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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/FirstMovement|First Movement]]
| + | #REDIRECT [[ADanceOfAngels]] |
| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
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| − | == Sands Of Sorrow ==
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| − | The room shows all the comfort one can get in The Hourglass - A large, large bed, fine, fleece soft and warm for the cold nights up the Mountain, so far north... nicely dyed in white and red, the Hourglass symbol nicely sewn in it. The carpet is fluffy and comfortable under your feet, and lanterns keep the large room alight. A writing desk and a closet dot the walls, a small table for breakfasts, talks and card games, and a large mirror on the dresser. All the comfort one would expect in a nice Inn...
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| − | Though not so much time to enjoy it, as, stepping inside, the boy keeps his inquisitive look at Domiel...
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| − | <b>Domiel:</b> "Please make yourselves as comfortable as you can," Domiel says as he holds the door open and waits for the rest of the troupe to follow in behind him, a faint smile on his lips as he watches them each in turn. A parade of demi-gods. Amazing they had not drawn more attention to themselves. "Shall I go back down stairs for a moment and fetch a bottle of something, or are we all comfortable without refreshment?"
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| − | <b>Alex Holysword:</b> "As long as you come back... no problem, no." Alex says, sitting on one of the chairs of the table and leaving his wrapped-up trophyes on a corner. "Do bring some juice for me, please, I prefer it to wine."
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> "I don't need anything at the time being." Selina replies levely, giving Alex a 'this had better be worth my trouble' look, then glancing back toward the door.
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| − | <b>Vorpal:</b> Vorpal says nothing as she enters the room herself, but she lifts her ale pint at Domiel in a salute as a reply to his words. After pulling the writing desk's chair for herself and turning it around, the Ghost-Blooded eases herself down and throws one leather-clad leg over the other in an attempt for comfort.
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| − | <b>Alex Holysword:</b> "Feeling any better?" He asks Vorpal, slightly worried. Even knowing it might have been best for all to let her bleed to death... he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He couldn't even think of it, acting on reflex to save her life.
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| − | <b>Vorpal:</b> "Hm?" Vorpal looks up at Alex just as she lifts the mug to her lips. Lowering the ale for a moment, she gestures at Gasper with her free hand. "Just focus on your own things for now. I tend to heal quickly."
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| − | <b>Domiel:</b> As Vorpal passes through the portal last, Domiel swings the door closed and turns the lock, sealing it with a dull click and pocketing the key. "Well, I think then it might be best to pass on anything to drink for the moment. My apologies, Alex, you'll have to do without for the moment."
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| − | Sauntering across the room, he takes a seat on the edge of the bed and leans back against his arms. His gaze flickers to Vorpal curiously, winding up her body slowly. "You were injured?"
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| − | <b>Vorpal:</b> A bit uncomfortable at this sudden rain of inquiries about her wounds, Vorpal fends the question off with a shrug and a mild smile. "It happens every once in a while in this profession. Don't get your hopes up, though - I'm too evil to bleed to death this easily."
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> "Yep, evil to the core, that's us." The assassin adds dryly, looking at the chairs...and choosing to stand instead. Looming over Alex, eyeing him with a gaze that seemed almost sarcastic in and of itself. "So unholy we make demons sneeze."
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| − | <b>Alex Holysword:</b> <i>Not what it seemed while you were unconscious on the street...</i>
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| − | Alex thinks, but keeps to himself. It would be a complete lack of class to step over wounded pride.
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| − | Hopefully, she would know better, next time.
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| − | Hopefully, it would not be him, next time.
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| − | Not saying anything, he simply looks at Gasper, so he feels the weight of his gaze, and waits, ignoring Selina's gaze.
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| − | <b>Vorpal:</b> "Such hopes were far from my mind..." he murmurs speculatively, passing his gaze across her again, half expecting to suddenly see blood stains spreading across her clothing. There was, of course, nothing of the sort, though the sight was no less interesting for it. Thoughts for another time, the Ashing Dove reminded himself and shrugged a shoulder before turning back to Alex. "Well, if no one is currently slipping from the mortal coil, as your evil companion said, I believe we had the matter of your sister to attend to, didn't we, young prince?"
