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− | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/ThirdMovement|Third Movement]]
| + | #REDIRECT [[ADanceOfAngels]] |
− | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
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− | == Scarlet Whispers ==
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− | <b>Orchid:</b>As usual, her room is filled with scents and exoticism.
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− | Incense burns all around the room, three scents mixing flawlessly to produce a third, greater one. She shines just slightly within the room, illuminating the many vials, fluids, leaves and dust on many bottles around the room. Many bonsai are tended by her with essence alone, working her medicine to the trees, changing them, burning excess away in the way others would prune with a scissor. Her basic wooden nature in the flowers in her hair and the arboreal nature of her room, and her flair to fire in the way it burns in such harmony, in the way the flowers have bright-red petals.
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− | Walking in this harmony, this blend between medicine, pyrotechnics and gardening, she refines herself... to be even more ready to soothe the pain and stop those who bring it, next time she is called by the Dragons, merging beauty and care, the tatoos on her forehead extending and making her calm, focused.
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− | <b>Cael: </b>Cael does not look his normal self as he walks into the Hourglass. Though his clothing is just as fine as usual, the style is subtly different from it's usual blacks and whites. From his dress he is no skypirate, and is instead a successful scavenger lord, or at least as successful as they get. Gone too is all evidence of his mongrel heritage, his skin pale, not faintly tanned, his hair blonde not a dark brown. As all such men do, he carries a sword at his side, one that looks well used, and under his other arm, he has an elaborately carved hardwood box, the top perforated with small holes.
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− | A brief talk with the barmaid and a flash of his smile gets him drinks for Orchid and himself. A fruity cocktail for her, wine for him. It also gets him the room she's currently residing in, changed from the last time, no doubt due to the refurbishment, then he sweeps upstairs to the room, knocking lightly on the door.
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> She ends her task as she hears the knock, the faint anima dying down, Cael seeing the light vanish beneath the door. Placing her clothes on, the loose red-rose and green jade flower-petal robes, she opens the door... and sees a stranger. A hand behind her back hides razor-sharp leaves. "Yes? May I help you?"
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− | <b>Cael: </b> Cael holds out the tray with the drinks on, a single character of gold floating in the fruit cocktail.
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− | One she's seem before.
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− | One she's pressed to her lips before.
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− | Kiss
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− | "May I please come in?"
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> "...Oh." Her face betrays surprise for a moment, and she looks curiously at his face, searching... then smiles the smile of one with a secret, opening the door for him to enter, the scent of the room coming out, the incense making the air seem a little... darker.
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− | "Please, come in!"
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− | <b>Cael: </b> "Thank you, Orchid. It's good to see you again."
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− | He takes a breath of the sweet, dark air coming from the room, sweeping inside, carefully setting the box down on the table, along with the drinks, waiting for Orchid to close the door.
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− | When she does, the disguise melts from his face, the dark hair returning, his skin darkening, a small aura of mystery growing about him.
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− | "My apologies for the change of face, but I thought it best to avoid ..complications."
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> The return of his face makes her smile despite herself. Happy to see him...
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− | "Same for me. I missed you." She closes her mouth then, as if trying to swallow the words back, to come out of her relaxed state. "I should thank you for it, even. Had to change my room, had to buy back so many broken things after the fight here... much better your problems will not spill over this time."
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− | "But, I heard of your victory, Windwraith. Of the Pale Angel's, at least... whom they say was just a ghost. Makes you smile if you know the truth... you and the prince really did nothing for it? Well, congratulations anyway."
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− | <b>Cael: </b> "That I'm sorry about ... I hope it was all things that money could replace ... nothing of real importance." he says with regret turning to hope in his voice, a small on his face.
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− | "Absolutely nothing. The whole battle. Just sat there and watched the Pale Angel fight. Obviously." he says poker faced, watching her reaction ...
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> "... oh, obviously. I suppose you were sipping tea and commenting like it was a bad play!" she holds a giggle, relaxing some...
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− | "Yes, I managed to replace all of it well enough with the money. Should have overcharged." She smirks, sitting down on a cough, a small glass table in front of it... "Please, sit down."
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− | <b>Cael: </b> Cael sits himself gracefully in the chair, taking a sip of the glass of wine, and holding out her cocktail for her.
