GoldenCat/IronClosure2

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The Embelishment of Iselsis

Told by Gennadi to go check how her hermit of a sister looks like in the dress – and wether or not she has put it on right, of course - Selina looks at the door, shrugs, and goes in, closing the door behind her. "You need it laced up, then? How tight?"

Iselsis: She seems rather perturbed by the ordeal of putting on a dress, although she does look pretty. Unfortunately her 'I-Have-A-Knife-And-Long-Hair-Gets-In-The-Way' hairstyle wasn't too flattering compared to the dress. "How should I know? The last time I wore a dress I was still pretty much flat. Speaking of which, I can't even move in this thing, let alone fight the undead. I hate dresses."

Selina de Windia: "I've got news for you," Selina demures as she moves up behind Izabella and takes the stays, and begins to pull them. Tight. Not too tight, though. Just enough to be flattering...and uncomfortable to a slight degree. "Neither can I. Rather, you should phrase it 'cannot do it well', because if you really have to, you would be surprised what you can do in a pinch."

Iselsis: She oofs a few times as Selina laces up the back of the dress, and mumbles under her breath "Yeah, don't I know that feeling lately..."

Selina de Windia: "Oh really?" Selina asks conversationally, finishing up the lacing, and tying it into an oddly discreet knot which most men would find very difficult to undo with any amount of liquor in them. Damned if she's going to watch one of her sisters get molested in front of her. Assuming the man could even get that far.

Then she steps back. "Done. Though the hair needs work."

Iselsis: She turns around, in those little steps you have to make when you're wearing a dress that's rather snug around the legs, and pulls a strand of pink hair in front of her eyes. Nope, no split ends!

"What's wrong with my hair? I've gotten pretty good at cutting it off even over the years."

Selina de Windia: "...you don't go to someone who does that for a living?" Selina asks incredulously. "Ah well. I keep mine long, but whatever makes your day I guess."

Iselsis: "Yeah, you think I can walk the streets the way I look? I can get away with it with my hat and scarf. Mostly I just stay inside my home until they need me to squish some deader or something. I don't have the luxury of having someone do it for me."

Selina de Windia: "The red skin isn't really indictive of demon, you know. Well-bred Fires also have it. And the pink hair could just be an eccentricity." Selina replies, then shrugs.

"What do you do in there all day?"

Iselsis: She lifts two hands and extends the index fingers to point at the two horns poking out from her forehead "You think a barber's gonna miss those? And... mostly I read. Study. Do research... train. Most of my time I spend reading up on all the supernatural stuff trying to figure out what I am and how to fix what's wrong with me."

She shrugs her shoulders "Obviously I haven't had a lot of luck."

"And then there's the ears of course. They wouldn't miss those. Good thing I can at least banish the wings, huh?"

Selina de Windia: "A barber shouldn't be stricken dumb as to think it's not some remnent of beastman strain in you. Or fae, perhaps." Selina shrugs again. "Though I suppose Windia isn't as tolerant of oddities these days."

Iselsis: "It's not. I'm not the only one either you know. Recently they gathered the secret society of freaks. Bet you they spend their majority of time locked away from the prying eyes of the public, too. Sad considering we're the ones protecting them, really."

• Gennadi knocks. "Mind if I get your hair? We're really on a budget for time here..."

Iselsis: The door opens for Gennadi to reveal Ise glaring at him. "If you mangle my hair, as heaven is my witness, I will shoot you. Got it?"

• Gennadi blinks. "Of course. But, um, it's mangled already... How would you know?"

Iselsis: "I'll know!", she huffs and wanders in to pull up a chair to sit on.

• Gennadi surpresses some laughter and flicks a knife out of nowhere, raking the sides of it carefully across the chair before tangling his hand in Ise's hair. Rapid swipes and a minor curse later, he draws back, carefully pinning the results into a pretty good approximation of a lady's haircut. It may be pink, of course, but still, much better than before.

Iselsis: She gets up and inspects herself in the mirror. Well, a soulsteel buster sword almost as big as she is, but the end effect was basically the same. She looks at herself critically for a while from all angles before piping up "Well I guess I won't get to shoot you right now."

Gennadi: "Wonderful. Have your sister put some proper makeup on. I'll leave the mask on the table." He leans around and gives her a quick peck of a kiss, the door closed behind him as she realizes what just happened and straightens up.

Iselsis: As Gennadi wanders down the corridor he'll probably be able to make out an indignant "That's dangerous, IDIOT!", yelled at the door. Then she plops herself down on the side of the bed and mumbles to herself, wondering why she's supposed to wear makeup when she's supposed to wear a mask anyway.

• The kiss.

Blue Light. Green Flame. Deadly Winds. Water.
... mists in the wind?
They are around them. The table becomes nothing. There is something there.
Longing.
Warmth.
A plead.
A cry.

Somewhere in his shard.
Somewhere in her soul.
Iselsis had never seen her soul before.
Why is it so broken? Something incomplete that ripped its way into something complete...
Breaking an harmony and replacing it with ashes...

