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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/ThirdMovement|Third Movement]]
| + | #REDIRECT [[ADanceOfAngels]] |
| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
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| − | == Ruinous Rain ==
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| − | An afternoon of lust, an afternoon of passion, an afternoon of darkness.
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| − | They took her, and amidst that, her bones cracked on her every movement, her feathers fell away on the bed to become skeletal wings dripping with Void... and in the end, as they shuddered in released lust, they knew they had been in bed with a monster.
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| − | And we advance far into the night
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> She shifts in between the two girls, great black wings no longer void, feathers on their frames once more. He had been laughing at her, in her head. Faint echos of his shadows had danced in her eyes, on occasion. She ignored him as best she could. If they had seen it, she had made them forget it. Selina was not unskilled in bed, not after a decade of sin. She made them forget what she wanted, and coaxed what pleased her forth. And they did almost the same to her.
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| − | The creaking bones, however, had disturbed her. She never liked it when that one came up. It was not her style at all, and in bed it constantly threatened to ruin her fun. She had tried not to let it this time.
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| − | <i>At least my skeleton didn't become incandescent.</i>
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| − | The Windian wraps her arm further around Kanti's waist, drawing her closer, cooing seductively to them. "Did you enjoy that, sweetlings?" She nestles back against Fiona, pulling Kanti along with her. The leotard wasn't gone, though she'd taken the weapons off. They had wanted her in her full glory, afterall. "You have naughty minds for such innocent faces, I must say."
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| − | <b>Fiona:</b> "I... did..." She says, warming herself up against Selina, her white lingerie soaked with sweat... hugging Selina against her, and yet... looking at her strangely. As she had during the latter part of their lust... they could not stop, they could not stop, and yet....
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| − | "I loved it..."
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| − | <i>I loved it...</i>
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| − | <i>But you... what are you...<br>... so terrifying...<br>And why does it make me feel so drty...?</i>
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| − | <b>Kanti:</b> Kanti has a slightly tired, hollow look to her eyes as Selina pulls her closer, unresisting. Though she would never admit it to Selina, and she had done her best to hide it during the lovemaking, feeling the void wrapped around her, making love to the creature with creaking bones and skeletal, void clad wings had cost her more than she thought she would have to pay to please the Dark Angel. Though please her she had, she was sure. Trained in heaven to do all that the dark angel had asked of her, and more for over half her life .. she hoped she had.
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| − | "Oh yes, my lady." she whispers softly to her ear
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| − | <i>I loved it.<br>I hated it.<br>It terrified me.<br>It enthralled me.<br>you terrified me.<br>you enthralled me.<br><br>...I'm sorry you terrify me.</i>
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> "And next time, I will not allow this...problem, to creep up as it did." Even with the downsides of her resonance, she had had fun. Her long pale blonde hair mixes their own, turquoise eyes sparkle faintly. "That is the curse of the renegade."
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| − | And then reaches into her very soul, and expurges some of the taint, throwing it out into the world, hopefully taking the shape <i>she</i> pleases.
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| − | <b>Kanti:</b> Kanti shivers as the room cools around her, the pleasant warmth she was feeling in the afterglow all drained from her into the room, pressing close to the Dark Angel before she feels it's the Dark Angel herself that is pulling all the warmth from the room, and so she presses close to her and shivers agianst her skin from a mixture of the chill on her body and the chill on her soul.
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| − | *Fiona lets go of the Dark Angel, hugging herself, then looking at her and Kanti...
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| − | "I... ummm... I will see about getting us some food, I think. Haven't eaten all day..."
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| − | She wraps her cloak around herself, places the dress over the lingerie, then walk out, to the forges, to anywhere warmer, away from the monster....
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> "Yes." She sits up and looks at Fiona as she leaves the room. She hadn't gotten rid of as much as she wanted. "You do that."
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| − | Looking down at Kanti, she shrugs. "You can let go if it's that uncomfortable, you know."
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| − | <b>Kanti:</b> Kanti risks a look up at selina, her dark eyes filled with fear before she looks back down again.
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| − | "I...I'm sorry my lady." she says guiltily, her voice laced with no small amount of fear. She slowly unwraps her arms from Selina and then gives in to what the back of her brain is screaming at her to do and slowly edges away on the bed, trembling still.
