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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/FifthMovement|Fifth Movement]]
| + | #REDIRECT [[ADanceOfAngels]] |
| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
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| − | == Gallery of Tension ==
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| − | ''Seventh Moon: ''' The last of the guests went sailing gracefully through the door with a startled scream and hit the floor with a solid thump that sent up a cloud of billowing white around him. Moon glared after him as the man struggled to his feet, tripping over his pants as he tried to tug them back on.
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| − | Moon hadn't actually been expecting to find someone literally fucking a pile of flour.
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| − | "Crazy fuckers..." he grunted, kicking the door closed with a sweep of his foot as he turned back inside towards Ise, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. "You believe what somea these rich fucks find kinky? "
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| − | The kitchen staff had gone on stoically with their business the whole time, as if a pair of demi-gods wandering in and throwing people out were a common happening. Or perhaps they thought it was simply best to keep their eyes averted and pretend not to have noticed.
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| − | The whole room was filled with the sounds of sizzling pans and boiling pots. Knives and cleavers thunked rapidly on cutting boards. The heat from the great ovens lining the opposite wall made the air hot and dry, in spite of all the bubbling and simmering things. The scent was an erratic mixture of spices and smoke and other, less recognizable scents.
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| − | As each new odor hit his nose, Moons stomach couldnt decide if it wanted to be filled or emptied.
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| − | '''Iselsis: ''' She watches as he goes flying. If she wasn't so restrained right now to begin with she might've kicked him in the crotch as an extra, added indignity. But since she was, she just watched. When the door closes she almost seems to deflate, and she relaxes her priorly rigidly crossed arms.
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| − | "Disgusting.", is all she has to say about it, though she leaves in the middle wether she means the man, or the entire party. Probably the latter.
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| − | "So I suppose at this stage of the evening I can stop being quite so prim and proper and dolled up? Because my scalp aches, this mask is making me feel confined and I can't even fucking move in this dress."
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| − | Meanwhile she strolled around the kitchen, not interfering with the staff, but taking in the sight of all the food. Oh, the glorious, real, tasty food!
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| − | "This certainly was a good idea, at any rate. I haven't eaten properly in days... Probably why I fit so well into this damn dress.", she snerks a little.
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| − | '''Seventh Moon: ''' Moon dusted flour off his hands as he prowled back into the room, bending his head from left to right with "Yeah, fuck it darlin' Ain't like anyone here gives a shit..."
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| − | Opening cubords at random, Moon began to hunt for a bottle of anything that looked strong enough to burn.
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| − | "Looks good and shit, but way I see it, that sorta outfit ain't made for anythin' but bein' taken off, y'know?" Moon pulled out a bottle of cooking cherry and yanked the cork out. He sniffed a moment before wrinkling his nose and stuffing it back into the cubbord. "Can't figure out why the fuck ladies try ta dance in 'um and shit."
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| − | '''Iselsis: ''' "Neither can I", she says as she pulls her hair out of the twist and shakes it out until the hairpins drop on the table, gathering them and pinning them too to a strap on her dress, then taking the mask which she carelessly flicks into a corner, and unlatching the silver chains keeping the slits on her skirt closed, so she could move properly, "but at least - or so I've been told - nobody would mistake me for a guy this time."
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| − | She snags a plate of actual food that's about to be carried outside and hops onto the table, legs dangling back and forth, as she summarily starts stuffing her face.
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| − | "Nobody's taking this dress off anyway. I would've come in my usual stuff, but Gennadi and the Dark Angel insisted. I'm glad I'm not the only one bothered by that farce of a celebration going on out there, at least. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves just fine."
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| − | '''Seventh Moon: ''' Moon had found a closet that had been stuffed full of ice. How the hell they kept it frozen in here was beyond him, but there were entire cases of tall, clear bottles. He hefted one up and yanked out the cork. A sniff and a cautious sip later and he'd confirmed what he'd hoped. Vodka. The shit was liquid gold some places in the city. And it burned like an grease fire in your throat.
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| − | It would work.
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| − | "It's fun ta get drunk off ya ass and tumble 'round with a lady or two, but they gotta real fuckin' particular way'a doin' it." Moon came back with several bottles tucked under his arm and a pair of glasses in his hand. He dropped them down onto the table near Iselsis and took a seat on a near-by stool. "The dresses, the clothes, the rules... ain't that I can't appreciate it some though, y'know? Still all fake as a cross-dressers tits though."
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| − | '''Iselsis: ''' ''One glass can't hurt. I need it after the night I've had. ''
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| − | "The Dark Angel seems to like it. After all, why insist I come if she didn't? Or maybe she just wanted to shock me.", she shrugs, taking one of the glasses and holding it out to be filled while plucking food into her mouth with the other hand.
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| − | "Honestly I feel kinda dirty even being made to come here at all, even as a silent participant in the whole thing.", she frowns noticeably, "I didn't get dressed up for the first time in over a decade just so I could be part of some orgy. But according to you, that's exactly why."
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| − | She was getting grumpier by the minute, obviously.
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| − | "They don't have any fucking dignity."
