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Dance of Dignity and Desire

Seventh Moon: "Iron Tears."

It's two words that carry over the rattle of tools and the pounding of hammers. Two words that ride on the edge of the blazing light that washes over the floor of the armory. Moon's face is a mask of stone as he stares at the Forge God and the women with him, but his eyes are washed in silver. Not even manifesting into a proper shape, his anima burns around him in a halo of white flame, writhing tendrils of light grasping through the air above him.

The Pack hovers behind him uncertainly, seeming to feel safer clustering near the feet of the great golem which had gone to fetch them than near their leader. Moon leaves them behind without looking back, eating up the floor in long, stalking strides until he stands in front of Iron Tears again. Wrapped within Ebb and Flow, his hand reaches out and closes over the arm of the Faceless God, the arm outstretched to caress Selina's face and frozen jade squeezes down.

"We gotta talk. Now." Sightless eyes shift onto the Dark Angel... and clear. The shapeless aura disapates into the air, though his face stays unmoved. "All'a us."

Exceedingly Sublime Opal: Her brow arches in quiet speculation at Moon's display, though she attempted to keep her face inscrutable, one could see a faint expression of trepitation there. She kept her hands folded before her, elegant in her stillness, looking more akin to a statue than a living being.

Iron Tears: Iron Tears is.... surprised.

One thing is to deal with such a chosen of the Moon. Another is to see him in full glory like this.

He takes the arm off, and then looks at Moon, trying to be impassive. But a cold Jade touch from one such as Moon... in his anima, it was written in a language only gods could understand. That Moon could destroy him, utterly, in a way only Exalts can ever do.

In a way they were made for.

"Certainly, Seventh Moon." He says, trying his best to sound impassive. "We have to talk."

Selina de Windia: So he still didn't get it. Selina feels the hand on her face, and her lips thin -- as her pupils do. On the edge of violence, wavering now, teetering over the abyss. The Dragon doesn't like being manhandled.

"Yes." She replies, voice hinting of fury. "We do. Some things aren't cleared up."

Seventh Moon: The Lunar lets Iron Tear's arm go as it drops, his hands vanishing into his coat pockets once more. The eyes on his lover don't scare him this time and he meets Selina's gaze straight on. The hound and the serpent.

"First thing" He begins in a oddly soft tone, as if an apology or an explanation were trying to work it's way out from behind the edge. "I ain't gonna shit on what ya did for my city darlin', but it ain't what I wanted or how I wanna see it go down from now on, a'ite? If you wanna take a roll with Rusty again, I ain't gonna try'n stop ya" Ain't gonna like it, but I ain't gonna stop ya. "Your business whatcha wanna do in bed, but that's all it is. It ain't parta any deal made where I'm involved, no matter how much she'd love it ta be otherwise."

He tips his head towards the Smiling Lover. Moon looks back up at Iron Tears, his tone hardening again. "Y'get that Rusty? Goes for both'a 'um. The kid too. If they wanna take ya for a tumble, their doin' it in their own name and for themselves. Not for the Boil. Not for me. I'm breakin' that bit'a the bargain. You and me make our own deal for whateva' comes next."

Iron Tears: The room falls silent. A single metal tool falls from the hands of one of the people working on the automatons.

One can hear the breath of people on that room... and more than ever before, see how one is a Lunar Exalted, chosen warrior of the Moon, and the other is a God.

Iron Tears nods solemnly to Moon. "Fair enough. I understand that. I see you have probably not talked before what happened last night."

"I would also hope this does not take you apart now. We will soon need to be united more than ever... our enemies certainly are."

Smiling Lover: You can change what will be, but not what has been

Her eyes smile at Moon, a little vacant, an aristocrat enjoying a conflict, dissafected and from afar,

The legend has already been written with her body in the bargain

Selina de Windia: The pupils unslit, though she is still irritated. But she tones her voice down, more neutral now. She crosses her arms over her chest once more, greatcoat obscuring most of her form. "Did either of you listen to what I said last night? I said I would help you push them out. My body was a bonus. A reward for ungrudging assistance, say."

