Return of the Scarlet Empress II - Nothing on My Back...

[Ifni]

Orchid inclines her head to Zhou as she sits down on one of the rope-storage bins. In the moment of silence following his words, she says quietly, "I wanted to talk over what happened yesterday, as well. I have Elegance's artifacts here -" she pats her coat, "and Typhon's knives, and the spider-akuma's robe and some of her blood - I thought you," and her gaze passes over the group, "might be able to tell more from those than I could."

"But yes. The other issue... takes priority. Firada -" She dips her head to the Dynast. "If you could review? Or you, Shadow, if you'd prefer?"

While she listens, she takes out the periwinkle silk, folds it on the deck, and begins laying out Elegance's artifacts and Typhon's knives. They should discuss Lookshy first, but this way, hopefully, she won't forget to return to the other topic.

[industrious]

Zhou barely even blinks at the casual disrespect for his ancestral weapon. He does, however, pull the hilt sharply into his side, causing the sheathed blade to smack the match out of Stormwrack's grip with not-inconsiderable force.

"The Mask of Winters intends to attack Lookshy." he says calmly, all emotion locked tightly away beneath the surface discipline. "That's what Firada and Shadow were apparently attacked on their way out of Thorns to keep secret. Figured it was easier to let everyone know at once, rather than have this conversation five times."

Stormwrack

Grumbling, the Sidereal lights another match against the deck.

"None of you lot know about the phrase 'operational security,' or 'classified information,' do you? And by 'none,' I mean the other Terrestrial. Yellow Briar or somesuch. Lucky for you lot Yishie declassified that before I put Typhon to sleep."

Black Ice Shadow nods at the others words, and rises.

"I was assigned to assist a group of Immaculate Monks on a reconnaissance mission to Thorns, to assess the local Resistance movement after its destruction nearly a decade ago. Upon arriving..."

Shadow speaks of vast quantities of necromantic siege engines. Of increased random kidnappings of the living to fuel the needs of and for the dead - hungry ghosts, soulsteel, necrotechnologic material. The implication that the Mask had invented some new horror to unleash upon Lookshy, contents unknown.

At this point, Stormwrack interjects once again.

"Once we get to Yu-Shan, Yishie's called an emergency meeting at me manse, since having you lot at the Bureau proper would be a nightmare. But if anyone has suggestions, proposals, complaints about how unfair life is, prayers to the Incarnae...I don't think we'd be wasting too much time figuring things out before the meeting proper."

[Ifni]

"A point, Stormwrack - Firada is her name, or the White Rose. Not 'the other Terrestrial'. And since she nearly died, and her sworn brotherhood sacrificed their lives, to bring this information to your 'Yishie', a bit more respect might be in order." The Solar's voice is level; not angry, but uncompromising. She stares at the Chosen of Secrets for a long moment, before continuing.

"That said... Isa told us Sidereals are barred from intervention in Lookshy. How far does that limitation go? I have no idea what kind of help Lookshy might be able to get from the Bureau, or Yu-Shan more generally, and it would be good to know." She glances inquiringly at the four Sidereals.

"I suppose one question is whether there's any chance of getting people in to learn what this new horror is, or to sabotage it. It seems like the largest unknown factor here. I imagine they'll be on high alert now, though. Typhon might be our best chance there, but that'll have to wait until we get to Yu-Shan."

The Eclipse nods to Skandi. "We were discussing the likely reaction of the other Confederation states. They must have wargamed attacks by Thorns, even if those plans are twenty years old; the Midnight Queen in Nexus was reasonably well informed as to conditions inside the city. But if the Mask can smash Lookshy quickly enough, they won't be in much position to help - and my understanding is that their main avenues of support would be funds and supplies, anyway, which matter less if the Mask isn't planning an extended campaign. Skandi thinks the Mask might try divide-and-conquer tactics, trying to sow enough doubt and discord in the other Confederation members that they'll delay their aid - and he could very well be right, but I'm not sure it'll matter, unless this becomes a siege."

She sits back to wait for the others' reactions and input. She has some more ideas, but... better see what they're willing to tell her, first.

