Welcome to Gaia! ::

(Co-post with shade)

Celeste sighed, glancing about yet again. The hall was large, and her eyes grew at the size of it. Of course, for her, she really acted like a little kid sometimes. Quickly pushing down the feelings of awe she felt, she regained her compusure. Once again, she was cloaked in the robes of her tribe, brightly designed upon the outside as she walked in beside Michael, "Interesting...everyone is here, eh?"

"Pretty much, this is our main mess hall- and it's just about dinnertime- ah!" His eyes settled on a group of warlike figures in a corner having a quiet, but lively conversation. "If you would excuse me..... I was supposed to be in a strategy meeting, and now I have no excuse since they moved in here..... Go get something form over there-" here, he gestures to a half-open wall "-and find a seat. Go mingle, it won;t hurt. I'll find you later, milady?" HE smiled winningly

Celeste sighed, then smiled with a nod, "Very well, I shall. THanks for escorting me this far," SHe returned his amile with a nod of understanding, "YOu shouldn't miss the strategy talks, my men get angry when I do!" She bowed, turning to head over to the mess area for some food.

What looked liek a twelve-year-old-girl in grey and silver clan robes drifted in- more like tiredly stumbled in, and claimed a cup of tea before finding a table in a corner and sitting down. Her long deep brown haor looked only a little frazzled.... and she looked exhausted. And all too muich like a real child to be there.

Glancing up, Celeste blinked slightly, following her way through the line. TUrning slightly, she saw the tired child and nodded to herself. Stepping over, she smiled, "Hi, would it be alright if I sat with you?"

Tired silver eyes nmet hers briefly, before a nod. "Not a problem. It's..... been a long day." A croed of Cranes and Clouds drifted in, arguing over whose clan could host the newlyweds. The girl's eyes landed on them, before she sighed. "Hikari-hime left one heck of a political snarl when she left."

"Was it that bad? I only just arrived, so I wouldn't know all that much," She smiled, sitting beside the young girl that she had seen. Sighing slightly, she wondered what Shadowsage had summoned her for, since it seemed to be terrible here, she hadn't seen it all.

"Bad enough. Considering it made calmer heads lose their temper.... which, considering the mutual antagonizm of those clans..." The girl shook her head. "Pardon my rudeness. My name is Sage, it is an honor to meet you, Milady." She seemed to resignedly force the formality. "Please pardon my bluntness, I am...... tired."

"POint taken...." Celeste lost herself in a slight moment of consideration when she was brought out of her revery, "Oh! I appologize, Sage-sama. My name is Celeste. I apologize for being rude as well."

She waved a hand, before settingher chin on her arms, delicately pointed ears showing through her hair. "It's just Sage, Celeste-hime. I'm too tired for formalities. Perhaps especially with what's been happening recently. There is a lot of suspicion running around since earlier. People believe a member of the forgotten Ryu clan is walking around."

Celeste raised an eyebrow, "Really now? Interesting." SHe thought about it, "I have heard those myself..." SHe nodded, leaning on her palms, using her elbows as balance, "PLease, just Celeste as well-.." Celeste paused, "Wait...you know exactally who I am, don't you?"

A tired nod. "Saw you come in earlier, heard who you were from Jubei-san briefly....welcome to the political mess that is the Clan Meet. Hope you're here to help- unlike the gaggle over there." a brief vague gesture to the arguing clouds and cranes as she took a sip of what appeared to be some kind of toasted-rice-and-green tea.

Celeste smiled a bit with a nod, "Well, Sage. I appreciate that alot. I think I will, if I can figure them out and keep my own clan from going gaga over whatever else there is to see long enough to do some good. I just hope i CAN do some..." Celeste turnined with a sigh.

"Not hard. so long as you can keep your temper...." She took another sip of tea, and this time a group of people waled by, seeming to not notice the corner table, their whispers clear. "So shadowsage os DEFINATELy one fo the ryu? is that why she blacked out earlier today? she's a Seer?"

Celeste's eyes darted quickly, alert as they shifted to a darker brown. Glancing at INigashi, she nodded him over to the gaggle with a strangled sigh. This was definately one tangle of knots to fix

She heard a sigh by her elbow. "Nobody trusts me anymore. Kaylyn was wrong about that."

Celeste turned, smiling, "If that is the case, putting two and two together, you are Shadowsage, correct?"