Exceedingly Sublime Opal: She pinched the bridge of her nose, and sighed gently as she heard this. Without a doubt, the Dark Angel was beautiful. But the way the casually banded around the favors of her flesh was enough to make even her frustrated. But, then, she was not permitted to say anything, as it would come dreadfully close to breaking her oath.

Seventh Moon: "Well don't let it be a bonus." Moon answered as he swung his head back to Selina, almost snapping. As he met her gaze, he sighed and his shoulders relaxed, face falling for a moment as he shook his head. "... darlin', I need ya. I ain't gonna try ta lie about that anymore. I don't think I can pull this shit off without ya."

He sounded more stern when he looked back up at her, straightening out again. "But that ain't gonna stop me from tryin' if it's gonna be like that. I ain't never let anyone sell themselves like that for me. Not Sarah, not the Pack girls. Never. And it ain't gonna start now. Don't matter what ya wanna call it. A bonus, a reward, or the whole fuckin' pay-off. My city, my deal, and I don't want that ta be a part of it."

Iron Tears: Iron Tears looked at him for a very long moment then....

"Do not be thankless to her, Moon. She did help me change my mind last night. I do not know how it would have gone...and as you said, we need her. Kanti took me the rest of the way today, as well. And no, she has not offered me herself, you can be sure of it. That I swear, for Hammer and Anvil." He says, the oath he swears and that the tigers do as well. He looks at his sister for a moment. "But she did help."

Selina de Windia: "Fair enough. There just wasn't much I could add to what you and Kanti said last night." She shrugs. "So I shored it up. Legend is useful only if you put it to use."

Seventh Moon: "Already said I wasn't gonna shit on it man," Moon answers Iron Tears with a little smile, but one directed at the Windian before him, not the god beside him. "Just wanna make sure it ain't gonna happen again."

Exceedingly Sublime Opal: "May I point out that I do not feel the matters of the city's defense should not rest on the matters of sulling Madamme Selina's virtue. And it is also distasteful to speak of such things the way a farmer would barter a pig at market, though I mean no disrespect or slander."

Selina de Windia: She couldn't really say anything to what he'd said before. Those were reasons she could live with, certainly.

Better than cause it's his turf and I'm not a local leader.

"I preferred not to boast about my reputation for once, was all." Her voice is kind of absent, as if she's talking without truly thinking about everything she's saying. "Lately I've been told it looks unseemly, and I suppose it does..." Selina's voice trails off as she realizes what she was saying, and she quiets down into embarassed silence.

Iron Tears: "And so it was. You are the Dark Angel of Windia, after all." He says, and looks at her with some pride for him, even from afar. "But alas, you are right, Opal."

His gaze shifts to Selina, the Dark Angel who had impressed herself in his mind so fully before... and her embarassment and silence feel so different from what she had been last night, or even shortly before. "I suppose we have matters about the actual city to discuss, Seventh Moon? About the underworld's role in this revolution?"

• Seventh Moon shifts at Selina's sudden silence, hesitating with a worried hand half-way out of his pocket. It's not the sort of look or moment he's come to expect out of her. And with the chalky-looking lady talking about sullying and trading her around like a pig... Moon's head tilts to the side, watching the Windian a moment longer. Gang girls wouldn't even flinch about what they were talking about and pleasure house girls would laugh. Selina had been both once by her own admissions, but she wasn't really either...

Moon's hand brushed her arm, fingers touching and pressing just a moment. They were close enough that the gesture was passed discreetly as he turned to face Iron Tears. "Yeah probably should get on ta that savin' the city shit. Ya got like I dunno, a war room or you wanna go hit Kadel's place?"