[Aevylmar]

As Orchid finished talking, Skandi speaks up. "If we're planning a campaign, we need to know what our enemies can do. Just what are the capabilities of ghosts? Can they do what other spirits can do, and dematerialize, walk through Lookshy's walls, and materialize? And if so, how do you keep them out? Also, could they be spying on this conversation?"

[industrious]

Emerald

"Yes, but I expect Lookshy's made some preparations against that. Salt's useful. So're wards. And no. This charm don't carry anyone outside Fate. Which means, that despite some of you being sad excuses for human beings, none of you are abominations against the Loom and nature. You can pat yourself on the back, if it makes you feel any better."

[Ifni]

Orchid rests her chin on steepled fingers as she listens, and watches.

Stormwrack's doing a fine job of pretending to ignore her. But she can see the little twitches in the muscles surrounding his eyes, as he stops himself from looking in her direction. And there's a subtle note in his drawl - and in one unguarded glance, a curl to the corner of his mouth - that after a little difficulty she parses as hidden concern, and... wanting to help?

Not a kind of help she needs or wants, but trying, nonetheless. It's something of a strange realization; it's not a reaction she's accustomed to.

... well, that's sweet. Frustrating and not especially well-judged, but it could be worse.

She doesn't mind people trying to manipulate her. It's just a little annoying when they assume she won't notice.

Still, if she doesn't make things clear, he might keep this up all week. And if she's reading his intentions correctly, he doesn't really deserve what she'd usually do, taking advantage of his unpleasantness to actively undermine him. Counterproductive, anyway, if they're to be working together. But nor will she reward this approach, especially when he's decided to include Firada in his provocations.

Give him a little more rope, I think. She's curious to see how far he'll push, trying to force her to react, if she gives him only patience. For the moment, his silence will serve as sufficient apology to Firi - and if he decides to double down, well, that will be an opportunity for a hopefully-salutary lesson. If he doesn't, she wanted to talk with him privately anyway.

She glances at the four Celestials who haven't spoken yet, raising an eyebrow slightly. Her faint smile is undemanding, earnestly curious, unhurried. An answer to my question would be nice, but in your own time; I want to hear what you have to say...

[Lix Lorn]

Lauren looks completely horrified at the thought of an invasion of Lookshy. Such a massive icon being destroyed would surely send ripples through the entire direction, and on that scale, change is rarely good.

[The_Snark]

"Lookshy," Isa muses. Her expression is sober, reserved; but then, she looked like that when Orchid came across her in the hall, too. The news does not seem to disturb her unduly. "That makes sense. If the Mask declared war on any other state, they would almost certainly move against him anyway. Not so sure the reverse is true. This way, he faces them alone."

"As for your question..." She had said something to that effect, hadn't she, when reassuring Orchid and Zhou that Lookshy isn't dancing to Sidereal strings. Perhaps she'd phrased it a little strongly. "We're not barred from Lookshy completely. We're forbidden to interfere between Lookshy and the Realm, and there are... other strictures... that make it difficult to work there. But I don't think either is relevant here. Nobody will push to interpret the prohibitions broadly if Thorns is involved."

She rests against the ship's railing, glancing at Child for verification. He's spent more time working in this area—and on the relevant Conventions—than she has.

[Maugan Ra]

"I know we have some preparations in place for countering an undead attack. We've certainly had time enough since Thorns to understand the possibility. I don't know a great deal about the specifics though - way above my pay grade, and outside my area of interest besides." Zhou says, shrugging. "I trust the engineers, though. They're good at their jobs."

He looks at the various Sidereals. "What are the protocols for preparing for this sort of thing in Yu-Shan? I mean, I know Tien Yu will likely take a distinct interest in this if she knows, and that's my first instinct for someone to speak to in rallying any help in heaven against a potential threat, but I'm guessing there are probably rules for speaking about these sorts of things that I should bear in mind when we get there?"

Not that he'd necessarily obey those rules, if they stood between him and the survival of his city, but it was always good to know exactly what crimes or indiscretions one was committing.