And the warmth.
And the longing.
For him..
For her...

And it keep whirlind about the two of them, the circuit closer now...

Iselsis: Faced with the brokenness of her own soul. With the knowledge that it was torn by something putting itself there, that didn't belong there. Faced with the knowledge that she was as badly broken as she'd always feared, with the circuit closing around them, the green winds and the blue fog, she does the only thing one can do...

She tries to sock the damn Sidereal in the jaw as hard as she possibly can!

Selina de Windia: Selina almost tries to stop her. Almost.

Instead, she dips into the Trance, and follows the star-chosen's essence patterns to see what his simple magic looks like when he uses it to dodge.

• The punch goes... and hits his jaw. But it does not stop, and she is pulled against him...

As the fist strikes his jaw... she sees something else. Someone else. And.... feels something... something for that person...

• Gennadi 's eyes widen ever so slightly. Wait, she was supposed to... Dammit, Ise! His instincts kick in, and he presses momentarily close, hand sliding down her back and caressing her cheek. Suddenly, his hand continues on, gripping the side of her neck as he snaps his body backwards, hauling her bodily out of the chair. He spins on a heel, following the whirling winds until his other hand shoves her sideways and she gracefully arches through the mists towards the faint figure of her Sister. He stops abruptly to wipe the blood from his mouth, grinning tightly.

• She is thrown, and the circuit is broken!

And there is no fire. Oddly enough... it is as if there never was.

The fire is not fire...

... and Iselsis comes flying in Selina's direction, the winds breaking a path through the ground, cutting the windows, the fire... no, light within them so bright.... and for a moment, she looks so young to Selina, falling on her way...

Selina de Windia: She sees the death-wind inside her sister, around her sister, as the girl hurtles toward her. And almost dodges. Almost. Instead, she catches Izabella, though the fire sears her, and she has to utilize her power to dampen it. Her only thought as the light and winds burn her is

Gennadi you LITTLE SHIT!

Iselsis: She sails through the air, and into her sister's arms. She shakes her head to stave off a slight amount of disorientation after what just happened, and then she's up again. As if echoing her sister's thoughts she screams at the sidereal "Gennadi! You ratfaced little bastard! ", and at the same time the winds come. Not Adorjan's, but her own, her anima flaring by obvious essence use, the shadowy winds enveloping her and her sister.

• Gennadi clears his throat, wiping the blood from his mouth. "Before you both kill me, realize that I was forced to do that by the terms of your oath, little one."

Selina de Windia: Selina is angry at Gennadi, but not quite angry enough to beat him up. Yet. And besides, she doesn't want Izabella to mess up her dress even more. Just as she had Vorpal earlier in the day, Selina wraps her arms around her sister and holds her in place, albeit without the crushing force she had applied to the other deathknight.

• Gennadi grows contemplative as he watchs the blood trickle down the back of his hand. "I was expecting you to do better than this. That was a shitty punch..."

Iselsis: Her form blurs momentarily as the essence spent takes effect, and she's about to blast off to kick Gennadi's ass when... two arms block her way. She struggles, probably futilely since she really isn't that physically strong as much as agile.

"Let me GO! I'll KILL HIM! KILL HIM AND CRUSH HIS STUPID SHARD! "

Selina de Windia: "Don't mess up your fucking dress more, you idiot!" Selina shouts back, holding her sister firm (or trying to anyway) as she glares at Gennadi. "And YOU don't push your luck any further!"

Gennadi: "This isn't about luck. This is about learning limitations, and fulfilling promises. It was not so long ago you were complaining I was not investigating myself, and now you complain when I show you truth? Come on, now. You knew when this started it wasn't going to be pleasant."

Iselsis: "It's all your bleeding fault! You or whoever came before you! SAME DIFFERENCE! I'll kill you! KILL YOU!", she wasn't getting out of the hold, but that didn't calm her down all that much.

• Gennadi sighs. "Yes, clearly it's the fault of the person who's been dead rather longer than you've been alive. From beyond the grave, he reached out to shatter your soul. If you cannot compose yourself and take responsibility you're never going to escape your curse. Though at least you're cute when you're angry." He turns to Selina. "Besides, you seem to have the opposite reaction with her... Apologies, I was simply hoping the blood-bond would help break the lust bond."

Selina de Windia: "She burned me." Selina hisses, voice siblant and reptilian at the moment, just as bad as when she had hissed at Father of Crows' assistant in front of Moon and her two wards. It's a low tone, like that of a large land predator. Not at all like a snake, though she holds Izabella fast like one. "In a way no fire should."

Gennadi: "Oh? That is interesting... Clearly, her patron has more complicated interests than I suspected."

Iselsis: "Like swallowing my goddamn soul!"

Gennadi: "Now, that's hardly complicated. It's to be expected."

"Besides, let's be honest, from what I saw, it's not much of a soul at all. Sort of depressing."

