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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/EighthMovement|Eighth Movement]]
| + | #REDIRECT [[ADanceOfAngels]] |
| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
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| − | == Lonely Love ==
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' He called it business. A meeting to discuss his future as attache to the Gold Faction, a simple rendezvous to handle some loose ends before he leaves Heaven. Of course, nothing is, was, or ever will be simple with him.
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| − | The card, on elegant white cardstock with golden lettering that invited her to see him, had a gift with it. A dark velvet collar, left since that fateful day, and an entreaty to wear it. The next card, in black and silver lettering, handed to her as she enters, clarifying that he meant JUST it.
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| − | The Manse is silent and awaiting her reaction, the perfectly polished intricate patterns just as she left them, the interlocking fractal designs that lead guests from one place to another shimmering as if in anticipation of her outburst, to feed that noise down their silvery branches and ensure the silence with a useful result.
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| − | The map pulses slowly, synced up to Gennadi's heartbeat, showing him to be in his study, the chaotic place of maps and puzzles, "borrowed" data and scrapbooks of plans. It's quick, so maybe she's not the only one having second thoughts.
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| − | '''Lonely Amethyst: ''' She walks within the halls slowly.
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| − | Part of it is the calm, the flame and the void which she focuses on, the voice of endings keeping her unfazeable, or trying to.<br>
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| − | Part of it is the nostalgia, watching the beautiful fractals, remembering other times...
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| − | ...better times.
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| − | She steps into the room with the collar on her neck, a high-necked, sharply-cut dress flowing around her, ending below her knees, simple black with violet flowers, covering her bust, but not her arms or legs. Her hair is cut low, nothing below her neck. Her eyes are cold, as usual. "It hasn't changed much. It is still beautiful." Is all she says, no outburst. Whatever anger she had, it burnt off in the walk to him. "Hello, Gennadi. Carmine hurting you much?"
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| − | She asks, finally a hint of a smile.
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| − | | |
| − | ... before she looks around, cutting him "I got a new one. Suppose you will see it sometime."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Sometime." Shockingly enough, the study is clean, everything shelved and neatly cataloued, puzzles solved and tucked away. It's almost... bare. "Have a seat, please. Food, drink, anything I can have brought to ease your mind?"
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| − | '''Lonely Amethyst: ''' "All so ordered... got Shal to clean up a whole damn lot, did you? Poor girl." Amethyst sits down, still looking around, the hints of nostalgia on the corners of her eyes, looking at every little panel, feeling the beat of the manse... "Sake, please. Something to eat while we talk, too, some snack thing."
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| − | * Gennadi rings a bell, or would if it had made any sound. Still, the motion's there, and he sits the silver bell back down on the small, midnight blue circle it was resting on before. His own eyes are on her, and not the usual, smiling way he confronts everything. This is the cool, calculating, predatory side that she knows better than almost all of heaven. There's another side she knows best too, but one he himself never speaks of. "It'll be a few minutes. It's taking some time to train my new staff."
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| − | '''Lonely Amethyst: ''' "What? Did you throw the old one out too?" She flashes a bemused smile.
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| − | "Hope they got to leave with clothes, at least."
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| − | She looks into his eyes, cold, simple. She is not searching anything within his'. Not like she had done every time they met after that day. She touches the table, making idle movements forming a lotus with her fingers, motes of violet floating above it...
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "For their own good, Amy. While it's better than being trash... housework doesn't suit those fallen gods. I rotate them around, give them a cooling off period, so to speak." He smiles, honest. "It only suits my image, after all."
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| − | '''Lonely Amethyst: ''' "So you get more contacts, and make sure you get some useful ones." Her eyes shine, with some sadness, some bleakness. She touches one of the motes on the air, smothering it "Why grow attachments to your servants, hmmm? Poor Shal. I wonder when she will be the Dragon."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Why not? I am a Joybringer, dear. It would be foolish to forget that, in the end, I just want everyone happy."
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| − | '''Lonely Amethyst: ''' "You have a strange definition of Happyness."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "In the end. Some people wait longer than others."
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| − | '''Lonely Amethyst: ''' "I would call that a poor excuse to act like a bastard. That wouldn't fly in an audit, you know."
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| − | Violet. Endings. She had prosecuted gods and her fellow Sidereals. Oh, she knew it.
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "You might. I call it helping me choose between equals. You just can't make everyone happy all at once.... or at least, I can't." He shrugs, resting his face on a hand as the door opens. A tigress woman, tall and proud, walks through in nearly nothing and a jade name tag. Her hair is nearly colorless, reflecting the surroundings with a shimmer as she kneels to set the tray of sake and snacks, Amy's favorites, on thin air. Gennadi flicks his fingers in a rapid code and she looks confused for a moment, but then leaves.