Iron Tears: "Well, we have precious little time before I have to present them our lovely angel all tied up. It will certainly make them respect any exigence I make if they think I overpowered her..."

"The Relentless Gears' honor room here might suffice for that. Shall you call Kadel? I thought as their leader you could tell me how it went and how the plans are yourself."

Selina de Windia: She blinks, and then flicks her eyes to Iron Tears and Moon. Well, only one noticed that. It was all the Pale Angel's fault. All of it!

"Such a pity that my dear counterpart cannot be here." The Windian muses, shooing away that moment of hesitation. "I could use her help."

Seventh Moon: All tied up...

Moon's eyes flickered at Selina involuntarily. He both liked and disliked the sound of that... and the sudden riot at the thought brought color into his cheeks. He'd have to find a way to watch over that meeting though. Much as he liked the idea of her being helpless, he didn't like the idea of her being helpless bait...

"Fetch Kads?" Having the Glass Spider around to fill in a few of the blanks for him would have been nice, but Moon shook his head at it. They'd talked things over enough that he could at least brief the others on what the underworld intended to do, even if the weight of leading them still felt awkward on his shoulders. "Naw. Your place'll work fine. We planned what we could, but it was kinda hard goin' without much idea what you were gonna fill in on."

The Lunar looked around the armory, then rasped a helpless laugh. "Fuck still don't really know, y'know? What is all this shit do?" As he turned in place to look around, he stopped finally facing towards Opal and raised a fist, a single finger extending outwards at her. "And what do you do, darlin'?"

Exceedingly Sublime Opal: "Technical support." She said, smoothly. "And I have some small knowledge of tactics, though not as much as this... Pale Angel that Madamme Selina has mentioned, I must assume." She merely stares at the finger for a moment. "Mind putting that down, it might go off."

Seventh Moon: Eh?

"Eh?" He stared at her blankly, then followed her eyes to his hand. Slowly, it fell back to his side and he gave her an awkward grin. Whatever he could say about the Dark Angel not being a gang girl went about twice as far with chalky.

"Well, we ain't too worried about the plannin'. Kinda had shit left over on the table from last time. More worried about tryin' ta fit all this crap inta play, y'know?"

Exceedingly Sublime Opal: She merely shrugged a bit. "Our good host did not detail to me in full the part I was to play in this. So, I suppose I shall idle until I am needed. Perhaps try to finish work on the Medium Implosion Bow before its needed." She arched an eyebrow toward him. "Though I must comment upon my thought of 'tying' Madamme Selina up as to making it appear as our excellent host was turning her over does put unnessisary risk to her person, respectfully." She calmly places her hands into the opposite sleeve of her immaculately white attire. "I have no doubt of her competence, but it would be wise not to underestimate the competence of your adversary."

Iron Tears: "No harm shall come to her as long as she is in my part of the hall, and not theirs." He says, "How would any harm come upon her then?"

Seventh Moon: "It's gonna be a risk no matter how we play it..." he shrugs, but casts back at Selina. Was there another option? Just having Opal point out what a bad idea it seemed made him like the prospect all the less. "They're gonna wanna see her. Just ta prove she's here, y'know?"

Selina de Windia: "They don't yet know everything about me, Opal." Selina cuts in with the neutral tone she was using before. "They won't torture me on the spot. If they do, it means a deathknight has come with them, and that would be exceedingly foolish of him."

Iron Tears: "They will not touch you." Outrage is on his voice. Too beautiful to be marred. "I will say and show to them I have you. And this will be enough to give me time while I make demands. They have no way to know what goes on in here... I am sure."

Exceedingly Sublime Opal: "Of course, they wouldn't believe you at such prove. Until you physically give her to them, they will still suspect."

Iron Tears: "They probably will. But we do not want them to trust me. We simply want to delay them."