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> "Better get dressed, then. It's time we go and find out how this alliance is coming along." She gets off the bed, picking her belt off the floor and putting it back on.
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| − | <i>And what Moon has been up to.</i>
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| − | And for her to make what apologies she had to. If he would take them, that is. She wasn't sure he would, that was the thought in her mind as she slipped her greatcoat around her, looking back to Kanti. "My apologies for frightening you with that. Things would be much easier if you were like me."
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| − | <b>Smiling Lover:</b> And then, she walks into the room. Her hair is spun gold that has been twisted into tight curls. Her pale skin flushed radiantly under the light of the forge's fires, she wears only light make-up and only the most obstinate of critics would say she needed to adorn herself any more. Dressed in an elegant gown of white that clings to her every curve, artfully reveling a enticing amount of cleavage and fashioned to flash her perfect, pale legs through cleverly hidden slits in the skirt, she displays her beauty with pride and holds her head high, smiling at Selina and Kanti, a slight perfume following her into the room.
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| − | "Good afternoon, Dark Angel... Sesus Kanti."
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| − | "My, my... I see you have been busy. Do you have a moment to talk, my dear?"
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> "Yes, madam?" Selina asks with raised eyebrows, stopping as she is about to go out the door. She is maybe two inches away from the goddess. And still full of the dead gods' scorn. "You have caught me at an inopprotune time."
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| − | And radiating it as well.
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| − | "As you can tell from the chill airs in this room."
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| − | <b>Kanti:</b> <i>.....like her?<br>.....like her?!?<br></i>
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| − | Kanti physically recoils at the idea, her eyes widdening, drawing her legs up to her chest, hugging her knees close to her, her breath quickening.
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| − | And then she sees the Smiling Lover there, and she blinks, and the shame hits her ...<br>
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| − | <i>... I'm showing her up in front of an important visitor.</i><br>
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| − | Kanti forces herself to uncurl, delibrately forces herself to lie out on the bed, wills herself to relax, to look good and happy in the Dark Angel's company ... failing.
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| − | <b>Smiling Lover:</b> "I... see. It is indeed chilly here..."
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| − | "And you seem to have made your companion... disturbed, as well."
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| − | She giggles a little, "Unlike my brother. Pehaps you have a better effect on divinities?"
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> "I'm sure some people find it more attractive than others." She doesn't look back at Kanti, since the girl seems to be afraid of her glances now. "It didn't seem to phase him so much."
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| − | <i>He was much too busy to really care, but then I can't recall all of that perfectly.</i>
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| − | "Anyway, do you have a matter to discuss?"
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| − | <b>Kanti:</b> "... I'm sorry Smiling Lover, my lady. I .... I have to go..." she states haltingly and then she bolts.<br>
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| − | Straight past Selina.<br>
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| − | Straight past the Smiling Lover.<br>
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| − | Straight to the nearest forge into which she dives, wrapping herself in comforting flames, in comforting heat ... anything to drive the chill away.
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| − | <b>Smiling Lover:</b> "After you wiggling your behind made him so.... lusty, it is not surprise now, is it?" She giggles, "I would be jealous, but ah... I am so grateful! Your tale last night... you sold your body to him, and that saved the Boil. It is... beautiful, Dark Angel."
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| − | Of an unprecendented beauty, a noblewoman selling herself to a god to seal an alliance that will expel the darkness... a legend on her tune to be weaved.
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| − | "Ever thought of returning to this bussiness? Assuming you can... deal with this taint a little better. Gods are very much like men, my sweet... you wiggle your behind a little bit, and they fall all over for you.. you could turn many heads, my dear. I could not take you to my main house on Heaven, as they would not allow your kind, but the money you could make as a...forbidden fruit on earth would make you think you are in heaven far as a standard of life goes!"
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> For a moment, Selina almost stops Kanti, but she is in the flames before she can do anything about it. And then Selina remembers that she is a Fire. Not that it's any less unnerving. She schools her expression and looks back at the goddess.
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| − | "They won't, will they?" She gazes at the goddess with a strange look, quizzical. "You are aware, I'm sure, that I did sell my body once upon a time. And have heard what happened when it went too far, yes?"