[Ifni]

"That's good to know, Isa. Thanks."

Orchid nods at Zhou's question, and waits for him to finish speaking, before adding quietly, "Alerting the General Staff, if they don't already know, seems like something that should be done sooner rather than later - at least, if Ayesha Ura hasn't seen to it already. I'm sure the Mask has agents in the city, but trying to plan a campaign without the involvement of the people who'll be doing the bulk of the fighting strikes me as a supremely poor idea."

"Stormwrack, do you know, would the Wind-Carried Words Technique or other communication magic function between this boat and Creation?"

Going through the city-god might give them more credibility with Lookshy than direct contact - the Wind-Carried Words Technique isn't very good for detailed reports, as she has reason to know. But she wants the answer to that question for a few other reasons, as well.

[industrious]

Stormwrack

"M'not on the Sub-Convention on Lookshy. Or in the Crimson Panoply. Outside me purview, war. But Yishie's the one in charge of managing the East. She'll be the one coordinating Yu-Shan, Lookshy, and probably you lot, too. Divided we get our bleeding arse's kicked and all that."

"As for communication...we're between Creation and Yu-Shan at the moment. Neither here nor there. No wind blows between the worlds, and the Infallible Messenger ain't if you're somewhere else. Some Sidereals can message each other, though, if we really need to. S'how I got me orders from Yishie letting me tell you that the Mask's planning his attack."

[Ifni]

"All right." And Stormwrack seems to have either decided she's being assertive enough for his liking, or not to push too far, at least for the moment. "In that case, it sounds like detailed planning will need to wait until we get to Yu-Shan, although it might be helpful to think over what resources we could each contribute."

Orchid turns to the Full Moon. "Skandi, once we have communications back, I would be happy to try to contact any of your friends who you think might be willing to help, or who should know to protect their own interests in the area." Her tone is matter-of-fact, but she smiles faintly as she adds, "Could make the coordination problem even more of a nightmare, but against the Mask of Winters - some alliances might seem more plausible than otherwise." She tilts her head at Stormwrack. "Does Ayesha Ura share your opinion of Luna's Chosen?"

She takes a breath. "And I suppose the other thing to think about is whether we might be able to do something for Thorns, if the Mask is moving his forces elsewhere." She glances at Firada, and at Isa, and adds more hesitantly, "... I don't know if that prospect might cause any of the Great Houses to consider getting involved." She's also not sure whether that would be potentially helpful or an utter disaster - but Thorns was a Realm satrapy, once.

[Maugan Ra]

Zhou shrugs. "I don't know about during the attack, but if we manage to fight off the Mask's assault, Lookshy would probably be willing to back an attempt to liberate the city. It depends on what our casualty rates end up being like, but I suspect the General Staff would be more than willing to sanction such a move, especially if it is in support of allies who fought alongside us against the Mask."

He grimaces. "Doing so alongside Lunars and potentially Realm forces would be... a less easy proposition to get support for, but if it's ever going to be possible, directly after a coordinated defense against invasion would be the most likely time."

"You'd have my support, at least, and any I could personally conjure up." he says with a slight smile. "I can hardly offer less after you've promised to help defend my home, now can I?"

[Aevylmar]

Skandi considers for a moment. "We'll probably want to contact "my musical friend. He can get in contact with any other Lunars in the area." He's back to his usual grin. "Fledgeling, Autumn... someone in Thorns..." He shakes his head. "I don't have more than Pact rumors, but there's probably a dozen Lunars in or near the region who Chimes could extort favors from to stop the Mask of Winters from destroying Lookshy."

He looks around. "Also, it's worth considering how this situation looks to the Realm. As far as they're concerned, the ultimate Anathema warlord just declared war on their old enemy and new ally in the Cleansing. We could have Immaculate Cleansing legions - marching to reconquer Thorns - or we could have them remember that they don't like Lookshy, and end up with the Realm sitting back and then picking off the winner."