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| − | '''Seventh Moon: '''"Funny thing is, first I heard 'bout it, had been lookin' forward ta comin'." Moon pulled open one of the bottles and tipped it's contents into the glasses, filling them till the liquid shivered at the very edge of the rim. "Heard all kinds a rumors 'bout the parties up here. How great they were supposed to be 'n shit..."
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| − | Moon licked a few droplets of vodka off his fingers before he set the bottle down and grabbed one of the glasses. "Turns out it ain't any different than the kinda shit the Pack does in the basement of the Heaven House. Just we don't take it so fuckin' seriously. And when it's over, we don't put on out fuckin' clothes and go back ta bein' nice respectable folks again."
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| − | "Buncha shitheads." Moon lifted his glass in a toast to them and tossed it back into his mouth.
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| − | '''Iselsis: ''' She downs the glass herself, and coughs violently. "Fuck, that stings!", she splutters. Having never had a drink, she may have bitten off more than she could chew on this first one.
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| − | After she's done however she looks even angrier. "So you're really saying that I got dolled up pretty to be part of some fucked up ritual where a bunch of sick rich perverts get their jollies in an orgy? A bunch of - might I add - powerless pissants who probably hudled in their fucking basements while the Boil was under siege while I was out there taking nemessaries out of commission? And now I got coerced to come here dressed like this, for their amusement, like some high class fucking whore?"
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| − | "This night can't get any worse!"
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| − | '''Seventh Moon: ''' Moon smiled sharply at Iselsis reaction to her first sip, letting out a low chuckle at her expense. He knew the sound of a virgin drinker when he heard one "Try goin' slower on it. This shit kicks back hard, so keep eatin'."
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| − | He poured himself another, not quiet as full as the last. Leaning his elbows onto the table, he swished it aroud in his glass, staring intently at the clear liquid and his own distorted reflection. "Try another word for it... workin' girls are mostly honest ladies, y'know? Ain't no reason ta talk down on 'um. Got the idea 'bout right, seems like though. Ya supposed ta get dressed up nice so ya can wiggle ya ass 'round till someone wants ta tap it."
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| − | Moon trailed off a moment and glared at his glass. Why did that bother him so much? Because he felt out of place in it? Because he'd been expecting more? Maybe just because "the rules" were keeping what he wanted out of reach, even though everything else was familiar.
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| − | "Who knows..." he muttered, as much an answer to himself as Iselsis, downing the next glass as quick as the first. "Better not ta speak too fast 'bout it though. You'll invite shit down on ya."
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| − | '''Iselsis: ''' "Trust me, if you knew, you'd agree with me. It ''really'' couldn't be any worse."
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| − | She sighs and stuffed more food into her mouth before carefully sipping her drink this time, and managing not to cough all over herself.
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| − | "I was expecting something more dignified. Like one or two I've seen in my time. But this is nothing like that... this makes me feel cheap. Not a good thing for a hermit on her first day out."
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| − | She cuts a glance at Moon then. "And don't bother asking. You see the horns and the ears and the wings. You think I get much of a social life with those?"
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| − | "... I need another smoke.", and so she lights up the third and last cig she pilfered from Gennadi, by gently blowing on the tip.
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| − | '''Seventh Moon: ''' "Cheap as free?" Moon grinned wanly, leaning back on his seat. His cup was full again already, but he nursed this one a lot slower now that the first two were already down. "Makes ya feel any betta, wasn't expectin' ... ''this'' either. Should just be enjoyin' it, but..."
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| − | Moon trailed off with a shrug. "Don't think I coulda stood somethin' "more dignified." Would'a gone outta my mind. 'nough fuckin' rules at this one and it's all 'bout just gettin' laid. Least ''thats'' familiar."
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| − | '''Iselsis: ''' "Meh...", is all she has to say to that. Now alternating between picking at food, smoking, and drinking. This was certainly a good place for stress relief, if nothing else.
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| − | "I'm about all ranted out now. You?"
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| − | '''Seventh Moon: ''' "Mmm..." Moon considers it a moment, sipping long and slow from his glass. "Tired'a doin' nothin' worse than anyone else 'round here, then bein' told I'm doin' wrong anyway. And fuck all if I ain't pissed 'bout the half-ass shit they call hash in this place!"
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| − | He paused and rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. "Yeah, think I'm outta bitchin' material too."
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| − | '''Iselsis: ''' She grins then. She grins like a girl as pretty as she is at the moment really shouldn't grin.
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| − | "Well just because we're not fucking anything that moves doesn't mean we can't do anything fitting for this shindig. Although, they might get offended, yanno, if we were to..." she lets it hang for a moment "start a fight? Everyone else is doing what makes them most comfortable. That's what makes me feel at my best."
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| − | She shrugs immediately after "Though it's not proper. We should probably go with the whole moral high ground thing.", she pops some more food into her mouth.
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| − | '''Seventh Moon: ''' ''Fight. ''
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| − | Moon's eyes flickered up sharply, like a dog whose ears stood at attention to the word "treat." And from under the shadow of his brow, they ''gleamed. ''
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| − | "Who the fuck cares what proper is?" his face stretched into a grin. Eager, ready, and completely incorrigible. She'd had him at the word alone. "Sheeyit, whose standards'a proper we evenin' goin' by? Down in the red-light, ain't a ''real'' party if someone don't get knocked 'round least a lil anyway."
