GoldenCat/Fids01

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Heaven's Hellions

It was a wonderful morning in Yu Shan. No calls, no problems, no martial drilling, no call to craft fate, no nothing - even in this time of tumult, it was a day one could just sit back, sleep in, and forget any responsabilities assossiated with being one of the few, one of the very few, charged with the continuation of Creation. One of the few to understand how delicate it is, how wonderful it is. One of the few mornings where one could just... wake up, see the light of the Unconquered Sun coming through one windows, and savor life.

Winter Rose: Shifting in her decadently blanketed large canopied bed, Winter Rose opens her soft blue eyes slowly, squinting past the curtain around her bed to the windows. She pushes herself upright, sitting and then crawling to the edge of her bed in her light shift, moving the veil aside as she swings her feet down to the floor feet touching cold tiles that would bring a dynast to profanity at feeling that early in the morning without slippers waiting. Winter Rose doesn't even shiver, but gets up and walks to the large bay windows, opening the nearest one and looking out across her grounds as she blinks away the remnents of her sleep.

• Outside the window, Rose sees the sight is the sort one would only see in Heaven - the well-tended garden, devoid of fruits in the winterr, but covered with light layers of an ice that seems to shine in all colors under the sunlight; the Trees, seeming both more delicate and more durable than those on the material world, its etheral leaves shining with divine dew; The elemental bunnies runnng like the wind, and butterflies flapping with all colors of the rainbow, every flap of their tiny wings producing delicate melodies that seem to interwine with one another to form a heavenly orchestra; The sight of her disciple running towards her manse as if the Yozis themselves were after him; The light and sweet humming of Rose’s godly servants by her doorstep, knowing of her awakening; All in all, a wonderful morning.

Winter Rose: She takes in the whole scene as a matter of course, eyes becoming more used to the light by the moment...and then, she sees her disciple. Running. Toward her manse. Winter Rose blinks again, and finally says something, a soft word made melodious by her voice.

"Bugger."

She withdraws from the window and goes to don a cream-white velveteen robe over her shift, belting it with a sash of the same texture and make, then goes to her door with not-quite wholly disguised irritation.

• At Rose’s door, the translucent form of Candle, one of herlongtime servants, a maiden made of light, stands. Candle sprang into being with one of the last lights of the Unconquered Sun touched the heavenly city, and had been on the Manse since prior the time she took possession of it. She is knelt on the ground, looking up at the Sidereal, "Did you sleep well, lady Rose?"
  
  "Anything specific you desire this morning to break your fast?"

Winter Rose: "Anything from the usual menu will do." She says dismissively, then adds a "Yes, I did." Looking out into the hallway, Winter Rose makes sure no one else is about, then moves past Candle mumbling "Blaine is coming." as she proceeds down the hallway to the stairs.

• On the hallway, Simeon, the spirit of the house, an old, old spirit that sprang into being on the moment the Demesne the Manse was built over was formed, a nearly insubstantial( even in Heaven) mist of stardust with the countours of an old man gestures - the Manse is 'his' domain, and he knew Blaine was coming, and the exact moment to open the portals to him. He nods a courteous greeting to his mistress, then stands there looking at the closing portals, as if waiting more visits.

Blaine: Panting heavily, covered in sweat, Blaine falls against the now-closed portals, not even noticing anyone else there, "Why.... didn't ....I get chosen by mercury?!?" he asks himself in a faint voice, face red with the effort, then he sees Rose, and jumps to her, grabbing her robe, "Teach! You have to hide me! He is coming! Hide me, please please, it's nothing of what he will say...!"

Winter Rose: "Who is coming?" She'd ask coolly, uncurling his fingers from her robe, smoothing it after and running a hand through her long silver-white hair. "And what did you do this time?"

Blaine: "N-nothing! I swear! I was just taking a walk, then bumped on him, and he became all angry at me and began to chase after me! I didn't..."

Censor: Before Blaine can even finish, Simeon brings his old hands to his wrinkled stardust face, as the Portals are torn open, falling on the ground with a huge thud enacting what, on Creation, would be a cloud of dust. Elemental energy pours forth into her manse, coming from the powerful, and enraged, creature standing on the Sidereal’s doorstep. "Where is that brat?!? " the Elemental dragon asks, looking straight at Rose, who can feel Blaine hiding behind her.

