And So It Starts -- Rooms 510, 421, 408, 218, and 223, then the Lobby -- Wednesday Night

[angelo_wings]

Quistis	It was late evening when Quistis received the news; she sent out immediate orders for verification, and ordered a change in course. Garden was currently on the far western reaches of the Centra ruins. They couldn't be further from Esthar. She cursed herself for letting them travel this far out. But had been quiet for months. She couldn't have expected when the first crisis would happen. A half-hour later, she had more information. Enough that made it unlikely that the reports were entirely false. Which meant she needed to make a phone call.
Squall	Squall was sitting on his bed staring at the floor when the call came. He dug out his phone and sighed. A call from Quistis -- meaning a status update he didn't care about, a question that she really ought to be able to answer for herself, or an awkward attempt at a friendly conversation. Probably all three. Great. "What?" he answered brusquely. He wasn't really in the mood.
Quistis	It helped that they didn't have time for pleasantries. She fought down the urge to snap at his tone. They didn't have time for that, either. "Ellone's been taken," she said. "Unconfirmed reports from Esthar indicate it was Adel's forces." He wouldn't need more than that.
Squall	It probably also helped that his tone changed immediately. "What's the plan? How far out are you?" Random shit going down in Esthar he wouldn't have cared about. If it had been anyone else kidnapped, he would have thanked Quistis for the heads up and trusted her to deal with it. But this was Sis, and he wasn't going to lose her again.
Quistis	"Twelve hours at least," Quistis answered. "We're out past Centra. We didn't expect movement so suddenly." He didn't get to lecture her about making the wrong decision. He'd quit. "We've got this under control," she said. "I only thought you would want to know."
Squall	Squall nodded, even though she couldn't see it. She'd spent the past few months doing whatever, preparing or... whatever. He didn't know or care. The point was, Garden had plenty of other things to be doing other than just hovering over Esthar in case Adel attacked. He had no problem with that. "I did want to know," he told her. And, since he was trying to be nicer to people these days, he added, "Thank you." Twelve hours was way too long. If he took the portal back, he could be there MUCH faster. And Adel could NOT be allowed to have Sis. "Any more intel, you let me know," he ordered. Yes, he quit and she was in charge. And before that, she'd been senior to him. He was still giving her an order.
Quistis	"Agreed," she said. Ellone was important to Squall; she'd allow the order, this once. And she still thought of Garden as being his to command, anyway. "Squall," she added. "Don't go doing something stupid." He was usually the rational, dependable one. It was more Seifer's motif to go chasing down the heroics. But Ellone was important to him, which made it important to remind him that Squall against the entirety of Adel's army would not go well.
Squall	"I won't," Squall agreed. Rescuing Sis wasn't stupid. He had to. He couldn't not. Quistis understood that, right? He wasn't going to put anyone else in danger, or anything idiotic. But this was Sis.
Quistis	"Good," came the answer. "Garden, out." She hung up the phone, relieved. At least that was one complication she wouldn't have to worry about. And now, to rescue Sis.

Squall	Quistis had just made the mistake of telling Squall that Sis had been kidnapped and expecting him to sit tight and not do anything about it. Because sometimes, she was a moron. Now, of course, Squall needed to let Rinoa know that Sis had been kidnapped and tell her to sit tight, so he could run off on a rescue mission. He raced down to her room and rapped on the door urgently.
Rinoa	Rinoa was stretched out on her bed, trying to read and unable to stay focused on her book. Sylvie had been adorable, but unsettling. She wished she understood what it all meant. She was happy to have the interruption, and even more so when she pulled the door open and saw who was standing there. "Hey," she smiled. It only took her a moment for that smile to disappear, when she saw the state he was in. "What happened?"
Squall	"Adel has Sis," Squall told her. "Stay here. I'll be back soon." And that was really all he had time for. He still had to stop down at the weapons locker before he left, and every second counted. So he turned to leave.
Rinoa	As if on cue, Angelo had leaped up, and was now standing in the doorway barking at Squall's back. "I just need my coat," she called out. "Did you get a portal yet?"
Squall	"Not yet," Squall answered, turning back around grumpily. "And you're not coming. We can't allow Ultimecia to get you, too." Translation: YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GET HURT. EVER.
Rinoa	"If Adel's awake, you'll need me," Rinoa insisted. "You can't take her on yourself." Not that the prospect of dealing with Adel didn't scare the pants off of her. Her tone sharpened. "You're my Knight, not my keeper. And if you're going to be my boyfriend, then you have to accept everything that comes with that." She wasn't going to let another man who loved her lock her away from the world.
Squall	He wasn't trying to lock her away from the world! She could handle the world. He was trying to lock her away from Ultimecia. Completely different. "If Ultimecia gets control of you, we've lost," Squall reminded her. "We can't risk that." The fact that Ultimecia/Adel could kill him with barely a thought, and this was probably a suicide mission if he went alone? NOT on his mind.
Rinoa	"I have shields, now," she reminded him. "We lose if Ultimecia gets Ellone, not me. You need help to take her on. This isn't a negotiation. Make your choice."
Squall	"..." She made a good point. And Squall didn't have time to argue. And... well, he'd feel better to have her there. In fact, if they could find just one more person to round it out to three, that would be even better. But there wasn't time. "Grab anything you need. We're leaving immediately."
Rinoa	"Ten minutes," she countered, squelching the urge to do a victory dance. "It'll let me make a couple of phone calls, and you can set up a portal and hit the weapons locker. Deal?"
Squall	"Fine," Squall grumbled. He would have tried to argue it down to five, but he wasn't sure he could navigate Portalocity's phone menu in that amount of time. "The lobby. Ten minutes." He didn't know what it was Rinoa wanted to do with those ten minutes, and frankly, he didn't care. He headed off towards the stairs at a brisk pace, pulling out his phone as he went.

