Fallen burning piece of sky landing on you
"No offense Sky Falling, but no one comes to you for subtlety."
"That's not my name."
"Come on, that thing's way too long to repeat all the time."
"Just Falling, then."
"Oh, yeah, ok."
"I wasn't locked up for my good looks..."
"Why were you locked up? I mean, you were locked up before the Usurpation..."
"Hush hush project for Ignis Divine, can't talk about it. Can only say it important, and I got other friends."
A tall, willowy white-haired beauty walked past them.
"Hey, wasn't that your Lunar mate?"
"All that I know is that her new name's Mindless Lunacy? No one tells me anything. Wouldn't surprise me, she's good."
"What, you two?"
"That was my prior incarnation, I haven't even met her yet, when they put me in the can. We got baggage, but that's exactly what it is, baggage. She's into Venomous Bramble if the rumour's to be believed, anyways."
"That's not all that the rumours say."
"What? Those about the Raksha Harlequin, Jester of Fate?"
"That girl sure got around..."
"Don't say that to my face... Told you, I got baggage..."
"Nothing wrong with her from this angle, for sure..."
"It's not the body, but she didn't get that name being stable and even-tempered..."
"What name?" He paused for a minute. "Oh."
"Yeah, Jester of Fate isn't the only unstable one. If those rumours are even half true."
"Do the... fair ones even?"
"I don't want to even think about it..."
"Who's he?" Venomous Bramble asked Mindless Lunacy. "Oh, my old Solar Mate, baggage from my past life. Come on, we're going to have a picnic, Bramble!" "Oh, my celestial lions, you were serious?" "Yeah!" Her eyes shined like platinum coins. "It's so beautiful out today." "Why we doing out so late though?" "Because Luna will be out, silly! And, so I can do my special dance!" "A special dance, sacred to Luna, for me? You shouldn't have!" "Come on, this will be fun!"
Harlequin, Jester of Fate was avoiding scrutiny, normally, this would be a trifle, a simple matter for one as august as he. Or better yet, he could have trumpeted his presence, to his allies, and ignored his enemies. Not today, not this scrutiny. Take, for instance, Bramble's well-meaning invocation of Celestial Lions a few moments before. In most other times, in most other places, such an uttering wouldn't have brought them out in numbers. Other times wouldn't have made Ak-Lanir of the Diamond Mace, Commissioner of Lawful Justice take an interest. In other surroundings, Jester of Fate could appear to the current target of his affections, Mindless Lunacy, and be imperceptible from whoever was watching. Here, all his might and the best he could do was remain undetected, or so he thought. Only Luna could watch her unobserved, she had been told, and of course, since Luna was visible and full, in the sky, she wasn't entirely unobserved. So who was watching her? Their eyes scrabbling like an tomb scarab's many legs over her form, itching, scratching. Their attention unwelcome, irksome. Was it her ex-Raksha beau? After driving moonsilver nails through his knee, she'd thought he'd leave her well enough alone. Was it burning bits of fallen sky? Or whatever his new name was, her Solar Mate, she'd not met his current incarnation yet, but she figured he'd be called like some form of meteor, like his predecessor, it was an eons-long tradition at this point. She should meet him, set some ground rules. She was no longer Victoriana-Children's-Governess, which was the name under which she'd been known in the first age. Nor was she really Mystical-Pixie-Dream-Girl, the name he'd known her as. She hadn't died and been reborn, like he had, but she might as well have, having been stranded in The Wyld for centuries. Her contemporary, Lillith, had spent a comparable amount of time in the wyld, and only came out with "hoot hoot" when she felt like talking. Which wasn't that often. Andamani of the Scarlet Field was a dish though, she was lucky. She allowed herself. Meteor, yeah that's how she'll call him, Meteor was much more muscular, but his square-chopped face had left her nonplussed a few times before. What good is a fated mate if your souls don't click, she kept asking herself. He had argued though, and been right, at least once, that it wasn't his soul that didn't click with her, but his body. His soul, his values, were fine by her, and always had been. Would they always be so? She wondered, it was uncanny, how they always seemed to agree on the important things. But then, perhaps it was a sign of friendship, not love. She had never been super clear on the distinction, which was why she kept having this reputation... Despite really feeling she was only in one relationship at a time. Right now she was with Bramble, why was was she even thinking of Meteor? Maybe some of those people who thought her inconstant weren't completely out there. Of course, that hadn't saved Andamani and Lillith, from what she had heard. And her doomed relationship with Ma-Ha Suchi had made such noise... She buried her face into Bramble's neck, who let out a delighted peal of laughter and the both of them decided to forget about everything else, for a while.