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| − | He broken into a chuckle. "And what fuckin' moral high ground? Dunno 'bout you, but I ain't got one. If I ain't in here, I'd be up there tryin' ta get up a ladies skirt just like the rest of 'um, cause there ain't nothin' else ta do."
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| − | "Except now, there would be. And sure as hell would beat hidin' in the fuckin' kitchen bitchin' 'bout fucked up this place is."
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| − | '''Iselsis: ''' She grins again and cracks her knuckles. "Right then, it's a date! Mind you you're probably better at this than I am, I'm not the type to usually wade into hand-to-hand. But hey! I'll make an exception for once. Not like those rich bastards out there have anything on me even then!"
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| − | She giggles and hops off the table "Geeh, I think I feel better already. Let's go out and show them how ''real'' heroes have a good time!", if she got anymore excited, she'd do a jumping fistpump.
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| − | '''Seventh Moon: ''' With one swift motion, the vodka vanished from Moons glass and down his throat. He whooped at the burning sensation and smacked the glass into the table with enough force to send a crack racing up its side. Moon rose eagerly, stretching his back and shaking out his arms.
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| − | "Hey!" He whistled sharply to the kitchen staff, waving his arms till they had no choice but to look at him. The Lunar jerked a thumb towards the ice-closet hed yanked the bottles from. "Chip somea that shit out and have someone bring it up in 'bout... whatcha think?" He turned to Iselsis, head cocked to the side. "Ten minutes? Twenty?"
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| − | '''Iselsis: ''' She gigles again "Oh, you better make it twenty. I've had a ''really'' bad night! Lots of frustration to work out on hapless victims who no doubt deserve it for leering at me earlier."
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| − | Then she seems to realize something, and kicks off the heeled shoes she was wearing before, picking them up and putting them on the table. "Better leave those here for later. Don't want to trip all over myself."
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| − | '''Seventh Moon: ''' "A'ite, twenty minutes." He turned back to the startled kitchen staff and whistled again until he had reclaimed their attention. "Twenty minutes! Bring some'a the booze too! Shit's goin' ta waste down here anyway!"
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| − | There was one last thing. An urge that had been nagging on him the entire night which he could finally resolve. "And send someone out ta find the Pack, aite? Tell a guy named Blue ta get their sorry asses up here."
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| − | Leaving the unfortunate workers to stand dazed at the orders and whispering among themselves, Moon gave Iselsis a smirk as he reached the kitchen door and held it open for her with an clumsy parody of a formal bow. "Figured they ought'a be here, y'know? Shit they got left out ta begin with and this place is gonna get a lil more interestin' real fast."
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| − | '''Iselsis: ''' That gave her some pause, and she pipes up "Hey Moon, do me a favor? Tell them to get a girl named Acelia from my room at the manse too. She's stuck there all alone all night, and she deserves to be here more than most people out there." ... "And they ''better'' not hurt her either, she's my responsibility and all.", she nods firmly.
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| − | Hell, this party might not turn out so bad after all!
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| − | '''Seventh Moon: ''' The sounds and scents of the kitchen were fading fast as Moon stalked along beside Iselsis towards the stairway back to the floors above. Every step was carried with intent and the Lunar shifted his shoulders to loosen them up in anticipation. The blood was already racing through his veins.
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| − | "Heh," he chuckled dryly all of the sudden, turning a grin towards Iselsis. "Just started wonderin' what the others were gonna do when the shit starts flyin'. How much ya wanna bet they play garrison and try ta step in and break it up?"
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| − | '''Exceedingly Sublime Opal: ''' She found him there, even as he paced, and her features grew troubled again as she thought over what he had said.
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| − | Would he rebuff me? Or even acknowledge me?
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| − | She let out a breath and approached, for she knew well the sound of his laughter, and it could be no one else.
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| − | When she gets close enough, she speaks his name softly, "Moon."
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| − | '''Seventh Moon: ''' The Lunar stopped, his head swinging around to the sound of Opals voice. His expression dropped briefly, but the wicked grin reappeared swiftly. He’d be damned if ''she'' was going to ruin his mood now. Moon motioned for Iselsis to go on, not turning away from Opal.
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| − | "Hey." He greeted in a low rumble, slipping his hands into his pockets and easing back against the wall.
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| − | * Iselsis waits a little further up the stairs
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| − | '''Exceedingly Sublime Opal: ''' She folded her hands before her demurely, then approached with her eyes inclined toward the floor. "I wanted to apologize for my actions. It was wrong of me to treat you in such a fashion or accuse you of the things I did," she said, apologetically.
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| − | She looked at him, and gave him a faint smile. "Though, you really shouldn't ambush a woman and grope her breasts in such a way."
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| − | '''Seventh Moon: ''' Moon hit the heel of his boot against the wall behind him a few times, turning his face away from Opal. He rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to figure out how to answer. Hadn’t really been expecting an olive branch from that end so quick.