Jono	Ah, Wednesday. Much like every other day of the week, except that it was the lead-in to the one day that Jono had absolutely nothing to do. No clubs, no classes, no jobs. Saturday didn't count, on account of it being a weekend and prone to Fandom's usual insanities. No, Thursday was where it was at. And that was why Jonothon was spending his Wednesday evening flopped back on his bed, teasing the kitten while pondering what he was going to do with his tomorrow. This could not possibly backfire on him.
Rinoa	None at all! Except in that there was a frantic rapping on his door. And some rumblings that, if one listened closely, sounded like someone hurriedly shoving a few necessities into a bag. "Jono?" she called.
Jono	That knock on his door, and that voice. Neither really seemed to bode well for this 'day off' thing that he had been gearing up for. //...Yes?// There was a moment's pause, and then the door opened a little, and Jono peered out at Rinoa, eyebrow raised. //Can I help you, luv?//
Rinoa	"I hope so," she said. She'd been happy that she talked Squall out of a crazed suicide mission, but a few of them against Adel, that ... wasn't going to go much better. Excuse her if nerves were kicking in. "I mean, I need your help. If you can. It's ... bad. Someone's been kidnapped, and that doesn't sound like the end of the world, but it could be, literally. There's -- I don't even have time to explain. It's going to be dangerous, and I'm not sure we can do this alone." And it was even more complicated than that, but they didn't have time for that, either.
Jono	Well. There went his Thursday. Jonothon didn't seem to mind so much. //What do we need?// He could have asked for details, but she'd already rather stressed that there was no time for details. He'd ask the next best thing, and then wing it from there.
Rinoa	"Firepower," Rinoa said. It was a sign of how distracted she was that she didn't think to apologize for the unintentional pun. Or realize there was one. "We might be going up against a Sorceress. Or we might not. We might get in, get Ellone, and get out again, and you'll all have wasted a trip. I hope we waste a trip. I told Squall ten minutes, in the lobby, and it's been two."
Jono	//Firepower,// Jono echoed, furrowing his eyebrows slightly. //Well, you've got that, then.// In spades, even. //Gather anybody else you need, and I might be able to grab a teleporter and a healer for you, as well.//
Rinoa	"Thank you," she said, taking a steadying breath. It was going to be all right. A teleporter, a healer, herself, Jono, and some others who had magic handy. Adel was toast. She hoped. "A teleporter, especially," she added. "That means we can ... we can get out quickly if we get Ellone. That would be incredible." And now to dig out her phone. "I wish I didn't have to ... drop in like this and then run again," she said, "but I do. I'm sorry. I'll see you in the lobby?"
Jono	//Go. Run. I'll be after shortly, hopefully with some reinforcements, luv.// He was already pulling on one of his heavier coats. It was about as close to armour as he'd ever be caught in. Time to help gather the troops, he supposed.

