GoldenCat/SilentWarmth
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Silent Wamrth, Silent Words
Faina: The sound of the explosion is still in her ears.
Not even sweat in her brow, but the pointed pain still in her spine.
Everything feels soft - the... bed? covers? warm towel on her forehead? Pillow? No... not quite a pillow.. it is not soft, and on the back of her head she feels the fabric of a dress, and the warmth of a body underneath... a hand caressing her hair, and as her eyes opens,she sees Faina's face, worry leaving it. "Good Morning."
Immediately, she gets up, resting Iselsis' head against a pillow, and sits down on a chair nearby... the picture of the room beggining to appear for Iselsis - Faina's, probably.
Iselsis: She tries to get up and the room starts to spin, she groans, clutches her head, dropping back onto the pillow...
After the room stops spinning so much she speaks, voice slightly hoarse. "Did we win...?", her head still feels like it's stuffed with cotton, memories of the fight slowly trickling back into her consciousness.
Faina: "Yes. Yes, we did." She smiles, her elbow supported on the table to her left, fingers supporting her face in noble amusement. Or at least, trying to feign that much. "You saved my life, there. I owe you, more than once, today."
"All of Windia does."
"You took care of them by yourself - Whisper was barely there in time to put off the flames. Congratulations, Iselsis... you are a heroine." She smiles.
Iselsis: She nods her head, as well as she can do that while lying down waiting for the world to come back into full focus. "I heroically passed out at the end too. ... Think I'll get a medal for that?", always the smartass, except this time she sounds somewhat less convinced in her verbal sparring.
"W-Whisper? ..." she groans, rubbing her temples "Can't remember."
Faina: "We will get you something... hard to give a medal for someone who should not exist for doing things that no one should know, right?" She gets up, filling a cup of tea, and walking up to Iselsis... "But I promise you will get a gift worhty of what you did here today. You deserve it."
She sits down at the devil girl's side, and places the cup of tea close to the bed, then picks the warm towel from her forehead. "Honestly, I never thought you had that in you... even after knowing you all this time. Nicest surprise I have had in ages, I tell you."
Iselsis: She glances at the tea, and resolved to drink it in a bit, once it would actually go down, that and once she could actually stay upright. Her brow furrows at Faina's words, feeling somewhat insulted at her lack of confidence in her abilities. "I didn't think I had that in me, either. A little more trust in my abilities would be nice though..." she half-mumbles.
Faina: She glosses over the mention of Whisper with a sigh, throwing the towel in a little bin close to the bed.
"I did trust your abilities. I did not think you would give your all like you did... I never realised how much you cared."
Iselsis: I guess I did give it my all... it's probably why both of us are here to talk at all now...
She falls silent, and stares at the ceiling for a while before piping up again. "When I saw those nemessaries the thought of grabbing you and flying off did occur to me... but this was... is bigger than either of us. Bigger than me anyway." ... she pauses, then mumbles "Besides, nobody would miss me if I'd died..."
Another pause. "Besides, I'd failed to outrun them once, I didn't know I'd do better the second time.", glossing over her last statement.
Faina: "I would."
She says, looking the other way...
"Especially if you had died then. But... you know... they will love to know it. You just got much more trustworthy to them, you..." She stops. "Ah, screw that, you know that already."
"And... sorry."
"For holding you like I did just now, that is." She walks out of the bed, and to the window, watching the snow... and smiling at her last statement. That was Iselsis alright.
Iselsis: She lets all of that sink in.
Then it dawns on her... is it really over?
"Will... will Windia burn like Whiteshield...?", she couldn't hide the twinge of fear in her voice. This city was her all, protecting it was her life's work even if she never got any recognition for it.
Faina: Her fingertips touch the glass... looking at some point in the distance.
"I... don't know."
"Valencia was warned. I spent all this time here with you, but from what people came to tell me... the Royal Guard is ready. Valencia and her Dragons are ready and ready to assault Blue Wind. But..."
"If there are more deathknights... if they have weapons we do not know of... I don't know."
"Supposedly they have finished the wards to that Nemessary and are about to interrogate him by now. Maybe we will have answers then... but so far... it can go either way."
"But at least now we will be prepared."
Iselsis: ... "You spent all your time here? We should be out there, fighting! We're the black ops, damnit, they need us!"
Apparantly she'd gotten her second wind. That is until she sits up and attempts to climb out of bed, and promptly collapses.
"Ow! ... Maybe that wasn't such a great idea..."
Faina: "Hey, I sent my best men to recon there! The army is there as a backup and... --"
...and then Iselsis collapses.