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| − | <b>Alex Holysword:</b> "Yes, yes!" He says, nodding eagerly, trying to hide his enthusiasm and curiosity... and failing.
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| − | "Enough with the obvious, tell me!"
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| − | <b>Domiel:</b> And so, he did. Domiel was carefully to leave out certain parts, such as the reasons for his hasty departure from Windia, but kept the story as close to the truth as he could remember it. From the stranger who accosted him at the gates of the city, to the mad flight in rescue of princess, the brief battle beside the road, and the whole-sale slaughter that the man in black had committed of the cavalry troop who had rode forth to claim Carina. Emotions passed through his face openly at each new turn of the tale, reliving the details in his mind as they came forth. Some of them were far from plesant.
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| − | "And the last I saw of her," he finished at length. "She was standing beside that man on a hillocks outside the city. I kept looking back at her. She was watching me for a time, then watching the city. And then I looked back again, and they were both gone"
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| − | The floor between his feet had become fascinating and the air oddly warm as breathed out a sigh to finish the tale. "Off to where ever she had wanted to go to begin with, I suppose. No where pleasant, but I don't doubt she is in little danger with that creature protecting her."
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| − | <b>Alex Holysword:</b> ".........."
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| − | For the whole of the narrative, he was silent.
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| − | | |
| − | "..................."
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| − | | |
| − | Looking at Domiel, his face went from relief to disbelief, to despair. Utter despair.
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| − | <i>"YOU LIAR!”</i> The prince jumps from his chair, having it fall to the ground as he jumps foward with preternatural agility, clenched fist straight to the performer's face, tears exploding on his eyes, his face red with anger and denial as his clenched fist goes for the jaw...
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| − | <b>Vorpal:</b> Vorpal listens to the tale without interrupting. Her mien is detached and impassive at first, but as the story goes on, she lifts her gaze to stare at Gaspar. She sips slowly at her ale, her mind making its own conclusions based on the information she gathers.
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| − | <i>The Prince of Shadows.</i>
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| − | It could have been no-one else.
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> Standing behind Alex, Selina reaches out, tries to take him by the neck before he can reach Domiel, casual as before. "Bad boy."
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| − | "Little boys should know that if they misbehave, they get their bottoms smacked." Selina replies to him in a serene manner, trying to force him back onto his chair. Her eyes, however, betray anything but serenity. They're angry -- quite angry.
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| − | <b>Alex Holysword:</b> Alexander steps away, growling. <i>"Take your hands <b>off</b> me!</i> I don't want to be dirtied by the blood."
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| − | Tears run down his face, his face red.. <i>"He is <b>LYING</b> he has to be lying!</i> She's my sister! She's pure, she is nice, she is not like you! She's nothing like you two!"
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| − | <b>Domiel:</b> Domiel stiffens momentarily at the suddenly flurry of motion, then relaxes once again as he see's it well in hand. Unconsciously, he rubs his arm where Alex had held him with painful tightness earlier. He remains silent towards Alex's outburst, face solem and turned away from the boy.
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> The next reply is cold as ice, and just as calm. "My brother might have thought that of me if he'd heard. He was wrong. And so are you." Muscles in her arm playing under the skin, she attempts to shove Alex back into his chair. "Act like a king, boy. Because you're the king of Whiteshield now."
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| − | <b>Vorpal:</b> Behind the other two, Vorpal shows unusual moderation of her temper and remains silent. However, she does catch Gasper's eyes with her own and makes a single, very exaggerated nod.<i>Yes, it is like this <b>all</b> the time.</i>
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| − | <b>Alex Holysword:</b> "<i>The Whore</i>, isn't that what they called your employer?!? Her 'mistress' according to that <b>liar</b>?!? You want me to believe my sister sold her soul? Like that? To that?!?"
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| − | "She's not... she's not.... admit it! Admit you are lying, damn you!!!"
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| − | Alexander is not placed back in the chair, but neither does he manages to get past Selina, eyeing Domiel in rage, tears flowing freely in his face, now so far from perfect, red, sobbing, tear-filled...