Karla	Karla was curled up in bed, looking through the pictures they'd taken that weekend. So many pictures filled with so many adorable children. She couldn't say they were all happy pictures--Jaenelle Mara and Kayla were never going to be friends--but they all made her smile softly. Seven children from six different futures. In five of them, she was incredibly happy. That gave her hope. Of course, she thought darkly, in three of them, something horrible had happened to her legs. In one, she'd been betrayed in ways she couldn't imagine. Still, she couldn't help but cling to the future Kayla and Nommy had promised. It was a bright one. Even so, the future was the future and tonight was just comfortable and cozy. Karla felt better than she had in weeks.
Rinoa	The ringing of Karla's phone was the first hint that tonight was not going to get to stay comfortable, or cozy. Rinoa was hopping down stairs two at a time while she dialed. Ten minutes. She didn't even know what was going on. Why hadn't she asked for thirty? Squall might not have waited thirty. As soon as Karla answered, she was going to be greeted with an urgent sort of, "Karla?" And, without waiting for a response, Rinoa was going to add, "I need your help."
Karla	"You have it," Karla said, immediately. The photos went spilling off the bed as she got up, reaching for her supplies. "What's happening? What do you need?"
Rinoa	"Magic," she said, trying to navigate the stairs without falling and figure out how to explain what was going on. Shit. "You two helped me. Last time. I mean, we all did. And there was power there? And we might be going up against a Sorceress, I hope we're not, but we might, and it could be dangerous, and she's got Ellone and we need to get her back." Apparently, navigating the stairs won that particular round.
Karla	Karla stopped and just looked at the phone in her hand. "What?" she asked. "Those were words, that much I got, but they weren't put into any kind of understandable order." She grabbed a few more items and shoved them into a haversack and darted out of her room. "Where should I meet you?"
Rinoa	"It's bad," she said, stopping to try for breath and not sure how well she was managing that, either. "The lobby. I told Squall it'd be ten minutes, and that was before I called you. He's -- it's complicated. But it's either going to be a rescue mission, or we'll have to fight a Sorceress, or possibly both." There was way more to it than that, but that was, at least, a helpful starting point.
Karla	That put a different spin on things. Karla ducked back into her room to grab a few more things she thought might be useful. "I'll meet you in the lobby then," she promised. "Just another second okay? I'll see you there."
Rinoa	"Okay," Rinoa said. "Squall's there. I'm calling people. I need a minute. I'll ... I'll explain when I can." Everything else could wait. Couldn't it? No, wait, there was one last thing that couldn't. "Thank you."
Karla	"Appreciated, but unnecessary," Karla said firmly, finishing up the last of her prep and running down the stairs. Thank the Darkness she lived on the second floor. "Too many friends have come to my aid when I need it most to not pay that forward." She snapped her phone shut after that--goodbyes were superfluous and Rinoa probably had other calls to make. Karla knew she did. Time to activate the 'I'm running off on a rescue, please to not be worrying' phone tree. She should just set up some kind of automated message system for that. Maybe Ben would help her? Once he finished throttling her. Again.

Raven	Raven, unlike someone who was lazing about, actually had a busy day on Wednesday with class and Reserves. By the evening she had returned to her room to get in some quality meditation time. She was still curious about the newly calm netherverse within her.
Jono	Hopefully, she didn't want to meditate too badly, because that was Jonothon's voice cutting into her thoughts, perfectly clear in spite of being being sent up from the floor below, and thick with a sense of urgency about it. //Raven, luv? Got a bit of a favour to ask you. One of those 'possibly the end of th'world' types, if you've a minute to spare.//
Raven	It didn't even take a minute for Raven to snap herself to full awareness and to teleport herself down to Jono's room. "What has happened? Are you all right? What do you need?" In other words, whatever she could do, she would.
Jono	//I'm fine, Sunshine,// Jono replied, glancing up from cramming a few spare bandages into his pockets (for once, damn it, he was going to be prepared) as she appeared. He'd get used to that, eventually. //I... don't know if you know Rinoa, or Squall? Couple of students here, friends of mine. Something's up with their home. A kidnapping, so far as I can tell. And for as much good as I'll be able to do, against whatever it is we're up against, it'd be... better still, if all there was to th'rescue was... possibly just getting in and getting out again.// Really, they had about five minutes left to get down to the lobby, and here he was, talking circles around what they were in need of, here. Someday, Jonothon would stop being so long-winded. Honest. No, probably not.
Raven	"I know them both," Raven said, thinking of the conversation she'd had with Rinoa shortly after her return to Fandom, about how she feared one day she'd become lost in her power and Squall would have to kill her like Jono had been forced to destroy her. "I will gladly help in any way I can," she said.
Jono	//Thank you, luv.// What more was there to say, really, than that? He held his hand out toward her, still a touch tentatively, but with far more confidence than he might have had even a few days ago. //I believe we're needed down in th'lobby.//
Raven	Raven smiled and carefully laced her fingers with his. "We have no need for stairs, of course," she said, drawing them both into the netherverse and back out again in the blink of an eye, taking them to the lobby below. She hoped she'd have enough time to send a message to Anakin and to Karla -- though she'd find she didn't need to tell Karla soon enough.