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| − | <b>Smiling Lover:</b> "Oh yes. But I imagine you have learned... a little bit of self-control, have you not?" She says, walking with Selina... "And I am not talking about a gutter in Nexus. I am talking about living like a goddess, your feet scrubbed by gods who will pay in miracles for your behind. Hmmm, Shall we go eat something?"
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| − | <b>Kanti:</b> Within the forge, Kanti curls into a fetal position, hugging her knees to her chest, hearing only the roar of the flames, and the rapid staccato of her heart. Her eyes are closed, though she sees the heat though them, crying tears that evaporate as soon as they are shed.
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| − | <i>Mistress .... please ... take me away from this.</i>
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| − | <i>I'm so sorry.</i>
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> "Unfortunately, that is not a suitable occupation for nobility. Nor for one of my current trade. Unless you could propose some way to meld them." Selina looks past her, out of the room, getting a bit annoyed at this woman trying to keep her penned in until she gets what she wants. "And there is another problem."
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| − | <b>Smiling Lover:</b> "Do you enjoy death so much? I could hear your cries last night, Dark Angel..." She smiles, giving way for Selina, "And that would be?"
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> She puts a hand on her hip, shifting her weight to one leg. "I cannot stand many small gods. I deal with their insolence weekly in Nexus -- even the ones I could extinguish in a breath think they are better than me. Your brother at least, was polite. I cannot stand talking to most of them." She pauses for a moment, then continues after some thought.
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| − | "Much less suffer one to be over me, whispering his supposedly cleverly erotic insults in my ear."
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| − | <b>Smiling Lover:</b> "Fair enough... but that is fixed well enough if you are picky on clients. Many of my girls have lists of what they do not clients do to them - if you count those in, I am sure you can..."
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| − | Then, Fiona comes running, her face devoid of all color. "Angel... Lover.... I think you should come see this..."
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| − | She takes both of them to a balcony. Others are there, watching, and upon getting it... they see....
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| − | <b>Rain of Unspoken Words:</b> Twenty hours.
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| − | Twenty hours since anyone has seen Rain of Unspoken Words, since she dissapeared into the background, hate on her mind.
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| − | That is too long for any sane Angel to leave a Fae alone for, especially one brimming with hatred. Too long indeed.
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| − | She is nowhere to be found in the Manse. In fact, she is not in the manse at all, nor anywhere near it, which is a good thing, considering the circumstances.
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| − | Those inside the manse don't notice it at first. It was designed that way. But around Iron Tears' home... in welded steel and glowing embers... In seven different languages. A sign.
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| − | "I have the Dark Angel," it says, "Lets bargain"
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| − | Signed: Iron Tears, Forge God of the Boil.
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> "I suppose so..." She trails off as Fiona comes up, hears her words, and proceeds through the manse, a wake of cold left behind her as she walks, Jokun keeping his distance from her even as he follows. She comes to the balcony, and sees it.
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| − | "Oh dear..." The shock doesn't last more than a few moments. This kind of thing -- being sold out -- has happened to her before. Selina's mind moves to the possibilities. There were many. A jealous half-breed? Iron Tears himself? But no, she had scrambled his mind with lust quite thoroughly, and he <i>still</i> wanted her. No, she knew of another who could do that, quite easily.
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| − | It was well that she had never fully trusted her with anything of import. Had it been Selina to trigger this, or just whim? Or was she in league with the enemy entirely? No matter.
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| − | The Dark Angel begins to giggle, and that giggle changes to chuckling.
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| − | <i>Don't they know how many I've killed?</i>
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| − | Let it be the fae. Let it be the god. It wouldn't save whichever did it. It wouldn't help the General win. Let them come. The air condenses around her, little droplets of ice forming from the cold -- and shattering -- like before.
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| − | Wrapping her arms around herself in an unsuccessful attempt to hold the mirth in, she begins truly laughing, the sound carrying through the evening air as she slips a bit sloppily into the Trance, sees everything for what it truly is, flows of essence and immaterial beings revealed to her now.
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| − | * She sees just the usual ghosts she had seen there... those of the librarians of that used to live on the Snow Owl Resting before.
