how they should wait. Now Marie feels partly responsible for not stopping Dante, though he was too far ahead to stop.

Marie continues to listen to the heart wrenching scene as Aphmau begins slightly crying over Dante. Then, there's a flash of light... When Marie looks up, she sees Dante sitting up, healed perfectly. Some people ask questions while others simply yell it's a miracle. When they all calm down Dante questions Aphmau, as does Laurence but she's is as confused as them, then Aphmau blacks out.

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Time Skip
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It's been a few hours since Aphmau has blacked out, after eavesdropping Marie found out Aphmau never reported healing magicks before, or any kind of magicks. Marie decides to sneak away since they want to give Aphmau space anyway. Avalon passed out on her bed, her head is hanging off the bed, she's drooling, and snoring. Marie quickly sneaks away before she bursts out laughing from Avalon's sleeping position.

Marie finds herself lost in thought while aimlessly walking through an old barn. Marie sits at the base of a tree that's in the barn and places her sword down beside her. Marie leans her head back, looks into the tree branches, and begins to think.

Marie compiles a list of things she needs to do: find a home, find new clothes and armor, and find a boat. Then Marie begins to do something she hasn't had time for, think about family. Marie's eyes begin to tear up and she hugs her legs to her chest, after a moment Marie begins to sob quietly. Marie can't bring herself to stop thinking about her family, no matter how hard she tries.

Marie gets up, grabs her sword, and begins to run. Marie puts all her anger and sadness into every step she takes. She stops dead in front of the Lady Irene statue, kneels down, and begins to cry again.

"Please... Let everything get better... Please..." Marie says leaning her head on the stone. Marie sits by the stone until she unintentionally drifts off to sleep.

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Time skip
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Marie is awoken by something -or rather, someone- shaking her arm. Marie instantly jerks awake and looks around, only to realize she had fallen asleep. "You probably shouldn't make a habit of falling asleep in random places." Says an amused Levin. "No, of course not. Ugh, I didn't mean to fall asleep. I just- I don't know." Marie says standing up quickly and brushing the dust off herself.

"You're okay though, right?" Levin asks while handing Marie her sword. "Well, that depends on your definition of 'okay'." Marie says only slightly joking, then takes the sword and places it in its container. "Well, they've served dinner at the tree house. Your friend Avalon, can eat a lot by the way." Levin's says, causing Marie to laugh. "Believe me, if anyone knows about her eating habits, it's me. That girl could eat someone out of house and home." Marie says then laughs. "Anyway, you should probably head back to the safe hold. Don't want the Lord going missing on my watch." Marie says gesturing to the path.

Levin nods his head to signify his agreement, he and Marie then walk back to the safe hold in the peaceful silence of the night. It's only after Levin walked away that Marie wondered why he was out alone, surely Dante or another guard should have been with Levin. Marie then realizes Levin has been very stressed out with everything that's happened, he probably just took a walk to clear his head. After all, Marie takes walks to clear her mind all the time.

Marie shakes it off and begins to walk back to the tree house.