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− | "If I remember correctly," he says with a grin "And I'm sure my account book does too, you already charged more than a little over your usual rate."
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− | He swirls the wine around his glass, then takes another sip.
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− | "You're half right, in a way. I was rather ...critical during the battle. If you want to hear about it, I suppose I could tell you ..."
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> She looks as he does so, gracefully picking the cocktail, strings of her slim hair falling gracefully over her forehead, her own tattoos, the Crimson Aegis, glinting in the light. "It is not every time an anathema asks me to heal an accursed of the Void, I could have charged more. But you had quite a sweet tongue..."
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− | She sips on the glass, reclining on the fluffy couch, her body showing its curves... "Why, yes. I would like to hear of it. Let us see if anathema, like all men, are prone to exaggerations."
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− | <b>Cael: </b> Cael raises a single eyebrow "A sweet tongue? And how would you know that?" he says with the slightest hint of bad behavior in his voice, watching with appreciation showing as she reclines, the clothing revealing her curves.
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− | "I will give you my word that I speak no false things about the events of the battle."
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− | "Or you can wait until Sweet Melody's songs make it down here..."
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> "Well, one can tell from sweet words, even without experiencing the taste..."
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− | She takes another sip, eyeing him as she does, the scavenger lords clothing’s, oddly... perfect and fashionable in him. How could he maintain himself always so perfectly clean and groomed, ready for a ball... even amidst a fight? "I suppose you have my trust. Hasn't hurt me before, has it?"
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− | "Oh, wait." She grins. "It did!"
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− | <b>Cael:</b> "One can, can they? Are you sure?" he asks with a grin.
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− | "And that's not entirely true. The hurt was more the poison and subsequent demon visit." he says, with an entirely too reasonable voice. "..Which reminds me. This is for you, as a way of making up for the poison. And the subsequent demon visit." he carefully sets the box down on the table in front of her.
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> "One can guess" She smiles deviously, eyeing his lips, "But there is only one way to know for sure."
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− | "And the poison, and the subsequent demon visit, were not aimed at me, remember? But..." She leans, to open the box. "It is sweet that you decided to make up so fast..."
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− | She opens the box, and feels the warmth on her face.
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− | "<i>Nyao!</i>" the little fire elemental says, jumping from the box and on her lap, "Nyaaaa!" it mews on her lap, rubbing against her, a small cat of bright crimson and orange fur, radiating warmth... "Ooh... how... how..."
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− | "How CUTE!" She cries as she holds it to herself, smiling like a child!
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− | <b>Cael:</b> "I suppose there is only one way, yes..." he says with a roguish smile, then watches her take the box, and open it, and then he laughs, a deep, amused laugh as he watches her reaction, and the way the cat squirms and rubs itself in her arms.
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− | "I <i>thought</i> you might like her."
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> She holds it o herself.... an elemental attuned to part of her nature, but not enough that it would be damaging to her main nature. Saying cutesy cutely things that are barely comprehensible and can only be said by a woman in front of something that cute. And warmed by it, feeling an warmth so rare in the north.... She does so for a little while, then looks at him, happy, "Thank you, Cael. A little elemental, is she not? Now, I wonder what to name her..." The elemental is now on her lap, licking its paws and enjoying the petting, trying to adjust to its new surroundings...
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− | <b>Cael: </b> Cael watches all her antics, amused and sipping his wine.
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− | "Well, she was just a little something I thought you might like, and she is, yes. I'm assured she won't grow any more than you want her too." He grins "As to her name, well, that is entirely up to you. Or her, I suppose."
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− | He smiles at the slightly puzzled expression on the cat's face as he says that.
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> "<i>Nyaaaa!</i>" The kitty says, then looks up to her, and speaks with a squeaking voice, "<i>Ember</i>. It's Ember!" It says, childlike, its eyes shining a little as it makes the incense burns faster.
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− | Orchid just pets it more. "Nice to meet you, Ember. I will take good care of you, my cutey cutey little pretty!" She hugsw it again, then leaves it to fall to her lap again, but it jumps off to scout around the room... to get to know its new surroundings. And Orchid simply watches it go, happy... already feeling a kinship with it....
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− | <b>Cael: "I'm not sure whether I should be jealous of the little ember or not..." he says with a sip of his wine, drawing her attention back to him.
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> "Oh? Would you be, now?"