Iselsis: "At least let me hurt him a little bit!"

Selina de Windia: Selina growls as she lifts the struggling girl off the ground, feeling that sharp burning ache in her now. She will get rid of that so it does not ruin her night with the Pale Angel...if she has to burn it out of herself.

Nothing must be allowed to get in my way for that!

Nothing!

Nothing!

Nothing!

Nothing!

Nothing!

Nothing!

It only makes her angrier.

"CALM DOWN WOMAN. "

Iselsis: "Then get him to shut up."

Gennadi: "And break our oath? Is it worth that?"

Iselsis: "Your oath, and you deserve to be cursed!"

Gennadi: "It hits you too, dear."

"Believe me, neither of us wants that happening. Especially now, since your soul may not take many more hits of this nature."

Iselsis: She narrows her eyes to slits, but that seems to settle her down a little bit "What the fuck is that supposed to mean, and you better get to the goddamn point this time."

Gennadi: "How many times do you think that soul of yours can take Adjoran trying to claw through it?"

"One more? Two? Three? Do you want to take bets on being devoured?"

Selina de Windia: Selina stops for a moment, absorbing what the star-child is saying. A Yozi? A demon prince. Actually going through her sister? She had understood it intellectually before, but not on a gut level till now.

"I assume you think you can find a way to fix that, huh?" She asks the Sidereal from behind her sister, still holding her up.

Gennadi: "Me, personally? Of course not, don't be silly. If it was like that, I'd advise she point those weapons of hers to her temple and pull the trigger. Twice, if possible." He chuckles. "But of course, it isn't like that. I can perhaps find a solution, but it's going to be by gathering more resources, trading favors and the like. There are some ancient sages and impressive libraries that could speak on the matter. Of course, it will take time, and some freedom to move."

Iselsis: "What the fuck did you think I was planning in the event I lost myself? Especially now. I'm an exorcist, you think I'm going to let Adorjan have her jollies through me?"

Gennadi: "Yes. Unless I mistook your attempt to shove your tongue down my throat as a typical show of anger on your part."

Iselsis: "You know Selina can restrain me from kicking your ass, but she can't stop me from putting a bullet in your forehead, so you better start striking a nicer tone with me!"

Selina de Windia: "You really think that?" Selina says angrily from behind Izabella. "Don't be so sure."

Gennadi: "I'd listen to her. Besides, if I die, there's a fair chance you both do, unless you expect to survive adjoran tearing her way out of your earthly shell and adjoran free in creation in a towering rage, respectively." He checks his mouth in the mirror. "I hate reincarnation sometimes. It makes things terribly complicated."

"Considering that in this case, Adjoran seems to want to hump me to death as opposed to... whatever it is angry wind yozis do, I suppose she'd be upset."

Iselsis: "Well maybe if I'll kill you she won't see the upside to trying to take over my body anymore and leave me alone, ever think of that?"

Gennadi: "Beyond escaping being trapped in Malfeas? I'm just a bonus... ugh. What a blow to the ego." He shakes his head. "Are we done now?"

Iselsis: "Why the fuck did the goddamn yozi decide to pick me to break out of prison through??"

"I'm not even anyone or anything special!"

Gennadi: "If you weren't special, you wouldn't be here. Maybe you look like her favored fleshy forms. Who knows? Bad luck for you." He stands back up. "I'll see you two at the party. I'd advise you keep your distance from each other, just in case."

Selina de Windia: "Don't worry." Selina says, holding Izabella up still, until the Sidereal is totally gone. At least she got something of a look at sid-magic, though not too much. Ambient. Anyway.

"I have other things to do tonight, she says almost to herself."

Iselsis: "Because a yozi eating your sister's soul to get out into Creation and kill you is obviously lower priority than some stupid party."

• Gennadi 's exit is silent, leaving the pair of them to their family squabble. At least until he's pretty sure neither of them can hear him, and singsong curses in multiple languages drift up into the air.

Selina de Windia: Selina puts Izabella down, then brushes off the back of her gown. "No." She says simply, then steps back and examines how rumpled the dress got. "But since neither of us can do anything about it right now, there is no point in not enjoying the party. I can't do anything about the Malfean in my head either, so why ought I to worry about it every moment?"

Iselsis: She turns around and stares at Selina like she's gone mad or something, idly smoothing down her dress. "Malfean in your head? What's that supposed to mean? And I worry, because I have things left to do here. Least of which this stupid mission which is keeping me quite nicely from doing whatever I can to save myself."

Selina de Windia: "A dead Primordial. My master. One of the dead gods." She smirks, somewhat wickedly. "I let him into my head, accidentally. And now he's there. What do you think that utter blackness was earlier? Maybe he could destroy me, if he wanted. Feed me to the Void from the inside out, perhaps."

Iselsis: "At least in your case he isn't actively trying."

Selina de Windia: "He is dead. He has all the patience in the world. Perhaps Yozis are less patient. Perhaps they need to die as well, to learn that."