Winter Rose: "Is something wrong, good sir?" The Sidereal would ask just as coolly as she did Blaine before, the wind blowing her hair back, whipping her bangs with it. "Please do not damage my manse."

Censor: "Oh... my apologies, Joybringer. I was not thinking straight...." The dragon stcratches behind his neck, looking slightly away like an embarassed human - a comical, and strange, sight. "But I am in pursuit of a certain.... troublemaker... that seems to be hiding behind you."

Winter Rose: "What did he do this time?" Winter Rose asks wearily, looking behind herself for a moment before returning her gaze to the dragon, expression now somewhat puzzled.

Censor: Blaine looks up at his mentor with puppy-dog eyes... the sort puppies beside broken pots give you. The Dragon eyes him with supreme annoyance, then stroke his chin and begin, "Well, seems like your fellow Chosen, was flirting with the Four Magnificent Lights, the daughters of Hikari-Hime. She didn't take well for it, and sent a Golden Tiger after him. Then, he took the Gold part of a quicksilver channel, jumping between gondolas, making three gods fall into its waters. Also, when told by one that Lytek had make a mistake in Exalting him, he went and called Lytek... what was it again? Oh, a wanker."

Winter Rose: Sighing, Winter Rose shakes her head tragically, then look to Blaine with a cool-eyed gaze. "You really did do all of this, didn't you?" She'd look back to the dragon. "The usage of the Gold channel is of course not a trivial offense, but flirting with someone and bandying insults...?"

Censor: "The disruption of order is not just a trivial offense - only using the Gold portion might be a trivial offense, but he did so in a order-breaking way - three employees of the Bureau of Humanity were late for their jobs today, and we ae still trying to salvage the poor Tiger from the bottom of the Cannal. Just using it calmly and doing such.... chaos... are different things. Sidereal or not, I am taking him to an audit!"

Winter Rose: Thinking for a few moments, Winter Rose replies with "This would be classified as a Severity 1 offense, am I correct?"

Censor: "Oh, just taking the Golde portion of a quicksilver cannal would, yes... but there are.... aggravating... factors." He says, eyeing Blaine hungrily, "I would say the ruckus he stirred would up this severeity... considerably."

Winter Rose: Catching the dragon's eye with her own azure gaze, Winter Rose raises an eyebrow and ask "Aggravating factors?"

"Did he upset quite a few powerful gods?"

Censor: Huffing and narrowing his eyes, "Fort the third time, madam! He sank a Golden Tiger down the river, stirred a ruckus on the gondolas, and made three gods lose their time!" An icy smoke comes from his nostrils, in anger, "If you make me repeat myself one more time, I am going to your superior to report both! "

Winter Rose: "Likely, I am going to get in trouble for this anyway." She'd say quietly, then look to Blaine. "I think we are going to take a trip to the Cerulean Lute of Harmony." After returning her gaze to the dragon, she'd continue in a dry tone. "If you will please wait for a few moments, I will go make myself presentable for this...audience."

Blaine: Running after her, Blaine despairs, "Why didn't you try to bribe him? Ask him to forget it? We could... could... lock him in the basement! So he will never come out, yeah! I think he was the only one who saw me! Well... him and half the golden side.... but, but.... people are so busy nowdays noone would even notice!"

Winter Rose: "Yes, so busy they could send a censor after you." Winter Rose replies, sniffing in derision as she moves back up the stairs, along the hallway back to her room. "And...I am not going to attack a censor." Reaching the door she'd look back at Blaine, admonishing him. "You stay right here, I will be out in a few minutes. If you do not stay here, I will encase you in crystal and bring you to Yaogin that way."

Blaine: "I wasn't lying when I said I sort of... bumped... on him" He says, embarassed but shurgging, leaning against a wall, "Hmmm, changing? Can I watch? Hikari-Hime came in just when her daughters were beggining the show...!"

Winter Rose: "No." She'd reply, then shut the door and begin dressing herself after quickly retrieving the clothing from her closet.

Not too much later, Winter Rose open the door, resplendant in her chosen attire for the day (or perhaps the occasion), Arrakis at her side. Lifting her eyebrows as she regards Blaine, she'd sigh. "Let us go, then. I am missing breakfast for you, so you know." She finishes as she begins traveling back through the manse.

Blaine: Blaine walks behind, hands on the back of his head, grinning, "Well, after they fire both our asses, I know a grea place we can dine, just close to the Cerulean Lute, it has great hot springs there too! So we take a great breakfast, then have a good time swimming naked, then maybe... more fun..." He chuckles some, evading the gaze of the censor, burning on him, uttering some curse under his breath.

