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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/FifthMovement|Fifth Movement]]
| + | #REDIRECT [[ADanceOfAngels]] |
| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
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| − | == Stardust Tears ==
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| − | '''????: ''' As he felt like, Gennadi walked into his room, washed his face... and saw the lights dim.
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| − | Then, all was in shadow. And a light begun to appear behind him.
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| − | "Hello, Gennadi" came the voice, amidst the light, a voice so familiar...
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Hi, person who is disturbingly powerful or lucky." He waves idly behind him as he shrugs out of his jacket, fingers reaching up to undo the tie. "Couldn't you have waited a bit longer? I was enjoying myself..."
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| − | '''????: ''' "Such a Serenity..." the voice speaks, the light touching his cheek and turning him around...
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| − | "That is the problem, you see. You have been enjoying yourself... too much."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "That's patently impossible, babe. At least I'm assuming I've got the gender right. Too much is never enough, if you're not living you're already dead, other cliches I trot out while I'm nervous."
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| − | * Gennadi isn't foolish enough to resist the touch, but is very heavily considering who would take such liberties.
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| − | '''????: ''' The light recedes, and Gennadi sees... a goddess. A flawless face with violet tears, wings of purple starlight, skin dark like the night. He had seen her before... somewhere. In Yu-Shan, probably... "You should be. It has been awhile, and Amethyst is curious, as is the Gold. What have you found out, Gen?"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "First, that you really should have some patience. You'd think living a few thousand years would instil that by default." He finishes untying his tie and drapes it across her shoulders. "From what I can tell, it's not really Al's fault that secrets are coming out. It seems like everyone has a train of connections from their past trailing along and feeding them inconvienent information."
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| − | '''????: ''' "And you are part of this train." She says, a statement, not a question.
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| − | "A good Sidereal would learn to work his way around it, however."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "A better one would use it to their advantage. Which, since I am entirely too good for modesty, I am doing."
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| − | '''Goddess: ''' "And how are you doing this, if I may ask?"
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| − | "And you are going on record in saying you believe Alexsei Krauser is blameless?"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Tsk. He's giving them some information, but a lot of it is coming from outside sources. Cael's got his harem whispering sweet somethings in his ears, it seems. I can hardly imagine Valencia hasn't said a thing or thirty that can be followed up on. It's all part of a culture of trust. Thankfully, that applies to me, since some minutes ago, I was in the middle of romancing a source. I can hardly discover exactly what everyone knows if I don't fit in."
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| − | '''Goddess: ''' "Such a Serenity..." She shakes her head. "Romance is too subjective. You should simply take the information, or watch it without their knowledge."
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| − | She sighs. No changing his ways, and she knew it.
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| − | "So, it is the gathering. Pehaps we might benefit from breaking it up, then."
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| − | "Some secrets are too risky to be revealed, as I am sure you know... you felt it even from here, right?"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Mhm. Bit nasty, but Cael was quite good about telling his friends part of what happened. I believe it's best for all of us if that feeling continues, no? I've got a few thoughts in mind, but I work best in close contact." He unbuttons his shirt and flips it over his back at her, shuffling through small bottles of glass and gold, obsidian and steel, one candle he melts open with a bit of essence before closing it back up. "Besides, what am I supposed to do about HER? Get her drunk and make her promise to stop being a contrary bitch?"
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| − | '''Goddess: ''' She grabs the shirt unconsciously, then wonder why she did it and throws to the bed. "Her? You mean, Cael's mate?"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Of course. Who else could be such a problem and security leak?" He settles on what seems to be a small candy, tossing it up and shattering it with a lightning-fast flick of his foot, the pieces dissolving into a faintly pleasant perfume, less smelled as remembered from a youthful memory. "You think little Ryshy's squeezing the true history of the world out of Al with her thighs? It's her intervention that's the problem. I think Al would be a bit more professional if he wasn't having to counteract her influence."