A moment later Faina is at her side, helping her up and back on the bed... more contact than they ever had before. Only now Iselsis notices the lack of her cloak... as well as her jade... and her leather suit... leaving her... bare. "You need to rest damn you! You overdid it enough today... and I will have you resting if I have to strap you to the damn bed!"
Iselsis: Had it been any other circumstance, well, had it been like before, she would've slapped the help away. Of course, she wasn't in any state to do that, besides... usually Faina would know better than to touch her at all. Iselsis wasn't known for being fond of people invading her personal space.
So she lets herself be helped back into bed, making a note of the fact she's not wearing anything before lying back down with a sigh of relief as the room once again mostly stops spinning.
"Didn't know you were into that kinda thing. I'm just finding out all sorts of new things about you today.", and with that half-hearted attempt at a joke out of the way she asks the all-important question "Why am I naked?"
Faina: Faina shakes her head at the joke, but does not reply to it, simply grinning... then places a serious face, "You weren't very hurt... but you were drained. Figured your body would recover better without the weight and the constraitns. You do lock yourself inside too many layers of clothing, you know."
"Wouldn't do well for your recovery." She says, looking the other way while Iselsis pushes the covers to herself again...
Iselsis: ... "It makes living easier if you have something to hide the fact you're a freak behind." she says. Faina probably knew she was being truthful, if maybe a little overdramatic. After all, Iselsis would never act so... awkward when she was all geared up and on top of the world.
Faina: "You don't need to hide here, though. Here, this is my room, this is my home..." Her hand reaches to her face, taking the wisps of white hair out of her face... "And here, you will look as you will. It is not like I haven't met enough beings from Malfeas... and unlike them, you are cute."
Iselsis: She closes her eyes as Faina's fingers brush across her forehead, taking a deep breath.
She's just humoring me. I'm a valuable commodity, that's all...
"Thanks for humoring me, Faina.". It sounded bitter, angry. Not so much directed at Faina, just something that had always been there, but was usually better hidden from the world. She didn't have the emotional resilience right now to keep herself in check, to keep the true Izabella hidden behind the facade of Iselsis.
Faina: "Must feel insulting for you, I suppose. I know nothing of what it must be like, right?"
She gets up again, looking at the mirror. Unable to stay still, nervous...
"I just feel that is my fault. Well, our fault, really... but..."
Iselsis: She opens her eyes, narrowing them slightly "What do you mean? Your fault?"
Faina: "I remember when I first met you... you were so young. So... well, you know how you were then." She avoids saying things like 'confused' and 'scared', of course. "I always thought I should do like I did today... hold you like that. You always seemed to need someone to... and yet, all that I could do was train you, was help you use your abilities to be a killer like us."
And then you placed your life on the line to save mine...
Iselsis: She sighs softly. Apparantly Faina really cared, to some degree. Or at least had given it all some thought, that was more than she'd gotten in years.
"Becoming who I am helped me... It helped me cope, it gave me a purpose instead of just wasting away into nothingness. I can blame so many people for so many different things..." she pauses a second "but I can't fault you for giving me purpose and direction. I may never be able to simply go out among other people without hiding, I'll probably never be able to walk the streets without hiding what I am. ... But at least there's some good that comes from it. And when..."
She trails off, wondering if she should continue that thought.
"... Nevermind..."
Faina: To the mirror, to herself, Faina smiled.
She had not failed utterly, then, as she had thought.
Of course, as a shadow, she had suceeded. The girl was professional, driven, skilled... as all she should be, she suceeded. Then.. what did Faina fail as? What was she to her, to have failed?
She turns around again, slow steps that place her close to the bed once again... and smile, shelteringly, down at Iselsis.
"And when...?"
"What you want to say... do. You saved me today. It is your right to say whatever comes to your mind, no matter how hurtful it might be..."
Iselsis: She takes another wavering breath and closes her eyes. She never talked this openly with anyone. Ever.
"Isn't this talk some breach of protocol?"
She was stalling.
Faina: She sits down on the bed again, her arm across Iselsis to support herself.
She looks at Iselsis' eyes, and sees herself reflected in them.
What was she?
Who was she?
She hado nly one answer.
"Yes."
Iselsis: She looks back into Faina's eyes, and swallows.
She turns away and mumbles "And when you have nothing but anger and hopelessness, having a purpose can mean the difference between living and dying..."
She almost winces, eyes closed. That kind of scared look when you confess something you weren't supposed to, and you're waiting for when things are going to fall apart because you overshared.
Faina: Faina comes closer, and whisper.
The whisper of a mother to her daughter before a ball or a marriage.
The whisper of a teacher to a farvored student, telling secrets the class cannot hear.
The whisper of a sister, telling a secret to be kept.
"Never let go of that. Never grow cold like us. Keep that idealism... it is what saved us all, Ise..."
