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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/FifthMovement|Fifth Movement]]
| + | #REDIRECT ADanceOfAngels |
| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
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| − | == Mischief and Trickery ==
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| − | ''The Quicksilver Zephyr... ''<br>
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| − | On a patrol and leisure flight over the Whiteshieldian border at twilight, above a forest of ice-white trees where men with eyes of ice and souls of snow dwell...
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| − | Millia walks in the halls of the Zephyr, panting a little. The halls are silent, beautiful paintings adorning its walls, some acquired by Cael, some from far, far before... she eyes the corridor around her, her gaze stretching to where it turns... "Cedric...?"
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| − | She looks back. "Cedric...?"
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| − | A few steps, and she is near the steps leading up to the sundeck. "Young master... are you up there...?" She begins to climb the stairs, uncertain... "Anne and Shaliya have already given up looking for you, young master, you can show up already..."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' He does not respond, but as she finally crests the top of the stairs, she finds... Gennadi demonstrating card tricks to an empty chair. He winks at it, shuffling the cards again with a nexus casinoman's flair. "You seem tired. Care for a bit of a rest?" He snaps the cards down onto the table between the seats and then hurls them into the air, a flurry of doves circling him to land all along an outstretched arm. He snaps it down, and the cards tumble down his sleeve to collect in his hand again. "I'm sure I can think of something more interesting than standing there panting."
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| − | '''Millia Gust: ''' She watches the cards go up.... and down, like birds, the trick certainly... skillful! Red and Black eyes blink at once, as she brushes the palest blonde hair out of the way of her eyes to watch it better.... "Well, I am trying to find my little hellion of a charge. The young prince is always so... energetic! Have you seen him around?"
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| − | She walks the last steps, walking towards the chair in the sundeck... "Oh, and...great tricks, by the way!"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' As she gets closer, it is clear that leaning against the chair is a perfect portrait of an empty seat, and instead of an empty seat, there is a rather wide-eyed Cedric. Gennadi grins. "They're good for practice, yes. It's the same principle as being a Sidereal."
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| − | '''Millia Gust: ''' "Being a.... ''what''?" She asks, her eyes a little surprised, trying to remember something, from somewhere... "And what is that prin..." Then she sees, and she stops. Her eyes narrow to slits for a moment - quite threatening, what if the mix of black and red within them, the colors forming blood! And then they open again, and she sighs with a half-smile.
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| − | ''What can be done, anyway? ''
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| − | "Young master, young master... what will I ever do with you?" She says, picking the picture and smiling to him - and to Gennadi - as she places it somewhere out of the way....
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| − | '''Cedric: ''' "Take care of me? And do not be angry with Gen, he was just being nice!" He smiles, mischievously, then takes the opportunity to finally clap to Gennadi's tricks. "Those were great, Gen! Do you know any others?"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Enough. Millia, I am a sort of Exalt. We work best with confusion, as well as being prepared. Speaking of which..." He reaches across to take her wrist, flicking her palm up to reach into her sleeve and somehow pull a rather beautiful boquet of lilies, a profusion of different types and colors. He tosses them up and flips them properly into his hand to offer them to her with a wide smile.
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| − | "How's that for a trick, eh?"
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| − | '''Millia: ''' Cedric claps, and Millia cannot help but smile, blushing just a ''bit'', although quite evident on a skin that is so pale, so northern and angelic. "A ''very'' nice one, lord Ilkov. But how can one be ''sort'' of an Exalted?"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Not sort, a sort. There are, after all, different kinds."
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| − | * Gennadi shuffles the cards a bit, a white blur in his hands before he tells Millia to pick a card, and then Cedric.
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Now, don't show it to me, or to each other..."
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| − | '''Millia: ''' "Of course there are! Chosens of the Sun, Moon, and the Elements... Whiteshield is quite... heretic, you know." She says, reaching down with her free hand - the one not holding the bouquet, which she brings to her lips, to feel the scent of the lilies - and picks a card... a Jack of Diamonds.