Iselsis: "At this point I'm all for that course of action." ... "You still need to fix my makeup.", she adds as a non sequitur

Selina de Windia: "Yes." She says non-chalantly. "And then I need to get this horrid wound Adjordan inflicted upon me fixed up so I'm not feeling pain all night."

She looks at Izabella, then makes an odd face. "You know, I don't customarily do makeup for well-bred Fire Aspects who have that skin tone, much less horns. A pity Kanti is not about."

Iselsis: She points at the mask Gennadi left for her, which includes space for horns so they'll look like they're part of the mask. "At least you won't have to worry about the horns part so much. And um, I'm not really a fire aspect."

Selina de Windia: Selina blinks. Ah yes, masks. Not that she will be wearing one! At least not a normal one.

"You aren't? Didn't you get chosen by the Dragons or some such? Demon-blooded typically aren't very potent."

"Besides, your skin is red."

Iselsis: "Yeah, funny that. But my eyes are blue, and my anima consists of swirling gusts of winds, even if they are kind of tainted at this point. Funny what carrying a yozi with you can do to an air aspect, huh?", she sits down on the bed and sighs slightly.

Selina de Windia: "Well, in any case, I am not going to be part in a disaster by doing your makeup. Look at how pale I am!" She gestures to her face, though she isn't as pale as Vorpal. "I will go get Kanti to do that. Considering her past, she ought to be sufficient. Wait here for a moment."

Selina walks out into the hall, looks around, and sighs. Kanti could be anywhere, in any one of the vacant rooms. So she does the quick and easy thing. She yells.

"KAAAANNNNTIIIII! I need you for something!"

• As Kanti comes closer, she sees... the room Iselsis was in.

Partly burnt, and not by fire.
Winds settling down, and oddly... silent. As if there was a sound one could always hear in the air that is not there anymore.
There are cuts made by sharp air - the sheets are shredded, the windows broken, the ground with a track of destruction from what is left of the mirror to the wall.
A giant soulsteel sword wails in a corner.
And there, stand Selina, and... someone else.

Kanti: Kanti had been meditating in one of the upper chambers of the manse, wondering about the party and what it would involve, who would be there, and who would dance with her. In front of her, the large fire burns, bathing her in a comforting warmth.
I wonder if I will get to dance with Moon?
I wonder if the young Prince will be there?
I wonder how Opa-
The fragile contentment of her meditation is shattered by the shout from the Dark Angel, and she rises, gathering her thoughts.
what does she want me for?
have I displeased her?
She hurries down the corridor, making sure the crimson hues of her robe of screams will be presentable to the Dark Angel.

She knocks on the room door, and then enters, her eyes widdening a little at the destruction strewn about the room, a little fear in her eyes as they range over the soulsteel sword, and the strange girl. And then the strange composite of lust and terror as she takes in the Dark Angels form.

"My lady, you wished to see me?" she drops into a curtsey, before rising "..are you alright?"

Iselsis: She glances over at the new arrival in her now rather messed up room. "Okay, I see where you were going with this. She's red, I'm red. Yeah.", she nods at her own statement. "You'll have to forgive the mess. Close encounters of the demon kind."

Selina de Windia: "Yes, Kanti." Selina wishes now that she'd closed her greatcoat instead of letting it stay open. "My sister needs makeup done, and I thought you would do better with her coloration than I."

"Also, I need some healing. For a very, very nasty wound."

Iselsis: ... She glances at Selina "I thought we were going to ixnae on the sisterae?"

Selina de Windia: "...oops." Selina says, then sighs. Then she looks at Kanti, though not with any sort of terrifying visage, knowing Kanti will obey her anyway. "Don't tell anyone about that part."

Iselsis: "... Yeah. 'Oops'."

Kanti: demons?
hurt?

...sister?
...the dark angel has a sister?
Kanti eyes the red woman a little nervously, wondering just how close the two were in temperament and otherwise. She didn't look voidtouched though...

"You are hurt my lady? Where?" Kanti asks, taking a step towards her, while trying to avoid getting much closer to her sister. Who she was not say was her sister. "Of course, my lady." she bows her head.
What will she think of my scars?
What is she?

Iselsis: She leans back on the bed a little, putting her palms down behind her to keep her balance while inspecting Kanti.

"So unless you have major problems too, I'm guessing you're a fire aspect. And you don't feel like any nemessary or other type of deader I've ever come across so Selina scores points for that."

Selina de Windia: "Something...nasty." Selina replies, not wanting to freak Kanti out with the knowledge of what exactly it is her sister has inside her at times. "You won't find a wound, per se. But the hurt is there, and it's a very grevious hurt."

Then she looks back to Izabella. "I don't know why you'd think I would keep Nemissaries around. They are my jealous rivals, my lessers. They do not get along well with me at all."

Iselsis: She shrugs her shoulders again. "I suppose that must be another thing of the Bishop's corner then. I've dealt with plenty lately to not assume most deathknights keep a couple of them in thrall."