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> <i>The little fool has now blown my cover completely, if this Gasper has half a brain in his head.</i>
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| − | She lets go. And narrows her eyes at Alex. "Like I did? Like she," Selina indicates Vorpal with a gesture. "did? It was <b>her</b> choice."
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| − | <b>Alex Holysword:</b> Alexander hears, then stops. He wants to beat the truth out of the performer, but before, before...
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| − | "She's not like you!" He spats with venom. "You murdered your family! You killed your parents! And that before you had blood trickling of your forehead! You were always a monster, she is <b>not!</b>" He says, pointing at it, his arm stretching to the max to touch it.
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| − | "She did no such thing! She didn't deserve it... she couldn't... someone must have... done... something..."
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| − | <b>dOMIEL:</b> The glance from the mercenary brings a brief, humorless smile. Domiel closes his eyes and lets himself drift in the darkness for a moment, listening to the child-king and the red-haired vixen snarl at one another, feeling that hurt, searing gaze upon his cheek. And to think this was the star he had bound his fate to. Perhaps he should go back to Anina's husband and offer the Duke his head. At least he'd deserve the punishment thre.
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| − | "It is the truth, prince," he answered. "But it doesn't make your sister a monster. I was with her long enough to know that." He gestures towards the two women. "And these? Are they monsters too? Like the man in black? Your sister was nothing like him and I doubt your companions are either. Whatever she became, it hasn't killed what she was."
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| − | <b>Vorpal:</b> "That's <i>enough.</i>"
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| − | Her voice is calm and cool. Calm like an impending thunderstorm, cool like the breeze that heralds the arrival of a blizzard. Vorpal pours the authority of the Pale Angel into the words, wielding once again the voice of the Ghost-Blooded whose ability to wield a sword is only surpassed by her ability to make people <i>obey.</i>
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| − | "Answer me this, boy", Vorpal continues, speaking calmly yet using her tone to indicate that she is not about to tolerate any interruptions to her intentions "Are you a monster?"
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| − | <b>Alex Holysword:</b> "They... they... they..."
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| − | A whole week with them. He can't quite... say....
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| − | | |
| − | "O-of course <b>not</b>! I am a Chosen!"
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> <i>No, I was a monster before that.</i>
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| − | Yes, yes I was...
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| − | She backs away from Alex a pace, then steadies herself, preparing a retort, then the other deathknight speaks.
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| − | <i>No...not this time.</i>
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| − | Throwing Vorpal as baleful a glare as she can muster, Selina growls. "Try to command me again, little warrior, and <i>I'll send you screaming into Oblivion.</i> <b>Do you understand me</b>?"
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| − | <b>Vorpal:</b> "<i><b>Then how in blazes can you claim that everyone else around you is?</b></i>" The explosion of her voice is as loud as it is sudden, flooding the entire room with the sheer force of her presence. It is the war commander speaking now, making recruits tremble, whipping a new soldier into his place. "Her?" she gestures at Selina with an angry wave of hand, completely ignoring the Dark Angel's command. "Me? Your own goddamn <i>sister</i>? Pull your whimpering little head from your backside and use it for something else than wetting the carpet for a change! <i>Think</i> for a moment!"
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| − | <b>Alex Holysword:</b> <i><b>"My touch burned you!"</b></i> He cries,
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| − | "Would that do it to you if you weren't so forsaken?"
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| − | <b>Vorpal:</b> "Fire evaporates water..." Vorpal shrugs. "Water snuffs out fire. Just because they happen to dislike each other, it doesn't mean that one of them is the most brilliant thing in the world and the other from the deepest recesses of hell."
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| − | Taking a sip from the pint, she leans back again, the commanding attitude melting from the way of the earlier nonchalance once more. "You are what you are. I am what I am. Your sister is what she is. No way to change that anymore."
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> "Your touch burned the First Age." Selina sneers, recalling what she's read in various places. Snippets and pieces, to be sure, but nonetheless a good hint as to why the Solars are Anathema now. "At least this power is honest."
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| − | Glancing at Vorpal again, she caps the fury rising in her. Let her ignore the warning.