Seventh Moon: "Yeah? Wouldn't be so sure about it being so secret Rusty..." Moon cuts in, with a snort. Reaching to his chest, he rubbed the faded scars where the Nemessaries knives had cut him up back in the Spire. "Kinda learned from experiance that they got ways'a findin' shit out that you don't want'm to. Probably aughta make sure shits where it's supposed ta be before they get here."

• Fiona watches things happen, trying to speak, but finding no words. She stays together with Kanti, wondering wether she will ever be able to affect.... anything.

She looks at the Dark Angel... and for once, hopes to be like her.

Powerful. Able to do things.

But even with her power... she still had to use her body....

Exceedingly Sublime Opal: "But, it is not my place to tell you what to do, only advise. I will, of course, go along with any plan you device. If you believe subterfuge to be our best option so as to risk your Lady upon it, it is not my place to cast a shadow upon this effort. What part would you have me play, then?"

Seventh Moon: Moon bit his bottom lip, a fang peeking out of his mouth as he did. No matter what way he looked at it or they talked about it, it still seemed like a shitty situation. Something slipped up, wouldn't matter much if they even left the ropes on her loose. He just didn't like sending her out as bait

"... hey, you make sh... uh, stuff like this, darlin'?" he asks Opal, gesturing towards the automations lining the wall.

Iron Tears: The Forge God walks up to the automatons, and says something in Old Realm. They all line up. "They obey our commands. I have already asked to to listen to those of me, and all of the Exalted in this room. I know I can trust you. I need to. But they ultimately answer me if our orders ever conflict."

He walked to one of the rifles in the rack, taking it then, hands passing through the cracks he knew in each and every line of the beauty he had crafted. "And this... is something I conceptualized together with Jungen." He takes it on his hands, showing what is placed on it... a piece of... ice? "This is a piece of frozen air, from the innermost north. A companion of his', Scythe of Winter, providenced the first samples. We used the few elementals able to go there for others."

Within it, he places an iron spike. sharp. Then, he points it to a piece of Iron on the wall, which contorts into a ball of broken Iron at a wave of his hand... "A single spark from the back of its hilt, and it breaks the frozen air. A torrent from it sends the projectile. Like this."

He presses it then, and a spark is flared.... and the frozen air explodes from the end of the barrel, freezing steam hissing on the air as the piece of iron goes through the metal ball...

"Hard to use. But it is sure death to most. My personal version of a Firewand..."

After his display finishes, he walks up to Opal. "She is as good at the Forge as me, Seventh Moon. And more versatile. I do suppose you could explain the rest of things to the Pack as well, my dear? The undead embassy is past the Relentless Gears now... I cannot ask for delays forever. We have but a few minutes to appear in the hall with a tied-up Dark Angel."

Exceedingly Sublime Opal: "I have the knowledge and aptitude, yes." She seems to pause for a moment. "I believe your people have certain powers of illusion. What if I were to craft a talisman that would render one object or person into the semblence of Madamme Selina."

Selina de Windia: "I should not be in much danger, unless the General is a fool." Selina replies to Opal and Moon. She'd never really been used as bait before, not by anyone else. She had walked into situations where she knew that such action would tip her enemy's hand prematurely in order to bleed them, but not often. And that depended a great deal on how badly they wanted her.

I imagine they can wait for a good deal of time to get reinforcements, if it comes down to it.

"We do however need to force their hand now. The General is not the only deathknight with an army, I suspect. And the Vestal is shadowing my movements."

Seventh Moon: Powers of illusion? Moon frowned. It was the first he'd heard about them. There was probably time to take something to Shadow Eyes though, if he went alone.

"Yeah, well, I ain't gonna count on 'um being geniuses neither," he answers Selina, scowling less at her than the thought they could somehow deal fairly with the undead. Fuck knows they'd hardly proven trust worthy so far. "They're all cocky as fuck and probably wouldn't think twice about burnin' this place out the moment they got an itch they could get away with it."

"Somethin' like that'd work," he nodded back to Opal. "Can't cover my side'a things, but I know someone who could. How fast ya think you could make one?"