Tara	Tara's dorm room door was open, and she idly dangled a bit of string in front of Mr. Moxy. She supposed she could be doing some schoolwork, but right then, kitten cuddles were much more her speed.
Rinoa	Tara's room was on the second floor; Rinoa had stopped at Jono's on the fourth and had nearly flown down the stairs the rest of the way. Thank goodness she was in. And now, there was a breathless girl standing in the doorway, somewhat disheveled and a bit inclined to flail her arms. "Tara?" she said. "It's ... I need your help."
Tara	Tara blinked, but was on her feet in a second, string cast aside. "Sure," she said. "Come in. What -- what kind of help is this? Can I get you some water or something?" She was getting a bad feeling in her stomach from how disheveled Rinoa looked.
Rinoa	"Bigger," she said. Shit. She should be better at explaining things, but words always spilled out in a strange mixed-around tumble. "Magic related. I ... someone's been kidnapped. And it's just worse from there, and Squall's not going to be rational about this, and I need help, and I wouldn't ask but it's --" She stopped to catch her breath. "Important." Important in that someone evil and crazy was trying to end time. And worse, nearly had the ingredients to do it.
Tara	"Okay," Tara said. "It's okay. I'll help. Is it -- should I pack?" She was already fumbling around for her duffle bag. "We'll get your friend back, promise."
Rinoa	"Probably," she said. "I don't ... I don't know how long we'll be gone? It might not be long, if we can hurry. And I told Squall ten minutes, in the lobby, and I think it's been five." Which didn't leave Tara much time at all. She felt bad about that, but if she had asked for more time, Squall might have just left. "I ... don't know her, myself," she added, awkwardly. "It's Squall. It's ... it's his sister." The one he'd lost as a child, and the reason he was such a closed-off, traumatic mess. She had no idea if he was even capable of thinking straight about this. And the thought of him losing Ellone again, terrified her.
Tara	"Oh." That was awful, and a reason for Tara to rush through sticking things into her bag and pouring out extra food for Mr. Moxy. "Is he ... how's he handling it?" Stupid question.
Rinoa	"I ... don't know," Rinoa said, shaking her head and feeling silly for not having a better answer. "He was going to tear off by himself, after her. He's not thinking, just ... reacting. I mean, I can't blame him. But I think maybe he's ... just not letting himself handle it, yet." If they were in pursuit, then Ellone was going to be fine, and if Ellone was fine, there was nothing to worry about, and Squall could go back to repressing like crazy. It sounded like him.
Tara	Tara winced. It sounded like a bad situation all around. "So we'll ... help him handle it," she said quietly. "Right?" She looked at her bag, decided it was packed enough, and lofted it over her shoulder. She'd give Kennedy a call while she was on the way. "He's lucky to have you."
Rinoa	Rinoa flushed. "Thank you," she said. "I just hope ..." No. She wasn't going to hope things worked out. She was going to make sure they did. They could do this. Instead, she straightened up with a determined smile. "Let's go save Ellone."

Squall	Six minutes after he left Rinoa's door, Squall was down in the lobby with both his and Rinoa's weapons. And still on hold with Portalocity.
Rinoa	Seven minutes after he left Rinoa's door, she was hurrying into the lobby, her phone still glued to one hand. She stopped to drop a kiss on his cheek. "It'll be okay," she said. "Who are you calling?"
Squall	As strange as it sounded, the kiss helped him feel better. "Portalocity," he told her. "I didn't think it would be this hard to just arrange a portal for two back home."
Rinoa	Not strange at all. Some day, Squall would realize that relationships were helpful for the rough times. "Not two," she said. "Somewhere between five and seven. Which number did you call? Do you want me to try?"
Squall	"I think I've got it, I'm just on hold," Squall grumbled. "I..." What Rinoa said had taken a few moments to register. He couldn't be angry at her; it was a good idea, after all. "Who?" he asked, all business again. The team roster was important to know.
Rinoa	"Jono," she said. "Tara and Karla. Jono was going to ask someone, or possibly a couple of someones, I wasn't clear on that. But he knows someone who can teleport." Which would be hugely important, if they got to Ellone and needed to get out again, without going through Seifer's forces. "I didn't explain much." She hadn't really had time. Nobody had seemed that upset about it. Maybe, like Squall, they were more used to this than she was.
Squall	"Raven," Squall filled in. "His girlfriend. Good." He considered the list. "Lots of magic. Good idea. We'll need it for Adel." ...And he turned and gave Rinoa a bit of a smile. She was getting MUCH better at tactics.
Rinoa	She returned it, but hers was small, as well. "Whatever's in the Lunatic Pandora, we can handle." She was still going to hope it didn't come to that.
Squall	"We'll have to," Squall agreed. Finally, finally the Portalocity representative picked the phone back up, and it was only a few moments more before everything was all arranged and booked. "Okay," Squall said. "We're ready. As soon as everyone gets here, we go."

(Thus starts plot! Post 1 of plot. Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Post 8.)

(Preplayed with the fabulous whateverknight, furnaceface, glacial_witch, trigons_child, and life_inshadow, all of whom have been fucking rock stars. NFI, but broadcast is a-okay, and OOC is love.)