Kanti: ...selina?
...Who is selina?
...The Dark Angel is selina?

...The Dark Angel is selina de windia?

Kanti looks faintly perplexed and surprised at this sudden revelation, if it is indeed true...
not that it is my place to wonder now.
Kanti tries to tune out the conversation of ghosts and nemessaries, and other disquieting things.

"My lady, I have to lay hands on the wound to heal it..." she says, softly and apologetically.

Selina de Windia: "Even they do not all get along with the Nemissaries." Selina replies, shrugging out of her greatcoat once more and dropping it to the bed.

"Lay your hands here." She indicates where Kanti should put her hands to lessen the severity of the wound, on the arm caught by the winds and her chest.

Kanti: Kanti shivers a little as more of the dark angel is exposed, looking up at her almost worshipfully before she rises smoothly, hesitating just a moment before she lays her hands gently on Selina's arm, feeling with her essence for the damage to mistress' soul ... and then she finds it. She shudders a little.
What happened here?
How did she get such a wound?
She risks a glance at Selina's face, her eyes briefly, fearfully questioning, before she turns back from the wound, letting tendrils of invisible green essence slip out from her fingers, feeling along the cut in Selina's soul, gently weaving it together, making it whole once more. A cut appears on Selina's skin, red against the pale flesh, before this too is woven shut with grace and with care, leaving merely a bruise on the surface. "There, my lady. Sorry I can do no more."

Iselsis: "I wish one in particular wouldn't rely so much on them, personally. Then I could at least finish what I started. That and I could stop looking over my shoulder all the time. Not that it isn't habbit anyway, mind, just that sometimes I like to be able to just sit and smoke a cigarette in peace."

She peers at the work Kanti is doing interestedly. "My, she's quite the healer isn't she? That must come in handy lately."

Selina de Windia: "Whoever that is, likely the deathknight won't bother to assault a place as full of Chosen as this." Selina says somewhat dismissively. Especially someone who apparently worked like that. Not after the Parishioner fell. "Kanti is a much better warrior than healer, however."

"That is alright, Kanti. It is enough. Thank you." She pats Kanti's shoulder, and turns about to get her great and then put it back on. "Now, Iselsis simply needs some help with the finishing touches on her appearance for the ball tonight."

Acelia: Step, step, step.

"Heeelloooo! Did I tak..." The white-haired girl waltz in, happilly, a basket on her hands, filled with bread and... bread, as there were few fruits on the Boil. A great smile, a cheerful mien... and then, she takes on the room. And the black-winged lady. And the scarred Dragon-Blooded. "Ok... what... the... fuck?"

Iselsis: Izabella glances over at Acelia, and grins goofily "Ahh, hi Acelia... um, just a little trouble again. Nothing to worry about, though I think we're going to have to move rooms again."

Kanti: Kanti smiles softly with pride at a job done well, at the praise from mistress. She turns then, to study the girl with crimson skin more closely, taking in the lines of her face, the dress she wore.
"Of course, my lady."
she is pretty...beautiful almost.
like mistress ... but not...
she looks good in that dress.
I wonder what I would loo-...
Kanti's attention is drawn away by the white-haired girl, tensing briefly until it becomes apparent that selina's sister knows her at least, studying her silently.

Selina de Windia: "Yes." Selina demures, not acting surprised or out of sorts at all. "Just a little bit of trouble. But that's been taken care of."

"We're just putting the finishing touches on now."

Acelia: "Just? This place seems like... like..." She tries to find the words, her eyes open the size of saucers...

"... like... the Boil!"

She leans down to catch the basket that had fallen as soon as she saw the room, then takes a moment to look at Kanti and Selina... "Well, at least you are with our big heroes! A pleasure to meet you two. the Dark Angel and the Dark Saint, right? I am Acelia!"

Kanti: ...Dark Saint?
...Dark Saint?
....Dark Saint?
...Dark ... Saint ...

Dark.

Iselsis: She peers over at the fallen basket and licks her lips "Is that the food? Great! I'm famished!", she gets up and picks out a bit of bread, biting off a chunk and chewing. "I needed that after that jerky. I hope it was jerky, anyway."

Selina de Windia: Selina pauses for a moment, somewhat shocked.

"....Dark Saint?"

Acelia: "Yeah! You know, the scars?" She taps her own chin, on a spot where Kanti has scars "And she belongs to you! You annointed her with the void and trained her and all, right? It is what people say, at least. They also call her Firebird, but it was easier to say Dark and Dark together..."

She winks to Ise, "Well, it tasted like jerky, what else do you need? Prissy!" She says, throwing some ham. "There. Do not ask wether it is made from pigs or not, either."