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| − | "Yeah... well..." Shit. He was no good at apolgies, accepting or giving. Moon looked back at Opal and tipped his head to the side curiously. There was a teasing little smile on his face. "You gotta better way for me ta grope 'um then?"
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| − | '''Exceedingly Sublime Opal: ''' "Selina's breasts are much better than mine. Besides, she has that pleasent looking Abyssal with her. I'm sure you'd find them much better company than my... cool pleasures," she takes a few slow steps toward him. Not tentively, but thoughtlessly.
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| − | "I know I am fair to look upon, but you already have a more attractive bedpartner. Why persue me with such fervor, Moon?"
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| − | '''Seventh Moon: ''' "Cause I wanna? Said yaself that ya nice ta look at. Sure as shit a whole lot nicer than anything I seen most'a my life. You got class, when ya ain't doin' that hot and cold bullshit with me. Gotta lot'a it." He shrugged simply and with finality.
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| − | "Gotta have more reason than wantin' ta be near that? Shit darlin', ya make it sound like it's gotta be more complicated 'just cause.'"
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| − | '''Exceedingly Sublime Opal: ''' Her expression dips into one of disappointment, and she lets out a soft sigh, "Ah. Forgive me, I thought there was more reason than that. Shared intimacy rather than a quick and dirty screw."
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| − | "Well, I've said my peace. I should leave you to go about your evening."
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| − | '''Seventh Moon: ''' "And who said it ain't?" He looked at her straight on, offence deepening the glare that came so nature to him. "What, ya think I'm some kinda shithead that'ed take ya ta bed for a quick fuck, then throw ya ass out when it's over and crow 'bout it in the mornin'?"
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| − | "Tch... ya ragged on my sorry ass once 'bout thinkin' down on myself. Seems like you ain't got much betta opinion'a me. Darlin' if I was out for a quick and dirty screw, theres about a hundred pairs'a legs up there that'd spread at a whistle and be gone at a cough."
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| − | '''Exceedingly Sublime Opal: ''' "Then one wonders what you are after, Moon? You tell me you just want to have some fun, but nothing beyond that. You want the intamacy of my embrace without the emotional requisite, the attachment," she frowned a litlte bit at that. "I've already been..." she stops herself before she can continued, an old pain crossing her face before new anger bursts forth. "Fine! If you want me to spread my legs for you without any thought, just... FINE! Come seek me out in one of the rooms, and I'll aquiese. But if you come, it will the end of it."
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| − | Fists and teeth clench, she begins marching off toward one of the rooms.
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| − | '''Chibi-Moon: ''' YIPPEE! ^_^ ... oh, wait, no. This is a bad thing.
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| − | '''Seventh Moon: ''' His foot caught hers before she made it more than a few steps and his hand her arm before she could fall. With a strength born from frustration and anger, he twisted her back around towards him and shoved, pinning her back to the wall. Moons face hovered inches from hers, his body pressing up against hers with ever breath he took. There was intimacy in closeness, heated and shivering. But the desire in his eyes was a small spark burning in a far brighter blaze.
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| − | "I ain't blind." He said finally in a husky whisper. "And I ain't fuckin' deaf either. I ''heard'' whatcha said back up in the garden and I saw how ya looked back in that hallway. And I’m a fuckin’ bastard sure, but I ain’t heartless neither."
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| − | He leaned away slightly, a touch of the anger gone out of his face. "I don't know shit 'bout you and you don't know shit 'bout me either darlin'. What I said? That’s ''all'' I got ta go on with you. And I said I wanna be close ta that. What else you expectin’? I ain’t gonna lie ta ya and tell ya I love ya or some shit like that. But that don’t mean I ain’t feelin’ nothin’ at all. I ain’t out ta use ya or make a trophy or whatever fuckin’ thing ya think."
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| − | Moon leaned off of her, stepping back and turning to the side, the air cooling around them. He peered at her over the collar of his coat. "You go up to that room darlin', then you get'a fuckin' blanket. Cause its gonna be a ''damn'' cold night for ya there."
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| − | '''Exceedingly Sublime Opal: '''She stayed against the wall where he had forced her, even as he stepped back. Her eyes dipped down to the floor while she digested the things he said to her, even as the presence of his form near hears was all too aware in her mind.
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| − | "You're right. I don't know about you, and I know you aren't heartless," she spoke, her voice coming out as the softest of whispers. "The last time I took a man to my bed, I felt strongly for him, and he betrayed that. Perhaps I am judging you for his sins, and his betrayal is making me overcausion in those I share intimacy." She moved away from the wall and placed a slender hand on his shoulder.
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| − | "And I care for you because you are one of the few truely good men I have ever known, beneth all the swagger and brashness, and those are traits I enjoy in you."
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| − | The hand moves to his face, and to his cheek, and she gently turns his head around, and gaces into his eyes. "And perhaps... I like you so much because, no matter how much I push you away, you come back. Dispite my arrogance and petty fears." She leans toward him, and presses her lips against his, and kisses him there in the hallway.