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− | She looks back to him, taking her glass from the table again, watching the little kitten jump in a table, look at something, then go to the pillows behind some veils... smiling as she sees it... "My, see? So sweet..." She says, to an eye in each.
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− | <b>Cael: </b> "I might be...though I suppose I have only myself to blame..." he says, grinning softly, more than a little entranced by the kitten himself, truth be told.
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− | <b>Orchid: "You are. You saved me more than once as well... kept watch over me when I was hurt. Granted, those were your problems... but you were a sweet, perfect gentleman. It is hard to find one of those. Dealt with Dynasts, and with all the pretenses at being more than human, most are more concerned with their own skin."
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− | <b>Cael: </b> "Why thank you, it's not every day one gets to be called a perfect gentleman." He says, both pleased and amused.
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− | "Now, where were we ... Oh, yes, I'd just promised not to lie to you about the battle...if you're still interested, of course. If not, then ..." he lays back a little in the chair...
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> Another one of her long sips, and she finishes, once again laying languidly back on her comfort of her couch... "No, I certainly am. Please, tell me. Like I said before... you have my trust."
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− | <i>Much as it might end up hurting me again</i>
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− | <b>Cael: </b> Cael's eyes track her every movement, waiting until she's settled, before he begins...
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− | ...with an angel spreading his wings...
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− | ...a white woman hurling fire....
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− | ....and a hundred paper birds fluttering above the heat.
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− | He tells her of the battle between the Pale Angel and Garm ...
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− | ... his own exchanges with the Celebrant ...
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− | ... the ambush ...
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− | ... the angel cutting him free ...
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− | ... the death of the Celebrant.
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− | And then he tells her a little of the rest, ending with the golden words dissolving as the sun sets and the corpses burnt away, sending them all on to their next lives.
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− | "And that is the true story of the battle of Genmel."
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> And then she is sat forward, kneels on her legs, holding her face with her mouth just slightly open...
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− | "My... my..."
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− | "That is so... impressive. The little prince, who would have thought... and... origami? And... just the three of you? My...."
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− | "Makes me want to hear the song, yes. Too much. It must have been... glorious."
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− | <b>Cael: </b> Cael nods and smiles, obviously so very pleased with her reaction to the tale, almost tempted to reach across and gently shut her mouth for her.
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− | "I almost wish I hadn't have been fighting, then I could have written such a fine tale about it. As it is, it wouldn't quite be proper..."
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> "You should, sometime. If you can be creative and not just destructive with those wondrous words of yours..."
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− | She steps up, leaving her finished chalice, "Would you want some dessert? I do have some sweets and fruits here... sorry for being such an impolite hostess."
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− | <b>Cael: </b> "I can, and I would, but writing about one's own glory...something isn't right there." he says idly, draining his own wine and watching her stand, his eyes following her up.
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− | "Some dessert would be wonderful, thanks. I'm sure I can forgive you a little impoliteness..." his voice hinting that perhaps forgiveness might have a price. Not a very big price to be sure...
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> "Hmmm, you are right. But you have a goddess writing it for you. I am sure it will end up... living to the tale." Her form seems to vanish into the incense, leaving only a curve silhouette amidst it, but then she calls the kitten, and the smoke lessens. And then she is coming back, leaving a little plate with strawberries and peaches and a few creative chocolate .sweets. "I made those myself. You are warned they might taste like ashes and oblivion."
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− | <b>Cael: </b> "That is a risk I'm prepared to accept..." he says, putting an overbrave face on has he takes one of the sweets, eating it.
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− | "Mmmmm..... I'm mean, this is terrible!" he says as he reaches for another one of the chocolates, licking his lips....
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> "Told you so!" She giggles, her eyes focusing in his lips... "And it seems they also addict people to their awfulness. My, how horrid!"
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− | She reaches for one, a chocolate crust with cut strawberries inside...
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− | <b>Cael: </b> Cael eats the next one, cherries set into chocolate slowly for her benefit, though apparently entirley casually.
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− | "I'm not sure quite how you manage to cook like this..."
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> "I think of someone I would have liked to taste them... try to picture a smile on their face, him licking his lips... and make sure it will do just that. And then, I ask all the fruits to help me!" She grins,
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− | "Though honestly, maybe I should have used more of my flair for the fire in these ones... good thing I have Ember to help on it now!" She says as she looks the kitten rolling with a ball of leaves...