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| − | '''Cedric: ''' "Oh? Sidereal? Who do you serve, then? The constellations? The Maidens? Whowhowhowhow?" He asks, as he nearly jumps to pick up the card... and see the same. A Jack of Diamonds. "Hmmm... does this mean something?"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Maidens choose, but there's not much servicing involved. Mostly I work with Heaven as a whole. Let me guess... Jack of Diamonds." He flips a card over. Jack of Diamonds. Another one, and another jack. And another, and another, until the whole deck rests face up, all Jack of diamonds.
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| − | '''Cedric: ''' "... Maidens? And you are a Chosen of Jupiter, then? All silent and tricky?" He asks, all excited, as he sees the cards turned over... and giggles, with a mock-pout. "Aw, so it did not mean anything...?"
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| − | '''Millia: ''' "Venus. Chosen of Venus." She nods, certain.
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| − | ''But the thing you probably only think of her as marriage and homes and children makes he happy for you, Cedric... ''
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| − | "Right?"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Not this time. Right, Millia." He taps a finger on his cheekbone underneath one of those magical blue eyes. "You can tell by the colors. Of course, it's not like there's any lack of blue and green eyes..." He reaches around behind Cedric's ear, pulling out a large silvery coin with Venus's sign on it. It spins along the tip of his finger until he drops it, and it splits into five, each bearing a different symbol of the maidens in an appropriate color.
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| − | '''Millia: ''' "Bah, if colors mattered that much, Cedric and Alexsei would be chosen of Saturn, and I would be half-chosen of Mars!" She says, as Cedric goes 'coooolll!' and begins to collect the silver coins....
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| − | '''Cedric: ''' "Can I keep them?"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Alexsei is... yeah, go ahead. They're probably lucky."
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| − | '''Cedric: ''' "Thanks! Wait, wait, uncle Alexsei is a Siderael too?"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "He's probably told you before. It's rather hard to remember... magically so."
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| − | '''Millia: ''' "Of saturn? Why, why... interesting!" Millia looks around for a pot to place the cards in, as she bends her card and then lets it fly.... "It is? Why, does that mean we forget you exist?"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "It's forgetting the details. Names, details, faces... and eventually it all slips away. A useful thing when you're not really all that scary."
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| − | '''Millia: ''' Sidereals. Chosen of the Maidens. How much did she not know? It made sense now... worshipping the Sun and the Moon, in Whiteshield, the bodies on the Sky... and yet, no thought given to the stars. None, none at all... how could they? Just... forget? How...
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| − | Millia looks into her bouquet again, as if she was looking to see something hidden in the angles of the flowers... "Is that so? What else have we been forgetting, then, mr. Ilkov?"
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| − | ''The worst part? ''<br>
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| − | ''I am even more sure he is a pimp right now... ''
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Mrm. That's a very complicated question... suffice to say history is a bit more complicated than the books suggest, and leave it at that."
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| − | '''Cedric: ''' The young prince takes the coins, and begins to play with them.... seeing the details... seeing Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury... and Venus. For a moment, he wondered what were their Chosen like, and his mind drifted in flights of fancy and great dreams...
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| − | ... and on the following moment he wondered, how could he use those coins to pester Sandara?
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "The biggest thing to remember is simply that this arrangement works. None of the Sidereal worry about gaining great fame, and being forgotten is almost the best protection one can have. It is troublesome that it often extends and conceals good lessons, the how and why of infernal cults disappearing, or wars ended, but really, does it matter who else gets the credit?"
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| − | '''Millia: ''' "And now, the Chosen of Pim -" A flash of her gaze to Cedric, " - Venus are saints, is that it? Walking around the world making sure everyone is joyful?"
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| − | "I have to tell you, with little exceptions, the joyful seem to be few those days, and mostly in positions of power to begin with..."
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| − | * Gennadi wags a finger at her. "It is a hard thing, to be Chosen of Venus. What makes one person happy makes another sad. Who is most deserving? Is it better to make one person truly joyful, or an entire town simply content? There are few of us, and all have different ideas how best to handle things. Cedric was happy with my tricks, and you were pleased with the flowers. More than that is complicated."