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| − | '''Lonely Amethyst: '''Amethyst watches the tigress, watches her walk, watches as she goes...
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| − | "Interesting..." Is all she can say.
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| − | "Who is she?"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Goddess of a now extinct sort of hunting cat. Large, ambush predators, the karakul that wait in the spaces between light and shadow. Also my steward, for the moment."
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| − | '''Lonely Amethyst: ''' "Well, you still choose... interesting servants." A nod, and she picks some of the snacks, munching on them slowly, savoring, thinking of what to say next... and then she decides to end the time of smalltalk. "So, you called me here for Gold Faction bussiness. Could we get to them already?"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Right. What do I get out of continued service of the faction, hrm? The Bronze already gave a long term offer, though it's admittedly more work. With the risks I'm now taking and helping counteract Alexsei's mouthing off, I think it might be time to enegotiate a contract."
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| − | '''Lonely Amethyst: ''' She shrugs, "Oh, I thought the diaries were enough of a draw. But if you do not wish for them, maybe they should just be given for eating somewhere? Some gods simply love such knowledge, such memories... it is a rare dish. Quite a rare dish."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "The diaries, dear girl, are part of the old contract. To watch and report on Alexsei. My suspicion was that, perhaps, you'd like me to use some of my leverage."
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| − | '''Lonely Amethyst: ''' "Far as I know, there is nothing you can do, is there? He has spilled it all."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Oh, that's not what's important. What's important is that they believe it. Alexsei is an outsider to Heaven, where as I am a comparative insider, with faction ties... I think, just perhaps, it will be easy to get them to believe that Alexsei is not in possession of the whole truth."
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| − | '''Lonely Amethyst: ''' She brings her hands to her chin.. flawlessly shining amethyst nails touching her smooth white skin, while she considers. It does not take much imagination to see her dissecting every word, opening it and searching for hidden meanings, trying to imagine him acting, trying to see where that will lead them. "That is an interesting idea, Gennadi. Very interesting. Are you sure they will believe you? His wife is part of them, after all."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "That is exactly why I expect them to believe me. She knows him as a man, not as an inscrutable plotter as they know me. She knows his faults, the little places he's ticklish, that he can't stand the taste of burnt bread. He's human, and that means he's fallible."
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| − | '''Lonely Amethyst: ''' "Hmmm..."
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| − | "If you are confident enough to undertake this, Gennadi, by all means."
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| − | "Now, I will have to discuss a reward for that with the others... and you may get your contract."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Oh, don't worry about that reward. I've already got something in mind." He smiles, stands, and sips some sake. "You. Not on a permanent basis, of course, but just as payment for the leverage. Once upon a time, Damien promised you to me, and I refused... but, I've been thinking, how much could one night, one hot, sweaty, moan-filled night hurt? To have you again..." He looks down at her, that predatory gaze having heat in it for a moment, up and down her body before he flicks up to her face and the force in it falters. "But I can't have it. you're such damned trouble, you know? I can't even make myself hate you, and as of late, I haven't even been able to make you hate me... I've grown soft in Creation." He thumps back down into the chair, idly swirling the small bowl. "Confidential, of course. But maybe you'll get a better deal if you think about that."
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| − | '''Lonely Amethyst: ''' Her face colors, and she picks her drink, drinking to disguise expression, to disguise emotion.
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| − | Drinking the alcohol, to burn, to loosen...
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| − | "My dear, dear Gennadi..."<BR>
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| − | ".. who loves me so much..."<BR>
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| − | "... who cares for me so much..."
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| − | She picks one of the roses from her dress, letting it shimmer on her hand...
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| − | ... watching its petals, violet, turning red like sin.
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| − | And then, it falls on his glass, breaking it, glass and the drink falling over Gennadi's hand and chest, as the rose plugers on the table between Gennadi's fingers, its petals falling slowly... "... and all you can ask me is for me to prostitute myself?"
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "I thought it'd be a good way to end things for good. One final violation, no more second thoughts. It's the best thing, really... neither of us are happy like this. And I am a joybringer. I want you to be happy, even if it's not with me. But... I need some help letting go." He shrugs, hardly concerned with the mess. "I thought if I could make myself use you, just the once..."
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| − | '''Lonely Amethyst: ''' She watches him with a blank stare.
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| − | Jaw hanging open.
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| − | And then, she giggles.<br>
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| − | And then, she chuckles.<br>
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| − | And then, she pulls her head back, and ''laughs! ''
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| − | "... that? Sex?"