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− | <b>Cael: </b> "Ah. A conspiracy, I see ..." he says, treating her to a very amused smile. "And was the smile as you pictured it?" he holds the smile for a little after he stops talking.
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− | Cael smiles over at the kitten himself, something in her antics pleasing him.
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− | "And why would you want more ...fire in them?" a slight stress on the word, hinting at warmer things than just fruit.
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> "Oh, it is.... very much so. Pehaps even... a little more than I expected." She blushes, just a little.... "And as for why... fire is the spice of the world, Cael. The spice of the soul. Making things so much... warmer. Pehaps even more alive than the wood that makes us walk and live... and maybe you could use some of it."
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− | <b>Cael: </b> "A little more than you expected? Perhaps I should stop..." he samples another of the chocolates, once more eating it slowly just for the benefit of the eyes on his lips, smiling softy at her blush.
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− | "Use some fire? Some <i>spice</i>? Maybe I could..." he takes another sip of his wine then, finishing the glass
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> "No, no, please..." Her fingers entwine on one another, knees on her legs, the joined hands almost covering the happy smile in her thin blood-red lips... ".. continue."
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− | <b>Cael: </b> "As you wish..." he says slowly, warmly, the smile not wavering on his lips, as he eats another of the chocolate delicasies slowly, easily, his eyes smiling all the time.
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− | His eyes beckon her to come a little closer ... merely so she can see the smile better, of course.
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> .. and she does the exact opposite, playful eyes smiling back at him as she reclines on her couch, stretching slightly as she watches... then comes a little closer, picking her glass... and looking how both are spent.
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− | <b>Cael: </b> Cael's face betrays nothing of any disappointment he might feel for her ... retreat, watching the stretch with a very pleased look before his own eyes are drawn to the empty glasses.
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− | "I should have brought up a little more to drink, I think ..."
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> She gets up, picking her glass in her nimble fingers... and walking up to him, picking his' with the same hand, balancing them perfectly in her fingers and looking down at Cael... the tips of the fingers on her free hand almost touching his lips... "You should smile more, Cael. It looks good on you..."
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− | "Least I saw it this time. I suppose, next time they will be tastier..."
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− | <b>Cael:</b> "Last time I was here," his lips almost brushing her hand, his breath warm on her hand "There was not nearly so much to smile about." he finishes, looking up her body at her.
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− | "Perhaps the next time I will have to give you some warning ... rather than just dropping in.."
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> Her fingers trail invisible lines too close to his face, but not touching... like a moth close to the flame. "No, there was not. Which is why it feels so... different, to me. But if you warned, it would not be you, would it? You are like the wind... and I know enough Air Aspects to know what the wind is like..."
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− | <b>Cael: </b> Cael watches the fingers as they trail close to his face, still smiling up at her.
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− | "I am a little like the wind, yes. I certainly wouldn't want to be .. tied down for long, but like the wind ... sometimes you know the wind is coming, no?"
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> "Sometimes. If you want to warn... I will be delighted to know. But I don't want you to promise what you can't keep." Her face fixates on his', losing herself in it... "May I ask you something, gentle wind?"
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− | <b>Cael:</b> Cael smiles all the wider as he sees her loosing herself in his face.
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− | "Yes. Ask."
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> "Write for me? Something? Anything? I want to see those golden letters again... I want to see you weaving them again."
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− | <b>Cael: </b> Cael laughs, a pleased and happy laugh.
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− | "Whatever my lady wishes...though you will have to sit so you're not standing where I will write...." He reaches up, slowly slipping an arm around her and drawing her down to sit next to him on the sofa, one arm gently around her, the other free to write.
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> She comes down to him, snuggling up to him gently... and watching intently his other hand... a hand on his chest, her warm body against his'... her scent, of flowers, of orchids, one of summer and spring together, the flowers on her hair touching Cael's cheek just slightly...
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− | <b>Cael: </b>Cael pauses for a moment to draw in her scent, and then his other hand starts to trace out delicate letters of gold in the air, flowing from his fingers to form a poem in the air.
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− | The poem is a simple one, and a short one,but it is written just for Orchid, appearing before her, hanging in the air as she reads it, shimmering characters in precise Ice Tongue, hanging there in the pure and brilliant first light of dawn.