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| − | <b>Iron Tears:</b> They listen... as his approach sounds like a thunderous tumult of clanking plates and squeaking joints that rattles windows and shakes the very ground. Shaking the ground. And then, the Forge God is behind her, as the faceless god. As a a tall iron suit of supearheavy plate. Thick bolts attach the armor at every joint and seal the neck to the shoulders, effectively preventing the armor from ever being removed. There is no light beyond the visor of his helmet.
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| − | In his greant hands, rests a giant hammer of gold and steel, the Song of the Forge. And he seems ready to use it. "The Fair One tricked me." his voice is that of the forge, the echoing of pounding hammers and hissing steam forming words that are barely comprehendible to the ear, yet register clearly within the mind. "She changed my behavior. She made me fall for an unexistant deal."
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| − | "And now she left. Forced our hand. And you... you, Dark Angel..."
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> Her laughter softens a bit as she turns around, but she still has to suppress it. Looking up at him, she's still giggling, still chuckling, hands wrapped around her. "The deal...that wasn't false. What she did, however..."
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| − | <b>Iron Tears:</b> "She changed me." The voice clangs, hammer on iron... "I would have never agreed to it otherwise. And now... she has shamed me so." He looks at the Iron glamours outside, and his hands tighten around the hammer.
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| − | "And you... what happened last night... I am not left with many choices right now."
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> "They would have come for you anyway. Don't be foolish." She stifles the amusement at being sold out so quickly, one bit at a time. "As for me...I said I would help."
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| − | <b>Smiling Lover:</b> "What do you say about the deal, brother? She gave herself to you!" The Smiling Lover says, getting before Selina, "She sold her body for it. She sealed your deal with it. Yes, she sweetened the deal - but don't you <b>dare</b> ignoring a contract of flesh, unless you intend to shame me!"
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| − | "Yes, the fae has changed you, I see... but can you honestly say you did not want her?"
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| − | <b>Iron Tears:</b> "I have not said such. But I would have never agreed with Seventh Moon for nothing otherwise." Even his sister does not seem to have a great effect on him, and he stands... impassive. Angry, but the metal anger of the forge, an automaton ready to destroy... something. "It is void. And they will come. Soon."
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> <i>Nothing. Survival is nothing? You think Moon gets anymore than that out of it?</i>
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| − | The giggles threaten to spill over her tight control. "Let them come." She bares an almost fanged grin at the god. "I said I would help you -- they will all find Culwyeh harder to deal with than they hope."
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| − | <b>Iron Tears:</b> He clenches his fist.
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| − | And all the metalwork comes off its hinges and breaks, all curling around itself like dead spiders, standing on the mount like metal pieces on a scrapyard, totally irrecognizable.
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| − | "When Moon comes, I will discuss with him. Now... I could just hand you over. I spent the day organizing my resources, but I am not ready... and I am alone."
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| − | <b>Fiona:</b> "I could try finding Moon... or... or.... er... can't we get time?"
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| − | Fiona asks, not wanting to know anything about handing Selina over. She still felt her skin crawling for giving in to lust with such a monster... but she was /their/ monster! Their friend...? Mistress...?
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> "I will destroy their embassy when it comes." Selina replies, trying harder to stifle her mirth...and finally succeeding. Unlike the laughter, the cold has not stopped yet. "Or you can try and hand me over."
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| − | <b>Smiling Lover:</b> "So confused, dear brother... now, that would be priceless in better circumstances."
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| − | She glides around them, smiling as always, "If you need time, we can always make them wait. Make it take longer. They probably think you want to negotiate, after all. And of <i>course</i>..."
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| − | "Dear, dear Dark Angel. I can see you would not do as a working girl. You need more guile than I see in you.... you intend to be our weapon, to be pointed for someone to destroy... when there are subtler ways of dealing with things?"
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| − | * Fiona looks around, then tugs at Selina's wing... "Where is Kanti?!?"
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> "Sitting in a furnace. She should be fine." Selina says disgustedly, looking at the two deities. Her wing pulls back, folding closer to her.
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| − | "I have used guile, suggestions, and tact long enough, let me tell you. It gets me nowhere with any of you." She folds her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes. "Not Moon, not you, Iron Tears, not Kanti, not that fae, and not my enemies. The only thing anyone truly understands is naked force."