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| − | '''Millia: ''' "I... imagined. Those you love, you may not have them. Having others might make you sad... if you have them, others might be sad... or maybe, you will be in a position where you are sad...." She sighs, her eyes into loves and dreams she knows are unnattainable. "I... was unfair just now. It must not be an easy task at all..."
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| − | "And it is a good thing I am on your good side, isn't it?"
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| − | * Cedric continues to play with the coins... hearing intently.
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| − | The talk was complicated now! But he could learn from it...
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "I was unaware that I had a bad side." He twists and turns, trying to locate it.
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| − | '''Millia: ''' Both giggle, and Millia finally finds a receptacle to place the bouquet in, for now. "Well, I am glad I am in your only side, then, which is the good side!" She gives an assertive nod, then walks around the room, placing the flowers between Gennadi and Cedric, and leaning on the chair behind Cedric. "So, what tricks can Chosen of the Maidens do? You know, I sure hope you are only giving the nicest of serenity to the little prince..."
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| − | ''He is mischievous as is without getting perverted ideas! ''
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Eh, medium nice. As for tricks... different Chosen do different things. I fight just a bit, I'm good with my hands, play some music... mostly I convince people to do things." He picks up a flower and raps each of the five coins with it, each splitting into two... one sidereal and one solar iconed coin resulting from each, the solar ones seemingly gold.
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| − | '''Millia: ''' She reaches down, making the chair bend foward a little, and picks one of the coins... the gold ones, looking at it with some reverence... and some longing... "So, you do party tricks? Are you trying to hypnotize us with them?"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Would you enjoy being hypnotized?" He flicks one of the gold coins up into the air and unwraps the foil from it, biting through the dawn caste symbol made of white chocolate poured on dark.
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| − | '''Millia: ''' "Ooh?" She unwraps the foil, and sees the chocolate on her Zenith coin... and licks it, for a moment, savoring the flavor...
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| − | "Well... not really? I like my mind as it is, thank you very much!"
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| − | '''Cedric: ''' Cedric, on the other hand, hoards the coins and begins eating them as fast as he can, speaking with his mouth full! "Bawt I wald! I wald! I wont to be Hapnotized!"
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| − | * Gennadi reaches out and flicks his forehead, apparently jarring loose a golden circle. Gennadi fishes in his pocket for a jewelry chain and hooks it on, spinning it from hand to hand before he's satisfied. "See the little silver spot? Watch the silver spot..." The chain swings back and forth, in and out, while gennadi continues to describe the importance of the silver spot, how sleepy it tends to make people, while they watch it move in and out, back and forth... The smooth voice finally slows to a halt as he seems to have gotten the full effect.
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| − | '''Millia: ''' Millia hides her face with her hands... "Cedric, you are a prince, can you try to act like one for a change...?"
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| − | '''Cedric: ''' Cedric is still munching the chocolate, a mechanical act as he watches the silver coin...
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| − | ...very...<br>
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| − | ... intently...
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| − | * Gennadi goes through the quick and easy trope about the effect ending when he snaps his fingers, and looks over to Millia. "Want a longer break? He'll be quite manageable like this..."
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| − | '''Millia: ''' She walks up to him, and waves her hands in front of the young prince's face... getting no response!
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| − | "Wow, you... really did it!"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Of course I did." He wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her into his lap. "You seemed rather worried about it yourself, so I'll let you decide what to do now."
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| − | '''Millia: ''' "Hey!" She cries out, yelping as she is thrown on his lap, shoting him an angry look. "I am not that kind, you know? And not the type that would be turned on by that!"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Relax. I didn't exactly hypnotize the prince so he wouldn't notice me attempt to seduce you... you seem to be rather edgey around me, anyway. Worried about what you're forgetting, worried I'm a pimp, worried I'm trying to take advantage of you... Is there something I should know?" He improvises, giving quick orders for Cedric to go hide again, and snap out of his trance in ten minutes.