[Ifni]

Oh. Zhou's easy pledge of support, and the smile that goes with it... for a moment, it's a little hard to stay focused on the immediate problem. "Heh. I thought it was the other way around, Zhou. You offered to help me yesterday, before we knew any of this, how could I do any less...?" Orchid's eyes are warm as she glances at the Lookshyan, the corner of her lips tilting up in an answering smile.

(It might be noticed, by the perceptive, that every time the Solar fidgets and slightly shifts where she's sitting, she seems to end up - albeit almost imperceptibly - closer to Zhou. Whether this is intentional is less clear.)

Skandi's voice brings her attention back where it's supposed to be. "Well, the Realm doesn't know yet, unless Firada told them...?" She glances questioningly at the Wood Aspect. "But yes. Remember also that the Realm isn't exactly a unified force at the moment, except for the Cleansing - and the Prefect doesn't command the legions. Thorns was a Realm satrapy once, though, a lot of the Great Houses had interests there -" She manages to say that without a catch in her voice, "- and the Cleansing isn't to be dismissed."

The Eclipse shrugs. "I don't know anything about war. But I've been told fighting one on two fronts is generally a bad idea. If there are enemies of the Mask who can't fight at the walls of Lookshy for whatever reason - because Lookshy wouldn't accept it, because putting the Cleansing and Lunars on the same battlefield is asking for trouble, whatever - then if they could attack Thorns in the meantime, that might put more pressure on the Mask. I agree, Zhou, that I would never ask Lookshy to move against Thorns directly, while they're threatened at home."

She laces her fingers through each other. "I'm not a soldier, or a strategist, and I don't know whether we - and here I mean 'we' in the broadest sense - should be encouraging the Realm to get more involved in the East. It's just... we shouldn't ignore the Realm's existence, in this. Nor Thorns. The Mask's spent a lot of time building up his operations there, I think an attack there would be a blow to him. But not at the cost of defending Lookshy, of course."

Realm legions, marching on Thorns, to liberate it from the Anathema... it's an old dream, and in many ways a child's dream. But when you dream something that long and that hard, want it and work for it enough to call a shard of the sun down into the shadow of death -

It doesn't fade easily. Even after a decade. Even knowing all the ways it could go wrong.

[Maugan Ra]

"Yes, well... One way or another, there's not a vast amount we can do about it right now. There are so many different possible paths the future could take once we reach Yu-Shan." Zhou says after a moment, trying to work out why exactly the sight of Orchid's smile and offer of support seemed to matter so much.

Well, no, that was a lie. He knew exactly why that was. But right now was not the time to be dwelling on that.

"So. Rest and prepare for the next few days. Get to heaven. Speak with a ridiculously powerful and influential Sidereal, maybe several. Deal with all the associated baggage that will almost certainly come from taking a Solar and a Lunar into Yu-Shan. Speak to a whole bunch of different gods. Get back to creation, maybe with a howling mob of divinities on our heels. Forge an alliance of twenty different power blocs, all of whom despise each other to some degree. Fight off an invasion of my home by a horde of undead led by perhaps the single scariest individual in the Eastern Direction. And hopefully liberate Thorns into the bargain."

Deep breath. Smile. "Should be fun."

[industrious]

Emerald

"Like you ain't speaking with a ridiculously powerful and influential Sidereal right now, Lookshy."

Emerald bites the end of another cigarillo, lights it.

"Now, how about them artifacts, Eris? Since we ain't going to solve the problem of Thorns here and now..."

Spoiler

Show

I'm going to timeskip here, because this seems to be dragging.

The knives are of Thorns make, and are poisoned with something that, according to Emerald, is "as toxic as the Seas in Malfeas," who deduced that by licking the blade, but are otherwise mundane.

Emerald has no idea what the boots are, but they're made of adamant and starmetal. He advises Isa to try them on, "so that if they explode, we ain't lost nobody important."

The scrap of cloth is insufficient for arcane link forming.

I think we can handle multiple conversations over the course of the next few IC days simultaneously. Everyone can figure out who needs to talk to whom in the OOC thread, and we can all write multiple, non-interlocking conversations at once. Afterwards, we'll arrive at Yu-Shan.