Winter Rose: "If you think they are going to fire us, you are sorely mistaken. Perhaps I will have to do an unpleasant assignment...and you will get a month of training with my Sifu." Winter Rose states serenely, walking down the stairs and arriving at the front entrance to her manse. "So, shall we be off?" She'd ask the censor.

Censor: "Oh, of course... " The censor keeps serpenting around the two, as theytake a Gondola on a Quicksilver cannal, a disapproving glance to both all the way to the Cerulean Lute of Harmony, the Pleasure House of Yu Shan( or, less flatteringly, called 'Heaven's Whorehouse' thanks to the habits of most of its functionaries to work only for their own pleasure), as she gets there, the Censor looks disapprovingly at the idle chatting and vacant desks as he approaches one of the lesser gods, "I am Goro, censor for the Bureau of Heaven. I would like to file a complaint on two of your employees. One for disruping the order on the city, the other for obstructing my work."

• The lesser spirit simply looks at him, too busy smoking something of quitessence, and distracted from his dreamstone. "Oh? Hmmm? Err... very well, then, let me go call someone... " He goes fetch someone, muttering under his breath some curses to them all for distracting him from his fun.

Censor: "Heaven's Whorehouse indeed..." The censor mutters with a disapproving glance to Rose and mainly Blaine, "No wonder if bred undisciplined brats like you."

He says that while filing a formal complaint in a prayer strip, the end of his draconic talons inscribing all offenses he can think of.

Winter Rose: "If you must know, I am his guardian for...the present." Winter Rose replies primly. "Thus, I think this charge of 'obstructing your work' is quite unfair. I am required to know exactly what he has been doing."

Censor: "Then you should do a better job. Like locking him on a cage in Malfeas."

Winter Rose: "That is not allowed." She'd say ruefully.

• The little spirit doesn't come back, but a larger one, looking like a woman covered in grainy veils that seem to have more dimensions than possible, folding and waving impossibly, both covering her entirely and sticking to her body like a second skin, comes along. She is Anitsu, the peleasure weaver. And she doesn't like Rose.... in the least. "So, what is going on here?" She asks, stopping close to them all, looking with some sadsitic satisfaction to Rose, "I was told one of our funtionaires got into trouble?"

Censor: "Well, yes. That devil-boy you have there used the golden portion of the Quicksilver Cannals for personal bussiness - while jumping from gondola to gondola, making gods fall on the water and a Golden Tiger drown. And the lady there obstructed my durty as a censor by protecting the boy."

Anitsu: "Rose, Rose, what did you get yourself in this time, hmmm?" Anitsu says, taking the charges from Goro's hand, and placing on the table, "Well then, you can leave us. We can discipline our own." She says with a dismissive glance to the spirit, pushing him a bit out of the way, "You can be rest assured she will be... disciplined... accordingly." her glare to Rose is of sadistic triumph...

Censor: "I really doubt about that." Goro'd say, low enough that nobody would hear, then look oddly at Anitsu, "Actually, ma'am, the gravest offense was perpetrated by the boy!!!"

Anitsu: "Oh? Well, we will punish him too. Now, don't you have anything better to do?"

As Goro leaves, the goddess looks at Rose up and down, "Couldn't train your brat right? I knew it. Now, do you have any words to explain yourself, Rose?" Blaine lays back, grinning,something in his eyes seeming to cheer on and scream cat fight!

Winter Rose: "Should I?" She'd ask Anitsu, looking at her sarcastically. "It seems more like wasted effort on my part."

Anitsu: "Are you questioning my fairness and judgement, Yozi-Kin? Questioning the fairness of heaven would fit right in with your.... ilk." She says, taking the strip and reading, "I can clearly see why you were charged with..." Her eyes stop for a moment. "....Oh." The robes not fluttering on unnatural winds anymore, while she thinks... hard.... "Regardless, it is your fault for not disciplining him!"

Winter Rose: "The censor did not want me to discipline him, he wanted our superiors to discipline him." Winter Rose reminds Anitsu patiently. "I would prefer not to be hit with a Severity 3 offense or greater."