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| − | <b>Smiling Lover:</b> "Oh, you... have?"
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| − | She looks at Selina with blank eyes, then hides her mirth. Not that well. She wishes she was an eastern or southern goddess then, possessing a fan for such things!
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| − | "Well then, we will negotiate again when Seventh Moon returns, then. But she already gave you her body. You will have to repay somehow, dear brother. Especially if you want the same again." She smiles, "Part of a deal has been had. We will see about the rest... do we have time to wait for the boy?"
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| − | <b>Iron Tears:</b> He seems to... think, for a moment. "They have the Industrial District surrounded. And a comitive is coming. They probably think I have you in my possession.... can you play prisioner, my dear? I would tie you up next time anyway..."
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> That smiling twit, mocking her like that, as if she'd never done a subtle thing in her life. She was where she was today because she had! Did the goddess take her for the Pale Angel?
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| − | And then she hears the god's words. And blushes, involuntarily, arms tightening over her chest. To say that near the other... She gives a sullen "Yes."
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| − | <b>Iron Tears:</b> "Very well...."
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| − | He comes closer to her, and he is his human self again. He brushes his hand on her face... and she sees what she had given him last night still in his eyes. "I could not handle you, not really. I will discuss with Moon when he comes, but before it... come with me. I will show you the resources I can give to this fight... if we can buy time to organize. And bring your dears with you. They will be needed for one thing."
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> "What is that?" She asks, still blushing, eyes flicking over to the goddess to see if she was laughing at her or widening her smile. And then looking to see if Fiona left to get Kanti.
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| − | <b>Iron Tears:</b> The Smiling Lover is just looking at her amusedly, and Iron Tears comes between both, leading Selina, "I have a guest that might be of use for you all. But she might be more receptive to them... with how you are overflowing with darkness as-is." He walks them both to the forges, to Kanti... "Ask her out, then meet me down the corridor..."
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| − | Selina de Windia: The heat beats upon her face as she leans down to look inside the forge, a safe distance from it. "Kanti?" She calls into it, making sure her voice is loud enough to be heard over the flames. "We have need of you, Kanti!"
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| − | <b>Seventh Moon:</b> "Hey."
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| − | The word cuts across the balcony from over the forge gods shoulder, a sudden growl out of the night. Seventh Moon crouched on the railing of the balcony where he had climbed to, not trusting the front door at the moment. Jade and moonsilver glisten on his hands, a blackened carapace that cracked the stone where he gripped it. Looking past the rest of the gods and Exalted, he gives Selina a long stare. There is light in his eyes, a fire. And it's not the same lustful blaze the rest of the world has been giving her. "Saw the sign. Fuck if the whole damn city didn't though. Thought you were in trouble."
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| − | <b>Kanti:</b> Kanti hears ... something, and starts to uncurl, slowly .... who ... who was calling her?
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| − | <i>mistress!<br><br>....Oh how I've failed her ....<br><br>she'll be angry.</i>
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| − | She pauses a little in the comforting fire after she curls herself, taking calming breaths of the searing air, then stands and steps out of the flames, her own flames sucked back into her body as she stands naked before her mistress, her back warmed by the fires of the forge, her front chilled by the ice from her mistress.
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| − | "... I'm sorry, my lady. It won't happen again." She hangs her head, shamed, as she speaks.
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> "Forget about it, it's ok." She ruffles Kanti's hair a bit. "Just go get dressed, we have some things to do."
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| − | She turns to Moon, cold air about her wafting upwards suddenly, like a swirl of her anima banner. "No, but the fae will be. She betrayed me. I will kill her -- later."
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| − | <b>Kanti:</b> Kanti relaxes a little as the Dark Angel speaks words of forgiveness, and a little more as her hair is ruffled.
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| − | | |
| − | "...of course, my lady."
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| − | She hurries off to the room she spent the night and much of the day in, quickly dressing herself in her screams, then covering that with the long coat Moon got for her. She hurries back to Selina's side. To find the coat does little for the chill.