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| − | '''Goddess: ''' She smiles at his display, night-black wings flicking, stars moving in their arrangements there. "She.... well, if you meet her, you run. That is what all of us do." She shrugs. "And, well... Solars. Cael can probably handle her when none of us can, and now Ryshassa..." The goddess sighs again, the stars fading out. "Sometimes, I wonder why I even work for the Gold..."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' He reaches back and grabs his tie, 'accidentally' catching a piece of her clothing and thusly spinning her into his arms. He looks quite surprised as he arranges the tie. "You're not doing it for the benefits? Silly girl." He bends down slightly to kiss her forehead. "Want to join the party? I'm sure one of the partgoers could remind you."
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| − | '''Goddess: ''' She blushes and looks up, "Well, I wish, but... I don't have much time, I need to get back with a report... well..." She looks into his eyes, her own shifting constellations... "I... I suppose! If just for a bi - -"
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| − | Her eyes go wide.<br>
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| − | She brings her hand to her mouth.<br>
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| − | Only then Gennadi hears the sound, like fabric being ripped.<br>
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| − | And sees her torso exploding, Quitessence, spilling on the Joybringer's face.
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| − | The goddess falls limp on his arms, like a dancer held by her partner, as the stardust falls from her... and begins to swirl around the room, closing it off, darkening it even more. Gennadi had seen that spell countless times before, a Sidereal favorite - Calisara would not see or know of this.
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| − | But his eyes are drawn for the figure appearing behind the goddess as she goes limp... a little dark-skinned girl with brown eyes and dark brown hair, wearing an immaculate robe of a virgin priestess, golden fox ears perking from her forehead.
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| − | She smiles at the Joybringer, her eyes closing as she does so... "Hii~"
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| − | * Gennadi shakes his head sadly. "Now why did you have to go and do that? She was cute." He carries her the few steps to his closet, binding her wound and then her into a long coat, leaving her hanging on the coat-rack. The door slides shut silently as he shrugs out of the criss-crossed web of chains the sound of a hundred words of despair ringing out as the links hit the ground. He holds onto one end, pointing the razor-sharp edge at her. "You can redeem yourself if you promise it was jealousy, crazy lady who I don't know."
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| − | '''????: ''' She licks her fingers - which have blood, not ambrosia - while she watches him move. "You know, it is no use, I did rend her essence. It is sweet, though!"
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| − | She jumps giddily closer to him, and leans up... being taller now, a large chocolate bust on her robes, the point of the chain touching the hollow between them and almost rending her skin - Gennadi could pierce it with the slightest effort. She leans, and licks the liquid on Gennadi's face. "Hmmm... Quitessence! Love the taste! And actually... I just hate divinities of your Bureau. And I had to make an entrance, you silly Serenity. It is all about the entrance."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "So old, and children's fireworks are all you can come up with, disappointing." He idly writes his name down her cleavage with small, minute motions, flicking the drop of blood from the chain's link to the closet door behind him. "Nice tits. Yours, or you borrow them from your last snack?"
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| − | '''Tahira: ''' "The latter! It is not always that you find a southerner on the North, you see." She begins to move about him, nine golden tails rising up to his face.... "Like the name trick is not old enough. Silly, silly Blessings... you ''do'' get points for the closet!"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Some things, dear lady, are not old. They are classic. That is one of them." He sighs. "So, what is it now, eh? So jealous I can't even dance with your husband? Saw me helping out a friend, and wanted to get your blood fetish on? Yet another senile Exalt who forgets the past is dead and gone?" He wags a finger at her sadly. "Coulda done all of those without making me explain to Cal about the mess."
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| − | '''Tahira: ''' She gigges, watching the questions, the scent of camelias filling the air, petals of it falling about her from the shadows of the room... "Nervous, dear Blessings? Do I worry you so much? Are you in such dire need that I tell you I am ''not'' here to kill you?" She asks, eyes turning turquoise and looking directly on his, scenes of the life of the girl she impersonates playing in them. "And do not worry about Cal.. she will enjoy cleaning this up and giving Cael a nice view of her bottom in a maid dress, dear. We trained her for it."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "If you were here to kill me, darling, I'd at least lead you on a merry chase. Still, I'm relieved that you're not here to end my dance... I'd be terribly unhappy to be dead at the hand of someone who can't get my damned name right." He idly imagines driving a finger through one of those eyes and swirling it around, slamming her head against the wall until it cracks like an egg... and he smiles pleasantly. "Still, I was in the process of getting a dance, and it would be terribly unfortunate to be interrupted as we have our pleasant talk, wouldn't it?"