[Maugan Ra]

Conversation One - Zhou and Orchid

Some time later, when everyone had drifted away to attend to the various matters that demanded their attention, Zhou found himself leaning against the ship's railing, staring out into the endless white void all around them and trying to get his thoughts in order. He was reasonably sure he had a firm grasp on them already, the general shape at least, but there were few things in life that wouldn't benefit from taking the time to properly consider them in detail before committing.

Still, he hadn't found any reasons so far to decide against it, and in truth, by this point he was really just wasting time for fear of doing something irreversible. And he'd never let fear slow him down before, even in those situations where it probably should.

So, with a smile and a decisive nod, he pushed himself back upright and went in search of Orchid.

"Hey. You got a few minutes free to talk? Ah, privately?" he says, with an expression on his face halfway between solemn sincerity and warm confidence.

[Ifni]

Conversation One - Zhou and Orchid

Orchid is sitting cross-legged on the floor, sorting through a pile of letters and documents. She tilts her head up at Zhou, eyes softening and face brightening with a smile that mingles warmth and curiosity.

(The solemnity in his voice might inspire a little foreboding, as well. But it's impossible not to return the warmth.)

"Of course." The Eclipse slides the letters into a neat sheaf and returns them to the pocket of her coat. Rising gracefully to her feet, she stretches her arms, and pauses to rub a crick out of her neck. "Cargo hold? If we can find one that's unoccupied?"

[industrious]

Emerald

Emerald is at the wheel of the junk, humming quietly to himself. Lauren is on the deck with him.

"...I suppose I should apologize to you. Or something."

Firada

The two meet in one of the cargo bays; Firada is searching for food when Skandi realizes he hasn't eaten, either.

"I've heard about you," she says quietly. "Frankly, I'm surprised you haven't tried to kill my sister and myself yet."

Black Ice Shadow

"Isa of the Birch River Clan," Black Ice Shadow says, his tone formal and guarded, his speech as soft and creepy. Being Ghost-Blooded has its downsides. And few enough upsides.

"I was wondering if you would care to spar with me. And perhaps to discuss some things while we do so."

[Lix Lorn]

Lauren blinks slowly, surprised.
"Yeah, you should. I didn't expect you to, though."

[Aevylmar]

Skandi and Firada, Conversation One

Firada

The two meet in one of the cargo bays; Firada is searching for food when Skandi realizes he hasn't eaten, either.

"I've heard about you," she says quietly. "Frankly, I'm surprised you haven't tried to kill my sister and myself yet."

Skandi raises an eyebrow. "Which stories? I like the romantic ones, myself, but the tragedies are pretty good. There's an epic narrative poem by a woman named Vilthier which gets nothing right but my name, but it's still an amazing piece of work."

He shrugs. "Most of the stories are half true, but only half. The fact is that if you were supporting attempts by the Realm to conquer its weaker neighbors, I'd fight you. You're helping the citizens of Thorns overthrow their ghostly tyrant. That's exactly the sort of thing I want people doing."

[industrious]

Stormwrack

He smiles, taps the side of his nose.

"Haven't yet. Just said I probably should. "

He winks, and his expression becomes more solemn.

"Got to look at it from me perspective. Sierra's...well...Sierra. And then she's gone, and you come by. And Sierra you ain't."

Firada

"...I heard you were a warlord. That you slaughtered a legion of troops, killed the Immaculates with them, and desecrated their corpses. "

Firada unconsciously reaches for her bow, her hand drawing strength from the jade artifact.

"The areas we hold enjoy better protection from the dangers in Creation. They have access to the highest culture, the best schools. Even if...they are better off for being under our protection."

[Lix Lorn]

She snorts at the first comment, smiling slightly, but then levels out into a matching seriousness, and nods. "I'm really not. See, Sierra has a slight problem in that she's really, really bad at doing things."

[Maugan Ra]

Zhou and Orchid

Zhou nods in agreement, and a few minutes later is sitting on one of the crates in the nearest empty cargo hold. Well, probably empty - one never can tell, with Lunars and Sidereals running around.