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| − | '''Seventh Moon: ''' He doesn't respond to it at first. He ''wants'' to be mad, damn it! But its hard to hold onto anger in the face of a confession, a compliment, and a kiss all rolled into one. Slowly, Moon's eyes soften and his anger practically dissolves into a defeated sigh. He cupped her cheek and stroked it gently. As much as she was warm, as nice as her lips felt, he didn’t touch anywhere else. He didn’t deepen the kiss like his impulses ached for him to do. For once, Seventh Moon held back from being aggressive and let her take the lead as far as she wanted to go.
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| − | After all this, he wasn’t about to scare her away again.
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| − | And besides, with her, it was hard to tell if she ''still'' wasn’t about to throw him into a wall any second now.
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| − | ''Women don't fuckin' fight fair at all... '' he sighed again softly. ''Even the ones made outta rock... ''
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| − | '''Exceedingly Sublime Opal: ''' She hold herself against him then, and their lips part and she smiles, and rests her head on his chest and sighs a bit. "I know I'm needlessly complicated," is all she says, breathes out. She closes her eyes and takes comfort in the warmth of him, and stays like that for a time in his arms.
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| − | Finally, she steps away from him and caresses his cheek with her velvety soft hands, and smiled gently to his eyes. "Do you hate me for wanting more, Moon?"
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| − | '''Seventh Moon: ''' "Naw." He tried not to seem too disappointed when it stopped at the kiss, though he was. Much as he had been looking forward to starting a fight, now more than ever, this going further would have trumped that by a mile. Moon reached up and closed his hand over hers, bringing it down between them.
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| − | "Just... look... expect a lil' less outta me, a'ite? All I'm askin'." His fingers played with hers. Tip to tip. Palm to palm."I ''am'' out ta have a good time with ya. Can't say otherwise 'bout that with a straight face, y'know? Don't think there's a fuckin' thing wrong with that, either. Figure if it was ''all'' 'bout love 'n shit, they'd only be able ta fit inta one."
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| − | He gave her a quick smile. "And I ain't gonna stop chasin' for it. You ever decide ta let me catch ya, just remember I ain't gonna hurt ya and gonna leave ya cold when it's done."
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| − | His fingers folded between her own, closing over her hand and squeezed tight. His expression suddenly changed, a dirty smirk forcing itself onto his face. "Kinda lookin' ta do the opposite."
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| − | '''Exceedingly Sublime Opal: ''' She smiles at him still, and nods her head. "I understand," she says in a feathery voice. She caresses his cheek once more, and began to move off. A skip in her step, and her heart a bit lighter.
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| − | She looked over her shoulder at him and paid a wave, feeling oddly... young all of a sudden, and then disappeared, traveling toward another part of the Manse.
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| − | '''Seventh Moon: ''' Moon watched her go, admiring the sway of her hips that came with the hop in her step. His head tilted ''slooooowly'' to the side to get a better angle as she vanished up the stairs. And then clucked his tongue as she vanished from sight. Always be another chance there. She was a weird girl, but at least she was sweet under it all. Moon sighed and looked up at Iselsis for the first time in a while, waving at her vaguely as he moved towards her. "A'ite darlin'. Sorry ta keep ta waitin."
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| − | He pulled a pair of gloves out of his pocket. Leather, not jade and moonsilver, but good enough for the job.He yanked them on tight as he stepped up beside Iselsis and looked up at the light beaming down from the top of the stairs.
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| − | The blood was flowing again. It had never ''stopped'' flowing, just... gotten a little diverted. But Moons face glowed with a feral light as he listened to the laughing and sighing and clinking of glasses coming down from above. And he grinned the same eager, hungry grin he’d had before the encounter with Opal. "Lets go hit some people."
| |
| − | | |
| − | === At the Hedge Maze... ===
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Alexander: ''' And so the Angels walked to the secluded place in the Hedge Maze, away from any spying eyes, to hold their talk... away from the giggles and music of the party, almost in silence. Only the sky above them, the maidens blurred by the dirt of the Boil, still on the air...
| |
| − | | |
| − | The prince adjusts his vest, the white wings twitching slightly. He was nervous. He was before the most beautiful, sexy, and ''terrifying'' women he had ever met. And he was about to try to talk to them in their own terms... "I would like to start by apologizing to the two of you... I did not wish to take you away from the party. I hope we can finish this quickly..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | He smiles, trying his best to hide his nervousness. And failing. "So... Dark Angel, it would be only polite to let you begin...?"
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| − |
| |
| − | '''Vorpal: ''' Hidden from the eyes of strangers and drunken revelers, the Pale Angel allows her regal manner to relax a little, to let the practical soldier to take over. Crossing her arms over her chest, she waits in silence for the discussion to begin, to allow someone else to claim the first strike this time.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Selina de Windia: ''' Selina looks back at the rest of the people, including her bloody sister standing there amid the crowd of people who are mostly talking and dancing, and frowns. Then she looks back. "I think the issue of you fooling around with other women is easy enough to explain. That being: Do not give yourself a stroke trying to stop him, Lilith dear. It's not worth it. He's a man, a fourteen year old man, and he's going to sow wild oats. And ''don't'' think you're the only one interested in him. I only saw Valencia around him once, but it was enough."
| |
| − | | |
| − | She sighs, almost disgustedly for a moment. "What a surprise it is. Both of the women I look up to infatuated with you." She looks at Alex. "You had better live up to your potential."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "And not in the way the Lover wants me to corrupt you to. But that is the other matter."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Alexander: ''' "Hey --!"
| |
| − | | |
| − | He calls out, angry, taking a step towards her, "I am not like that!"
| |
| − | | |
| − | His eyes keep locked to hers' in challenge for all the time she looks at him, disgusted. He does not budge an inch, but thinking of Silverstar does not help... his heart, tore apart, pulled on so many directions. When did things get so complicated? Why should they be so complicated?