She had her face in her arms, for all the world looking no more than a tired child...... but the weary reply belied her apparent age. "....hai. Like I said...... it's been a long, long day

Celeste turned to her, smiling yet again as she nodded, "Well, that's why I'm here, the back up nuetral. Take a breath or two, then let me know how you need my help..." Celeste was by no means shocked by the size of Shadowsage, but the fact that she talked as she did, gave her respect.

muffled by her robes- "Honestly, right now I just need to get the flibbertygibbits like the cranes and clouds out of the same room at any given time, and about three days of sleep. Out of curiosity, what do you think of the rumors?"

another group, "the RYU clan? they were so evil..... how can we trust her if she is?"

Celeste clutched at the table, banging against it. Either way, itw asn't fair to what was happening. Her eyes blazed an Amber color in her anger at those people, "How dare they....You have obviously worked hard...and this is the treatment! Sure, evil is the Ryu clan, or so I've learned! But THIS is ridiculous! They shouldn't be accusing you of this blasphemy! You are who you aer, and you obviously worked for thier benifit. How could they!? They don't call me crazy, or so I see, when I start talking to the spirits."

"It's.... it's ok. They do have reason to believe that." She sounded tired, and not physically so- emotionally so.

"It still doesn't seem fair to me!" She argued, looking over at Shadowsage, then sighed, "Sorry, I know I shouldn't get worked up like that, but it burns me up to see people doing that."

"Well, I did manage to pass out this morning, and I'm known for spending a lot of time off meditating. I'll live."

Well...if you are sure..." She sighed, leaning forward

"It could yet be worse. There will be worse before the war we cannot stop passes."

What do you mean? Like you already know, I'm new, I haven't had much prior information."

"Nothing. IT doesn;t matter. The Clan meet.... we have to find a way to unify all the disparate clans." She shook her head. "What is your opinion of the Ryu clan, if I can ask? call it curiosity.

"Nothing. IT doesn;t matter. The Clan meet.... we have to find a way to unify all the disparate clans." She shook her head. "What is your opinion of the Ryu clan, if I can ask? call it curiosity

"Well..." She sighed, rubbing her forehead, "It's hard, because I've never met anyone from the clan. If I follow the beliefs of my clan, then I would despise them with all m core. Slanderers, Rapists, murderers....and so many more aer listed within that...." Celeste's eyes shadowed, "And while I can't say I like them, I certainly can't hold an opinion. Based on the past and the rumors, yes, I dislike them beyond compare. Based by what I truly KNOW so far? I have no opinion."

"That's considerably more open-minded than most here."

"Well, as a leader I must be open and fair. I haven't an option. I head the clan of nomads, judged as gypsies in our own rights. We are wrongfully judged at times, or even people in my clan are by toher members. I have to solve the problems. As a result, I only can base a fair judgement upon those I meet and what I see."

A tired smile. "Hopefully you can keep that in mind when it counts." She stood, bowing wobbly. "I'll.... head to my camp...." she took a few steps before stumbling- people made a point to avoid her, instead of help her.

"Oh geez..." Celeste lost her temper a bit as she stood up, "Shame on you!" She cried out to the clans, "I'm called all the way to help make decisions, and the one person who helps you....You refuse to help her! You are obviously not thinking of your honors!" Celeste hmpfed, her demenor switching to that of an honerable Samurai who was out to right the wrongs in an ancient code. Walking over she glarerd at them, "Refusing to help someone, what sorry souls..." She said the last part softly, her amber eyes sending chills into others as she reached over to help Sage, "I will help you, if no one else will."

Most of them cooly turned, thir alienation of the child obvious. Michael shot them a glance fom his corner, but looked away, distrubed. "It's ok.... they do hae reason,m anyway..... thankyou." She leaned lightly on Celeste, eventually lewading them bth away fro the tents to small cliffside. she eyed the trail that dissappeared fast into th trees. "this is not going to be a pleasant five minute walk.... but I have made my camp at the end of this path."

Celeste turned a snapping gaze at each of them, then turned back to Sage, "If you say so. I'll help you there as far as you need to be...." She smiled with a nod, at least showing that she cared enough to do so.

When they reached the top, Celeste could see a faded blanket patterned with greys and soft silvers draped across a cave entrance. It looked rather dismal and lonely, to be honest. with a heck of a view. The ledge overlooked the encampment. "Home sweet cave...."