Anitsu: "Our Superiors are too busy right now, as you very well know." Anitsu says, folding the paper neatly, like her veils, and making it disappear among them, "Maybe I won't report it to sometime he actually wakes up... or even to Kejack... if I see you acting more.... fitting, to someone.. of your station." She says so with her breath heavy.

Winter Rose: "Fitting?" She'd ask warily.

Anitsu: Anitsu comes close to Rose, taking some of her hair, "You should wear brass chains like your parents, Yozi-kin. Not a regalia you have no right to wear. Chain yourself in brass and lick my feet like demons should do to us, and maybe I am not reporting this to our superiors."

Winter Rose: "Perhaps sometime you should travel to the Blessed Isle, and persuade a Dragon-Blooded sorcerer into summoning up a Neomah for you, Anitsu." Winter Rose chuckles, caressing her hand gently, before suddenly tightening her grip and taking it from her hair. "You seem too attracted to the pleasures a demon can provide. I am only a frail half-breed."

Anitsu: Anitsu narrows her eyes, holding Rose’s pulse, "Bitch. I would be way nicer than our superiors will be... you will dream of licking me while you are overseeing the brothels in Nexus, oh yes, you will! "

Blaine: "Take me instead? Come oonnn!" Blaine asks, behind, Anitsu, leering, "I can chain myself, we go there on the back....!"

Winter Rose: "I'm too useful to be watching brothels, Anitsu, and you know it. Our division has much use for a seductress killer they can call on without dealing with the Division of Endings." She'd nod to Blaine for a moment, and poke him with a finger to shut him up, then continue talking to the goddess. "Perhaps a Neomah is too trite for your tastes, then. Would you like me to summon up my mother? You would not long survive her embrace -- quite unlike my father."

Chejop Kejack: Suddenly, a green light pours into the entrance hall of the cerulean lute, emerald essence pouring through the air, from, and condesing into, the form of a sturdy old man, ivies snaking around him, seemingly like snakes every time one blinks - shirtless, with mist for a lower body, the apparition stays there - something Winter Rose has never seen, only heard of - the Respledent Messenger of Chejop Kejack. "Who is here? I need one of the Sidereals here! Now! I need one of you in An-Teng." The message then fades into essence.

Anitsu: "Why you.....!" Anitsu begins, but then shuts up as the Infallible messenger fades. She grits her teeth. "I wouldn't count on it, Rose. Not in the least. But, you should go now, Crane is here, but he doesn't possess a method of transportation like you can use to get there. Just remember I will be waiting, Yozi-Kin." She says, her eyes lustily on Rose’s body, "When you come back, we will talk..."

Winter Rose: "Yes, we will talk. In the meanwhile, you are Blaine's temporary caretaker, as I cannot take him with me. Feel free to keep him busy with your brand of 'discipline'." With that, Winter Rose leaves the two of them, making her way to a Gate as fast as possible.

Blaine: "Awww, no catfight!" Blaine says, then run to her as she goes, handling her something, a piece of paper, "I got it for you, do I get something for it?" He winks.

On her hands, the piece of paper Anitsu had hidden, the charges against him.

His smile seem to echo, 'Am I not the best disciple someone could want?'

Winter Rose: "I...err. We'll see." She'd sigh, then put the paper away, leaving with a final "You behave yourself."

Blaine: "Oh, I will... I guess Anitsu can teach me how to behave~!"

She goes towards the nearest gate to drop her there, and then uses Travel Without Distance. An-Teng is dark in the high night of a week day - dark except for the faint blue light, away from you, close to a place you had once been to, the Street of Temples.

The Blue Light, the anima banner of another Sidereal, makes your reason to be there pretty self-explanatory.

Winter Rose: Looking about, Winter Rose satisfies herself that no one can really see her, or at least not alot of people. Then she attempts to make her way to the spot where the other Sidereal is by moving along the rooftops.

Iron Siaka: Her lifeblood dripping down on the floor, the rough, unnatractive woman clutches her wounds, feeling it dripping out, despite her Exalted constituition. She utters a curse in Old Realm too foul to be translated, and turn to see the crimson simian demon scream at her, the scream hitting her like a crushing wave, sending her back against a trash pile, falling in the gutter as the air leaves her lungs.

She gets up, shakily, looking straight at the looming, towering monster in front of her, "The stories of the Solars.... they made this seem to easy..." Iron Siaka narrows her eyes, and grip her mace tightly. "Never... thought I would say something as stupid.... as this. But... what the hell." The Sidereal lifts her mace towards the Erimanthoy, and utter in a shaky voice, "For Heaven. For Venus!"

