Mezz

Molly looked to her uniform and then sighed, adjusting it. It was too short, as far as she was concerned. The consortium gates stood in front of her and she checked to make certain his symbol was still visible. “Right. So. Technically, I’m not allowed to have guests. There’s a lot of things I’m not allowed to do. Luckily, no one’s seen me or Karato or Lorn for a while. You’re a bit too tall but they don’t know a lot about humans, so may think that Lorn just…grew.”

The taller woman ignored the pang in her heart about Lorn. The other would be okay, she had to be. She’d track her down after this. There had to be a way to save her lady love. “My body’s in the chapel.” She grumbled, clearly not happy. “And probably ridiculous looking.” She shrugged and then glanced to Catherine. “Just. Stick close okay? I’ve broken a bunch of rules since I was last here, so we seriously want to keep our heads down. They always know.”

She shouldn’t have come, but had to come. She needed her real body if she was going to survive carrying Karato again. The consortium, a series of tall bring buildings loomed above them both and Molly hesitated as she looked over the dark place. It was the home of her mentor’s bosses, and it wasn’t a place she was prepared to stay for long. The buildings were almost all between three and six stories in height, and there were five. The chapel lay on the other side of the plaza that stretched from the gates to the chapel itself, four other buildings in a semi circle around it. It would be okay, she reminded herself.

They just had to keep their heads down.

Catherine sighed as she tugged the sleeves of her borrowed uniform shirt downwards, this wasn't an adventure she was keen on undertaking, but June had her over a barrel on this one. She suspected that the Councilor knew that she was trying to figure out how to break the new set of bindings, and would rather make her earn the freedom than take it herself. "Sounds like this school was real fun." Catherine muttered listening to Molly.

"I'm not going anywhere, I've learned my lesson about wandering off before." She added following Molly, wary of this strange world and the people in it.

"I got my ass kicked on a daily basis." She admitted. "But I learned a lot. Besides, I wasn't a normal student. I was kind of an apprentice." Sort of. "We're wearing his symbol. Theoretically, we shouldn't get stopped." But her mentor would sure as hell know that she showed up. Molly was so fucking screwed. She pushed open the gate, head held high, and led the way. Most students lived on campus, but she never had.

The young woman walked forward, staying to the paths. She could, of course, cross the greenway, but that would draw attention. Still, she kept her pace quick, and her stride long. Catherine would be able to keep up, but only just. With luck they wouldn't run into anyone.

Of course, just thinking that was liable to get someone's attention. An older woman stepped in front of Molly and Catherine, and Molly stopped, looking down to her.

"Miss Bronson. It has been some time since you actually came onto the grounds." She said firmly, looking the girl over. "I see your mentor is as usual." She murmured, referencing the length of the skirt. "And this must be Miss Delani. She has grown." Interesting. the teacher in front of them was aware that humans shouldn't have grown quite like that.

"Hello Mrs. Abrahams. It's a pleasure to see you once more." A rote greeting, said perfectly politely. What was this woman doing keeping them from moving on?

Catherine kept up with Molly the best that she could, but it was difficult. When Molly stopped, Catherine nearly ran into her, and looked to see what the hold up was. 'So much for easy in, easy out.' She thought carefully to herself. They had been stopped by what appeared to be a teacher, and she had no idea how they were going to pass the woman without causing an even bigger problem.

Catherine just looked from Molly, to the woman named Mrs. Abrahams; trying not to appear confused.

"Hm. Miss Bronson, tomorrow you and your sister will report to the deans office at 11 am sharp. We have a small task for the two of you. Do this, and the numerous infractions committed since your last visit will be, shall we say, forgotten." Mrs. Abrahams said quite firmly. "It shouldn't be out of the realm of possible for two of Vexar's brightest students. As Miss Delani has behaved, she will not, of course, be joining you on this venture."

Ah no. Molly nodded in agreement. "Of course, Mrs. Abrahams. Karato and I will be there." Well, Molly would. Karato would have been stricken down with something highly contagious. Molly at time to figure out what.

"Very well. Continue on your way girls. Do tell your mentor I said hello." she stepped out of the way, and Molly smiled and scooted past her, resuming her quick pace. Damn. She was in so much trouble. She didn't even have words for the trouble she was in. A task, no doubt near Sisyphean in nature, as punishment.

Luckily, no one else would cross their path on route to the chapel.