"Hey, boss!" Burning Sky landing on you asked Breeze. It was funny, his name was even longer than Burning Sky, but everyone shortened it to the important bit instinctively. "..." There was a noticeable pause, then Breeze signed: 'A-Ok, and you?' "Same, same." 'Saw your soul-delayed lover.' Heaven's sign language had a funny way of spelling ex, Burning sky thought. "Mindless Lunacy? What's that got to do with me?" 'Nothing, but you should talk to her, set it behind you, sometime. She tick-tick-tick bomb relationship.' "Boss, if it wasn't you, I wouldn't even had let you mention her name." 'That's why I boss. I get away with important thing.' "Can't argue with that. Ok, ok, I'll meet with her. Why do you mention it now?" 'Man-of-secrets was trailing her today.' "Man-of-secrets? Nara-O?" 'Secret-agent-man.' He nodded.
Nellens Suantamon came over. I'm told to report to you, for training. "Training, I see." "What kind of training do you offer, anyway?" "I infiltrated the White Veil cell in Rathess, years ago. I went all-in, deep cover, stayed there a year, lost myself, Breeze had to extract me." "What? Extraction isn't automatic?" "They don't tell you? Extraction is automatic, if you want it... I had stopped wanting it, I just wanted to be a white veil, manipulating behind the scenes." "But I thought you were a Dawn, not someone to whom manipulation comes easy?" "When the style put that into reach, that just made it sweeter. Not that the style is really about manipulation, it's a lot more about not being caught, in whatever. At least, that's what the katas I was thought were about." "Could you teach me?" "That'd look strange, you're not supposed to know anything about the art until you're a full member. Do you know any of the other arts?" "I'm a dragonlord in the Seventeenth legion, when the paperwork clears, for the good it'll do, since I'm supposed to retire in ten months. I've taught martial arts to dozens of my soldiers." "So you know how to move your body, and the manipulation of essence, good." "Isn't there supposed to be more than that?" "Not to the white veil, that's part of why they're so dangerous. It's not the most dangerous martial art known, but it's up there." "What? There's worse?" "There's better, sanctioned ones. I learned, through study, mastery of the Golden Janissary style, whose every kata honours the unconquered sun. Breeze, my Sifu, knows even more, he's said to have snuck into, and out, of a monastery of the cult of the illuminated, dropping his calling card on the bedroll of the head monk, undetected except for four martial artists of rival schools, whom he ritually dispatched with his martial arts." "He took on four ? He sounds good." "He took them on, at once. He is one of Jupiter's elite." "Jupiter? I would have thought Mars, or perhaps Saturn, to have the best martial artists." "Mars' own champion spars with him weekly, and Friendships Broken, one of the heavies of Saturn, joins them every other week, for a tournament." "Saturn has 'heavies'?" "When Friendships Broken wants someone moved, they are moved. He threw me through a dojo wall a few times." "What? You're two stone heavier, and about a cubit taller, than what I'd call a 'heavy', for the legions." "Friendships Broken is the same heavier and taller, than me. He's good at martial arts, especially grapples, better than me, just not on the level of Breeze or Special Skills." "Of course, the Champion of Mars would have such an innocuous name. Special Skills?" "We have a longer name for him, for when he's not on the clock. Not that it tells you anything, and his martial arts is so esoteric, you do NOT want to fight him for keeps." "What? He kicks the beauty out of you?" "No, when he punches someone for keeps, they get sick, or poisoned." "And Breeze?" "Breeze can hide in the ticks between breaths, and squeeze actions out of the pauses between words." "I've heard of this Sidereal Martial Artist, they say she has a squad of heaven's dragons, for sparring..." "Oh, Anys Syn? She knows a different style, she IS someone who I'd not bet against if she went two falls out of three with breeze." "You say not bet against..." "I'd not bet in that fight at all. Have you seen her fight?" "No, why?" "That's just it, no one seems to have seen her trade blows with anyone, it's like everyone forgets her fights." "I've heard the same of the Bureaus, Destiny's fights aren't 'memorable'." "Keep in mind, the bureaus don't like people broadcasting that, but I can't say you're wrong." "Your Sifu, Breeze, has anyone seen him fight?" "I've seen... parts of his fights." "What do you mean?" "He's so fast, so skilled, he just disappears out of view during fights, you think you feel him against you, weighing you down, then he's gone. Then you breathe again, he kicked a scorepost in the backfield four paces away, and then jumped back ontop of you, and hit both your shinguards as you desperately tried to block." "He sounds like someone you want to be on the right side on." "He has private sparring lessons with Bahal Hesh, preceptor of ten thousand styles." "Like, literally, the god of martial arts?" "Him and Special Skills, at least, monthly, I imagine some of the others do too." "Does Special Skills train you?" "No, I value my bits too much... No seriously." "You have got to be kidding." "Not as much as you think, when Breeze and Skills spar, there's always a healer on hand, and they've yet to downcheck Breeze for less than a week." "A week?" "Look, when the Sidereal Martial Artists fight at even a tenth of their potential, we don't mean twelve dragon-blooded got a scratch.." "What?" "Breeze put down a wing of Heaven's Dragon's by himself, unarmed. They needed medical attention, despite him by his signing 'trying to be gentle'. He does NOT mess around." "And he's your Sifu? Has he put you in the hospital?" "A time or two, usually my own damn fault. Listen, the White Veil is dangerous, just remember whose side heaven is on."