Celeste sighed, looking up at this, "This is where you live then?...It looks dismal...Oh! Sorry!" SHe covered her mouth with her other hand*

"It could be worse. The noise of the camp gets to me, honestly. Kaylyn would welcome me down there if I wanted to go but.... I prefer ym solitude. I have too many secrets. I need the space. The view makes it worth it. Look below us, what do you see?" the camp looked almost like a reflection of the sky, it had gotten dark enough that the scattered fires looked like fallen stars.

She turned, her eyes widening into a smile. "Yea, you may be right about that. I can see what you mean...." She nodded. "As long as you are happy here, then it is definately not what I thought!"

"It suits me. I'm not exactly a loner by nature..... but I am one by choice." she held out a hand, and a strange staff, like the Ancient;s, but topped by an S shaoed winged dragon appeared- the silver top almost gleaming, the staff chiming softly as she used it to walk with. "Thankyou for your help- my staff is good as a walking stick only, not for climbing the small trail."

"Not a problem...." Celeste smiled, readt to turn as she looked back over her shoulder, "Look, it may not be much, but you can talk to me if you need to. Look, you aren't the only one in the game of working the problems out now. Just remember that. I don't care what they say. YOU are the only one who proves to me who you are." She nodded, turning, "Oyasumi."

"Matte." She leaned on her staff, turning from the cave entrace. "Before you go, one thing you should know of me."

I am a Seer." Her eyes went slit-pupiled spo briefly it may have been a trick of the light, before she turned and went inside. Celeste raised an eyebrow. slightly shocked and not knowing how to reply. She sighed, walking up to the door, about to knock

"It's allright, come on in. I half-expected you to follow me after that." She still sounded tired, but not averse to the company.

Celeste blinked, moving passed the flap that was right there, causing her to sigh. Glancing up, she frowned, "Sorry..."

"It's allright. I wanted to speak with you alone if you were to ask abiut that. It's comon knowledge now..... since I got hit this morning a nd several othr times today by the things I See."the cave was a cozy space, very little of it remained the original stone, it was coverecd in blankets and large pillows- much like a coccoon of soft things. most of the blankets and such were quilts or soft velveteen. Sage's sandals were on the rougher wove mat near the door. The cave was lit by phosherescent stone that lay uncovered in its center, a thick blanket folded back to shed light.

Glancing around, Celeste was amazed. It looked far different then it did on the outside, and this much she kenw, "It's nice in here..." Shaking herself up, she smiled slightly, "Ok, so what is it you wanted to speak with me about?"

"More the question- what would you ask of me, knowing that I claim to be a Seer?"

Celeste sighed, folding her arms. "Well, I have one question for you right now....and that is, why would you tell me?"

"Because of you really are here to help, you may as well know why I have very few friends and entertain few guests."

"POint taken," She nodded, looking down at her, "Why would you choose to trust me."

"Because you came, frankly. And because you are from the gypsy clan. You are one who would be a neutral party, knowing dangerous secrets comes with the post, I'm afraid.

She nodded, her mouth shut, "I see. SO the troubles are far worse then I believed....however, you sayking you are a seer...makes you of the Ryu clan, does it not?

a bit more drastic. Not just of the Ryu clan. I am the last living full-bloded Dragon. Kaylyn knows. So does Alaric and Hikari..... but no others."

"And now me...." SHe said, nodding as she thoguht about it

Shadowsage nodded, and sat there quietly.

"Let me guess, you want to know what I think about it then?" Celeste sat there, asking

"No. I do not read minds. I just.... had hope, given your open-minded comment earlier."

Celeste nodded, then looked up with a wry smile, "Well, here is what I think. I think...that I am feeling no different around you then before. You are you."

"For that..... you have my gratitude. Should you ever need it, my refuge is yours."

"I appreciate that. However, I think you deserve my reasoning, "Celeste stated, "For in light of what has happened, my being honest is all I can offer. My choices are such for various reasons, however, first and formost you were honest with me. To the end, you made sure of that, for which I must say thank you. You have done nothing to decieve me, so that in it's own creates my judgememtn upon you."

"The ryu clan weeew not the murderers, the torturers, the rapists.... it was those who wiped them out that were. It;s why they succeeded so easily- we were never warriors, not realy.

Celeste blinked, "I see.....how did that happen?"

"When there is nobody but the dead to gainsay whay you say....." she shrugged. "I was younger then that I am now- I still would not gainsay them unless I knew they would not hunt me down as the last."

Celeste nodded, "I understand. However, at the same time, I believe that you have done well for yourself. Just remember, you aren't alone."

