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 Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 7:09 pm
  This is a PRP between Ishtar (Faylun) and Kiran (Kazu-chan). Setting:By request of a Noble Captain, Kiran pays a visit to the home of Aliyy Numair to pick up an order of wine.
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 8:03 pm
When the Captain asked a favor of him, Kiran didn't think that favor would include going to a merchant's house to pick up a special order of wine. But he agreed to the request and set off for the home of a wine merchant by the name of Aliyy Numair. He wasn't familiar with the name, but he didn't hang around with very many wine dealers. He only drank on rare occasions in social situations. The Captain had given him directions to Aliyy Numair's home, which made it easy to find the place.
Now he stood awkwardly in the front hall of the Numair household as he waited for Aliyy to return with the order of wine to be delivered to the Noble Captain. Perhaps it was for a celebration or a meeting or just an average get together; Kiran had no way of really knowing. He didn't bother to ask questions about the request. It wasn't really any of his business, and wine seemed like a harmless item to transport from merchant to customer. Wine was something that most Lunarians purchased at one point or another and wouldn't seem strange for him to be carrying a case of it back to the city. But it wasn't what he expected. When the Captain pulled him aside, Kiran thought it would be for a real mission: spying on Legionnaires for information or checking out one of their campsites.
Kiran glanced about the front hall, looking for a clock or some other way to tell how much time had passed since his arrival at the Numair household. It felt like Aliyy was taking a long time to return with the order of wine. He hoped it didn't turn out to be more than one case. The Noble Captain hadn't told him how much wine that he would have to carry back to the city. It was quite a walk back, and he didn't think he could carry too many cases at once. Did Aliyy get lost in his own house? Kiran debated going and searching for the man, as he didn't feel like wasting too much time at this man's house.
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 8:20 pm
These silks were a bit too much, Ishtar decided as she readjusted her clothing. After months in her father's house, she was still unused to the heavy gowns worn by the Noble daughters of Aliyy. She had no freedom to dance, and her father made sure her silken sash was stored far away from her. Ish smiled grimly as she remembered the days with which her father had bandages wrapped around his hands, useless and angry. But now everything had gone back to normal in the Numair household, with the exception of one thing: an extra panther had been added to the halls, roaming and declawed. Ishtar hated being confined, hated her name. She was still a Legionnaire at heart, despite her Noble name and her Noble father. She would do anything to escape back to the city and go back to the academy.
As she passed by the main entrance, she spotted a young man standing there, looking a bit impatient and a bit lost. He bore the regalia of a Fighter, Ishtar wistfully noticed.
"You there, what are you doing here?" Her voice rang out in the room. Ishtar's words were musical, but her voice was still a bit scratchy from yelling and screaming from the months before. She hated it here, she truly did, but she could not reveal it to guests in the manor. At least, not directly.
"What is your name?" she added, her tone softening a bit. Perhaps if I am nice to him, he'll help me... The silken veil that covered half her face rustled, and Ishtar was annoyed that the stranger couldn't see most of her. Not that she cared anymore, however. Her colorful disguises and pretenses were ignored in this manor. Nobody cared about the street rat daughter of Aliyy, brought in only to appease his clients during negotiations. Nobody cared about her alignment, either, and perhaps that was a heavy mistake. Each and every day led Ishtar to hate the Nobles even more. Half of them were off making money, while the other half were off killing. Neither regarded normal Lunarians' safety, and neither truly cared about the people. It was all about power, power and looks.
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Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:48 pm
The day was wearing on, the sun starting its descent in the sky. Kiran wanted to make it back to the city before it got too dark outside. Where was that man anyway? From the outside, he thought the manor looked rather large, definitely bigger than anything in which Kiran was used to living. The inside only helped to encourage the image of a large home. But if Aliyy often passed orders to carriers from his home, Kiran would have thought he would be a bit quicker at handing over that order. He was about to go look deeper into the manor when a ringing voice stopped him.
