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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/EighthMovement|Eighth Movement]]
| + | #REDIRECT [[ADanceOfAngels]] |
| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
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| − | == On Heaven and Earth ==
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| − | '''Alexander: ''' The Prince walked on the Gardens at the ground level of Spire...
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| − | It was cold, but the wings did not howl here.
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| − | It was cold, but there was no snowl, and instead, sunlight filtered through the trees. He remembered being on this garden, before... with Kanti. It was even more beautiful in the daylight. He smiled, the Solar Prince, as he walked over the grass, leaning down and touching the White Jade Ring on his fingers. Simple and smooth, and yet flawless, of such craftsmanship its simplicity seemed to be a feature. Within, the prince could see a trimming of Blue Jade, intricately worked...
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| − | He laid on the grass, wondering how to make it work.
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| − | Handling it on his fingers, placing it over his heart, on his forehead... pouring essence into it...
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| − | He did it again and again, waiting for some kind of response...
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| − | '''Exceedingly Sublime Opal: ''' The ring rolled into his palm, and with a small bloom of Essence, the blue jade interior began to glow softly.
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| − | After a brief, quiet moment, a haze of gentle light began to hover above the ring. It coeles after a moment, and before him hovered the face of Opal.
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| − | Amazing, it captured every detail, every line of her visage even through the enormous distance seperating them. Her long, unbound hair spilt down to her shoulders, to fall away at the edge of the projection, into that same gentle blue haze.
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| − | Her pale lips curl upward in a faint smile, and the image seems to tilt its head to her, "My Prince, I see you have not forgotten me," she said, with a faintly amused expression.
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| − | '''Alexander: ''' ''She is to beautiful'', he thought, as always. Had it been not for his... condition, she would certainly make his blood rise. Which was almost a sacrilege... for her beauty seemed sacred, of such purity and property that feeling something more earthly than awe simply felt... wrong. He smiled to her, placing his hands behind his head as a cushion... "Of course I have not, Exceedingly Sublime Opal. I could never forget such a crafter, such a friend, such a beauty."
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| − | "And I cannot help but to wonder... how have you been?"
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| − | '''Exceedingly Sublime Opal: ''' "My, a honey tongue you most certainly have." She says, her eyes twinkle softly before continuing, "My time has been occupied by various projects. Master Gennadi is all demanding, you see."
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| − | "And you, my Prince? Has your lady love yet returned to the warmth of your arms?"
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| − | '''Alexander: ''' "Demanding? What sort of projects?" He wonders, all proud for the compliments!
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| − | "I hope he has been treating you well... I would not trust Gennadi around women, should have prevented you from going..." He says, chastising himself as he shakes his head. "No... not yet. My sister has returned, however, and... much, much has happenned, Opal. You have no idea... I feel like a different person now."
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| − | '''Exceedingly Sublime Opal: ''' "We all of us are different people each day of our lives, my Prince. As for my virtue, do not fear for it. Devils more sly than he whom I toil for have tried. As for those projects," she smiles enigmatically at him, "That would be telling."
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| − | "So, you have a sister? I did not know this. But, if she is like you, I'm sure she is as slippery tongued as well."
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| − | '''Alexander: ''' He sighs in relief. Now, that is something, although what projects Gennadi would ask... he stops to ponder, then, wether she has made the Glass Chains he uses in Kanti so much. He ''almost'' asks, with a slight blush, but decides not to... too compromising. It would be a confession that he has been using it, as he has... "My sister? Oh... she is Chosen by the Moon. And immortal. Nothing I have seen can harm her... a bird, she can turn to one, she can do so much... and, well."
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| − | "... she did not take well to me loving an Abyssal..."
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| − | '''Exceedingly Sublime Opal: ''' "Another of Luna's Chosen, mm? Interesting. I would not think a royal heir to be the type. Though, nothing is truely invunerable, you know that. I recall hearing that Luna's Children were both resilient of flesh and deceptive, so it may just be an illusion."
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| − | "And most would not, I'm afraid. It is hard to see love when the other was christened to butcher the world, my Prince."
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| − | '''Alexander: ''' "Yes, but... she did not take it well. When my lady returns, I need to show my love... but... it is hard. It is hard, because I love more than one. How do I express my love when I know not what it is? It is not all my heart... truly, my lady is greater in my heart than Kanti, but in my own way, I love my servant as well... and then, there is the Silver Angel... it is hard. I have no idea how I will say it, how I will prove it so my sister will accept her, with all my own heart and hers'..."
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| − | '''Exceedingly Sublime Opal: ''' "Angels dare what men do not, and love with hearts of gods. Perhaps you desire a flame to kindle, something to protect, rather than something forceful and hard. But do you desire the love of equals? Or the love of a servant? Kiss an angels lips or love a fleeting flame?" She sighs softly, before continuing, "Kanti was broken, my Prince, and hurt to badly as made to love it. I can see the scars on her Essence as surely as those on her body."
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| − | "In the Pale Angel, I looked and beheld a black dread hanging upon her, for even as she lives and breaths and loves, she is not a creature who's Essence is tied to this world."
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| − | '''Alexander: ''' ''An angel's lips. ''
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| − | He touched the lips of her projection then. There was something of the angels in her...