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| − | '''Millia: ''' Cedric ran out of the room, and Millia's eyes fix on Gennadi's... red and black, red and black, mirroring star-freckled blue.. something seems to shine within her, something of greater power scrutinizing Gennadi... as she seems to hold so much within her... so much.... "Well, what else? What if I am also worried where you came from? Why you showed up? Just what is going on here? You are playful, and interesting, and nice... and for some reason, I just cannot trust you!"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Then don't. But be better at hiding it. I'd explain, but there's that nasty forgetting thing." He smiles. "Quite simply, I'm here as a favor to an old... friend, I suppose. I'm checking up on a couple of people, and then if I don't get dragged into more trouble, I'm leaving. Believe me or not, as you prefer." He looks away from her eyes for a moment, looking her up and down. "Stress does not really become you. Too bad you have so much of it."
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| − | '''Millia: ''' "The fact you are not explaining does not help!"
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| − | "And yes, that happens when my prince is away, my charge is in denial, and I lose all my friends and family and everything I worked for, stood for, and knew to a group of disgusting dead things. It leads to stress." She adjusts her hair a bit, looking away again... "I am resisting it really well, too, or so I think. Do the Chosen of Venus not have anything against stress?"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "All sorts of things. You'd probably refuse most of them."
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| − | '''Millia: ''' "Oh, would I?" She chuckles, shifting to give him a show... she was beautiful. Young, young, but beautiful. Chosen to take care of a prince, to smile, to be a smiling, beautiful face, charismatic, to show him life was beautiful. And she was all that, with an aura of... divinity about her. "And the ones I would not, hmmm?"
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| − | * Gennadi taps her on the nose. "And now you're seducing me? Strange woman... do you drink? smoke? other various methods of attaint better living through alchemy?"
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| − | '''Millia: ''' Her eyes slit to the point where they become like blades covered with the night and blood.
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| − | "I was '''not'''! Just being pleasant, you stupid, stupid man!"
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| − | "And it is not like I would mind hearing what you wanted to do to me but never will!" She crosses her arms, sticking her tongue out.
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| − | "And... not really..."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "I crack a joke, and already you try to kill me with a look. It was more pleasant when you were simply divinely beautiful. There are some thousands of different alcoholic drinks alone, and if you refuse those... you see what I mean. No incense to burn during a nice long bubble bath, no scented oils from the private collection of a great forks goddess to enhance the feel of a relaxing massage..."
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| − | * Gennadi shakes his head. "There are not so many options left. I could read you a bedtime story, perhaps."
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| − | '''Millia: ''' She stops him with her hands... "Wait, go back to the bubble bath and the massage ideas!"
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| − | "... I could use the story, of course. I keep running out of them to tell Cedric..."
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| − | * Gennadi chuckles. "Get tonight free, meet me after dinner, and we'll see about those, ok? Maybe a couple other little things. For now, it's been some minutes, and no doubt Cedric will be confused when he finds himself hidden..."
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| − | '''Millia: ''' "Alright. I personally give the best massages I know, do it some to the prince, but nobody to do it to ''me''..." She pouts, "Oh, and..." There is a slight flare in her. Her hair seems to move... all on its own. She smiles. "Take advantage from me while in a massage..." her finger touches his lips, "And I ''swear'' you will regret it."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Swearing is hardly ladylike." He just grins. "Besides, if you hadn't said anything... I wouldn't have considered it. I may have to at least try now."
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| − | '''Millia: ''' "Why yoooouuuuuuu!" She holds him by the collar, veins appearing in her forehead in anger...
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| − | And Cedric appears on the stairs, rubbing his eyes... "Millia?"
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| − | ... and she is still on his lap. And grabbing his shirt. And angry.<br>
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| − | She wasn't sure what it looked like, but it sure was awkward.
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| − | ''Did you... make it happen at the exact time? ''
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| − | Her head lowers, and a deadpan "I hate you, you know?" is all she can say as she lets go, gets up, and tries to smooth her shirt...
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| − | ----
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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/FifthMovement|Fifth Movement]]
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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
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