"I am alone. I will be for the rest of my life. It is why I treasure what few friends and aquaintances I have that know my secret."

Celeste looked up at Sage with as sigh, then smiled, "Look,. I know not of the true stories of your race, and shall not judge you by what I know. But true companionship is not within your race, but the people you associate with. You aren't alone, if you make it so. As such, I will be a friend, if I am allowed that far, and I will teach my children, if I have them, to be as well. If it works out, then my line shall be friends with you...and know. That way, you will not be alone."

She bows from her sitting position. "You give me too much honor. Thankyou for not jumping to conclusions. Michael.... is uneasy around me because he found out the hard way. Alaric- if you have not met him yet you will- was one of the only ones who guessed at the truth a long time ago. He often seeks my advice, so he is often up here. Kaylyn I trust with anything. She is a Wildcat. Thankyou for coming at my request- I cannot stay as a negotiator much longer."

Celeste blinked rapidly, shifting her head to the side as she raised an eyebrow, "They are wonderful people, though I fail to understand...no that isn't true. I can understand why Michael is uneasy, he will probably be uneasy around me as well since I defended you. And you are most welcome that I came. I'm happy to have come, however, why is it that you are...umm....unable to remain as negotiator for much longer?" Celeste relaxed against the wall, sitting before Sage

"Because I cannot be involved. I am too much already. Because of what and who I am, a Seer, a Dragon, one of the Ryu clan..... because I am of a race that was already ancient when humankind was young, I cannot stay as close to many involved as I would like. I know too much, and it is hard enough already not to act on that knowledge." She had made the distinction between being a Draong and of the Dragon(ryu) Clan very different things.... and she sounded pained.

Celeste sighed, nodding at what she said, "I cannot say that I blame you by any means. But as for the rest? Feel free to advise me, I shall listen." Reaching over, she grabbed the young...well, lady's hand and clutched it in a rare sign of affection, "I cannot imagine what that is like, but I will support you. Is this why you called me in?"


"I called because they will still need a negotiator, perhaps especially when I will be forced out of the position. For the most part, keeping a level head no matter what will get you through." a very dry smile. "Trust me, having a history politically sometimes makes the situations worse."

"Level heads are easy to keep on with me. I just dislike it when someone shuns another for no reason. However, I doubt that they all will listen to me at first..." Celeste sighes, "I can understand completly

Don;t let it get to you. You'll find in short order since most people are the ONLY reps of their clans.... most of the current politics are based on heresay and rumor. The other reason I have to back out is what Hitomi did. She owes me a great deal for managing to smooth over her wedding."

"I shan't. SO, you called on us to replace you in the political thing. Meaning that this is going to be rough. They will watch me in suspicion for a while.." Celeste thought about her, her brown eyes alive in amusement as she contemplated it with a small smile, "What can I say? It might be fun....thoguh I have no wish to take your place, Sage."

"I don;t want you to have my place, I want you to have your own. It'll do you no good to try and fill my shoes- call on me if you need back up in emergencies. I frankly will lack th neergy for much beyond what will occupy my time. Already I See things when it is a very bad time for it. Any control I had I only have when there s not an imminent war."

"HHmm, if you are sure. I just didn't want to jump in without the education. It wouldn't be fair to base judgements in such, "Celeste sighed, raising a hand to run through her hair, "What is it you plan to do outside of this?"

"I..... dare not really say. Part of it is a secret, part of it.... is safer as a secret. Gomen nasai."

Celeste looked over at her with a smile, small one, but still a smile, "No worries. I shall not take offense, for I believe I shall know in time. Take your time in telling me. However, I think it is time for bed for me...since I must make my men head back and such, leaving me with my minimal guard. And start my duties tommorrow...don't I start tommorrow?" She blinked slightly, thinking on it. She then flashed Sage a smile, saying she was ready for it.

Walking through the area, Celeste side, looking about in vague interest. She couldn't help it...negotiations hadn't started, so as of that point she was rather useless.

She had removed the robes that signified who she was, wanting to make it a little easier to travel about unnoticed. IT was life..what could she say?

Resting her hand on the sword at her hip, she stretched once more.

Blinking, Celeste lifted her head in surprise, not thinking that anyone would have recognized her right off, "Oh, hello Michael-san. How are you this morning? And no, I haven't seen Shade around at all....And please, just Celeste is fine. I'm not very formal..."