The blow of her mace cracks the skull of the Erimanthoy, destroying his form. Just as she did, she lays back on the alley wall, barely noticing the green-rust brass Javelin coming against her, barely enough essence left to arrange with fate not to be there. "Come on, Kalimdos... at least... they won't say... I didn't die well. Come on, you disgusting fucker."

As Winter Rose gets to the scene, she sees Iron Siaka, a... controversial... member of the Bureau of Fate( like most on the division of Serenity) clutching broken ribs on her mannish body, defiance on her eyes as she lies against the alley wall. On the mouth of the alley, is Kalimdos, a demon of the second circle, spawn of Kimberry, the Sea that Marched Against the Flame. A Dog-Man, three yards tall, moving hunchback, barking sickeningly as he drags his javelins from the ground - they are immensely heavy, and a little bigger than he is. The demon has mismatched traces of amphibian anatomy on his canine gait - fins and flippers jutting out of him, as well as a miriad of octopus tentacles covered in some disgusting slime coming from his pelvis and his torso.

The demon can barely fit through the mouth of the alley between two temples, full of boxes and discarded altars and pieces of burnt offerings, as well as trash from their celebrations. The temples are tall, and even their sides are decorated by carved figures of their deities and objects of worship.It goes a long way back to the next street, all narrow and lit by weak oil lamps, although the architecture of most of the city is devoid of the giant statues, busts and carvings presents on its thousand temples.

The creature steps foward menacingly, and though the Sidereal looks like but a child to it, nobody can blame Siaka - as much of a slacker as she is - from not meeting his gaze with a presence that seems to put them in equal footing. Which is unfortunately spoiled by the fact she is clutching her sides and groaning with each step.

Winter Rose: Drawing her slender daiklave as she walks down the street toward the greater demon, wreathed herself in a halo of blue light rimmed with the emerald hellfire of Malfeas, Winter Rose scans the area quickly, looking for any concentrations of essence which would indicate some of the Erymanthoi attempting to flank her.

As the monster is focused on the other Sidereal, Winter Rose calmly walks up to him and brings her shining daiklave across his rump with as much force as she can. A second slash follows with blurred speed as she releases the potential energy granted by one of her charms, cutting back across him.

• As his disgusting blood, seeming a misxture of blood and pus that would come from an infected battle wound pours from his back to taint Rose's arms... Kalimdos grunts. A low grunt, not feeling more hurt than someone who had just ben punched in the face, regardlesss of having just been pierced twice by Arrakis.
  
  Barking, the demon turns, sending a wave of its sickeningly, dripping tentacles towards Rose...

Winter Rose: The sharp edges of Arrakis bite into the offending tentacle as Winter Rose casually parries the appendage, sliding it along one side and stepping back a few paces after it recedes. Her anima wavers, then burns stronger as she smiles at the demon. "Uncouth beast."

Erymanthus: Right after her parry, Rose can see the crimson fur of the Blood-Ape jumping towards Siaka, howling in blood-lusting madness as it comes down, its claws and teeth flashing in the moonlight....

Iron Siaka: .... and are met with the head of Siaka's mace as seh burns a little more of her essence to parry it, hitting the monster's jaw and sending him against the wall with a confused simian noise. She then moves foward, kicking a bunch of burnt offerings and trash on its face, and hitting him with the Mace just as he receives trash, making him blind to her attack...

"Hmm... they did send a nice backup... thanks, Rose! Want to go.. for a drink, after we are over... or are you STILL married?"

Winter Rose: Stepping to one side, Winter Rose thrusts up at Kalimdos' eyes as she moves to his left, retracting the sword and holding her breath from the stench as she passes close by the demon as quickly as she can, whipping the daiklave back over his flank in an arcing slash which ends with the sword caught against one tentacle. As she reaches the statue of Anitsu, Rose loops around it, disengaging the tentacle from her sword to hopefully leave it wrapped around, hindering him. She'd proceed into the alley from there, heading toward Iron Siaka.

Kalimdos: Kalimdos tries to move aside, his tentacles trying to protect his eyes and his flank, for a moment seeming wrapped on a swarm of snakes writhing ravenously about him.

"Tainted slut..." He says in a barking voice, a faint grow behind the voice... "You mare like roaches, all of you, Star-Childs... you maim one, another appears!"