"Who's he?" Venomous Bramble asked Mindless Lunacy. "Oh, my old Solar Mate, baggage from my past life. Come on, we're going to have a picnic, Bramble!" "Oh, my celestial lions, you were serious?" "Yeah!" Her eyes shined like platinum coins. "It's so beautiful out today." "Why we doing out so late though?" "Because Luna will be out, silly! And, so I can do my special dance!" "A special dance, sacred to Luna, for me? You shouldn't have!" "Come on, this will be fun!"
Harlequin, Jester of Fate was avoiding scrutiny, normally, this would be a trifle, a simple matter for one as august as he. Or better yet, he could have trumpeted his presence, to his allies, and ignored his enemies. Not today, not this scrutiny. Take, for instance, Bramble's well-meaning invocation of Celestial Lions a few moments before. In most other times, in most other places, such an uttering wouldn't have brought them out in numbers. Other times wouldn't have made Ak-Lanir of the Diamond Mace, Commissioner of Lawful Justice take an interest. In other surroundings, Jester of Fate could appear to the current target of his affections, Mindless Lunacy, and be imperceptible from whoever was watching. Here, all his might and the best he could do was remain undetected, or so he thought. Only Luna could watch her unobserved, she had been told, and of course, since Luna was visible and full, in the sky, she wasn't entirely unobserved. So who was watching her? Their eyes scrabbling like an tomb scarab's many legs over her form, itching, scratching. Their attention unwelcome, irksome. Was it her ex-Raksha beau? After driving moonsilver nails through his knee, she'd thought he'd leave her well enough alone. Was it burning bits of fallen sky? Or whatever his new name was, her Solar Mate, she'd not met his current incarnation yet, but she figured he'd be called like some form of meteor, like his predecessor, it was an eons-long tradition at this point. She should meet him, set some ground rules. She was no longer Victoriana-Children's-Governess, which was the name under which she'd been known in the first age. Nor was she really Mystical-Pixie-Dream-Girl, the name he'd known her as. She hadn't died and been reborn, like he had, but she might as well have, having been stranded in The Wyld for centuries. Her contemporary, Lillith, had spent a comparable amount of time in the wyld, and only came out with "hoot hoot" when she felt like talking. Which wasn't that often. Andamani of the Scarlet Field was a dish though, she was lucky. She allowed herself. Meteor, yeah that's how she'll call him, Meteor was much more muscular, but his square-chopped face had left her nonplussed a few times before. What good is a fated mate if your souls don't click, she kept asking herself. He had argued though, and been right, at least once, that it wasn't his soul that didn't click with her, but his body. His soul, his values, were fine by her, and always had been. Would they always be so? She wondered, it was uncanny, how they always seemed to agree on the important things. But then, perhaps it was a sign of friendship, not love. She had never been super clear on the distinction, which was why she kept having this reputation... Despite really feeling she was only in one relationship at a time. Right now she was with Bramble, why was was she even thinking of Meteor? Maybe some of those people who thought her inconstant weren't completely out there. Of course, that hadn't saved Andamani and Lillith, from what she had heard. And her doomed relationship with Ma-Ha Suchi had made such noise... She buried her face into Bramble's neck, who let out a delighted peal of laughter and the both of them decided to forget about everything else, for a while.
"Hey, boss!" Burning Sky landing on you asked Breeze. It was funny, his name was even longer than Burning Sky, but everyone shortened it to the important bit instinctively. "..." There was a noticeable pause, then Breeze signed: 'A-Ok, and you?' "Same, same." 'Saw your soul-delayed lover.' Heaven's sign language had a funny way of spelling ex, Burning sky thought. "Mindless Lunacy? What's that got to do with me?" 'Nothing, but you should talk to her, set it behind you, sometime. She tick-tick-tick bomb relationship.' "Boss, if it wasn't you, I wouldn't even had let you mention her name." 'That's why I boss. I get away with important thing.' "Can't argue with that. Ok, ok, I'll meet with her. Why do you mention it now?" 'Man-of-secrets was trailing her today.' "Man-of-secrets? Nara-O?" 'Secret-agent-man.' He nodded.