Iselsis: She turns back to face the other woman, and stares at her, incredulously.
I don't know what's going on anymore... just yesterday everything was how it always was, now everything is different.
She just stares, completely at a loss for what to say... probably for the first time in a very long time.
Faina: First, I tell her not to open her heart...
Then, after she has taken it to heart, I tell her to.
Ah, Iselsis, I have never been fair with you, have I?
Faina caresses Iselsis’ hair, giving her time... realising how confusing she is being.
A moment of tranquility...
Too easily shattered.
There was a knock on the door. Iselsis does not see the person, only hears the voice, “He is properly bound, Lady Faina. We are about to start the interrogation. You should come.”
The door closes, and Faina comes up to Iselsis... taking one of the flowers from her hair and placing on the demon-blooded girl’s.... her voice taking the professional tone once again. “I will be going to interrogate the thing now.”
Iselsis: I hate it when people touch me...
So why don't I mind this now?
The stroking of her hair calms her down, though she still stares confusedly at Faina. Then the knock on the door disturbs the quiet, reflexively she pulls the covers higher, in case the messenger decided to come in.
She nods at Faina as she mentions interrogation. "Alright then. I'll need my bodysuit and my boots."
Faina: She tries to repress the surprise... failing for just a bit.
"You are coming? I will not be reponsible for you."
She says, placing a Jade glove on her hand.
Iselsis: She shrugs a little, reaching for the tea and summarily downing it in a futile display of proving that she's quite fine.
"How many exorcists that can utterly destroy a spirit do you have standing by?", her professionalism, and arrogance were back in force, apparantly.
Faina: "None."
"I really ought to have learned that..."
"I will be outside." She says, finishing to place her professionalism in place. "Your suit is over the table there. Don't take long."
Iselsis: she nods her head and gets up, holding the covers... she groans softly, and is obviously quite dizzy, but manages to stay standing this time, after having had some time to recover.
"Just... give me a few minutes and I'll be out."
Faina: "Alright."
Outside, she waits. Classy as the place is, there is that... feeling. A house of spies, there is something there like a giant eye. Now that its mistress is not around anymore, it is like every wall and mirror is watching Iselsis...
Iselsis: She waits until the click of the door being closed is heard, then staggers and steadies herself against a nearby wall. She may be weak right now, but she couldn't let anyone see that. Not even Faina, at least not right now. She takes a few seconds to catch her breath and walks over to the table that has her stuff on it. She drops the covers and takes her suit, sitting on the bed to get into the skintight, glossy black leather suit, and to get her heavy boots on.
She wanted to be more covered, but she was too weak right now, so that wasn't in the cards.
Before opening the door she stops at the window, staring out across the snow covered city like Faina had done just before.
I wonder if today is another one of those days that changes everything, and nothing will be the same again.
Either way, she had a job to do. With that she opened the door and stepped out.
Faina: "Finally."
With a single glance, she walks... through the busy halls of the Mansion, and up to its Basement...
Wards fill the walls, prayer strips and arcane runes. On every door, two guards, of the Shadow Wings, a very ruthless branch of the organization. Behind the second door... lies the ghost, hurt, silver chains bounding its ghostly self, going in and out its body. Its mutilated war-body lies to the side, showing how the ghost was forcefully removed.
Konstantin, an exorcist that had worked with Iselsis briefly before stands on one of the walls, more prayer strips on his hand. He had the look of a mortal who had taken the profession that was grim even for a Dragon-Blooded like Iselsis - serious, grim, haunted. Despite his intimidating mien, interrogation was not his forte.
Faina takes a step foward. "Well, then... shall we begin?"
Nemessary: The ghost, head shaved, eyes burning rears its head up... his eyes past Faina and to Iselsis. "So, the abomination. You try to stop us, lady of life... and use a thing like that. She is the only reason you survived before. And you intend to intimidate me? To squeeze any secrets off me?"
"The red lady there shows me you have already lost."
Iselsis: She follows Faina into the chamber. Standard fare, for her. The ghost didn't much impress her either in its current state: though it was probably the most powerful spirit she'd ever faced. But without its trinkets and warbody it wasn't threatening to her in the least.
She didn't deign to reply to the ghost, simply stepping aside, arms crossed. Regarding it coldly. She'd let it talk to Faina, and stay silent until her part was up.
Partly intimidation. The silent unwavering figure behind the person asking the questions tends to be far more dangerous, and is usually the penalty for being uncooperative.
Faina: "Spare me. You fanatic may say what you wish. You have lost."