Iselsis: "Wow, you found actual food. I'm proud of you! ... Well, my stomach is at any rate.", she sits back down on the bed with the piece of ham and the bread, nibbling happily on both. She really hadn't eaten much between Winlandia and the Boil, or during the revolution, or during the night she spent at Acelia's place. Meanwhile she comments "I found Acelia the day after the Boil was freed, saved her from some roughians, so now I'm responsible for her. It'd be cruel to save someone and then toss them back to the lions, after all."

Selina de Windia: Selina blinks again, surprised. But not too much. It is a rumor afterall. "I didn't give her the scars, believe it or not. But let's not mention them too much..."

Kanti: Kanti glances nervously around the room as mention of her scars, and the void, starting to draw breath a little faster, before forcing herself to calm down, especially as Selina speaks. She forces herself to consider the red woman once more.

"...I will need to go and get some things, my lady, if I might leave?" she asks of selina.

Selina de Windia: "Indeed you may, Kanti." Selina assents, then sighs to herself. What rumours were springing up already!

Kanti: Kanti hurries from the room, privately quite glad to be out of there, hurrying up to the small room she shared with Fiona to get the makeup.

Acelia: "I try!" She smiles at Iselsis, proud of herself as she sits down at the foot of the bed...

"You didn't? What's the story there, the... oh, sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfy, .."

"Oh damn, too late."

Selina de Windia: "Well, she's had some...bad experiences. Let us leave it at that. Very bad experiences." Selina adds.

"Possibly worse than me."

Iselsis: "Yeah, that seems to be going around.", she snorts a little, if only physical scars were the worst of her troubles.

Selina de Windia: "I only speak of myself and her." Selina replies to her sister, not bothering to explain just what she's been through right now. Adjoran is all fine and good, but that's not the only kind of problems one can have, afterall.

"Since I do not know of your difficulties in life quite so well."

Iselsis: "I'm sure you'll find out, considering my problem is now somewhat your problem. And Gennadi's, for that matter."

Acelia: "Bad experiences... don't we all." She looks up at the Dark Angel, lost in their conversation.

Iselsis: "You should be glad you ran into me before that raksha, Acelia. Speaking of which did I mention yet I don't want you going anywhere near her?"

Acelia: "That Days person? Alright, alright... not that I am totally innocent to Fair Folk, you know! I told you about my brother, didn't I?"

Kanti: Kanti gathers together the meager amounts of makeup she has managed to collect, mostly from the charity of those who worked for Iron Tears, though it should be more than sufficient to make the dark angel's pretty sister beautiful.
Dark ...Saint...
Kanti tries not to think about that too much, as she makes her way down to the room once more, knocking politely.

Iselsis: "Yes you told me about your brother, why do you think I worry? Hell, I worry because you decided to tag along with me too!" ... she blinks at the knock on the door, wow, someone knocked "Come in."

Acelia: "I am fine. By the way... with the room being screwy and the celebrities, I forgot to say, right?" She asks, her face turning back to look at Iselsis, and take on her appearance for the first time. "You look preeeettttyyy! Didn't even knew you could look like that. Guess the punks who thought you were a guy before are totally proven wrong now!"

Iselsis: She blushes faintly, fortunately that wasn't very noticeable thanks to the color of her skin "Thanks. Not that I mind being mistaken for a guy, or a monster, when I want to be. It's just some silly party anyway...", so she sucked at taking a compliment, she hadn't gotten any for a long time save for Faina.

Kanti: Kanti enters the room quietly, carrying her small makeup bag, walking over to the dressing table, and sitting it down there.

Selina de Windia: "Days is just...yes, you should probably stay away from her for now. She needs to...normalize a bit." She looks to her sister. "Pffft. Those gangers were idiots or half-blind. Though maybe with that coat on you are hard to make out. But that is due to the coat. And your hair. We can fix the hair too."

Iselsis: "Actually you haven't seen me in my full getup. It's hard to make much out, which is how I like it. ... What's wrong with my hair now?", she mutters below her breath, before turning to Kanti, "Where do you want me for this?", obviously meaning if she should sit anywhere in particular.

And back to Selina "Besides, you wear a big coat too."

Selina de Windia: "It's much too short. And a bit jagged." Selina replies easily, then looks at her coat. "Mine doesn't conceal as well as yours, honestly. Mostly I have it so I can keep kind of warm when I need to, store things in it, and so every bloody man I meet doesn't talk to my chest or arse instead of me."

Iselsis: "Well I like people not being able to see much of me when I go out. It's more comfortable for me that way, especially back home."

Acelia: "Does it suceed at the latter? I don't think any length of hair can manage that..."

Kanti: Kanti glances around the room, before deciding that perhaps this dresser is in fact the best place, dusting remains from ... whatever had happened earliier off the seat, so as not to spoil her dress.

"If you could sit here ... please?" she asks of the red woman, as she starts to set out her makeup.

Selina de Windia: "The coat does, yes."

Iselsis: She nods at Kanti and hops up, almost trips over her own feet because of the dress, and walks over to sit down at the dresser. "At this point I'm wondering why I even need to go to the party. I've found out almost everything I need already."