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| − | "You think '''fucking''' will solve anything?!?"
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| − | She turns back at him... oh, she has lost all her tension. Oh she has. She is so relaxed. Relaxed with jets of mockery, of disbelief. "I... I had no idea you were so incredibly ''immature'' Gennadi."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "Oh, no. Not the fucking. The forcing. The prostitution, the demanding almost-rape of forcing you to trade something so crass for something important." He smiles, gentle. "I always had high hopes for you, you know. So, reducing you to a prize... that's about the worst thing I can think to do. I will admit that the fucking counts, though. You always had a way of getting me to act before I thought... even that one day."
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| − | '''Lonely Amethyst: ''' "That, was when I still loved you. When I thought you were someone else. Someone who wouldn't ask for this. Someone who had principles, who had emotions. Someone who's actually '''twice''' the man you actually are. His schemes were natural, not so crude. I had high hopes for you, too... and for that man, I would be a prize, I would prostitute myself, I would show myself to heaven in chains and no more."
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| − | "But you are not him."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' "I never was, Amy. I was just better at faking it, once upon a time." He sighs, flinging his drenched shirt against the wall where it's flashdried, the stain set as it hangs on those grasping starmetal branches. "I've always had something greater. And, if it takes losing emotions, losing principles, losing loves... than I'll do it. I can't help it... I used to think I could do it without the sacrifices... But now I know better." He just looks sadly at her. "Is that why you aren't happy, Amy? I'd thought that if I couldn't make you happy, I'd make you hate me, make you feel again... Is it that you've just lost your dream?"
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| − | '''Lonely Amethyst: ''' "What do you ''think''? You think hate makes anything easier, you idiot?!?"
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| − | "It just makes you feel worse about yourself! That you loved such... piece of..."
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| − | The backhand struck Gennadi's chin, charged with violet light. Her cheek was red, her eyes streaked with tears. Within, the voice of Saturn sang a lullaby to keep a dam closed, large gashes appearing on it with every word she say. Pouring out, raw emotion, raw tears. "I don't want to ''hate'' you, you bastard. I want to ''hurt'' you. I want to be even. I want you to feel like I felt, you immature, annoying, untrustworthy slime."
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| − | "I want you to be hurt, I want you to be lonely, and I want you to be fucking '''sorry'''."
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| − | "If you think your goal is worth half of what you have sacrificed, you are worse than Damian."
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| − | '''Gennadi: ''' He turns, looks at her, and just turns his other cheek. "You can hit me again, if you'd like. If it'd make you feel better." While he waits, he continues speaking.
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| − | "I've been sorry since before it was over. I've missed you and the others I've left behind through faults and efficiency since I've started. But damn you, I have to believe in my goal. Since I've been Exalted, since I cast you out, I've had one thing on my mind. What's wrong with me? What's wrong with the world?"
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| − | He smiles, the feral, utterly focused look she's seen only once before. "Because make no mistake. For a world to suffer like this, there is something wrong... and I intend to fix it. A happy ending, greater than you... but very much for you. I don't give a damn about the money, I don't give a damn about the power, I don't give a flying fuck about respect or fame. I want things to be RIGHT. In your heart of hearts, you know it's true. And I can't let anyone know, because then it won't work."
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| − | He looks at her, not even bothering with the simple moment of willpower to stop the bleeding. "Do you understand, Amy? Why you're such a problem? Even with all that as my goal... I still want to love you. Now hit me again. Remind me why I can't always get what I want."
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| − | '''Lonely Amethyst: ''' The back of her hand struck again.
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| − | "You bastard."
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| − | The dam was open. It came flooding her, through the cracks. The voice of Saturn was drowned by the deafening torrent of noise, drowning out the Exalted, the Endings, the Gardener, leaving only the woman. And Hell Hath no Fury like that. She sobbed in the earnest now, tears streaking down her face, the color of Saturn exploding about her.
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| − | ''"Bastard!" ''
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| − | The table broke, sent away in her anger. She held him by his collar, pluging him against the wall, breaking candles, staining the wall with blood that spilled from his nose. She looked into his eyes, anger incarnate, shouting.
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| − | '''''You BASTARD!" '''''
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| − | And her lips touched his'. Breaking them like she would iron protecting her prey.<bR>
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| − | His shirt ripped. Nails sinking in his skin.<br>
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| − | She pressed against him.<br>
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| − | And did not want to pull away.<br>
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| − | Not ever.
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| − | ''You bastard. Bastardbastardbastardbastardbastard... ''
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| − | ''I love you. ''
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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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