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 Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 2:10 pm
  - insert witty caption here -
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 2:20 pm
Hua Hikari. Not one of Sara's brightest idea's, but one that had been successful in more ways than one, she liked the fact she would wonder around unrecognized. It gave her a certain freedom, the ability to blend into the shadows and fade into the background. Today she found herself in a bar, thinking about the past few days. She wondered how many people Bataar had been going around kissing, even though he kissed her, he did not know he kissed her, and that bothered her. Sara was paranoid and over-insecure, two things she hated about herself... but both things that was incredibly hard to change.
Sara was wearing a black and red dress (without the headdress). He long hair was down, looking black in the candle light. The mask was still on and she made herself comfortable in the back of the room, she had come out to get away. To fade into the background and watch people getting along with their lives. She had been drinking from a bottle of sake, taking drinks when people were not looking. She had done quite well as nobody here recognized her yet.
It was then that she heard more people arriving, one of which was undoubtedly familiar. Ohseet. She tuned the other way and looked around, wondering if there was any way she could escape. She could not even remember what she had called herself... Hua... Xua... Yua! That was right? She did not come out to spy, yet the chance had presented itself to her. The conduit remained still in the back of the room, looking over at the table that the Nobles had claimed.
She would just stay for an hour or so... and then slip away. What were the chances of getting caught? and besides, Bataar did not know who she really was... or so she thought.
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 2:36 pm
Bataar slammed his fist down onto the table, trying to silence one of his colleagues who was already in the dregs of drunkenness. He himself tended not to drink and, as a result, he was pretty consistently rounding up all of his friends, trying to keep them from trouble whenever they did choose to drink. It was a frustrating enough job, to be sure, and he was always willing to be rid of it. Right now they were whistling over some girl in the corner, which he could have cared less about until he heard about the mask. Slowly, so as not to seem deliberate in his actions, the captain turned around so that he could steal a glance at the other Lunarian.
His mind was met with a lack of comprehension as he registered that it was, indeed, Sara. She couldn't have known that she was coming to the bar, so why was she by herself.. and drinking, too? It was not a pretty sight, in Bat's opinion. Not ladylike at all. This wasn't the sort of place for any well-bred female, after all. He noted that her disguise wasn't quite as good this time around, but perhaps that was because her hair was down. In any case, he couldn't let her be.
Bat stood and walked over casually, seating himself across from the soul conduit. "Yua, was it?" he asked, deciding to play along for a little bit. This game was, in his opinion, something that could easily grow a little tiresome, but it would be worth it to figure out just why Sara had the mask on again.
He frowned, wishing that he could see her features. All the same, he didn't want to give himself away in this. Not yet. He didn't want Sarangerel to realize that he knew exactly who she was until it was too late to make the excuse that the use of her mask had been some sort of a joke. He was more likely to glean interesting information from her if he played dumb. He seriously doubted that she would reveal her identity purposefully after the fact. The duplicity would have gone too far.
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 2:53 pm
Oh spirits help me.
She did not expect him to come over, neither did she understand that the comments being made on the over table were directed at her. Sara was not at all used to attracting such looks, not after being out with people like Van. She watched as the Captain came to sit down across the table to her, wondering why he had bothered, after all he did not seem to like her very much a couple of days ago... then again, they seemed to part way on okay terms.
She sat back straight, folding her legs and folding her arms. "That's right. I am surprised you recognized me, Captain." She stated in quite a light tone, she had no reason to loose her cool, instead she would just engage him in polite conversation and then slip away when she saw the chance. She flicked her long hair behind her shoulder, her eyes drifting to her friends who kept looking over. She hoped he was not going to introduce her, fooling Bataar was one thing... then again they were drunk, she could use that to her advantage.
Sara did not get drunk, she got tipsy and left her drinking at that. After-all she wanted no repetition of what happened with Yue, God knows what she would say or what she would do around the Captain.
She paused for a moment and then leaned forward, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. "This is the second time we have met this week, I might start to think you actually enjoy my company, would you like a drink?" Se asked, sliding the bottle and cup over.
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 3:02 pm
Bataar noted the few surprised jerks of the soul conduit and smiled grimly, folding his hands in front of him as he watched her. She clearly didn't know at all about his knowledge of her identity, which was comforting in its own special way. It was nice to have a sort of trump card regarding this. It might even be amusing to tell her that he'd known all this time although he was certain that something like that would probably embarrass the hell out of Sarangerel.