Erymanthus: Thirsty for blood, the Erimanthoy leap on Siaka again, blood pouring from its form as it moves with dazzling speed...

Iron Siaka: Siaka stops everything to try and dodge, moving backwards on the alley, kicking back offerings and alcohol bottles, moving languidly to avoid its claws...

Moving fluidly like water, even the attacks that hit the Sidereal seem to just go through... and yet hit nothing, at all, even as water pour from where it hit.

Kalimdos: Sea water and fire pouring from its maw, the demon look angry, and Rose sense essence pouring from it as it barks angrily, its tentacles moving at dazzling speed towards the two Sidereals....

Winter Rose: Just as casually as before, Rose parries both tentacles with Arrakis, the starmetal daiklave biting into them and turning them aside as they try to strike her. She looks somewhat disgusted by the whole thing.

• ... And even then she is thrown three yards backwards, falling into offerings and gutter trash, screaming in pain as her injuries get close to the point she can barely move anymore....

Winter Rose: Winter Rose attacks the Blood Ape twice -- one quick slash followed by another as she attempts to deal with it quickly, then she backs off to intersperse herself between Kalimdos and Siaka.

Erymanthus: The Blood Ape fall back, screaming, its own lifeblood pouring out with a fetid smell. Its eyes narrow at Rose. promising retribuition.

It shines in Demonic power, blood, not the one one pouring in his veins, but shed with essence, pour from it as it moves foward with one movement, its claws a rain of blows over Rose...

Winter Rose: Eyes widening at the sudden onslaught of the Erymanthus, Winter Rose moves to block the blood-soaked claws the first time, but lets them rake across her as the demon attacks twice more, trusting her regalia to protect her. The final time receives the same treatment as the first, a flare of essence empowering her parry as she bats it away.

Iron Siaka: Groaning, Siaka moves away, trying to get up - things don't look good for her, even with her Exalted constiution preventing her from bleeding to death - her head light, fighting an inner battle just to retain a grip on her conscience - a battle she feels like she is losing, as she gets up and looks at Rose, a tear of blood running down from her forehead, "Rose..."

Kalimdos: The demon steps into the alley, finally bringing his two Javelins up from the ground - green-rusted, gigantic brass javelins scorched by the Heart of Malfeas rise towards Rose, moving in a flurry of blows towards the Sidereal, as it barks an drools, fiery salt water coming from his mouth, a droplet of its drool hitting Rose's cheek as it barks and strikes, one to her abdomen, another to her leg, and assuming she dodges, another to her other leg.

Winter Rose: Beginning to show a bit of stress, the young Sidereal nonetheless parries all three of his attacks as effortlessly as before, Arrakis a silvery-blur and anima banner whipping up into a roaring blaze of green fire surrounding the softer, quieter hum of Serenity's blue. She blanches as the demon's drool touches her, but remains in her position.

Glaring at Kalimdos, Winter Rose hesitates for a moment, pale skin seeming to smoke in the manner of her mother, then she lashes out. First, a slash across the greater demon's face, then the Sidereal dances back to strike out twice at the wounded blood ape in a lethal starmetal whirlwind, suddenly darting back to thrust up at Kalimdos with the same blurred speed she exhibited earlier, attacks unhindered by her previous actions.

Kalimdos: The demon looks at himself after Rose’s flurry of blows, blinking once, twice... trying to understand what just happened. His tentacles touch where his sickeningly green blood pours out, and he simply growls, "NOW you have done it, tainted star."

Winter Rose: Winter Rose responds with an outwardly cool "You are already dead, you just don't know it yet."

Erymanthus: The Erimanthus, on the other hand, don’t think twice before jumping at her with its claws, essence pouring from it again as it hunches back and then launches itself over Rose with reckless abandon, screaming for blood!

Winter Rose: The Sidereal sidesteps around the worst of the blood ape's blows, letting the beast's claws rake across her dress and mantle, unable to touch her body underneath. "Siaka...pull yourself together." She'd say in a tight voice, eyeing Kalimdos now.

Siaka: "Getting.. there...." The Sidereal stumbles towards the battle, Mace in hand, ready to crack some skull - the chosen one being that of the Erimanthus.

She growls like a demoness, pain marking her mannish, unnatractive features in a light that is both sympathetic and scary as she jumps over a shrine, hitting the Blood Ape dead in the face and pushing his head towards the wall with the mace...