Kiran turned around and was met with the sight of woman whose face was hidden mostly by a veil covering. "I'm here to pick up an order of wine," he explained as he glanced her over once. While the manor probably had several servants, he could only assume that she was one of the ladies of the household from the way she dressed and held herself. "You must be Aliyy Numair's daughter. I'm Kiran Tambe." He doubted the woman would even remember he once he left her house. He didn't expect too many Noble Captains to ask him to go on errands to pick up wine for them. "Once he's brought the wine, I'll be off again back to the city." Then he would be out of her way. But first he needed Aliyy to return with the wine for him.
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Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 1:12 pm
"Yes, I am Aliyy's....daughter." The title left a bitter taste in Ishtar's mouth. Nevertheless, she kept her voice calm. It was best to be polite to strangers, after all. This Tambe boy might just be the key to her plan.
"Kiran...is it? I was wondering...could you perhaps help me with a little wish of mine?" Ishtar's voice, smooth and sultry, barely contained her excitement at the prospect of seeing her plans fulfilled.
"I expect that you will need somebody to help you carry the wine back to the city. So, would it be alright if I came along with you? You see," At this, Ishtar's voice softened and adopted a hint of a whine. She was impatient, and she needed to convince Kiran before the servants actually arrived with the wine. Lowering her voice she whispered, as if telling Kiran a secret, "...I have never been to the city before." An absolute lie. Ishtar had been born and raised in the Imperial City. Only unfortunate circumstances had led her to the Numair house and caused her to become a trapped panther.
"Kiran, darling, would you grant a girl a wish? Let me help you take these wines to the city, and let me have a glimpse of what life is like over there. Please?" Ishtar was full-on pleading now. Come on, Kiran Tambe. Come on.
It was hard trying to convince somebody to do something for her without using her looks, but if Ishtar took off her veil Kiran would recognize her for sure. Or at least, he would recognize the bruises and scratches on her face to be a dangerous sign. Ishtar needed to play the part of a sheltered lady, as much as she currently did not look like one.
The servants arrived with the flasks of wine, and Ishtar began to worry. Her father would arrive soon and demand payment from Kiran, as well as send Ishtar back to the inner chambers of the house as well. If Kiran had to agree to take her to the city, it had to be now, while the servants were setting up the flasks inside the crates.
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Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:04 pm
Kiran nodded as she identified herself as Aliyy's daughter. There seemed to be a bit of a hesitation in her voice as she answered. But it was so slight that he might have been mistaken. He decided to overlook that for now, in case he was wrong about it. Being the daughter of the household explained her rich attire, though compared to some ladies of wealth, she seemed to choose her clothing with better taste. He couldn't recall the number of wealthy women that he spotted on the street wearing the most gaudy of outfits. Still, he wondered if covering the face was part of their customs here.
One blue eyebrow quirked upward at her request, curious as to what it was. "Never been to the city before?" he asked, the shock hard to hide in his voice. It was simply that he was surprised that she hadn't accompanied her father on one occasion or another when he brought his wine to the city. But perhaps Aliyy Numair preferred to keep his daughter sheltered. In either case, it didn't really seem like any of his business to pry into. The thought of being shut away in a sheltered environment didn't set well with him. He found the idea frustrating, like being trapped in a cage.
He rolled the request around in his mind, debating it internally for a few moments. "You haven't even given me your name," Kiran said, scratching his chin like he was struggling with a big decision. If he was going to take her with him, he would like to at least know the name of his traveling companion. He glanced over as servants returned to fill crates with the flasks of wines. "It looks like I might need to take you up on the offer to help me moves these. As long as you don't think a crate will be too heavy for you." He didn't want to insult her strength, but not all women of wealthy households cared about being strong.
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Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 5:15 pm
"My name?" Ishtar murmured thoughtfully. "My name is of little importance to you. You may simply consider me a daughter of the Numair house. I have not used my name in a long time." It was true. Everybody in the household avoided Ishtar as much as possible, except for Aliyy. Nobody spoke much to the illegitimate daughter, but they all talked about her. Ishtar wanted to avoid giving Kiran her name. If he had somehow knew who she was, he might hesitate to take her to the city.
"Kiran, I can guarantee you that I am not as weak as you might expect. I've carried heavy burdens before. And how about this--- if you take me to the city, I'll tell you my name when we get there?" There was a hint of impatience in Ishtar's voice, but she tried to keep her tone neutral and low. She wanted to keep the mystery up, after all. Ishtar understood from experience that the more curious a person was, the more intense their desire to satisfy that curiosity. Mystery was sometimes the best bait.