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Corrupt me...?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Vorpal: ''' ''Bitch. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | Vorpal swallows the word the moment it rises to her mind, but she'd take great delight to say it aloud right now.
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''So you finally get your triumph, and now you feel like gloating, hurting and strutting your superiority? ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''Thankless, selfish little bitch. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | "He doesn't need to hear your advice, Selina", she speaks up with a voice carefully modulated to remain icy calm and matter-of-fact, even though she'd rather walk up to the heartless imbeccile of a woman and plant a fist where she had previously used her lips. "I don't need to hear your advice. So you might just as well keep it to yourself, dear."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Selina de Windia: ''' "You '''are''' like that, at least a bit. You are a man." The last sentence says everything she could say about the matter. Selina looks straight at him, right inside him. "Prove me wrong if you can. But you cannot."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "And yes, seduce you. I could do it so easily if I wanted, even after telling you this much." Selina pauses, throwing a glance at Vorpal, then back. "And that is what I am supposed to do. I am now in charge in the Pale Angel by our mistress' decree, and I am supposed to use her to do it if I have to."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "But I don't feel like doing that."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Vorpal: ''' Vorpal pauses. The Dark Angel's latter declaration is enough to make her raise a mental eyebrow.
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''In "charge" of me? ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''Heh. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Heh heh."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Alexander: ''' "I am not..." His voice is slightly lost, however, and he looks away in embarassment. She had won that staring contest. He had his urges, yes. He had his desires, yes. It felt so easy to act on them, yes. He had to struggle... "So, we are safe as long as you feel like it?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Selina de Windia: ''' "In charge of you. More accurately, I am in command of her assets in this area, until either the Prince of Shadows or a certain dark princess arrives." Selina growls, not taking her eyes off of Alex.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Till he averts them anyway. "I do not want to do it. The Lover is forcing my hand." Her voice drops to a hiss, barely audiable to them both. "Just telling you both this will probably merit a tremendous punishment to my person. Or my son."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Alexander: ''' "Because, you are not a bad person, even when clad in darkness." He steps foward, his hand landing on hers', looking up with a smile. "You like Lilith, do you not? You care about us... and even if you do not like me, you have a conscience!"
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Your son... is there anything we can do about it? Pehaps some bargain you can make with your mistress?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Selina de Windia: ''' "Any bargain with her now will already be made in my screams." Selina says, wanting it to sound dismissive, but not entirely succeeding. As much as she has flung her own intentions in the Lover's face in the past, it is not as if she got away completely clean. And to do it again...
| |
| − | | |
| − | "There is nothing anyone can do about it. In any case, our mistress' obsession with you does not strike me as wise."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Vorpal: ''' "This isn't the first time, actually", Vorpal adds, tilting her head lazily, her hair falling over one shoulder. Her casual attitude, however, is misleading in how seriously the Pale Angel is actually taking this.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Not too many months ago, Selina had been so scared of the prospect of being ordered around that she had been willing to disobey a nigh-direct order from the Lover herself, directly to the face of one of the Lover's own deathknights... namely, the Pale Angel.
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''I can imagine how frightened you are now. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | "So what ''are'' you thinking?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Alexander: ''' ''Her... obsesession. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | Sometimes, life had the knack to make things much, much worse.
| |
| − | At least, apparently so. A Deathlord's...
| |
| − | | |
| − | The prince crossed his arms, then, slowly taking in the Dark Angel's words, about screams, about obssessions, about her child, wondering what she is thinking, what they will do next...
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Selina de Windia: ''' "Does it really matter?" Selina asks, looking from Alex to Vorpal, looking around, not seeing her sister anymore. Good. At least she was not standing about in the open inviting even more trouble.
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''Trouble I will doubtless be blamed for later. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | Ingrates. She is surrounded by them.