Exceedingly Sublime Opal: She considers for a long moment. "Three or four days. But I would need a few rare components to simplify the process."

Iron Tears: "Well, they will have to wait until they do what I ask them... it could not shield her now, but it could shield her when I go deliver her. I wonder how I could get four days with them..."

Exceedingly Sublime Opal: "Specifically, a sliver of Moonsilver to act as a resonator, and a drop of your blood and Selina's to create a mixture to coat it with. It would be highly slapdash, and would only last a day or so... but it would serve for a time to keep Madamme from danger."

Seventh Moon: Aw shit...

Three or four days? And they only had minutes, according to Iron Tears...

"Hell..." he blew out a long sigh, then shrugged. "It was a thought darlin', but I don't think they're gonna be happy ta sit around talkin' about the weather that long..."

Exceedingly Sublime Opal: "If I had an assistant, it would go faster. Are any of you versed with the ins and outs of First Age Weapon design?"

Selina de Windia: "That depends on how long they're willing to wait." She nods toward the rest of the city. "They can wait for awhile. What else are they going to do? Is there a way into Heaven from here? Or a shadowland I could call my own strength from? They hold the latter. The General cannot be such a fool that he'll waste his forces on us needlessly, not when the Bishop will need them for the storm I could guess is brewing in Windia."

Seventh Moon: Shadowland... ?

"Boy's Field." His answer was immediate. Shadow Eyes had used that term before, though Moon had figured out on his own what it meant. Death. He turned to the dark angel, gesturing in the direction of the city wall that lay out of sight. "Y'wanna get ta the darkside or whatever it's called? Right out the front door hun. Hanging ground where the garrison fucks rope us up when Cleanin' Season comes. Always been full'a ghosts 'n shit."

Exceedingly Sublime Opal: "You need not concern yourselves with that. My people have... improved upon techniques with which the Immaculates cleanse such places." Her tone sounded no vanity. "But, if you will all forgive me, I am weary. May I be permitted to catch a few hours of sleep?"

Iron Tears: "I have someone who is. One of Jungen's children, he could help you."

He takes a moment of focus then....

"I sent him to your worshop. Would you go and meet him there?"

He asks of her, thinking about her proposal.... "Pehaps. But he would certainly leave a strong catspaw so we do not touch his back. To fight a war in two fronts is suicide..."

Exceedingly Sublime Opal: She frowned a bit... of course, no lines would she beneth those stony eyes. "Of course, goodly host, I shall see that all is attended to." She effects a bow to them all. "Good evening." And, with that, she makes her way toward the worshop... well... sleep is overrated anyway.

• Seventh Moon waves good night at the pale woman, watching her slip out of the room. Weird lady... but she was easy enough to look at and seemed ready to help. Push came to shove, there was no such thing as too much of either thing.

"A'ite... we got somethin' that looks like a plan if ya squint at it. How long you think ya kind stall 'um?"

Selina de Windia: "Yeah, I sensed it a few times. Eventually pinned the location down." She shrugs, then snorts. "I don't want any dead, that's the Pale Angel's thing, not mine. Although I can construct a certain type of dead."

Seventh Moon: "Ain't what we're lookin' for darlin'..." Moon answered tiredly. He ran a gloved hand through his hair and shook it out. Mentioning sleep kinda reminded him he hadn't gotten any in a while. No time. Still no time. The Lunar stifled a yawn as he went on. "Kinda ain't keen on having more dead fuckers in the city neither. Even if they are on our side, y'know? You talked about it like there was somethin' else you could do, though."

Iron Tears: "You.... can?" He asked... tentatively.

Yes, if she could bring back their dead foes, less of his own children would have to die... but the idea that they would have such unnatural powers helping them might make it all seem... tainted.

"Well..." He says, beggining to walk out of the room, motioning for them to follow, "Now, we tie our lady up, and meet them in the hall."