Acelia: "Oh, you meant coat? I thought you meant your hair! Silly me."

She giggles in embarassment, pointing "Not like you cannot conceal things on that hair, anyway."

"Because you look pretty like that? Oh, come on, Ise! Go! Go! Go!"

"Just, um... beware of ropes. It is one of the Spider's parties, after all..."

Iselsis: "... Ropes? What the hell kind of party is this?"

Selina de Windia: "Because, you twit," Selina says in a somewhat annoyed voice. "If you want to travel with us, you are going to not be an anti-social obstruction to pleasant conversation -- rare as it sometimes can be already. Those are my terms for traveling with us."

"And don't worry about the ropes. Kadel won't do that to anyone who doesn't want it."

Iselsis: She glares at Selina, "You know what, you get stuck indoors for most of your life and without contact with any people then be forced to go to some party that apparantly involves ropes in... who knows what kind of fashion, and see how comfortable you feel!"

"Just when the hell did saving the bleeding world involve being sociable anyway?"

Selina de Windia: "There's always a time to learn." Selina says smoothly. "It's not as if it cannot be fun, surely."

Iselsis: "Just don't expect me to dance.", she snips back.

Kanti: Kanti studies her face once more, recoiling a little as she glares at Selina, before picking up one of the pots, and leaning forward.

...which is when Iselsis hears the dress start to plead in Kanti's voice. A high pitched, frantic, desperate pleading for mercy, for an end to the pain, for the pain to carry on, for anything.

Selina de Windia: "No one is asking you to. Yet, anyway."

Iselsis: "Well goo-..." she blinks and stares at Kanti mostly in a state of shock, well, rather her dress, she seems pretty disturbed by it. "Um, your dress appears to be wailing..."

Maybe I was too hasty on the 'not a nemesary' draw...

Kanti: "...Sorry." Kanti looks down and away, ashamed, the voice in the dress pleading for forgiveness from someone who seems to know no compassion, getting more and more frantic until Kanti takes a step backwards, away from Iselsis, the voices fading to the edge of her hearing.

Selina de Windia: Selina smiles, almost sadly as she realizes what's happening. So Izabella heard the dress.

Yes, there are great evils in this world.

Perhaps we number among them.

"Her wails, cries, screams. Every one of them, someone made. Produced. Enticed."

The Vestal will have to answer for them.

Somehow.

Iselsis: "How cruel, who did that to her?", her brow furrows, and a light plays in her eyes, and it's not one of well-wishes to whoever did it, "And add a physical description so I can be sure to shoot them if I ever see them."

Her expression softens as she glances back at Kanti "Hey, it's fine, not your fault right? Just keep going.", she'd seen worse things to freak her out, and now it wasn't going to be unexpected she could deal with it.

Selina de Windia: "Perhaps later. Right now she should concentrate on your appearance." Selina says, the dismissal indicating that she does not want to bring the subject up around Kanti to that degree. She's seen what it does already.

Kanti: Kanti winces more at Iselsis' expression she wants to hurt Her too. why does everyone want to hurt Her? I don't want to see Her hurt... I want to kill Her.

"Yes, my lady." she says, gathering her courage almost, stepping closer to Iselsis, the voice rising once more, starting to apply the colouring to her face in careful measures.

Iselsis: She basically bears it stoicly. Not like she hasn't had worse. But she'd still kill whoever did it if she got her hands on them, oh yes she would.

Kanti: Kanti bites her lip from time to time, as she carefully applies more of the makeup, studying the red face before her, applying subtle shades of deep purple and black to contrast with the skin and emphasise her eyes somewhat, adding more definition. She pulls back then to study the face before her.
It needs something else....
Kanti gives a little smile, then selects another pot and a small brush.
"Put your lips together.." she asks softly, dabbing the black lip gloss onto the brush.

Acelia: "Hmmm..."

"Looking good!"

Iselsis: She pouts her lips awkwardly at the request, mumbling barely comprehensibly "Like this?"

Kanti: Kanti gives a small nod, with a smile, and starts to apply the black with smooth, careful strokes of the brush.

Selina de Windia: Selina does not comment, for the aformentioned reason of her having Kanti handle Izabella's makeup to begin with. However, she does admit Kanti certainly has a way with it.

Hopefully some fool will not try and feel her up tonight.

That would be a storm.

Iselsis: She sits there as Kanti applies the finishing touches to her before the party. She hoped she looked good, the whole thing was scary enough without looking bad.

I really don't want to go to some stupid party. When the hell did my job start including stupid trivial crap?

Kanti: Kanti steps back, waiting for some word of approval from the other three in the room

Selina de Windia: "Looks good." Selina finally says, partially to Kanti as well, noticing that she's waiting for approval, as much as to Izabella. "Soon I had better get ready as well, come to think of it."

Iselsis: She gets up again, and wanders over to the soulsteel grand daiklave buster sword thing resting against the wall, expecting herself in it's reflection. "Wow... When did I get this pretty? That's great! That's really one load off my mind at least.", she blinks at her own reflection in the polished soulsteel.

