Silver eyes watched tanned hands work away at the ropes. A final yank and she done her check for the lofty act of Ty, the aerial acrobat. The motions were ingrained in her; she could have been doing this in her sleep. But this time, she made sure that each and every single knot and weight were triple checked and accounted for; for what she had seen earlier that day had set her ill at ease. Perhaps the high strung sensitivities of her Lady Co-ordinator, Calista had rubbed off on her. And it was a good thing too. Vol had asked the final questions and Mr. Seil not only answered all questions with no more than stern reassuring voice and a symbolic wave of the hand, but still CeCi, and undoubtedly many others were not satisfied with the answers. Especially when CeCi's angellic sister had taken leave, so abruptly and with creased brow. Did not anyone else sense the reason Rosalina took leave? Did they not see the golden cut out in the darkened sky? Where the Darkness Knelt only there was only the absence of Light. Obviously. But the saying was playing out before them. Did they not know what it meant? And why was no answer demanded from the 'Master? Because... the show must go on. Simple. And just as simply, the ones taken were not of great value like ones such as Ty, Crow, Red, the self-indudging Vol and its mirrored twin... yes, even Andracos and its lackeys were of great importance. Who were the ones taken? Did it matter? Nay, and again nay with a promise. For they were of little importance for the show to go on. They could be missing and the Carnival would still be able to continue with minimal impedance. Nay, they did not matter. Just like if CeCi would go missing it would not matter; the show must go on. What of Grog? Ever trudging, ever labouring for the 'Master, sealed in his fate, yet friendly and, to CeCi, uplifting all the same? But however true that may be, the Lady Co-ordinator, Calista the Witch of White Magics... that one was of true importance whether said aloud with gratitude or not. And for that matter what of the Angel of Mercy( at least in Cellci's eyes, Rosalina was called), how important was she? All of them were of the utmost importance to CeCi. Important enough to break her own vows and bring her further away from Cellci's beloved Weeping Angel that turned to stone, yet again. If she went missing... no one would miss her, save for Grog, it was true. But that would never stop her from being Celleci. Never. Nay, and yet again with a promise to break another self-imposed vow. Did Celleci understand that doing such a thing would bring her closer to that which she abhorred; she would lessen herself and see that she was what everyone else could see yet she could only deny? That she was actually corr-- “Nevermind,” said the angel neath her breath as she turned to check upon the other workers and their progress. “Ladies and lords of the rigging and Lighting crew, to Celleci then,” she announced, not restraining a single note of her accented voice from the Azure, “if you are sure you have double checked all your endevours... then that is not enough. Check again. Should Ty find harm to herself. Should anything be amiss. Should anything other than a breath-taking and an awe-inspiring performance be the result of the Aerial Elementalist... or any other performer that you have provided back-breaking service for that matter... should anything less than that standard come to pass, you do know that you will not answer to this angel alone. The 'Master expects nothing less than perfection. We will never disappoint. We will never let any fall. Not a single one. Not by our endeavours. Aye?” [i]“Aye, Celleci!”[/i] “This one does not believe your words, fair crew, for you have not yet triple checked your endeavours...” CeCi said sternly. Then she jerked her head, stating without words for them to get to work. A simple bow from each. No grumbles at all even though some of their eyes held questions that their tongues dared not ask of the angel. Celleci watched as they went about their work, stern lines for lips, creased brows and urgent hands and bodies working with all their worth. Tonight's success was penultimate. Tonight's success would be response loud and clear to those responsible for acts that would raise the ire of an angel, a female Guardian Angel transcendent with a new cause: “You will not break us,” she said under her breath as silver eyes flashed something more than righteousness, “you will not.” ~ Earlier, moments after the crowd at the meeting dispersed, she found each of them alone. Slender yet toned caramel coloured arms had reached behind her and deftly picked apart the buttons that clasped from nape to mid-back. When she felt righteousness, the wings she had grown, the ones she was born with, glowed into existence. But in this moment, the ones they had never seen, the ones she had earned in the War for the Truths and the Lies erupted from her tensed and arched back; Golden wings. The wings of an ArchAngel. Her glow, her halo, drove outward like the birth of a star, from her mind, body, and soul, her every ounce of being, piercing the eyes of the onlookers and receivers of precious, vow-breaking gifts. [hider=~Grog~] “Grog. You are my only friend here. Oh is this one so thankful for you. I do not know of any other that cares for this one as much as you have, my dear. What has this one deserved to receive such a gift? The cause may remain in your thoughts and hearts, but do know that there is nothing here, or beyond, that will stop CeCi from finding you should you ever go missing. A gift 'tis the naked truth CeCi feels about you is all this angel can give you but... there is also [i]this.[/i] The feather you kept of me... that one is from when this one was but a fledgling and not yet worthy enough to carry a meek lantern, Grog! Aye, do keep it. But this feather... this one will know you. Whisper to it. And CeCi will find you... you are my only friend here, Grog. You are my Troll worthy to branding a crown upon his head, you are. Today is a new day. And you, this one sees you as a the Rising Sun...”