"So, I got to thinking earlier, when we were discussing everything that lies ahead." he starts, trying to work out how best to put this. "We are, all of us, going to be very busy in the coming weeks. Who knows when we might next have a chance to pause and take stock. And if there's one thing I've learned, it's that you should take the opportunity these rare moments of peace offer to, well, work on outstanding issues that might otherwise end up distracting you in future. "

A pause. "And now I'm procrastinating. Brilliant."

He takes a deep breath, grins ruefully, and looks Orchid in the eye, his voice plain and honest (and maybe slightly nervous, though he would of course deny that to his dying day). "Untimely Orchid, or Eris Stormcrow or Tepet Ireva or whatever name you'd prefer to go by... I think I may be falling in love with you."

There. He's said it now... best to restrain his impulse to add anything more, and simply see how she reacts.

(No he's not holding his breath in nervous anticipation. That's something schoolchildren do, and damn it, he's been out of the academy for years.)

[Aevylmar]

Skandi and Firada, First Conversation

Skandi considers. "The story is partially true. I have led armies, consisting of people who didn't want to be ruled by the Realm. We fought battles sometimes, but we normally lost. And that's a wonderful story, much better than the truth, but it isn't so - it's a conflated version of two different stories."

"First, you understand that I'm from a country whose ruler - my father - got bribed into handing it over to the Realm's tax collectors. I disapproved, dishonored myself quite thoroughly, Exalted, and led the resistance against the Realm. I managed to use the terrain to kill most of the new governor's staff and occupying force, but the Immaculate monks with him beat me and almost killed me."

"The second incident was after I put an army together, and they sent a field force - not a full legion - after me, wiped out my army, and almost killed me. I snuck into the tavern where the officers were drinking, drugged them into unconsciousness, then dueled their Fire-aspected leader and killed her. Inside a wooden building."

He shrugs, and his jade armor jangles. "They all died from the fire she started and I didn't put out, but I didn't desecrate their corpses, unless you count taking the leader's artifacts."

"And as for your second point..." Skandi shakes his head. "You've grown up in Thorns. I'm sure that it's worse to be a kid in Thorns than a dependent of the Realm, but it's nothing to being free. I have no doubt that the Realm's core territory is rich and well-"educated" and so forth, but they get the money for that as tribute extorted from satrapies held down by the legions. The legions dealt more damage to our country than icewalker raiders managed, before or after, and it's the same for our neighbors. And -"

He slams his fist into the wooden wall, leaving a small dent.

"And the Realm's subjects are slaves. I'm free as a Lunar and I was free before I Exalted - except when I was under the Realm's control. A free man may do what he wishes, go where he goes, fight who offends him, and pays the price if he must. A slave obeys his master or dies. Those who resist the demands of the Realm face destruction - the dragonlords would kill all their subjections if they could tax corpses. To quote one of your own poets, 'To plunder, butcher, steal, these things they misname empire: they make a desolation and they call it peace.' That's the Realm I know."

[Ifni]

Zhou and Orchid

Orchid sits down next to Zhou, and turns to face him, listening intently. The crate's large enough for that; Stormwrack seems to keep this boat well-supplied, even if only with his idea of appropriate provisions. A small smile flickers on her lips, patient and faintly amused and faintly puzzled, as the Fire Aspect talks about taking stock, resolving outstanding issues...

What are you leading up to here, Zhou? He doesn't usually waffle. If he has something difficult to say - her mind immediately presents her with an array of variously dire possibilities (and a couple of very rose-tinted ones), which she firmly dismisses. No. He held her after the nightmare, he offered her smiles that warmed her heart like a hearth-fire, he seemed happy with her offer of help - there would be no reason for him to cut her off now. Unless the aforementioned moment of peace has given him time for second thoughts about befriending a Solar...

Then he meets her eyes, the veiled nervousness fueling her own worries for a moment (she's never seen Zhou fearful, even in the worst of the fighting last night) and says - that.

It feels as though she's falling from a great height, dizzy as the world changes around her. And then as if she'd hit the ground, driving all the air out of her in a single vast shock.