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''Why do I even bother with them? ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''Why am I going to bleed for them? Why is my son going to? ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | "What I have said is what I will do. Have done. I don't know why I'm bothering, to be frank." She shifts as if she wants to walk off, into the night somewhere to be alone. Where she can think on just how she's going to deal with what the Lover will do. "You're all a bunch of children who never fucking grew up. I got nothing but shit in different flavors from dealing with you all, and now that dear newcomer you saw is increasing the ration since some of you have begun slackening off."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Alexander: ''' The prince goes to her, holding her arm. His fingers are warm around her pulse, his voice clear "Stop!"
| |
| − | | |
| − | "We have to be together, Dark Angel... if your child is going to be hurt, then just hurt me instead."
| |
| − | "We have to be together, or we are dead anyway."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Selina de Windia: ''' Selina pulls her arm away, then snorts. "I cannot in good conscience allow that."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Alexander: '''"Then we are even, since I cannot in good conscience allow an innocent to suffer for me."
| |
| − | | |
| − | He looks up at her, "I... I am sorry, Dark Angel. I did not mean to hurt you.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Vorpal: ''' Vorpal leans back, her arms crossed, her eyes half-closed. The Dark Angel's insulting words had seemed to fly right past her, touching nothing. Her mind seems to be elsewhere, her face a tranquil mien of concentration.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Finally, she speaks. "You're an idiot. You know that, don't you?"
| |
| − |
| |
| − | '''Alexander: ''' He turns angrily, silver hair falling on his face, the words coming naturally, without restraint. "'''''Lilith! '''''"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Vorpal: ''' The Pale Angel chuckles. She looks up, her face suddenly splitting in that slanted grin, one that reveals her white teeth and strikes fear to the hearts of her enemies and courage to the hearts of her companions.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Giving in to desperation means you've lost the fight already", she says almost amiably, obviously humoring Alex's harsh snap the same way as she did earlier with Selina. "If you are to be our leader, you should always remember that. Miracles can always be arranged."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Selina de Windia: ''' "What I said, is a fact." Selina says simply, coldly, not even looking at Vorpal now. "When you have other facts to counteract it, perhaps '''then''' you will have a case to argue."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Until then, save your childish insults."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Alexander: ''' The prince cannot help but sigh, "I suppose it will be hard to bring the other subject up now..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Selina de Windia: ''' She looks at him, suddenly curious. "And what is that?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Vorpal: '''Vorpal settles back again, noticing that she no longer has their attention. Ah well. She needed to think about that plan a little more in any case.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Alexander: ''' Well, she asked. She might be in a foul mood, she might be depressed, but at least, she asked. The prince looked up at her, trying to shine as much as he could without bringing his anima out, to seem trustworthy... "... Kanti. I want to speak to you about Kanti."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "She... seems terrified of you. I can see why... you can be terrifying when you want. She likes you, she wants to serve you... but to us all, it would be better if she served someone else who did not scare her so..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "I wish to request that of you."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Selina de Windia: ''' "Really?" Selina growls. "You aren't satisfied with the Pale Angel and the Silver Angel?" Her eyes show something...odd. Hate. An odd kind of hate. Almost insane, almost jealous.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "You will not get Kanti, only to fall." She says, pushing the hate back. "Either into darkness, or a lighter kind of corruption. I require proof that she will not simply suffer worse at a later date."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Alexander: '''"I... do not mean to take anything from you. I just want us... all of us... to be better..." He lets his head hang low. He would not stare her down as they had done many times before. No. This time, he was asking her, humbly. "What proof do you require, Dark Angel?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Vorpal: ''' "He's ''saying''", Vorpal cuts in, rather sharply, obviously irritated at the other woman's irate behaviour, "that you should try to treat her better. Get your selfish head out from your backside already and ''listen'' what people tell you."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Selina de Windia: ''' There's a long pause after that, then... "And you or he does?" Selina says softly. "You do not know how I treat her."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "As for what will satisfy me...suffice it to say that I will not give permission now. We shall see tomorrow. I guess there is nothing you can give me at the present that I would truly trust, however. We will leave it at the fact that if you do mistreat her, I will kill you."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "And everyone else who tries to protect you from my justice." She says the last sentence slowly, making sure it sinks in.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Vorpal: ''' "That's some rough words", the Pale Angel responds lazily, the slanted smile still faintly on her lips, "Especially since you are saying them to someone who is about to go and save your child."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Alexander: ''' "Because she does not know when to stop, right? She did ask me to hurt her..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | He sighs. The sentence sinks in, and he remembers seeing her fight. He remembers seeing her slaughter. He remembers the explosion of void energy that the Boil forces saw from afar, the fireworks that put an end to the conflict. He knew she could. "I would want that permission, however. Now if you would. Trust me, Dark Angel..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | He blinks at Vorpal's words... "You can?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Selina de Windia: ''' Selina catches his gaze, holds it. "Why do you want my words now?" She asks, voice still soft.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Alexander: ''' Held by it, he lets his world dissolve in turquoise... "Because I want to tell her."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "I want her to stop feeling terrified in this party. She is..." He gulps, trying to look for the words, remembering their conversation before... "She needs a master or a mistress to feel safe. You have been away, worried with other things, you scare her, and some things I do not even understand there, but it is letting her terrified. If I tell her today, she might still enjoy this..."
| |
| − |
| |
| − | '''Selina de Windia: ''' "And she doesn't feel that way with you?" Selina asks.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Alexander: ''' "She... likes the light. The warmth. She is scared of the darkness, and the Solar light soothes her. Fiona helped with that, too... Fiona sheltered her a number of times, or so she told me. She would obey you, Dark Angel, she likes you, but your void terrifies her..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | ".. just like it terrifies me. You said you got this power to destroy, to be feared. It worked..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Selina de Windia: ''' "I do not approve of most Solars." Selina replies, frowning. "Fine then. But I will be watching you. And she is not to go to the ''other'' Solar of ours -- the Deceiver. I trust him far less than you."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Alexander: ''' He smiles "Thank... thank you, Dark Angel. But... you trust Fiona, at least?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | "I will not keep them apart, and Fiona likes to be with you..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Selina de Windia: ''' She had never really thought of that. Fiona seemed so harmless. Fiona ''wasn't a man''. Especially the kind of man the Deceiver was. The kind you knew had secrets, and who could not be allowed to keep them.