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| − | "Both. Selfish as it may be."
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| − | "And even if my lady is not from this world...I love her, and will make her so. I will anchor her to this world, any way I can..."
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| − | He chuckles. "And here I go, telling you too much and being all childish again, right?"
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| − | "You seem to understand Kanti very much, however..." He smiles. He knew they had slept together, and it made him feel a little proud to know such secrets. "Me... I would like to hold her, too. To make her happy. To take those scars away... maybe you will be able to help in that regard... to be able to touch her with my fierciest light without burning her, as I do."
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| − | '''Exceedingly Sublime Opal: ''' "Sometimes, the damned do not wish to be redeemed."
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| − | "As for the matter of Kanti, as much was told to me by the Dark One. She was tortured until all she had was pain and its giver, and she was made to love them. The root of her cure, I think, lies with the one who gave her the sickness."
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| − | Her image blurs as he passes his fingers through her lips, the light distorted for a few moments, "She does not love me, my Prince. I don't know if she can love anyone right now, save for those mighty and cruel."
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| − | She seems to smile a little to herself, then, "How is Seventh Moon?"
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| − | '''Alexander: ''' "No, she loves the Dark Angel and her Mistress, she has told me... but she wishes to be with me."
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| − | "She wishes to be soothed from the pain, from the loves she know will hurt her. And if we like her... we can help, right?" He shrugs. It made him feel bad, to know that... that she did not love him, but she was devoted to him, at least. But then comes her next question. "Moon is... Moon. He fought some cats with us. Broke a cat-temple down, wanted to kill a cat-god, and allowed us to save Spire. I tried to talk him into my new plans for the Boil, but... he did not accept them. I like him, but it is hard to ''talk'' to him..."
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| − | '''Exceedingly Sublime Opal: ''' "I believe she thinks she does, but the 'Mistress' she speaks of is the one who broke her. As I said, she was made to love her," she archs an eyebrow at the cat-god who came after, "That is so terribly appropriate for him that I want to burst out laughing. As for him being hard to speak to, Moon is... as you said, Moon. He is the stray dog, and he wants his freedom." She shrugs a little bit, "Maybe thats why I like him. He's... unfettered."
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| − | '''Alexander: ''' "In ways I wish I was, yes." The prince nods...
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| − | "He wants their freedom, too. He would rather the Boil was left to their own devices..."
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| − | "But I need to make it a better place."
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| − | '''Exceedingly Sublime Opal: ''' "But is to make it less free to make it a better place any better than allowing the inhabitants to choose their own destinies?"
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| − | '''Alexander: '''"No, it is not. Not in the least." He nods, "With more education, more resources, they have more choice."
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| − | "More choice... and more freedom."
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| − | "Speaking of the Boil... it is the reason I called you. I need to take you there. See..." He takes a deep breath, to explain it... "There is an organization there, the Office of Unusual Occurrences. People call them 'The Spookies'. They are a bit shunned, but that is because they deal with the weird, strange, the supernatural. The sort of things we are fighting against. Thaumathurges, Warders, strange people... with a low budget and a lower life-expectancy. I was thinking that maybe you could... build some things for them. Equipments, personal equipments, that sort of thing..."
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| − | '''Exceedingly Sublime Opal: ''' "You would have to speak to Gennadi regarding it. I could pass the request on, if you like, however." She seemed to frown a little bit, "And aren't the Dragon-Blooded supposedly the ones to mettle in such affairs? I would have thought the Dark One's sister would have been apt to provide them with assistence."
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| − | '''Alexander: ''' "They are professionals, self-sacrificing souls, Opal. With unique abilities, a shadow that moves and acts on its own, a girl able to move from a place to another through a space of false flame. Do not talk about them like they are beneath you or me. They are not." He nods. "We work for the people, remember. They are not unworthy of our attention."
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| − | '''Exceedingly Sublime Opal: ''' "I said no such thing, my Prince, and you would do well not to read words unto my lips. I will craft a few wonders for them, if it pleases. Though I do so insulted." With that, the blue mist composing her image dispurses, abruptly.
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| − | '''Alexander: ''' "Opal? Opal?!?" The Prince says, shaking the ring, pouring essence into it...
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| − | "Sorry... sorry, Opal! I... I thought... I misunderstood you, right? Sorry. I am ''sorry'', Opal!"
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| − | He tapped it, hoping for a sound, for something, anything...
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| − | '''Exceedingly Sublime Opal: ''' It was but a ring, and that was a very effective way to cut off a conversation. He felt saw the blue ring light again, but not mist appeared. Appearently, Opal was no longer in the mood to converse.
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| − | '''Alexander: ''' He continued to do that for a great long while... touching, shaking, pleading.
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| − | But it was no use, was there?
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| − | ''Gennadi... I have to talk to Gennadi. ''
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| − | His heart heavier, worried and guiltily, the prince stashed the ring away in his pocket, and walked out of the garden with heavy steps. ''At least, she will do, she will help them... '' He thought as he walked. ''When she comes here to look them over, to look at them, to know what to craft... then I will be able to make ammends. How, though, how...? ''
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| − | ----
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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/EighthMovement|Eighth Movement]]
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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
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