(And the parts of her mind that were spinning rose-tinted fantasies are caroling I told you so!, and see it wasn't just wishful thinking!, and other colder iron parts are saying No, no you can't do this to him, for reasons you know very well...)

But he's waiting for her to say something, and even if all the reasons why-not are tolling in the back of her mind, all the reasons she was trying to just enjoy Zhou's company and not think about where this was going -

Let him know, at least. He values honesty.

"... I... that is..." She takes a breath, and tries again. Her voice sounds distant in her own ears, and more than a little uneven. "I... think I may be falling in love with you, as well. Or possibly fallen..." She looks up at him, meeting his eyes as she reaches out to take his hands, and manages a smile - slightly poleaxed, and nervous, and exhilarated. "Kharal Zhou."

Spoiler

Show

I considered more panic-babbling and introspection, but I think I'll take a leaf out of Zhou's book and wait for reaction. Or possibly awkward silence

[The_Snark]

One of the drawbacks of sailing the broken-mirror-seas between Yu-Shan and Creation is that there's no scenery to speak of. Nonetheless, Black Ice Shadow finds Isa by the bow, perched on a barrel and gazing out at the endless bobbing flowers. No coincidence that this is about as far from Emerald Stormwrack as you can get while still remaining above deck.

She turns to face him upon being addressed (formal once again). Not someone she'd expected. Sparring will help take her mind off things, while discussion... won't, in all likelihood. Either he wants to talk about the problems they're already facing, or he has something new for her to worry about.

But she has no reason to be rude, and she could use the exercise. So she simply nods and stands. "Armed or barehanded?"

[Maugan Ra]

"Really." He says slowly, mouth splitting into a wide grin as their hands meet. "Well then. That makes this much easier."

One hand comes up, tracing an oh-so-gentle path up her neck to her delicate chin, and tilts her head back slightly. He leans in slowly, free at last to look at her, truly look, free to let the admiration and growing love show on his face, free to do... this.

Their lips meet, and for a long moment, there are no thoughts at all.

"I admit, I have no idea where we go from here." he says quietly, an eternity later, eyes glittering with amusement and happiness."But I think I am very much going to enjoy finding out."

[industrious]

Emerald
"Wouldn't say that. She brought those slaves to freedom. Evaded the Guild and the Realm both."

Emerald takes out another cigar, offers it to Lauren.

"She was also the one who actually Exalted, if you recall. Whatever you are, you're here because of her."

Firada

"Maybe that's the Realm you know," she says quietly. "but that isn't what the Realm is. You see us as this force, this slavemaster. But freedom, true freedom, only happens when you have a strong government, when there are clear rules about what you can and cannot do. I lived in Thorns, in the Undercity. There are no laws there, no keepers of the peace except for the gangs. There are no roads being built, no ships for us to escape to. We survived of the scavengings of the shadowland above. There were no formal rules, which meant that any action could be deadly."

"People are better in the Realm than they are elsewhere. People don't go hungry in the Realm - or at least, there's food enough for everyone, even if there are problems with large Houses taking more than they need to. And if you're stronger than someone else, you aren't able to do what you wish to other people, people who can't fight back, without paying the price."

Her eyes go distant, remembering life in Thorns. She's speaking from experience.

"I wasn't always a Dragon-Blood. When I was young, I was small, without a protector, in a place where you could be killed for a crust of bread. Or for no reason at all, because the Mask always paid for fresh bodies. I did what I had to, but there is no freedom at the bottom."

Black Ice Shadow

"Barehanded. I would not wish any accidents."

The other Reckoner fights with Fire Dragon, mainly, with strong underpinnings of Violet Bier. He mixes quick flurries of light blows, with brutally beautiful efficiency; his strikes are always aimed at vulnerable areas, and his defense seems mainly to consist of keeping Isa off balance enough that she cannot retaliate in turn.

"I would like to state that while I am performing this mission for Ayesha Ura, she is merely the head of the Convention of Wood to me. I remain neutral between your sifu and her."