Erymanthus: Siaka manages to push the Ape's face back in the wall, leaving its blood covering both the wall and her mace - the head of the simian monster is now only a barely-recognizable lump of flesh, and yet, it carries on....

• Suddenly, on the corner of their vision, both joybringers can see a faint violet aura, and a figure moving like a smoky blur. It comes to Kalimdos, swinging a long weapon, once against its back, opening Winter's wounds on it further, then on its neck, and finally, falling to the ground in front of Winter Rose, slicing a handful of its tentacles away with its Scythe, finishing with it over his shoulder. The figure is clad in dark purple robes, wearing a hood and a dark mask - Reaper of Sorrows, a chosen of Endings, Wayang’s protege. His voice comes out, from the darkness of his hood and under his dark mask, as something hollow cutting the air, "She speaks true, demon; Saturn has decreed that your end has come."

Kalimdos: As he hits Kalimdos over Rose's wounds, the monster steps back, his blood pouring forth even more, now mixed with burning salt water. If he was enraged with Rose before, now it is... beyond rage, beyond hate, its dark soul burning with the sort of hatred that can only burn under the green sun of Malfeas. "I am not under the designs of your Maiden, star-child. And neither do I acknowledge her decreeds!"

Winter Rose: Somewhat surprised by the Chosen of Endings' appearance on the scene, Winter Rose decides to think on it later and act now. She slashes at the Erymanthus once, then lunges at Kalimados with a flutter of her dress and mantle as her skin continues to smoke, bringing Arrakis down on him three times before dancing back a few paces to keep a safe distance.

Kalimdos: Oozing blood and salt from his wounds, his tentacles mostly cut halfway, the Demon steps back, trying to avoid the storm of starmetal that falls on him....

• Her Starmetal Daiklave pierces the demon's core, and it stumbles back, it's form held together barely by strands of essence collapsing under the onslaught of fate, until it simply... unravels, in a conflagration over the street of temples, washing its offerings on unclean blood and salt water, unnatural fires rising up like one of the pillars of the demon city.
  
  This continues for what seems like endless moments, in which all of them can only avert your eyes, until it just... dies out.

Winter Rose: Giving a shiver as she watches the demon evaporate into essence and water, Winter Rose looks around to make sure there are no further blood apes, then back to Iron Siaka. "I had better take care of that..."

Reaper of Sorrows: "Tend to her." The hollow voice inside Reaper of Sorrow's hood echoes, stepping in the street, "He may have started a cult already. The skeleton of one, at the very least. That which has should not have begun shall meet its end." With that, Reaper walks on the street, following a push into its dark soul...

Iron Siaka: "P-please..." Siaka asks, falling over the broke shrine she had jumped over a little while ago, "At least... I got you a hottie to rub her hands on me to heal, didn't I...?" She smirks, then cough some blood as she waits for her healing, eyeing the vanishing chosen of Saturn, "No sense of humor at all.... not much personality, too. Staying too long close to Hawayan must really screw with your mind..."

Winter Rose: "He saved our hides, at least." She'd reply, putting one hand on Siaka's head and channeling her essence into the other Sidereal in the form of a healing charm.

Iron Siaka: "Ooh!" Siaka says, relieved as her wounds mend in a infusion of warmth, smiling at Rose, "Now you can get that hand a little lower, Honey..."

Winter Rose: "Umm, no, that will be quite enough for now, unless you have more wounds." Winter Rose says hesitantly, looking about again.

Walking over to the statue of Anitsu, the Sidereal looks up at it dryly. "That little harlot would be squealing in terror if she was down here..." She'd say in disgust, looking at her regalia which is now dirtied by Kalimdos' blood.

Iron Siaka: : "A bit more... do get your pretty hands on me again?" Siaka says smiling as her wounds mend with that rush of warmth, moving her arms a bit to feel how her body is not as stiff and hardened anymore, feeling her head lighter, "Whaat, is that rumor true? Of you and Anitsu, I mean? Thought you were more... loyal, to your hubby, Rose."

Winter Rose: "She would like it to be." Winter Rose sighs, picking up a discarded cloth on the ground to wipe her daiklave with before she sheaths it. "And I try to be. Despite her."