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| − | <i>Next time, she'll discover I mean what I say.</i>
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| − | <b>Domiel:</b> Domiel wanted no part of the argument and the screaming was giving him a headache. He sat in silence and waited for the tides of anger to ebb, then quietly offered. "Her only thoughts were of you and your brother, Alex. If you can accept nothing else about her now, then at least believe that she loves you."
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| − | <b>Alex Holysword:</b> "Fire and water... don't bring back the dead! The things that killed my parents, you say they are good that the man in black from the liar's story is? You are accursed. Forsaken. Dark. I have seen it. I have!"
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| − | "And my sister can't be..."
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| − | "My sister, my brother, my kingdom... king? King of a stretch of underworld?"
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| − | Saying that, Alex hears Domiel's words.... <i>yes, <b>that</b> would be her...</i> he falls over the chair... and cries. Sobbing, he notices all looking at him... and runs out of the room.
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| − | Growling, he punches the door.... "Damn it, damn it, damn it..."
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| − | And collapses to his knees, sobbing, on the floor.
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| − | <b>Vorpal:</b> Kids...
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| − | Vorpal is good at telling men and women what to do, but all too often she has discovered that the same tactics do not necessarily work quite as well on children. This is one of those times when she feels more helpless than she looks like, and she turns her brooding face away from Alex's shuddering form.
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| − | "Hey", she says after a moment, still looking away. "Do you want to meet her?"
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| − | <b>Alex Holysword:</b> "Yes...."
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| − | <b>Vorpal:</b> "She is probably in the same place where you promised to come. If not, she will be."
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| − | <b>Alex Holysword:</b> <i>The place I promised to go to....</i>
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| − | <i>To swear the same oath she did? To become a monster like them?</i>
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> "Go to that horrible place? If he really wants to." The Windian cuts in, moving to the door, checking the fact that it's locked herself.
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| − | <i>So now, I'm stuck in here too, huh?</i>
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| − | <b>Domiel:</b> "Or you can run away, you know..." the bed creeks as Domiel stands, gliding up behind the sobbing boy. He grips Alex's shoulder lightly and leans down. The key to the door clunks onto the floor boards in front of him. A moment later, the musician leans his narrow frame against the wall beside the door and slides into a seat on the floor.
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| − | "Don't let courage damn you. Running is always an option. You could run away from all of this." Domiel patted his chest. "We both could, seeing as how my life is sworn to yours now. Leave this all behind. It's what you want to do, isn't it? Leave the pain behind and find something better? The road is not so bad"
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| − | The Ashing Dove closed his eyes again, a look of serenity upon his perfect face as if he were picturing the solititude and empty embrace of the open highway. "And running is so much easier."
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| − | <b>Alex Holysword:</b> "........"
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| − | "I.... would really like to be alone right now." The voice comes weak, his eyes hidden beneath his hair....
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| − | <b>Vorpal:</b> "You can't say that we haven't held our part of the bargain", the Ghost-Blooded continues rather conversationally and takes another tiny gulp from the ale. She needs to be sparing with the drink, now... Some of it still needs to be reserved for the meal. "Your brother and your servant have been safely delivered to this city, as we agreed."
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| − | Seeming to remember what they discussed about earlier, Vorpal turns her head and throws two glances, first at Alex, then at Selina. "What kind of monster has that sort of pasttimes anyways?"
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| − | <b>Alex Holysword:</b> <i>Shut it down, close it in.</i>
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| − | <i>They have had this pleasure for too long.</i>
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| − | "Yes, he is safe, to never wake up, it seems..." He gets up, weakly, and turns to them.
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| − | "It is true what they say of deals with demons. And, far as I know, as long as I kept my end of the bargain, you would have saved a bunch of Immaculate Priests."
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| − | Alex begins passing his arms over his eyes, drying the tears on his sleeves...
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> "Right, so now I'm a demon?" Selina asks him in a flat voice, leaning against the door with her wings spread to either side. "You know, my cousin might be learning how to summon them up, but I don't think one of her spells would bind me."
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| − | <b>Alex Holysword:</b> "What are you, kinslayer?" He asks as he finishes drying his eyes, sniffing once.
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| − | "I am not running away, though."
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| − | "I will do what I promised to, Pale Angel. I am sorry, Gasper..."