The servants were finished loading up the crates, and Ishtar gracefully bent down to pick one up from the stack. As she did so, however, her dark face veil slipped off. Her heart-shaped face, complete with marks of her imprisonment, was revealed. Anybody who had seen Aliyy Numair would clearly recognize Ishtar as his street-daughter. There were no powders or expensive tattoos that marked Ishtar as a highborn noble daughter, sheltered in the Numair house. Ishtar's lightly tanned, minorly bruised face was lovely in its own haunting way, but it held no hint of the elaborate delicacy that was apparent in true Lunarian aristocracy. Damn it, she thought. Now I have to leave as soon as possible, before Aliyy---or anybody from the inner chambers, really---gets down here, recognizes me, and sees what I'm trying to do.
Looking over at Kiran, Ishtar straightened up with the crate of wine in her arms. "Come on, Kiran Tambe. Let us go." Her burgundy eyes flashed dangerously, and concealed the fear within her. If she was caught...if Kiran recognized her...
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Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 9:26 pm
Kiran eyed her suspiciously when she refused to give her name. For what reason would she keep her name hidden? It was a curious mystery that tickled at his mind. It made the part of him that liked to find out information eager to start seeking a way to uncover the secrets. It wasn't only her name. She kept her identity completely concealed from him beyond that she was the daughter of the Numair house. He saw no reason for her to keep the information so closely guarded. Not looking at only the surface anyway. There was something deeper going on here.
Kiran nodded. She wouldn't be the first strong woman that he met. He encountered quite a few women who throw down punches and kicks as hard and powerful as any man. Rubbing his chin became an unconscious action as he remembered receiving such a blow there in a battle against Van. "If you don't mind carrying a case all the way back to the city, I'll gladly accept the help," he said as he glanced over to watch the servants finish filling up a case with the flasks of wine. The promise of her name was only icing to having a second person to carry the, no doubt, heavy load back.
Surprise washed over him when Kiran saw her face, the veil having fallen to reveal it. He didn't recognize her at all, her face unfamiliar to him. If she had never been to the city, he had no reason to recognize her. But he hadn't expected her face to be revealed when she seemed so careful to keep it hidden. But the most shocking thing was the marks upon her lovely face. A rage burned inside Kiran at the sight of them, angered by the thought that Aliyy Numair treated his daughter like a thing to be abused. The very idea made him want to drive his fist into the merchant's face. But he had to resist that desire. The Captain that sent him to retrieve the wine would be rather unhappy if he learned that Kiran had punched his wine merchant.
"I don't suppose a story is included with that earlier promise," he questioned her quietly as he passed her. He placed the purse with the payment for the order on a table in the front hall. Then he bent down to pick up the remaining crates. Staying any longer seemed pointless. After all, he didn't need to meet with Aliyy again with the money left for him. "Let's go," he agreed as he walked toward the door out of the house.
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Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 5:32 pm
All the way back to the city? Ishtar was a little bit uneasy.
Oh well. It had to be worth a few strained muscles to receive freedom again, wasn't it? The case was rather heavy, but Ishtar set her chin determinedly. She'd make it out of here, no matter if she had to carry a thousand cases of wine. As Kiran set a purse of money in the front hall, Ishtar walked quickly to the front of the steps.
She was sure something had flashed through Kiran's eyes as he had seen her face, but she wasn't sure what it was. If it was pity, or anger, or even caution...whatever it was, it wasn't recognition. Kiran's face seemed calm and otherwise unperturbed when Ishtar revealed her face, and she sighed with relief. This would be a rather uneventful journey, she presumed. As soon as she got to the city, she could ditch this Tambe boy. Perhaps she might even take this ridiculously heavy crate with her... Ishtar laughed at herself for thinking such a devious thought. Her old morals---or lack thereof---were still in existence. It was true that stealing this crate from Kiran would probably be easy, and that it would provide her with some sort of financial stability...but there was something kind in Kiran's eyes that Ishtar didn't want to betray.
At least, not yet.