He laughed throatily and shook his head a little, as if he could not believe the other Lunarian. "Same mask as before, Yua." he cooed, flicking it. Of course he would recognize a fox mask if anyone were to wear it over again. It wasn't exactly an everyday fashion item. Most women wouldn't be caught dead in such a mask, Bat supposed, which made sense. He didn't see why Sara should have it on again, but it certainly gave him an opportunity to feel her out here. She had said a few interesting things the night of the festival and he was entirely up to investigating them and perhaps surprising her in the process.
He could smell the alcohol in front of her and he regarded it for a moment with distaste, a frown on his face. Sara had never struck him as someone to be fond of alcohol, but apparently she was. He didn't know if he liked that habit, especially as protective of her as he tended to be. She wasn't even out drinking with anyone else-- what if one of his drunken Noble friends had accosted her or something? It just didn't seem a very good idea.
"No, I don't want one." he responded, crinkling his nose before launching into a subject of his own interest. "But I'm glad we met. I... wanted to see you again." he murmured, sliding his hands across the table in order to envelop her smaller ones. It was all he could do not to burst out into laughter as he did this, however. It was the worst prank he'd ever played on anyone, he supposed, but how would Sara react if she thought that he was really into some other woman?
It was a valid concern of his that he might be smacked before the end of the night.
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 3:13 pm
Sara realized that was a pretty silly thing to say, she smiled and shook her head slightly, strands of teal hair dancing behind her. "How embarrassing, it seems like I have been caught wearing the same thing twice." She laughed nervously, it did seem strange for a girl to be wondering around in the same mask all the time (or a mask at all), clearly she had not thought this whole thing through. Why was he here? How unlucky was that! She was still looking for an excuse to escape, before she was found out, before she had a chance to slip up. She did not want him to think she was spying on him afterall.
Sara knew how to handle drunken idiots, despite what he might think. She could take care of herself and had been doing so for a long time. She might not be very strong, but she had amazing spirit control and that was enough to scare away so drunken idiots at the local bar. She lifted up the bottle and the cup, giving it to the waitress as she wondered past.
When she rested her hands back on the table he took them in his own, she was shocked so much so for a moment she could not speak, a blush came onto her face, numerous thoughts going threw her head. Was he being... serious? She did not understand and the bold act of affection was totally lost of her, he was not acting like this a few days ago. Not until he kissed her at least. "Really? What was it? My amazing skills with a bow or my suspicious actions? I could still be an assassin for all you know." She smirked leaning over the table ever so slightly. She could not understand why he was acting so different now. Had he somehow found her out... no.
So what was he up to? If he wanted to play, then she would play. Afterall, she would win in the end.
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 3:24 pm
Bataar nodded, his eyebrows raised. "The same face twice, eh?" he asked casually, examining the mask with some degree of interest. He would have given just about anything in order to read Sara's expressions but he knew that it was completely out of the question if he were to keep his own cover. He was feeling terribly stealthy about the whole thing and didn't need to give himself away for no reason.
Bataar ran his thumb over the soul conduit's palm, offering a bit of a shrug to her. "It's because you struck me." he declared, with a bit of a flair for the dramatic. He would have her know exactly which direction he was headed in with this, and he would experience her shock firsthand. That was the goal in coming over here, in bothering to act as if he were, for just one second, buying her not-so-very-brilliant disguise. He wanted to see her reaction, or maybe rip her mask off at an inopportune time. It somehow seemed like a good idea. He took one of Sara's hands and pressed his lips briefly to the back of it, placing it down with a bit of a smirk.
This was what fun was all about. He wondered if Sara would be jealous of this alter-ego, or whatever, of hers. Part of him hoped that she would be. "You see, I'm quite fond of women." he confessed, his expression as sinful as he could possibly make it. He hoped, cruelly enough, that this might be a sort of torture for the girl sitting across from him. He wanted to know the contortions of her expression, or what she was thinking. He wanted to gain some control over this.
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 3:35 pm
Sara felt her heart sink as he played with her hands and kissed one of them, feeling a small rush of excitement running up her spine, maybe she would have found this sweet if it was directed towards her, yet it was not. She would have never guessed Bataar as she kind of man to act like this, he always seemed so genuine and sincere with her. Maybe she was just foolish to think that was special, she could feel her temperature rising and she was not sure if that was from annoyance or embarrassment. A small part of her wished she kept the bottle, it was something to hit him with.