"What was that all about?" Catherine questioned, her voice quiet, once they were out of prospective ear shot of the so called Mrs. Abrahams. She considered herself lucky enough to not have to have whatever this punishment was of Molly's, but at the same time felt herself concerned about the potential separation. Catherine didn't know the way this world worked, and really didn't want to get caught in a mess bigger than she could ever hope to handle.

"And who the hell is this Miss Delani that teacher claimed I was?"

"I've broken a few rules." she explained quietly. "And by a few, I mean a lot." More than she should have, really, but she had never liked the rules she broke anyway. The woman looked to the chapel, which they now stood in front of. "And Miss Delani is Lorn Delani, my long time lover." She murmured. "You're too short to be Karato and since I didn't really mingle with the other students, the only other person you could be is Lorn." She explained. Lorn had been missing, but Molly would find her after this. It shouldn't be too hard. And if anything had happened, well. She'd fix it. No matter what it took or what rules she had broken.

"Come on." she muttered and stepped inside, pushing open the door. The chapel was impossibly large inside and full of beauty and wonder. Molly stopped briefly to admire it. "Right. To find whatever alcove they've stashed me in, I need you to concentrate on me. Think on me. Don't think on anything else, or we're liable to end up in the wrong room. The doors in this place are a bit wonky." She explained and then walked forward, skirting around the main seating area and into a side area, obvious meant for prayer and confessions. A door was set into the wall, foreign writing carved into the stone above it.

The door itself was elaborately carved with mythological figures from different cultures. Molly firmly ignored the carvings, and glanced to Catherine. "Remember. Focus on your memories, your thoughts, of me."

Catherine just sighed, finding herself not particularly caring much for the assumed role she'd been tasked with. "If they think I'm her, then obviously someone needs their head examined." She remarked, mainly to herself than anyone else. But, if she could keep up the illusion of being this girl named Lorn, then they just might get out of this little adventure unscathed.

Glancing around the chapel they were now inside of, she wondered exactly what sort of world she'd agreed to come to. 'Strange place for strange people.' She thought to herself following Molly through the main sanctuary, down an aisle, and past the confessionals. From what little Catherine understood, was that this was a world built on magic, not unlike her own, but also vastly different. She found herself almost afraid of what might happen if the people in the school found out Molly's plans.

"Give me a moment." Catherine said taking a second to clear her thoughts, and focus on what little she knew of Molly. Granted her experience with the other was limited, and she had very little to draw on, but she did as she was asked.

Molly nodded and once it looked like Catherine was ready opened the door. A stone crypt stood in front of them. Seven stone shelves stood empty and ready, already labeled, all for almost impossibly long bodies. Karato's name was on one. Lorn's on another. The eighth shelf contained Molly's own body.

"The doors here respond to need." She explained quietly. "The only doors you can really trust are entrances to buildings. Otherwise, things tend to move around in this part of Ravnica." She murmured and stepped inside. "You could probably stop thinking about me now. Once I close the door, I'll seal the entrance so we can...can transfer me to the right body.

It was jarring seeing her old body there, brown hair brushed and gleaming, braided and laying to one side. That was likely Rozwell's work. It had grown so long since she had last been in it. The body lay on a simple thin mat made of a rich seeming material and in the same shade of purple as Molly's current hair. It was dressed in a long white silk dress that covered even the slipper clad feet. It looked almost like she was sleeping. At least they hadn't decided to surround it with flowers.

This was surreal. Molly bit her bottom lip and looked to her body. This would be fine, she reminded herself. She knew exactly what she needed to do. "Geez. I look ridiculous in that dress." Was that a pearl embroidered sash around her waist? It was. This is why she couldn't let people play dress up. They did ridiculous things, like decide it was perfectly normal to make her look like she was in some fancy demented nightie. At least it was modest, even if the neckline was lower than she'd like. And was that an amulet? Seriously? That. That was...a puzzle piece? "...Those fuckers. Catherine, never let someone play dress up with you." That was ridiculous. Sweet, but ridiculous.

"Lovely... I hate magic." Catherine grumbled. "Don't even start with me on why either." She added to Molly once they found what they were looking for.

The apparent catacombs were a strange sight, filled with what appeared to be living bodies, instead of the dead. Once again Catherine found herself thinking that these people were strange, and their ways even stranger. "Honestly? It's not terrible Molly." She commented looking at the body. She knew it was a husk, a shell, but still halfway expected her to wake up with them talking. "Let's think of all the things it could be..." Catherine commented crossing her arms over her chest.