Iron Siaka: Siaka walks upt to Rose, and give a light pat on her back, "Thought as much. Now, you should lighten up, you are acting like Reaper now! Kalimdos chased off my company for the evening, and I don't think they willl mind if we say the battle last one hour more than it did, and that we spent the rest of the night 'fruitlessly looking for whatever cult Kalimdos may have formed in An-Teng's bars'." She smirks, "That big dog chased my company for the night, so what do you think of going to have a toast on our victory with me? I promise I will keep my hands on decent places."

Winter Rose: Thinking for awhile, she'd reply with "Perhaps...after our animas die down." She'd gesture to their blazing anima banners, then put her sword away. "It's better then going back to Blaine and Anitsu. I still haven't eaten anything."

Iron Siaka: "... Blaine." A look of annoyance and rage goes through Siaka's face then, and she kicks open a temple door that is conveniently vacant, getting in(so the animas aren't see on the sky), "... Have you killed that brat yet?!?"

Winter Rose: Winter Rose is extremely quiet for a few moments, as she steps inside the temple. Then, "It is not allowed." She'd cough and then look at Siaka. "You know, a censor asked me that only two hours ago."

Iron Siaka: "Wow, some censors aren't too busy being bribed to suggest good things? Thought that was the stuff of legends!" She'd chuckle, "Unfortunately... that brat kept picking on me and calling me a man... well, I am certainly more of a man than that brat, though. Well, we both. But he only barely escaped taking a blow of Reason to his face."

Winter Rose: "I am not surprised. As for Anitsu...she would like me in chains." Chuckling, the Sidereal moves further into the temple, her aura lighting up the area around her. "Maybe I should put her in chains."

Iron Siaka: "Kinky!" Siaka chuckles, her fading anima seemed to light with laughter as well, "I wonder why I never get these requests!" She stretches some, placing her mace back on her belt, "Ooh? Going from dominated to dominatrix? Thought you didn't want to play with her"

Winter Rose: "Because, Anitsu wants a demon. She just doesn't have the stones to ask someone to summon up a Neomah for her. Or...perhaps she is simply too stuck up to ask." She'd look around the temple, to see who it's for, then continue. "I do not, really, but maybe if I can make it sting a little..."

Iron Siaka: "Hey, don't mind me, I am all for it, especially if you want to tell me details afterwards, honey." Siaka makes a 'calm' gesture with her hands, being sure at least that wing of the temple is empty, "Hmm, if you want to make it sting, you have to make it be known less as an adventure of her and more as a shame..."

Winter Rose: "Only sting...I do not want to be mean, just make her leave me alone." She'd look at the sleeves of her garment again, shaking her head. "This is not going to wash out easily..."

Iron Siaka: "Hmm, at least I can, like, change clothes. Mine is ruined, with this blood flow soaking from within. Hmmm..." With that, Siaka prowl a little inside the temple, "Think they have some clean clothes in here? As bad as I would look dressed like a priest...." Siaka used armor, of course, jus not the supernatural kind.

Winter Rose: "Not unless there is a priest's dressing room. Besides, you still have your armor." The Sidereal chuckles, thinking on how to get the stains out of her clothing. "Perhaps if I...no."

Iron Siaka: Siaka approaches Rose, getting in her personal space and peering at the stains, a hand in the northener's arm, "Pehaps if...?"

Winter Rose: "If I had a charm to clean cloth. Bloody demon..." She'd mutter under her breath.

Iron Siaka: "You tell me, the ugly dog chased away my company!" She'd shake her head, "Sure knows how to leave lasting inconveniences even in death, don't you, Kalimdos?"

She says, to nobody in particular...

Winter Rose: "Pffft." Winter Rose jokes. "You can always find another. This is An-Teng after all. Maybe the next will be some Dynast."

Iron Siaka: "Ooh, I hope! So well-tended, nicely-dressed and perfumed, Dynasts are just... hmmm!" Siaka hugs herself a bit, then smirk, noticing her anima subsiding almost to nothing, only a pale light on her caste mark, "Soo, shall we be going? The night's still young, and maybe if you get drunk enough I might begin to bear a striking resemblance to your hubby..."

Winter Rose: "We'll see." She'd smirk, her own anima disappearing at last as she heads toward the door. "You had better hope you don't get so drunk someone like Kalimdos begins to look like me."

Iron Siaka: Siaka laughs joyfully, walking down the alley with Rose, towards the more lively spots of the night on An-Teng...

.... And afterwards, Rose comes back to find out that Blaine had even MORE trouble in her tally, and Anitsu was just *dying* to make her pay for it... another day, another problem.

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