Spreading rumors - and doing a good job of it - means getting rumors too, and even if her disciples aren't too impressive, they're tapped into the rhythm of the city. 

And so a rumor reaches her ear, of an unusually powerful power-broker in the area, of someone with a strange allure and odd bearing, a foreigner from the farthest West, promising riches to anyone who answers a few questions...

What she's looking for isn't certain, though Celes's disciples are weirdly fascinated by her. 

Well. That won't do at all.

Time for a personal meeting.

...Tracking the woman down concretely is pretty hard. She seems to be keeping just barely ahead of Celes's agents. 

That's... frustrating. Celes might have to search herself.

And when she does...

There's an odd itch between her shoulders. Like appreciative eyes on her, even when no one should be looking. 

If it's like that, then...

Celes ducks into a blind alley. "Well? Are you going to show yourself?"

"Notice me already?" a low, beautiful voice asks from behind her. 

Celes does not jump in startlement. She does turn around very quickly, though.

To see an exceptionally beautiful woman, one with fine features and hair curled and pinned into a pretty - albeit odd - style. The pins are a simple, understated silver, and she isn't wearing any other jewelry, though the fabric of her dark clothes is fine. 

Also, there's a shimmery trace of faint silver tattoos over her skin, and her eyes are strange - the dark honey tone is normal, though her iris is hard to discern, but there's something off about the shape and size - the blue and red makeup ringing them probably isn't helping, though. 

She just smirks at Celes.

"-Who are you?"

"Someone who's impressed you saw her so quickly."

"And does that person have a name?"

"Call me Laughter."

"And I will assume you know my name already, since you have been watching so closely."

"And it's a lovely one, Celes."

"So what have I done to garner your attention, Laughter?"

"I heard stories of you on the grapevine."

"And not very many have powers like yours."

"Something tells me you are one of those."

"Perceptive of you."

"But do you know what you are?"

"Chosen of Luna. Or so she said."

"Yes. One of her Exalted - Anathema, to the Immaculate Philosophy."

"I never much cared for that sort of moralizing."

"Nothing more than a silly power grab."

"It's reasonably elegant for what it is... but not something that gains me any benefit."

"Things would be much better with the world in appropriately worshipful hands, don't you think?"