"Captain, not in public. With so many prying eyes." She stated, her eyes wondering back over to the people on the table. She needed an excuse to make him back off, she could not take the mask off here afterall. So she had two options, she could either see how far this was going, or run away. As much as she wanted to leave, she also wanted to see how far he was going to push this, see what he was really like. "Such actions should be reserved for more private occasions." She stated in a very confident tone, lacing her fingers with his.
She wondered how many girls he had shown this kind of attention to, after all he seemed to be letting onto the fact that he did like the company of girls, especially pretty ones. Sara did not think herself as that pretty, but maybe he imagined there was some kind of beauty behind this mask.. or maybe all of this was an act to see what was behind it. Never the less she had to stand up to him, not let on anything was wrong. For now at least.
He was never finding out who she was, never, ever. It would cause her so much embarrassment and she could not even think what reaction he would have.
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 3:43 pm
Bataar continued to toy idly with the smaller hands that he held within his own, feeling a genuine tenderness for them now that he recognized them. That, in turn, would have put a great deal of sincerity into his expression which he probably did not intend. That was a little too cruel, but it was showing through anyhow. That was just how he was treating the situation, because he knew he was speaking to Sarangerel and he couldn't really escape that particular fact.
He grinned as she asked him to tone it down and shook his head. "Oh? Calm down, I've only kissed your hand." he replied, looking terribly amusing. Perhaps it was making Sara unhappy that he appeared to be showing affection to some other woman whom he was not even familiar with. The very thought was one that demanded that he prevent himself from laughter. Bat wondered what was going through the soul conduit's head and wished, again, that her mask was off so that he could find out. But if he were to see her face then so would everyone else and that wasn't exactly what he was aiming for.
"Why so shy, Yua? You didn't act like this last time." he murmured, leaning in close so that only she would hear. His proximity spoke of some degree of affection, he was sure, but he didn't want to go too far in this. He only wanted to find out how much it would affect the true girl behind the mask. He was taking a risk for the sake of his curiosity.
The captain reached out and toyed with a piece of the other Lunarian's hair, another intimate move. Reading her was turning out to be harder than he'd expected.
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 4:00 pm
"Maybe I was just suggesting that we move to a more intimate place." She stated as he came even closer to her, he was playing with her hair and whispering in her ear, she could hardly breathe, she always enjoyed him being so close and she was starting to enjoy it a bit too much. As fun as this banter was, she really needed to get going before she got lost in this fantasy of hers. It was not real, he did not even know it was her. But clearly, if she was anyone else things might have worked, he never treat her like this... and she was beginning to believe he never would.
She put a hand on his chest and pushed him back a little, running her hand down the bare bit of skin that was between his coat. "Though I would hate to tare you away from your friends, and it is getting late." She slipped away from him, standing up and letting the fabric of her dress flow behind her. Van was an amazing shopper, she made Sara look like a princess, yet the clothes were always so fiddly. She stepped away a little, not knowing what she was feeling, it was such a mix, such a contrast she could almost feel her head spin. Part of her wanted to run home and cry, the other wanted to take the mask off and kiss him.
"Its nice to have seen you again, Captan." She needed to go now, if she did not go then she would stay here and things would get complicated. She made up her mind, this was just not meant to be... it never was.
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 4:09 pm
Bataar raised an eyebrow, feeling slightly exhilarated to behold Sara's boldness. All the same, she didn't think that he knew it was her and that could easily complicate things. If they moved somewhere else then perhaps he could tell her that he actually knew. It would be a relief to admit it, he figured, if nothing else. This game was getting a little too involved for the captain's tastes, after all. It was a bit of an emotional strain if he was to be honest with himself.
"Don't worry. My friends don't need me." he responded casually, rising from his seat in order to stand next to the soul conduit. "I'll take you home. It would be impolite if I didn't." he said, smiling gallantly as he took her hand. He just needed to get her somewhere where she could take off that damned mask of hers, he supposed. That would be best for both of them at this point in time because the game that they were playing needed to end, and soon. It would be downright depressing if this droned on and on, he thought, and Sara was beginning to act a little different. This mask business just wasn't going to work anymore.
He led her out the door wordlessly and waited for her to guide him in whatever direction she chose. Perhaps she might even lead him to her actual house, although he doubted it. It seemed that Sara really didn't know a thing, here-- the person disguised was the one who was having a trick played upon her. The irony was striking, Bat supposed.
