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?"

"Is that why you were trying to steal my disciples?"

"I was trying to get your attention."

"And now that you have it, what do you want?"

"To offer you an opportunity."

"What sort of opportunity?"

"Escape from a city that's only holding you back. Safety from the enforcers of the Realm - and enough teeth to bite harder than they can, in time."

"And perhaps even my personal attention... If you keep impressing me."

Interested hum. "And what does this cost?"

"Nothing in payment - but you'll need to work hard, and I'll push you to your limits and beyond."

"Every Lunar is by her very nature a threat to the Realm, one more thorn digging into its body. And every Lunar survives by the grace of her fellows - even the mightiest will die if they're alone. Even if you refuse my offer, other Lunars will still offer you aid and protection when they can - though without your own pack you'll be exposed and far from help."

"Then I'd be a fool to say no."

"And you're a smart woman."

"How kind of you to say so. I suppose I have some travel arrangements to make, then."

"Perhaps we can start your training while you do."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Your arrangements will be easiest if you use certain of my contacts..."

"But you'd need to take the relevant face from me, and you'd need to exactly mimic my character."

"Or should I find an easier challenge?"

"The only way I've taken anyone's face is after they're dead. Or, well, shortly before."

"Is death the only hunter?"

"Is this a riddle?"

"Or perhaps a philosophical question, or perhaps your first test."

"Oh good. My favorite."

"I should find more of these, then?"

"Depends how many hints you'll give me."

"Let's keep it to the one for now. See how far you get."

Hum.

"So hunting, then.. I suppose if I can't eat your heart, I'll have to steal it." Wink.

"An interesting idea," she purrs. "Though quite the challenge to test."

"I don't know, darling. You wouldn't be the first. Not even the first in an alleyway, in fact." She licks her lips, quick pink tongue darting slyly. "I have fond memories of an overgrown wall a block or so away..."

She steps closer. "Really now?" she purrs. "Perhaps we should give it a new look, then."

Celes reaches a hand out to brush the fringes of Laughter's hair. "Not going to demand some more elaborate setting? Don't you think I'm worth it?"

The quirk of her lips says to Celes's keen eye that she does think Celes is worth that -

"I think I'll just trust your self assessment of what you're worth."

- And something in her eyes, the tilt of her head, the tone of her voice suggests she'd like an arrogant girl. 

(There's something... Odd, about it. something mask-like, but Celes can't quite see what the mask is over... There's a lot of masks, perhaps, layers to that expression, and something dark very briefly visible in a fleeting alignment of the gaps in the layers, a miniscule slip...)

(If she's just showing Celes what she wants to see- well, Celes likes what she sees. And that hint of danger... mmmm. Tasty.)

"Not even going to give me an inch, are you?" she pouts. "How rude."

Smirk. "I'm only nice to my enemies."

"You have serious issues, then."

"Part of my allure."