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| − | <b>Domiel:</b> Domiel simply shrugs. "I hadn't really expected to hear otherwise. Too much to hope for, I suppose."
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| − | <b>Vorpal:</b> Vorpal rises to her feet. The signs of fatigue finally beginning to show on her albino features, she moves almost clumsily when compared to the cat-like grace of her usual manner. Her eyes downcast, seeming to have lost to her own thoughts, she walks past Alex, past Domiel towards Selina and the door. Suddenly she halts, lifting her gaze at the Dark Angel but seeming to speak to Alex: "It's not like I'm very happy about how these events are unfolding, either. Just like I'm not very happy about how every single time we try to talk spirals down into poison-spitting."
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| − | Half-turning to toss a meaningful glance over her shoulder, and then turning back to give one for Selina as well, she adds. "I'm nicer than you think."
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> "Take a wild guess, Alex. My cousin's Nina Windia. I think she's at the Heptagram right now, learning from a bunch of Imperials. That enough of a hint?" Selina replies sarcastically. "Since you already blew my entire identity to Gasper here."
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| − | Sighing, she moves aside for Vorpal, hand moving the locked knob...
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| − | <b>Alex Holysword:</b> "Not who you are. What."
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| − | He twirls the key on his hand, offering it just an inch from Vorpal. "All yours if you tell me that."
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| − | | |
| − | "What did my sister chose to be?"
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> Giving Alex a disgusted look, Selina answers his question. "I'm a fucking Abyssal Exalted, what does it look like? Sworn to kill the world, oaths on our names, that kind of stuff. There's this big hole called the Void that eats everything, see? I looked down into it once. We're supposed to dump Creation in it. Real fun huh? But some people forget about that and just do what they want."
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| − | <b>Vorpal:</b> It is easy to imagine the little dark cloud boiling into existence above Vorpal's head as she silently lifts her hands and presses a gloved palm against her face.
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| − | <i>Brilliant. Just brilliant.</i>
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| − | | |
| − | "May I have that key, please?"
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| − | <b>Alex Holysword:</b> A moment passes.
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| − | And another.
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| − | Alex remembers the mood on the night before, the way they are dressed, the fun...
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| − | <i>I spoiled it for everyone, right?</i>
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| − | "Here" He handles Vorpal the key. "Sorry for having ruined your night."
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> "Night isn't ruined until you go to bed and didn't have any fun at all." Selina says flatly, gesturing with one finger. "I'm going to have some fun to balance this. You lot can do what~ever you like with the rest of it, but contrary to what one little voice in my head is saying about going and crying into my pillow, I am <b>not</b> going to listen to it."
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| − | <b>Domiel:</b> Domiel lifts his gaze to Selina at her accusation and listens curiously to her exposition. To the contrary, the boy had told him nothing in the name he had labeled her with. There were perhaps a dozen 'Kinslayers' in north alone.
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| − | <i>You, on the other hand, oh scarlet angel, just told me everything</i>
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| − | Windia wasn't his home, but he knew the history well enough to guess at just which 'Kinslayer' the woman was claiming to be. He tipped his head to the side as he reviewed the Windian in a new light. The outcast royal cousin, was it? It explained the regal aura and the barring not to mention the ego.
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| − | Her anger was beautiful, in spite of the words carried on it. The end of the world was a little to vast for him to be bothered with. His worries were far more simple.
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| − | Domiel breathed deeply, savoring the aroma. He preferred joy, but this was royal fair now.
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| − | "Actually, the night is still salvable even when you go to bed, so be it that you are not alone." He stretched out his legs and held his hands together, pulling them above his head in a groaning stretch then heaved himself to his feet. "That being said, if we're all quite finished, I've a mind to see if the lady whose favor I lost for this wonderfully constructive parlay is still alone tonight."
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| − | Alex simply stands there, not knowing what the others will do, not really wanting to be alone, but not really feeling very fun...
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| − | <b>Vorpal:</b> "Enjoy yourselves", Vorpal says as she turns the key in the lock and opens the door. Her cloak rustling gently with the motion, she slips into the corridor and begins to pull the door closed behind her. "Good night."
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| − | ----
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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/FirstMovement|First Movement]]
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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
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