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 4:20 pm
Sara wondered out, she could not believe her luck. She wondered where she was going to take him, after a moment she decided her best bet was to head somewhere she knew. Her old guardian Hua was out on a mission, so her estate would be empty. She would stay in her old room overnight and then head home in the morning, maybe some of her old clothes were still there. Besides it would be fun to see the old pack again, maybe Ghost's parents would be home.
Yes that was just what she was going to do.
After walking with him for a few moments, she reached over to take his hand, it was not because she was any happier with him. It was just... she would never again have the chance to walk down the street holding his hand so openly. She would have regretted it if she did not take the chance. It was not far to her Guardian's estate, it was a old chinese style building with a large garden and a grand door, there was a small bridge over a pond and many exotic plants and trees. "This is home." At least it used to be, Sara smiled as she heard a rustling, from the house five large dogs came running, all of which seemed to recognize her. She chuckled and stroked them all, clearly Hua had only taken half the pack with her, the others were left to guard the estate and hunt in the grounds.
"Home!" She called, the animals, wondered to sniff Bataar before running back towards the house. Sara looked back towards him, tilting her head. "Don't you have anyone to get back to Captain? I can not be the only girl in your life." She smiled, wondering back over to him. He did have another girl in his life, it was her, the conduit who he seemed to have forgotten about. She wanted to sight but held it in, she wanted him to go...
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 4:35 pm
Bataar held gently onto Sara's hand an exhaled, trying to remove all of the stress of the situation from himself. He couldn't allow himself to over think any of this, especially when he noticed that they weren't heading in the direction of Sara's usual abode. He watched as the wolves ran out with a furrowed brow before offering himself a small shrug. He didn't know what this place meant to Sara, but he wasn't going to let confusion of any sort get the best of him now. This would have to continue until the end.
He laughed at the girl's comment and offered a small shrug. "No one else. Only you." he replied, feeling his heartbeat accelerate. At this point he wasn't talking to some front-- he certainly wasn't talking to "Yua." He was talking to Sara, but Bat was too out of it to realize that it wouldn't have seemed that way. His words must have seemed immensely cruel but he was not going to be the one to realize that-- not right now. He was more in the moment than anything else, if he was to be truthful. That was just how the situation had panned out and he was prepared to say whatever he felt that he needed to say.
He smiled a little and brushed her still-existent bangs behind her fin, although her face was not revealed. The mask remained, as if it were trying to thwart the captain in his efforts to explore any sort of emotion. Relationships were dangerous-- they shouldn't be conducted with friends. It would be best if he didn't tell Sara that he knew it was her. Things could go horribly wrong again.
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 4:53 pm
Sara closed her eyes, feeling them welling up. Tengri damn him to hell. She bit her lip as he touched her, told her things that only she wanted to hear, playing with her hair in the way that was only meant for her. The way he was acting upset her, but then again, she did not know that he was ware of her secret. She clenched her first and the next thing she knew she was pushing him away, she did not want to be near him. Not anymore, she was so confused, so much so that she could not even think straight. She did not know who was talking to him, who he was talking to, or what the hell was going on.
"I loved you Bataar." She was very specific in her words, she did not know why she said it, however as soon as she did she realized she was stupid for doing so. She did not want to talk to him, she could not think about what she wanted to say to him. Nothing would make this better. Sara sighed and stopped, she looked over her shoulder before stepping onto the bridge in the direction of the house. Maybe she would feel better in the morning.
Or maybe she would just go to live with the wolves.
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 5:02 pm
Bataar blinked in alarm as the much smaller Lunarian attempted to push him away, mostly failing due to his bulk. He could tell that at this point Sara was really upset, but before he could open his mouth to speak, she did. He allowed himself a moment or two to gape in confusion before lunging forward to remove the Lunarian's mask, his green eyes serious. She needed to see that he'd known. He didn't know any other way in which to respond to her claim, in any case.
The captain was going to need a moment. "Calm down." he cautioned the Legionnaire, taking a much-needed breath before briefly brushing his lips against hers. He couldn't exactly ignore what she'd just said, but he didn't know how he ought to reply. Did he love Sarangerel? Not romantically. Not yet.
The Mongol knew that he was interested-- this experiment proved that much --but was he willing to cede himself just yet? Past relationships screamed, the voices of caution, that he should take his time, and he was willing to agree with them. He did not need any repeats and, as such, he was going to take his time. That was the best thing that he could possibly do for Sarangerel, he was sure.
"I know who you are. I've known." Bat sighed, a look of frustration crossing his face. This was really a bit of a mess, wasn't it?
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