Acelia: She claps, excited! "Sure looks like someone else entirely now!"

"And you really got into the heroes' club fast, huh? With the Dark Angel here so concerned with you..."

Iselsis: "Heh, yeah, something like that Acelia. Something like that...", she glances at Selina then "Well I won't keep you any longer. I suppose I'll see you at the party then.", then to Kanti, "And thank you so much for the help, I really appreciate it, okay?", she smiles somewhat, the girl seemed so sad, like she could use a little encouragement.

Selina de Windia: "Mhmm. Hopefully there won't be any fights tonight -- that would ruin the evening with all the fighting we've had already. Well, just watch out for the fae. I wager she'll be at the heart of most of the fights we have, unless I get into a yelling match with someone." Selina says, then nods to Kanti. "I'll see you later as well. Have fun till then, Kanti."

With that, she takes the greatcoat in her hands and lets herself out of the room.

Kanti: Kanti smiles softy.
mistress approves.
her sister approves.
"Thank you, lady ...?" she looks at Iselsis, wondering who she is, beyond Selina's sister.

She bows a little to Selina as she leaves "Of course, my lady. I will see you later."

Iselsis: "Iselsis.", she nods to Selina as she leaves the room.

Kanti: Kanti nods, and bows, and departs, leaving the two alone.

Acelia: She comes closer to Ise, mirth shining on her mismatched eyes, "Sooo... wailing dresses, scars, black-winged people... you must be feeling right at home! Just take care in the party, alright? You look too well and too pretty on this dress to get yourself drunk and make a scene!"

Iselsis: "Nice choice of words. I'm not big on crowds, you know? I'd rather just not go at all. But I suppose I have to, miss big bad Dark Angel insisted.", she sinks onto the bed, or what's left of it, and sighs heavily, "You sure you don't mind being left here alone?"

Acelia: "Nah. I wish I'd go to the party, but honestly?"

"I'd be scared witless there. Classiest place I've ever walked into was a whorehouse." She cuts Iselsis' words before they begun, "I was as a serving maid, before you get any strange ideas!"

Iselsis: "Wouldn't dream of it. Well anyway, I wouldn't worry about being bored. I'll probably just make a token appearance and then leave again. What else am I going to do? Drink? Dance? Hah."

Acelia: "Why not? You've never done that before, have you? You'd said so as soon as I walked in..."

Iselsis: "No, I haven't. At least not recently enough that I remember, and being sent to bed as a little kid and sneaking down to see the party is hardly comparable to actually attending one, at any rate."

Acelia: "Wow, you nearly sounded like a real person right now! Who'd think.... and I thought you guys came already grown-up out of a gods' belly or something!" She winks, sitting on the bed at last.

And then, it breaks, crumbling to bits under the weight, so abused by Adjordan's winds as it was...

"...ooops."

Iselsis: She hears the creaking, and she gracefully hops off before it breaks apart, to try and salvage her dress for the party. She didn't want to go, but she most certainly didn't want to go and then feel bad.

She stares at the broken bed... and snerks... then laughs, and keeps laughing while she falls back into the dresser chair. It wasn't so much that the situation was so funny. It was just, after all this time, she could either laugh, or cry.

She didn't want to cry anymore.

Acelia: And Acelia laughs with her, finding that situation funny... she was in a room ravaged by primordial forces, sharing the Manse with heroes and heroines, monsters and maidens... laugh was all she could do. At something so simple, so normal, as a poor bed breaking. And then, she realises what she must do.

She walks up to Iselsis, holding the taller girl. And smiling. Smiling in assurance, in her admiration for the heroine she knew Iselsis to be. "Just relax. You will do fine! You look wonderful like that... getting me envious as heck, too, you know? I wish I could look this good!"

"And if anyone is mean to you there, that is because they are mean in general, and I will find out their names and where they live to kill them for you! Because nobody can mess with a girl's first party!"

Oh, I know that well...

Iselsis: She stops laughing when Acelia hugs her, and for a moment the true sadness behind the laugh slips through, before she recomposes herself and nods. "Thanks... I needed that.", she smiles at the other girl and heads for the door, finally prepared to face the music, probably literally.

And with her hand on the knob she looks over her shoulder and probably speaks the most earnest words she's ever spoken.

"Acelia, we're all normal people, with normal wants, and hopes and dreams. I know you watch us and want to be like us, but to be like this isn't a blessing. It's a burden. We all wear masks, wether they're physical things like my outfit, or demeanors like the dark angel. We're all in this too deep and we just keep moving forward, because inevitably even us heroes don't know where to go. Because we're lost. We need these masks because people need us to keep them safe... and we need to convince ourselves we can..."

She pauses for a few seconds, then softer. "Please don't become like us... like me."

And with that she opens the door and heads out, to be alone with her thoughts in the cold northern night for a while, before the hectic task of the evening.

---

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