Too many months of relatively soft living hadn't prepared her for this, Ishtar thought as she stepped outside. Soon she'd have to face the city streets again, but a rush of exhilaration flowed through her instead of foreboding. It was freedom, pure and simple.
Now she had to distract Kiran the rest of the journey, and keep him distracted. Silence between them would only encourage suspicious thoughts, Ishtar knew. She had to try to keep Kiran's mind off of her, and onto something else.
"Yes, there is a story included. However, it's a very brief and boring story. How about...you tell me a story first? Tell me the story of your name, Kiran Tambe. " Distractions, distractions. Ishtar needed quite a lot.
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 5:46 pm
Stepping out of the manor felt great. Kiran didn't want to spend another moment in the Numair household. He shifted the crates in his arms, looking for a good hold that wouldn't tire out his arms long before they arrived back at the city. Upon rethinking that, he said, "If you start getting tired, let me know and we can rest for a while." If the Noble Captain was going to send him along to pick up this much wine, then he would suffer a longer wait if Kiran decided to take a few breaks along the way to rest. The crates weren't too heavy just yet but soon enough the wait would start tiring out his muscles.
As they left the manor behind them and started on the journey to the city, Kiran smiled at the possibility of getting the story out of this woman. "Oh, I'm sure it's more interesting than the story of my name," He rolled his shoulders as he thought. What was there really to tell about his name? "There's not really much to say. The name Kiran means sun rays. According to my mom, the day I was born was the hottest day of the year, so they decided on a name that had some relation to the sun." He glanced at his companion and laughed. "Not much of a story, is it?" He really didn't have anything more to say about his name. It wasn't like there was any big special meaning behind it or any kind of glorious story about his birth. As much as he would like to boast about himself, he came from an average family.
His gaze darted about the path on which they traveled toward the city. This would be a perfect time for a Legionnaire to try to ambush him, which only encouraged him to remain on alert for anyone lurking in the shadows.
"I shared a story," he said to keep the conversation going. "Now it's your turn to share a story."
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 1:34 pm
It seemed interesting that Kiran's name was related to the sun, Ish mused. His complexion and temperament was actually quite calm and cool, unlike the fiery sun above them. The golden rays beat down on them as they strode along the path. Squinting a bit, she could see the upcoming towers of the city in the far distance. It wasn't long now before Kiran discovered Ishtar's true intentions.
There was no better time than now to surprise Kiran than now, Ishtar thought. However, a part of her felt a bit uneasy at the way she could take advantage of this Lunarian. The simplicity of it all daunted Ishtar for a bit. She was used to deception in crowded, smoky places, not roads in the middle of nowhere. There were no people around, either. That fact should have been comforting to Ishtar, but it wasn't. She was used to people, society, and all the damning faults of both. Left out in the middle of more or less nowhere, facing a rather quiet and open boy, Ishtar felt rather out of place.
Nonetheless, she had to do what was necessary for survival. She had left the Mirit estate easily, thanks to the assistance of this Kiran. Ishtar wanted to return to the city, where she could resume her studies at the Academy and the exciting, free lifestyle she had once held before.
There was no predicting what Kiran might do if he knew that Ishtar had no intention of returning to her father's house.
Turning around suddenly, Ishtar placed the crate of wine on the ground. She wasn't going to take the goods, despite the nagging voices inside her that mocked her stupidity. It was true that wine was indeed her favorite drink, but she wanted to leave all traces of her imprisonment behind.
With her hands empty, Ishtar looked at Kiran.
"Tambe, this is where I leave you. I'll give you a story, alright."
She needed to knock him out, or do something to bind him here for a while. She couldn't have Kiran following her into the city.
Untying her sash that had been haphazardly wrapped around her waist, Ishtar moved slowly to Kiran.
"Freedom is a beautiful thing, and you'll probably realize soon that it is not to be taken for granted," Her words didn't hold much weight, really. Ishtar wasn't surprised at how emotionless her voice sounded; her actions were not emotional right now, and her movements were unsure instead of grateful. Yet, she had to ignore the nervousness and focus on survival.
This was for her survival, wasn't it?
Her silk sash in her hands and determination in her dark eyes, Ishtar swiftly dived at Kiran.
"I know that I will never take it for granted."
{BATTLE}
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