"All you have fought for is already dust. And you might be. I know you can feel it coming from my monster. What she can do with you." Faina finishes with a devilish grin. "It is better for life as you said if you are disposed of. But we can be... lenient." She takes a strip from Konstantin, and straps it to the Nemessary, making it grunt in pain. It would not scream - the marks on its own body show it is no strange to flagelation. "Understand - wether you hold your info or not will not make any difference in the end - you have already lost. The only person who matters now is you - wether you will slowly vanish into nothingness, or have any chance to still exist."
Nemessary: "And?" the Nemessary Grunts, but refrains from any screaming, simply... accepting.
"I know you lie, woman. We know who you are. We know how you act. And we know how much power you have to bear... the earth has yet to shake. And thus, I know that neither of us has yet to make a move.... I would know, even here."
Iselsis: She smirks and giggles at the floor.
Itsy bitsy ghosty, all shackled here. Tried to take over town, but failed and its time is near. she sings to herself in her head.
She did love her job.
Faina: "You would know. Just a Wretched? She was taken down too easily, Nemessary. Your brethren, armed and armored to the teeth? You underestimate the magic of Windia. You underestimate our resolve. You underestimate our power." She stakes another strip, and it curls up into a pick. It goes in his corpus, and there is a hiss of something burning. "So, really. You have no reason to be so confident."
Nemessary: "Hrnnnn...." It came closer, this time. But not... really.
"You want to know what we have? Heh... say what you will, we know what the simple mention of a... Wretched means. We know. Who can match her puissance, in this place? Or even that of my... pe..." It stops to griunt again, as the pick bites deeper. "Your Silver Angel is not here. Without her, who among you can even match a wretched? She has goen to war, and will not return... and even if she does, all she will see... is ashes."
Faina: Faina laughs.
"Oh, is that so? You think we need her? We did not need her to take Blue Wind, Nemessary."
"If you wish to resist this long... then so be it. Konstantin... I leave him to you, for now. Iselsis, come."
And, without another glance to the Nemessary, she left.
Iselsis: She follows Faina, no longer looking at the nemessary...
And then, just when she leaves, she turns just for an instance. A malicious grin adorning her face and the fires of malfeas briefly reflecting in her cold, piercing blue eyes. She gives the nemessary the two fingered salute, and winks, though it's certainly no nice one.
Intimidation. Her visage would say more than a thousand words. Though a summation would be somewhat like this: do not trifle with devils, their vengeance and passion for revenge exacted ten times over is more horrific than even those of the underworld know.
Faina: Outside, Faina continues to walk out, through the checkpoints, without another word.
Iselsis: She follows after Faina, a little confused.
"What's the plan? Why did we leave?"
Faina: "He thinks we do not have Valencia. He thinks our elite is off fighting the Celebrant."
"God knows that is what Valencia wanted to do, but some higher ups kept her around. And what do you know... they were right! The Royal Guard is one thing, but without her, it is not guaranteed against a well-backed Wretched."
She turns to Iselsis, and smiles. A smile that is devilish. There is no cumplicity in it, it could have been shot to the Nemessary - it is the smile of a lioness who knows the prey is unaware of her. "They are about to walk into the unknown. We are not."
Iselsis: "Well, that explains that we're going to win ... that's definately good." she adds under her breath "Though that Wretched didn't look so tough..." then continues "But that doesn't explain why we left. And what was it blithering about, that because of me we'd already lost? Ghosts tend to you know, be too afraid of me to say things like that."
Faina: "He is a fanatic. They tend to see beliefs as too important. I think they would not even use us, life, if we are not sworn to them and thrice-flayed. They think it is all about that."
"Unlike him, we are practical. We use whatever we have at hand. Be it demons, be it undead"
She turns to the walls, regarding the invisible. "Call Whisper back, now! Call Vadim! Call Duane! I want them all back here. And all others of that level you can find!"
She waits a moment, then turns to Iselsis. "I am going to tell the army to set them a trap. And I am calling our best to strike and purge Blue Wind. How long until you can be combat-ready?"
Iselsis: "A few hours. I won't be at my top, but it'll do... It's either that or wait a week or so. I'm feeling much better already." she shrugs a little "And while that might be smart, I want to have a go at that Wretched for what she did."
Faina: "You have one, or none at all."
She says, turning around, and walking out, clearly meaning for Iselsis not to follow.
"Get ready.... or talk to Sapphire if you can not, she will make you useful."
Iselsis: "One will do fine." she says matter of factly. "And the nemessary?" she half-calls out as Faina walks off. "Getting rid of it is out of Konstantin's league."
Faina: She stops a little ways away...
"It will also be draining for you. Konstantin will keep him caged... hopefully. When this is done, it is you who will execute him, of course."
Iselsis: She just nods, and lets her walk off, then goes to retrieve her things. She hoped her subtle message registered with Faina. She wanted the Wretched, or at least the first shot, if it was at all possible.
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