Molly sealed the door behind them and shuddered. "Right. So, you aren't going to like this part." That much Molly knew. "But I need you to guard my body while I, um, transfer over." She said, and carefully lifted her true form down, and placed it on the floor. The tall woman sat down cross legged in front of it and looked up to Catherine from that spot.

"They won't come until after I start, if they come at all. With luck, they won't even notice, if they're distracted." She was hoping they'd be very distracted. Molly swallowed. "The seal will make them work to get in. It should buy us some time. I may be able to be awake in time." She made no promises. Molly bit her bottom lip and looked to the other, uncertain. "If they get to much, grab this pendant." She held up her necklace. "And say Terra. It'll get you to safety." Molly would, theoretically, be safe. They'd want her to stand trial after all.

"Sound good?"

Leaning against the wall of the catacomb, Catherine just shook her head at Molly's request. "I have no idea what you think I'm going to be able to do, but it's not like I've got a choice is it?" She replied, thinking that the sooner they were done with this, the sooner she could go home. "Though honestly, if they haven't noticed anything by now, I don't think they will." Catherine added.

"But, whatever, let's get this over and done with." Defensive or really any type of magic beyond what she intuitively knew, where something Catherine felt extremely unskilled with. This was not a situation where she wanted to have to try anything hasty, especially while keeping an eye on Molly.

Molly dug in her pockets and pulled out a small gun, then held it out to Catherine, handle first. "Use this." she said and shrugged. "It'll stun them long enough for you to get out of here." That was about it. It was a small caliber after all. Assuming Catherine took the gun, Molly took a deep breath and sunk deep into herself, her body going limp as if the strings had been cut.

Her spirit, unseen to all those but the few attuned to such things or looking for it rose from her body and slowly, determined, moved to the actual body. Molly, her concentration on inhabiting the correct body, would completely miss the almost translucent form of Karato taking shape behind her, clearly visible to all. With glee, Karato flipped Catherine the bird before diving for the body, entering it right as Molly's spirit settled in.

The body lay on the ground as the golem crumbled away. It didn't move.

Catherine wanted to say no, but kept her mouth shut, keeping her thoughts to herself this time. Having taken the small gun from Molly, she checked it shaking her head, wondering why she hadn't been with it enough to bring her own. But, then again there hadn't exactly been anywhere to hide it in the horrendous uniforms with their short skirts, blouses, and knee socks with loafers. Everything ran too small or too short, something that while Catherine found herself extremely uncomfortable with, somehow found herself tolerating it for now.

'I just hope this doesn't take forever.' She thought to herself occasionally glancing back from the sealed door towards where the golem and Molly's body lay.

With a gasp of air, Molly took a breath and then pushed herself up once more. "Oooh." She groaned and held her head. "Ow. Everything i way too sensitive." She glanced to the door as someone began to pound on the other side, and then closed her eyes again. "Every my eyesight. Geez." It was too bright and everything was sensitive. Molly did not appreciate this at all. Still, she managed to sit up, pulled her legs under her so her balance was a bit better.

"So, I don't recommend ever, you know, doing this." Ever. It hurt. Everything hurt. Molly licked her lips and looked to her boss? Friend? She never knew what to call Catherine. "We need to get out of here before they remember they have mages not that far from here." Luckily, this was primarily a place for merchants. There was the school of course, but as Molly had said. It was highly select. There weren't exactly even 100 students there. Perhaps 50, she supposed, and most only on 'campus' periodically.

"Not so sure I can stand though." That was the truth. This would be tricky. "Pretty sure I can't even move more than I have."

"Well we'll just have to deal with it, besides, I have a pretty good idea of how you're feeling right now." Catherine said offering the other the glasses that she normally wore, they had obviously been tucked away in whatever small pocket she had managed to find. She had never said where she'd been prior to returning to the Faerie Courts or exactly what happened in the span of all those years, but it had obviously given her some sort of insight to Molly's current situation.

"If you have an idea of how to get out of here, I'll help you the best I can." Catherine added glancing towards the door before standing and offering Molly a hand up off of the floor. Though she suppose If push came to shove, the she supposed she would just have to use those talents June had hinted at.