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| − | <b>Seventh Moon:</b> "Yeah? You mean the one you brought here with ya?" There's faint accusation in his voice behind the anger. He knew it was misplaced, but right now didn't really care. Moon rose and hopped off of the railing, pausing to watch Kanti dash off the balcony. "I'll have the Spider hunt her ass down when there's more time"
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| − | <i>Which we didn't have a fuckin' lot of to begin with and got even less of now, thanks to this shit</i>
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> "The one who followed me here." Selina replies plainly, as if it's an incontrivertible fact. "Fae are best left to my kind. Leave her to me. It's for the best."
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| − | <b>Seventh Moon:</b> "Whatever." He shrugged at Selina, unmoved or interested in her assurances. Not this time. Enough had been dicked up all to fuck around here because he let people do as they pleased. "Next time ya find a fuckin' fairy in the wild and decide ta let it follow you into my city though, there's gonna be a few problems."
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| − | <b>Fiona:</b> The girl goes up to Kanti, hugging her.... "Kanti.. are you... are you alright? Why were you there?"
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| − | She turns to Moon, "Hmmm, we were going to see Iron Tears now, something about a guest... Moon, how was it? Your meeting?"
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| − | <b>Kanti:</b> Kanti hugs Fiona back tightly, burying her head in her hair before she pulls back a little and speaks to her "I...I...couldn't cope ...I needed to get away from .... from ... mistress." the last word a whisper, a shameful whisper.
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| − | <b>Seventh Moon:</b> "Hey kid," Moon managed a smile at Fiona. "Went good. Better 'n shit went down here, least..."
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> <i>You'd know all about problems, sugar.</i>
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| − | <i>Like the problem I pulled your ass out of in Spire.</i>
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| − | She didn't say that, though. Selina didn't need a fight with him, here and now. As long as he kept his temper to himself, anyway. Her own was not far from surfacing. Now, more than ever, she wanted to quit this city and get back to Nexus. Or Windia. Where-ever. Anywhere but here.
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| − | <b>Smiling Lover:</b> "Well, well, he returns triumphant." The smiling lover says, a long cigarette lit on her lips. "So, my brother had called you, shall we?"
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| − | Down the corrirdor from the forges, they go in... a certain feeling of encasement show them they are within the hill now... and within a Great Hall, where two Iron Warstriders stand, one his regal Chains of Duty, another, smaller one that has never been seen for anyone but his assistants before. Fifteen automatons stand on the hall, checked by many of his artificers, and the forge god himself stands there, talking to a beautiful girl that seems to be made of White Jade, beautiful beyond human, but not in the ways of the faerie...
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| − | Along the walls, in racks, stand many masterwork weapons, some of them strange rifles... like firedust cannons, just... not.
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| − | <b>Seventh Moon:</b> <i>And this is what we were on the verge of loosin'</i>
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| − | Moon scarcely notices woman or god at first as he slows down behind the Smiling Lover to peer over the filed ranks of automations and racks of weapons. There wouldn't have been anything in city they could have found to match all this. The garrison wasn't hiding their own giant warmachines. The underworld didn't have a goddamn armory. Just how much they needed Rusty was being driven home every time he so much as turned his head. It was sobering.
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| − | <b>Exceedingly Sublime Opal:</b> Her voice was as lovely as the rest of her, but there was a quizzical tone in her voice as the heroes came into earshot of her conversation with the Forge-God. "And why should I get involved in matters that do not concern me, mm?" She arched a brow toward him. "Granted, having the dead walk in one of my favorite libraries being controlled by a new Thorns... but I'm sure I can carry what books intrigue me away from here."
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| − | <b>Iron Tears:</b> "Well, see, my dear.... I thought you would do so as a friendly gesture. And I am not certain you can leave so safely, after all, although I would of course try to make sure you get out of the city safely... now, of course, I have no power outside of my city."
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| − | He shakes his head, then regards the newcomers, "Welcome to my armory. I was checking things all day today... of my automatons, about fifteen of them can be battle ready. And I have another warstrider if one of you wish to use it."
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| − | "And welcome back, Seventh Moon." He says, his voice promising a greater talk later. "We have much to discuss. But for now, I want you to meet Exceedingly Sublime Opal, a guest of mine. And a great ally, if we can convince her..."