[/hider] [hider=~Calista~] “My Lady Co-ordinator. All will be ready as per your directives and desires. Of course and as always... but of another matter, my Lady: your answers to this one's questions... Marked well and heeded, rest assured, my Lady Calista. Thank you for your time and candor. Do know that for three years this one has toiled to only please your command. But did you know today is a new day? And it can be for us. Celleci and Calista. CeCi knows that you are busy... in action and in thoughts. Never once have we had the time to talk of things other than the tasks at hand, correct? But today of all days... why did this one come forth and seek guidance and answers from you? Yes, curiosity to be sated is obvious... but another reason there is. Neither sinister nor useful for this one to use against you, my Lady Calista. Know ye why? What is worth more... a handshake or a hug? It is neither when trust is involved. Aye, this one trusts you, my Lady. Trust must be earned such is a thing akin to respect. You have both from this Angel, regardless of what you think of her. So please... please Calista Luinaree... take this feather. In this troubled time... in this troublesome place... this one needs to know that the ones this angel trusts, respects... the ones she cares for... will be protected by CeCi. Cast it away if you must. It is but a feather to those who will not see it for what it is; a meagre keepsake to those whom the gift was not meant. A feather that will fade into sunlit dust motes within heartbeats of being held. But to the one for whom it was meant to be given... It will last until my final breath. It knows you. Whisper to it and CeCi will be there for you... Today is a new day; and this one sees you as the Hidden Dawn...”[/hider] [hider=~Ty~] Later, after her performance, when Ty slipped back into the dressing room, upon her bureau was a golden feather unlike any she may have ever seen before. Neath that was a note written in elegant and almost other worldly angelic calligraphy that sighed: [i]Ty, We talk about all things other than that which friends talk about. CeCi wishes for that to change, please. Today is a new day. You are the Breath-taking Skies to this one. Whisper to your feather, a gift from an angel, and CeCi will be there for you. Celleci, a Guardian Angel... yet not for long.'[/i] [/hider] [hider=~Rosalina~] [i]Rosalina... CeCi has no choice but to love you, my sister from the Azure. In only fanciful thoughts and hidden hearts does this one dare to ever communicate such things. There are others... those that have Knelt in Darkness... those that call you “Mother...” those that have captured your heart... those that still wish to be the one to capture your heart... those one, sister, they must never hear the words even if spoken in our angellic tongue of purity and beneficence. But this one loves you for more reasons than just because of breed, sister. This one loves you because you are still pure. You are without righteousness yet your are still within Mercy. CeCi may not bestow you a gift more than a rose; a feather of another angel. For to do so in mortal time is act of which this one will never partake. You know it insults more than just our ancestors, right sister? But this one loves you because your purity had indeed infected this Guardian Angel. There can be more than just the cause of Righteousness for this one, aye. You have offered friendship to this one and this one has offered it right back to you in kind. We are angellic sisters in mortal time now. Know your wings now as you do mine in this mortal time now, Rosalina. Free them and CeCi will know where you are as you will know where CeCi is when this angel's wings are spread. Your purity has indeed infected this Guardian Angel. For she is now ready to take the next step. This one will protect you all. By the findings of the perpetrators of vile and malicious acts against us here in the Carnival, this Guardian will transcend after her first collection; a Guardian Angel's facade shall blow away and the Angel of Battle will be there in her stead, sister. Today is a new day. And to Celleci, you are the First Breath of Days...” [/i][/hider] ~ When all was ready, and they received the official nod from the Lady-Co-ordinator, off went her brown tweed three and one-quarter length jacket. A single intake of crisp early evening air. An exhale of breath from a creature of the purity in the Azure. “Very well... Ladies! In place? Lords! Pull then! Let us Light it up!!!” A huge grunt in unison from the males as they pulled the ropes to lift up the ladies and the set of hundreds of mirrors facing mirrors went up, a sigh from the ladies as the light of her halo shone forth and hit the mirrors they turned to the sky. Regardless of the slight dim 'quality' of her Light, this angel still burned with righteous vim and vigor as she stood there clutching an item at her side; an item that very few had ever seen her wield, if at all. In a few minutes the 'stand-in' light source would take her place, but as of now, this was CeCi's rightful place. The spotlights swept the sky as the music rose in crescendo, marking the De'Seil Carnival as the new centrepiece of the lands, and marking the temptations of wonder and awe for those that would be gathered here to witness a princess kissed, visions of the future... and wishes granted. The Lights swirling above them from the halo of an angel, a very female and a very readied one with a special rarely seen item clutched at her breast. “You will not break us. You will not. Not now. Not ever...” she whispered. A pause. A sharp inhale of breath, then: Celleci raised her broken sword to the heavens in defiance against the wills of those with malicious intent upon her sworn protected and her glow intensified if only to send a message to whatever Kneels in midst of the De'Seil Carnival. “...Roll up, roll up cherry and all...”