"Oh I have an idea. It's called 'run the fuck away.'" And it remained a very valid idea, in her mind. Molly accepted the glasses and put them on, and accepted the hand to stand. The dress was too long and Molly stared at it in horror. "This is ridiculous." It also clung to her every curve, and made it clear that there was nothing on under the dress. Such. A. Pervert. Still, it was time to focus, and not on the fact that this thing had to have been special made to be too long on her.

Dizzy, she leaned against Catherine, and her hand spasmed on her as she tried to grab her pendant. The woman managed it the second time. Complete integration was clearly not there yet. Well, it would come with time. "Mmkay, put your hand over mine. This'll take us back to my apartment on Terra, once I give the word." She said, half out of it. She hoped she'd manage the concentration to get them both there, and with luck the balance to not fall flat on her ass once they arrived.

The pounding was louder and there was a blast of magic against the door. Damn. Her seal wouldn't hold against much more of that.

Catherine glanced over at Molly, concern very briefly crossing her face. "Okay then..." She replied slowly looking over at the door. The situation was growing worse by the second, and Molly was nothing more than a stumbling blob of jello as far as Catherine was concerned. "Easy, take things slowly." Catherine said as she supported Molly while her hand faltered. While most people should have stumbled with someone like Molly's full weight against them, Catherine supported it with ease.

Placing her hand over Molly's, it was almost cold to the touch, but her grip was firm. "Ready whenever you are Molly. Take as much time as you need." Catherine felt that this was something that shouldn't necessarily be rushed, but still needed priority to get them the hell out of wherever it was there happened to be exactly.

Molly nodded and closed her eyes, forcing herself to concentrate. The door broke in two, right as Molly had what she needed, and she whispered, focusing on that odd power she had, that odd tingle behind every wild punch she had ever thrown, every demon she had ever dealt with. "Terra."

Focused, Molly didn't notice the bubble form around them and and contract against them, holding them in place tight, safe against the place between. She did notice however as it collapsed and she lost that extra support, knees sagging as she dropped to the carpeted floor of her messy bedroom.

In the catacombs they had left behind, a flash of magic knocked the guards and mages who had come through the door down, and the uniform that she had left behind was incinerated on contact with it. Back on Terra, Molly shuddered and shook her head. That took far too much out of her, far too soon.

Catherine would have called their entrance into Molly's apartment unceremonious at best. It seemed to her that teleportation magic wasn't exactly picky about how it put people back, as long as they were much the same as they were when they left. "Oof!" She complained as she hit the floor. "Thank god that's behind us." Catherine said glad to at least have left whatever creepy alternate realm or reality that they had happened to be in.

Looking over at Molly, she frowned, it had obviously been too much to ask to teleport the both of them back. Pulling herself to her feet, she went over to check on Molly, it seemed like the least she could do after she had gotten them out of there in the nick of time.

"Are you okay, Molly?" She asked. Catherine wasn't a completely cold hearted bitch like some would believe, however she would claim she had different priorities than most.

Molly closed her eyes. "Probably shouldn't have taken us here." She admitted and yawned. "My body and spirit aren't quite synchronized yet, and it takes a lot out of you to change bodies." She was low on energy and low on strength. "And it doesn't help that despite the status field on the body, I haven't actually moved it in...geez Louise, probably 15 years there now." Time moved a little differently. It was very confusing for her.

Still, she remained where she was, and lay back on the floor, looking to her ceiling. "I'll be fine soon enough. Thanks for coming with me. I was pretty sure it'd be rougher than that." And it likely would, but they had a brief reprieve, for now. Of course, considering the consortium was missing a body, well. It wouldn't be a long reprieve, she was sure.

"Keep an eye out for yourself, okay? If they figure out it was you with me, and not Lorn, there could be trouble." And they only had too look at a picture to know the difference.

"It was either that or find a way to solve the previous problem." Catherine replied plainly. She knew the risks and had willingly accepted them, though it wasn't without worry. Listening to Molly, she frowned slightly so far they had escaped relatively unscathed, though with what felt like little dignity intact. So what could potentially go wrong from here?

As she continued to frown and make a face, Catherine just shook her head, "Don't." She'd made Molly's life uncomfortable enough in the past, a little discomfort on her end was nothing. "I'll be fine Molly, just worry about getting yourself put back together." She added waving off the other's concern.

Standing from where she'd taken a seat on the floor next to Molly, Catherine quietly let herself out of the apartment, leaving the other to recuperate from their little adventure.

Asteroid materializes from the void.

Asteroid vanishes into nothingness, but you get the feeling they are heading somewhere else.