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> She shouldn't have been surprised by all of that, but she was. Mostly, because she could never have thought all this would actually get <i>built</i>. Of course, it wasn't enough on its own...or they would have joined the fight the first time. Instead they stayed neutral.
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| − | <i>Good then, they need me.</i>
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| − | | |
| − | <i>They can't just mouth off and expect to win.</i>
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| − | <b>Exceedingly Sublime Opal:</b> Both brows flew up at that as a note of hilarity entered her voice. "So you want me to do you a personal favor?" She just shook her head, and looked toward the group approaching. "A mixed and motley company." She looked back to Iron Tears. "So, it appears that I have no choice but to help them, mm?"
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| − | <b>Iron Tears:</b> "Well, inside the earth are the creatures the red-haired bitch let loose. Outside, you can be snatched and taken to the harem of the same. As my guest, you can stay here protected if you wish... but of course, I cannot guarantee your safety afterwards." He shrugs, "Siding with us and helping us win is really the safest course of action right now. Do you see the Dragon-Blooded girl there?" He points at Kanti, "She is what happens with the pretties they catch."
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| − | <b>Seventh Moon:</b> The Lunar looks up and nods an answer to the promise in the forge gods voice. There was a lot of talking that needed to be done, not just with Iron Tears...
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| − | | |
| − | For now though, he examined the woman beside the spirit. She was nice to look at, but... his eyes narrowed faintly at the color of her skin. White. Like... whatever her name had been. The one on the flying boat. The one who was the same as Selina...
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| − | <i>Fuck... not another one'a these...</i>
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| − | Approaching Iron Tears and the pale-skinned woman, he held a hand out towards her. It was as he got closer to her that he could see something different. Pale, yes, but her skin wasn't quite the bleached-bone shade of the military-bitch. And her scent was wrong. Strange, yes, but not the same sort of sex-and-rot scent that the others all had.
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| − | "Heya... Opal." Whatever she was, she sure as hell had a name like the rest of 'um
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| − | <b>Exceedingly Sublime Opal:</b> She turned her pale gaze toward Moon, and arched a brow toward him. Ah well, best be polite. "Most glorious and noble Chosen of the Silver Lady, I greet you with outstretched hands and sincere wishes that our meeting will be fruitful." And, considering what she heard of the Moon Chosen, she kept his gaze, made no hostile move, and held his eyes for a good ten seconds before speaking again. "Does Iron Tears speak truth in this?"
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| − | <b>Seventh Moon:</b> Moon's answer was silence. Hand still stretched into the air between them, he met her gaze as she spoke, letting the moment draw out before he answered. "... <i>what</i>?"
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| − | <b>Selina de Windia:</b> Pursing her lips, Selina watches the interplay. She isn't going to start a fight. She keeps telling herself that. Only if they start one first. Only then. Then they'll get what they deserve. She feels like giggling again, and in fact, begins to do so, raising a hand in front of her mouth to try and muffle it. Not looking at the newcomer. That would be insulting.
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| − | <b>Exceedingly Sublime Opal:</b> She places her slender hand in his, and clasps it. "Forgive me, I am being tactless. Iron Tears was speaking to me of his perdicament." She locked eyes with Selina, and saw the darkness there. She frowned ever so slightly, but then nodded in her direction, releasing Moon's hand. Her mouth turned upward in a bit of a smile, her ice clear eyes briefly flicking in the direction of Iron Tears, then rolled ever so slightly. It was a subtle joke to the cost of Iron Tears. "I trust you have been... granted the full measure of our host's hospitality?"
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| − | * Seventh Moon squeezed the pale woman's hand briefly before letting go, then brought his hand in and glanced down on it, rubbing his thumb against it. The Lunar frowned slightly. He didn't quite get the joke. "... guess you could say that..."
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| − | "Some of us a bit more than others..."
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| − | <b>Exceedingly Sublime Opal:</b> She places the tips of her fingers against the perfect curve of her colorless lips. "Yes, I can see that." She sighed softly. "Allow me to extend my offer of service until such time your city has... disentangled itself from its current tribulations. As, in all honesty, I seem to be stuck here for better or worse."
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| − | ----
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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/ThirdMovement|Third Movement]]
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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
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