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| − | '''Tahira: ''' "You have too many names, and I know too many of them. Forgive me for being nostalgic!" She shrugs, images of dances, of fear, of golden spires, of death and chaos dancing merrilly with them going through Gennadi's mind... "But since you insist..."
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| − | She runs her hand down the word etched in her chest, her eyes closing... and opening again with a smile. "Pleased to meet you, Gennadi Ilkov."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "The pleasure is all yours." He bows slightly, continuing it as he ducks under and sits on the bed, tossing the chain away. "Might as well get comfortable, I can tell this is going to be one of those long, circuitous talks already."
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| − | '''Tahira: ''' "As for a chase... I have no doubt. But you should know better, silly, silly Sidereal. You forgot what I am? What we are?" She leans closer to him, whispering. "We ''love'' chases. We love to hunt, to find, to play with and finally to eat, until we lick the remains off our fingers..."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "I am both foolish and a Serenity. I tend to enjoy giving people what they expect."
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| − | '''Tahira: ''' She moves back, leaving her scent closer to him, and licks some more of the blood on her hands...
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| − | "And what do I expect?"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "To win." He sniffs at the scent, shrugging. "I'm going to assume you've changed a bit since my predecessor wrote of you, and give you the benefit of the doubt as regards hunting."
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| − | '''Tahira: ''' "I must have not changed much. I have no idea how he viewed me, however. I thought I did..."
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| − | Her hand comes to her face, caressing...<br>
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| − | "... before feeling the scent of his fear as he danced with us."<br>
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| − | He felt her nails on his cheek.. and a delightful feeling as they begun to dig in.<br>
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| − | "Before he told all about us to our enemies."<br>
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| − | "Before he took our hospitality as something aberrant, our projects as something wrong."<br>
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| − | "Before he staged a party, poisoning, confusing and breaking the man I loved to make him an easy target for Lonan."
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| − | "After that, I honestly wonder what he thought of me."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Do you? I do as well. It is somewhat hard to distill truth from dry text, feelings from momentary glimpses of a dead man's heart." He pats her hand. "If it'll make you feel any better, you almost stopped him, once or twice."
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| − | '''Tahira: ''' She takes her hand off, leaving trails of crimson on his cheek, bringing it to her lips and tasting. "So different..."
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| − | "I suppose it does. He betrayed his closest friends, he threw his best friend to die, he crushed everything he helped us build..."
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| − | "He was a great player."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Not good enough. He didn't prepare adequately for his next turn against you, from where I sit." He ignores the quiet drip of blood. "Still, he had his good days, and I have mine. I suppose I should be worried, learning I share philosophy with a couple of demons, but it hardly comes as a surprise.." He winks at her. "I'd have thought you'd be a bit less inclined to show off your borrowed bust to an old rival, on the other hand."
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| − | '''Tahira: ''' She giggles, leaning on the window, "I wanted to see what you would do. You do surprise me!"
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| − | "Bringing here such chaos and death, knowing what you bring, keeping it from all, even the one you should love and care for... playing with them all, like you always used to. You are a great player as well!"
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| − | "But Blessings was smarter than you know."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "That should be obvious by the fact I'm here, trying to hunt down the notebooks he entrusted to my care. I have much to learn, but as long as I don't get too far, I can rely on beginner's luck."
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| − | '''Tahira: ''' A few steps towards Gennadi, and she closes to him again. "Oh yes, it is. And before I forget, I have something to tell you..."
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| − | "You do anything to harm him, and the only safe place for you will be the Mouth of the Void." She says...
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| − | ... with a smile and a nod, as if she had just said how much she liked him.
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| − | * Gennadi grins back at her. "Silly girl, ruining your hunt by giving away the ending." He wipes the blood off his face and flicks it at her, spattering across those priestess's robes. "Now, if you'll excuse me? I have a party to finish... I'd hate for him to think the same thing was happening as the last time I vanished from a party like this... it might bring back some unpleasant memories."
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| − | '''Tahira: ''' She stops the blood on a nail, a droplet coming down on the ground... and her eyes narrow.
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| − | The word is voiced, a single word, a soft, soft word,
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| − | "... no."
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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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