Or rather...

It happens again. Metal and forge, he simply walks on them, brecomes one with his fortress, the great armor once again.

The faceless god.

"We can leave necromancy conversations for later. Anything before we go and meet them?"

Seventh Moon: "Yeah," Moon grunts back at the god, both hands going to his hair now as he tugs at it, pulling back the shaggy locks and clumsily twisting them into a knot. Hair had gotten long without Sarah around to keep it cut, too. Whole fuckin' rebellion was making him fall apart. "Keep the ropes loose, Rusty. I plan on bein' near by in case they decide ta be stupid..."

Selina de Windia: Selina slipped into the trance, looking about the hall, trying to spot the odd feeling she had. Another spy? Or an envoy. "I think we may have an uninvited visitor."

Seventh Moon: "Eh?" Moon twisted around to Selina, slinking into a crouch. His eyes narrowed in beams of light and his nostrils flared as he stretched his senses out beyond the physical, scenting for whatever Selina had sensed.

"Yeah," the Lunar snarls, dropping further into his crouch until his weight braced on the tips of his fingers. "No fuckin' way they'd know whats goin' on here Rusty."

Moon... wasn't really in the mood for this kinda bull shit. But maybe something useful could come from it. A dark smile spread across his face. "See whatcha think'a this, fucker."

Invisible to the naked eye, Moon's Essence tore through the air around him, whipping the hem of his coat into a frenzy. The ghost could probably see it, which was all the better. The hound became manifest beyond the edge of Creation, lips pulled back into the same humorless smile as the Lunar. Moon shifted and the hound followed, settling into a ready pounce for only a heart beat before they sprung. Moon clattered across the stones of the armory, the hound sailed over them, both baring down upon the ghost at once. Then just as suddenly as his own charge began, Moon twisted away and set the hound free. Fangs bared it landed upon the undead spirit with a snarl, the air where it stood shimmering and shaking as it sought to drag the ghost with it into Creation.

• The hound brings it out, screaming, a ghost in the robes of a monk, but sleeker, covering his form completely, colored ashen black so as to better blend in to the underworld.... he is weighted with the anchor of flesh, becoming part of Creation in that hall... in front of them all.

Iron Tears: "We did find out when one of them tried to spy on us, did we not?" He says, still confident.

"You are able to destroy souls, hound of the night. Care to?"

• Seventh Moon picked himself off the ground and dusted off his clothing, watching with a grin as the ghost came howling into Creation. Jade and moonsilver ground together nosily as he balled his hands into fists and stalked towards the ghost. "Maybe" he answered Iron Tears softly, grinning fangs at the ghost. "Y'got about five seconds ta say somethin' interestin' before I beat your fuckin' head against the wall till it looks like fuckin' art."

Selina de Windia: She looks at the ghost...and her eyes narrow with hate and irritation. The Windian begins striding toward the captive ghost, smiling suddenly as she looks upon it. "Or I'll eat you. Maybe the belly of an Abyssal is the same as the Void itself, yes?"

• The ghost tries to back down, falling back... and meeting only the wall he would have had gone through a little while ago. He keeps looking at them... trembling...

"I... I...."

Seventh Moon: "Well thats one." Moon only seems to take a step, but suddenly he's nearly standing on top of the frightened ghost, a gaunleted fist plunging into the wall beside the spirits head. Stone chips and shatters, spraying shards against the ghosts robes. With a closness that only intimates shared, Moon smiled into it's face and pursed his lips, blowing air into the hood. "Comin' up on two here... or maybe I should just let the lady make a snack outta ya... ?"

The ghost 'oofs', as any mortal would, his corpus distending itself elastically for a moment, but feeling all the pain...

"I... I... spare me... I...."

Selina de Windia: "Information?" Selina asks tightly, smile vanished and irritation alone on her features now. "You heard all of it, of course. Now, let's hear what you know."

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