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''A bastard. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | "I suppose I do, as far as that matters."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Alexander: ''' On a moment, he is close to her, holding her tightly. "Thank you..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | But he lets go of her, turning to the Pale Angel. "On the matter of her child...?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Vorpal: ''' Vorpal, who had been following this exchange silently, with a neutral mien about her face, responds simply: "Give me four days."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Selina de Windia: ''' Selina looks over to her, the frown not disappearing. "This is my decision, Pale Angel. What exactly do you intend to do to change the Lover's mind about him?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Vorpal: ''' "Make him vanish. Hide him in the place where she least expects to find him." Meeting the Dark Angel's gaze evenly, Vorpal raises one finger. "Tell me where to find him in Nexus and give me four days and something to show him that will convince him that I am on your business." She pauses, and raises the second finger. "Give me another... six or so, and he will be in the safe place. Simple as that."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Selina de Windia: '''Selina blinks, then sighs. "Except we have to fight the war...which is rapidly building to a head."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Besides, she might try and scoop it out of you."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Vorpal: ''' "Which makes me wonder why in blazes we are here preening in satin gowns while there are enemy armies out there amassing even as we speak", Vorpal shrugs nonchalantly, "But I've learned not to question illogicalities. And as for your brat..." She raises one hand in a persuasing gesture, her palm up. "Would you rather keep him where he is, waiting for her to come and scoop him up?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Selina de Windia: ''' "One night is not so bad as four days, Lilith." Selina replies with a shrug. "Besides, I have some manner of protection for him. Do you really think I would leave my home naked for all to plunder and destroy? If she really wants him, nothing we do can stop her."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Alexander: ''' "Well, the General has been defeated, so their army will be routing as we speak, right?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Valencia and the Windian Army will be taking over whatever resistance they have in Spire, and before they can fall back to their second-in-command, we will have a resistance. We can enjoy tonight!" The prince smiles to them, trying to quiet both, "But if Lilith can leave in the morning, yes..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Selina de Windia: ''' "No, no he has not." Selina growls. "He left. I only was able to kill the Parishioner -- probably to deal with you all near Spire. Which is why, tomorrow, we are going to have to leave so he doesn't smash a hole in her line and rout her."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "We should have left today. Yesterday. But some of us are wounded. Except that fool Moon isn't giving them the chance to heal. If he gets into one more fight, I think I shall '''give''' him another wound."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Alexander: ''' "... wait."
| |
| − | | |
| − | Alex's expression is blank. Blank. A cold shower. A shower with the cold of the deepest North.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "So, the past few days... that we have been here... the '''General''' has been marching towards '''Spire'''?!? With Valencia piously believing we have him in check here? Is '''that''' what you are... telling me...?" Suddenly, his legs begun to shake. Suddenly, the floor under his feet seemed to not be there anmore, both in reality and on his mind. Their cavalry... their cavalry could now be...
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Vorpal: ''' The Pale Angel dives swiftly forward. One of her strong hands takes Alex by the armpit, the other grabs him by the opposite shoulder. "Easy, now..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Alexander''': He looks, blank, at the Dark Angel... "You could have sent a message... why did you not...?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Selina de Windia: ''' "I did."
| |
| − | | |
| − | Selina snorts. "Whether it got through, or whether I did it soon enough, is another matter. The General left before the final strokes of the Boil's revolution were even made."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Vorpal: ''' "So, what shall we do?" The Pale Angel asks, helping Alex to steady himself.
| |
| − | | |
| − | * Of course, when the Parishioner got the place quarantined - the night of the same message she had sent - he would have put a field to stop magic from gettng out of the city. As she never left, her essence sight could not have caught that....
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Selina de Windia: ''' "You should have stayed behind, in any case." Selina asks the two of them crossly. "I specified the Pale Angel in my request for aid, not you. We needed a warrior of her caliber to strengthen our forces most of all. The Spire front has Valencia for that, so I did not think it would have weakened you unnecessarily."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "But without you there, well..." Selina suddenly realizes something, and for a moment, the same cold feeling Alex has spreads through her. "...my last message probably did not get through. Valencia has no idea what is coming at her."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "What will we do? I am going to get another message out. And tomorrow we leave. Some are going to have to stay behind, so the Bull doesn't snap this place up while our back is turned."
| |
| − |
| |
| − | '''Alexander: ''' "Yes. We should move. And warn them. '''''Now. '''''"
| |
| − | | |
| − | Suddenly, the hedge maze is filled with sunlight, and only the prince's feathers are left...
| |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | ----
| |
| − | | |
| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/FifthMovement|Fifth Movement]]
| |
| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
| |