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> She watches... warming up on her closeness with every line written in golden light in the air... and then she turns to him... her delicate, nimble fingers touching his face this time... "Thank you." She says, thin scarlet lips smiling up at him lovingly, the lines on her forehead shining a warm crimson sheen...
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− | <b>Cael: </b> Cael turns to her as she looks up at him, then leans down to her, gently kissing those thin lips, sucking on them softly, then breaking the kiss, smiling at her, her own hands touching her face, stroking over her smooth skin.
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− | <b>Orchid:</b> She leans to him as they kiss, her bosom touching his chest, her lips feeling like flower petals on his'. As he caresses her face, her own marks, the many sharp edges edge toward him, and he can feel the 'ink' dancing on her skin, excited beneath his fingers...
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− | "I was right. Your lips <i>are</i> sweet..."
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− | <b>Cael: </b> "Yours are spicey. Fragrant." he says, tracing his fingers over her tattooes, feeling them beneath his skin, and the 'ink' as it moves. He kisses her again softly. "Tasty."
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> "I like flowers with life. I like what brims with warm fragrances. I guess it shows..." She leans more against him, rubbing against him slightly over her flower-petal robe... "Your scent... is like the northern winds. I wonder if I can melt it."
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− | <i>And here am I, rubbing against an Anathema... a Deceiver...</i>
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− | <b>Cael:</b> Cael lets his hands drift slightly downwards, though keeping within the bounds of propriety for the moment, running over the flower petals, Cael marvelling slightly at the texture. He whispers in her ear, his voice promising dark, fun things.
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− | "You're welcome to try."
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> And she had. Oh, she had.
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− | Hours later, in the middle of the warm room, surrounded by many crimson veils on her bed, she holds his face against her chest... caressing his silver locks, feeling the sweat on both of their bodies, her face, soul and body filled with warm contentment.
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− | "That was... hmmmm..."
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− | <i>Nya!</i>
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− | The kitty calls, wiggling into the veils, jumping on the bed, near Cael...walking tentatively amidst mounts of raised and lowered sheets.
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− | "And what... now...?" She asks half-heartedly, after almost an hour basking into the lack of any worry, any thought at all...
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− | <b>Cael: </b> Cael lays several small kisses on her breast as she holds him there, tasting the sweat on her skin before he looks up at her, laying his head on her chest.
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− | "What now indeed?" his voice is warm and deep, his fingers trace lazy arcs over the skin of her back. "Where do we go from here?"
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> She shivers until his touches and his kisses, her other hand trailing ghastly behind his back... "You tell me... you do not intend to stay, of course? You have things to do... your friends, so much to continue... I have my own friends here, My clientele, and things... that are mine to do."
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− | "But I... want to see you again." She hesitates before saying it. As if giving part of her soul away... "When.. do you intend to leave?"
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− | <b>Cael: </b> "I can't stay, no." he says softly, his hand still carressing her softly "I wouldn't want to take your life from you by asking you to leave with me, or to put you at the risk my staying here would involve, even if I could...and I have things I need to do. All over the North." he kisses her skin softly once more, treating her to a warm smile when she says she wants to see him again.
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− | "I don't want this to be the last time I see you, no. I'll have to leave come the morning, but I'm yours for the rest of the night..."
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− | <b>Orchid: </b> "We have our own lives. We have our own things. I do intend to go aboard the Zephyr some other times. Calisara is... cute. But of those things... when you meet the Disciple again... please, think twice before fighting. Please, take care of yourself..."
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− | She reaches down to kiss his lips then, care and worry on her taste and feeling... "Hmmm... I will have to enjoy tonight, then. So much to enjoy, tonight..."
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− | Thand hand ends its trail, reaching down on him... "I have an anathema on my grasp. Now, what to do, what to do..."
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− | <b>Cael:</b> Cael strokes her tenderly as she speaks of her concern to him, his eyes watching her as she speaks...
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− | "I will. I have no plans to throw my life away foolishly. No plans to do that at all. I'll take care of myself. It's what I've beendoing all my life. Just I have to take care of a little more than that now..."
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− | He returns her kiss with care and attention, trying to reassure her, to convince her he's real, not something that will fade away...
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− | When her hand stops moving, he moves himself, sliding up her body next to her ear, whispering naughty, wicked, fun things in suggestion...
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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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