<span style="font-weight: bold">Katina/Inside the Manor</span><br/>"No," Katina tells the escapee. "I know you've been their prisoner, I know escape was foremost in your thoughts, inconspicuousness the key to your survival - but, no. It's just the Kari out there now, and she declined to pursue us when she had the chance. She feared us enough to forgo a meal, then, she'll fear us enough to flee now. Or she'll fight and die. Then it'll just be us and the tigeress." She bounds towards the latched front door. "Then we spend a comfortable night and go home with fortune in high-class houseplant-seeds," she cries, as she trips the latch up and yanks the door open.<br/><br/>It bangs loudly against it's lock, remaining resolutely closed. "it's<span style="font-style: italic">locked</span>," Katina snarls. "Did one of you...?"<br/><br/>Head shake all around.<br/><br/>"T-the key was probably under a flowerpot outside, or something," Marija murmurs, "and tigeress locked it before heading around the back? That's what must've happened... right?" She asks. "So we'd be trapped." A low moan slips from her throat. "Oh, Yttme [Goddess of Victims],“ she whimpers, “we’re<span style="font-style: italic">trapped</span>.”<br/><br/>“Damnit,” Katina snarls, rattling the door futilely. As she does so, the bar - resting atop its brackets - suddenly falls into them. Katina snatches her hand back just in time - then strains against the heavy wooden beam, trying to lift it clear once more. “It’s stuck<span style="font-style: italic">again</span>,” she snaps, after a few seconds of effort. “Damnit. Damnit damnit damnit.” She groans, turning from the door. “Well, at least the Kari won’t torch the place - the threat must’ve just been to keep us distracted, or something. Basement,” she nods her agreement to Aiyaka.<br/><br/>“T-through the kitchen,” Marija stammers.<br/><br/>“Move!” Katina snaps, shoving Aiyaka ahead of her.<br/><br/>NB: I'm well aware Resha didn't actually lock the door - however, it seems a reasonable assumption for the girls to make on finding it locked.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">Outside (with Cyra and Anita)</span><br/><br/>“Um, you noticed that Ms Katina went into the manor-house too, of course, Lady Kari,” Anita says softly, “and, um, I think I saw the door rattle. I’m not sure they<span style="font-style: italic">can</span>get out. Um, pleasedon’teatme,” she gasps, ducking away from the Kari’s supposed wrath.<br/><br/>Cyra notices a small, flying shape approaching from the direction of the manor house. A distinct buzzing can be heard as it approaches, and it’s swiftly revealed to be a wasp-girl, no more than four or five inches tall. Gossamer wings on her back flicker in the light of the burning building, and below, her bulbous abdomen is striped in yellow and black. Shapely legs are silhouetted against it, and above, a double-set of equally slender arms. With a flick of wings, she hovers some three or four meters before Cyra, and tilts her head to bow, accompanied by an intricate, beautiful dance of legs and arms. “Greetings, Pyromagus-Kari,” she buzzes, “on behalf of Queen Zbygnezz of the Wesztern Hive, I aszk your intentionzzz towardszzz thiszzz building-” a casual wave of her arm indicates the manor behind her “-were we make our homeszzz…”<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">Resha</span><br/><br/>...is still making her way around the building, soon to discover the servants door at the back...