Nellens Suantamon came over. I'm told to report to you, for training. "Training, I see." "What kind of training do you offer, anyway?" "I infiltrated the White Veil cell in Rathess, years ago. I went all-in, deep cover, stayed there a year, lost myself, Breeze had to extract me." "What? Extraction isn't automatic?" "They don't tell you? Extraction is automatic, if you want it... I had stopped wanting it, I just wanted to be a white veil, manipulating behind the scenes." "But I thought you were a Dawn, not someone to whom manipulation comes easy?" "When the style put that into reach, that just made it sweeter. Not that the style is really about manipulation, it's a lot more about not being caught, in whatever. At least, that's what the katas I was thought were about." "Could you teach me?" "That'd look strange, you're not supposed to know anything about the art until you're a full member. Do you know any of the other arts?" "I'm a dragonlord in the Seventeenth legion, when the paperwork clears, for the good it'll do, since I'm supposed to retire in ten months. I've taught martial arts to dozens of my soldiers." "So you know how to move your body, and the manipulation of essence, good." "Isn't there supposed to be more than that?" "Not to the white veil, that's part of why they're so dangerous. It's not the most dangerous martial art known, but it's up there." "What? There's worse?" "There's better, sanctioned ones. I learned, through study, mastery of the Golden Janissary style, whose every kata honours the unconquered sun. Breeze, my Sifu, knows even more, he's said to have snuck into, and out, of a monastery of the cult of the illuminated, dropping his calling card on the bedroll of the head monk, undetected except for four martial artists of rival schools, whom he ritually dispatched with his martial arts." "He took on four ? He sounds good." "He took them on, at once. He is one of Jupiter's elite." "Jupiter? I would have thought Mars, or perhaps Saturn, to have the best martial artists." "Mars' own champion spars with him weekly, and Friendships Broken, one of the heavies of Saturn, joins them every other week, for a tournament." "Saturn has 'heavies'?" "When Friendships Broken wants someone moved, they are moved. He threw me through a dojo wall a few times." "What? You're two stone heavier, and about a cubit taller, than what I'd call a 'heavy', for the legions." "Friendships Broken is the same heavier and taller, than me. He's good at martial arts, especially grapples, better than me, just not on the level of Breeze or Special Skills." "Of course, the Champion of Mars would have such an innocuous name. Special Skills?" "We have a longer name for him, for when he's not on the clock. Not that it tells you anything, and his martial arts is so esoteric, you do NOT want to fight him for keeps." "What? He kicks the beauty out of you?" "No, when he punches someone for keeps, they get sick, or poisoned." "And Breeze?" "Breeze can hide in the ticks between breaths, and squeeze actions out of the pauses between words." "I've heard of this Sidereal Martial Artist, they say she has a squad of heaven's dragons, for sparring..." "Oh, Anys Syn? She knows a different style, she IS someone who I'd not bet against if she went two falls out of three with breeze." "You say not bet against..." "I'd not bet in that fight at all. Have you seen her fight?" "No, why?" "That's just it, no one seems to have seen her trade blows with anyone, it's like everyone forgets her fights." "I've heard the same of the Bureaus, Destiny's fights aren't 'memorable'." "Keep in mind, the bureaus don't like people broadcasting that, but I can't say you're wrong." "Your Sifu, Breeze, has anyone seen him fight?" "I've seen... parts of his fights." "What do you mean?" "He's so fast, so skilled, he just disappears out of view during fights, you think you feel him against you, weighing you down, then he's gone. Then you breathe again, he kicked a scorepost in the backfield four paces away, and then jumped back ontop of you, and hit both your shinguards as you desperately tried to block." "He sounds like someone you want to be on the right side on." "He has private sparring lessons with Bahal Hesh, preceptor of ten thousand styles." "Like, literally, the god of martial arts?" "Him and Special Skills, at least, monthly, I imagine some of the others do too." "Does Special Skills train you?" "No, I value my bits too much... No seriously." "You have got to be kidding." "Not as much as you think, when Breeze and Skills spar, there's always a healer on hand, and they've yet to downcheck Breeze for less than a week." "A week?" "Look, when the Sidereal Martial Artists fight at even a tenth of their potential, we don't mean twelve dragon-blooded got a scratch.." "What?" "Breeze put down a wing of Heaven's Dragon's by himself, unarmed. They needed medical attention, despite him by his signing 'trying to be gentle'. He does NOT mess around." "And he's your Sifu? Has he put you in the hospital?" "A time or two, usually my own damn fault. Listen, the White Veil is dangerous, just remember whose side heaven is on."
I was born in Gem, the son of circus artists, entertainers. They died when I was little. I was adopted by Raiton that flaps in the night, gnawing at Souls soon after, he had a large mansion there, and servants. His extended family was filled with raucous laughter. When I was about to enter puberty, he chose a new set of staff. In the new intake was a lunar, my old soul-mate: Manic Pixie Girl.
Conditions
Children
Eyes
Dark Blue
Aligned Organization
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