[FIN] Be mine... Haishan & Tuli (w/Scythe Maion Kimi Misaki)

[Syaoran-Puu]

He nodded, he would keep his offer and word -if she wanted him to show her the world, show her wonder by wonder, then he would. Especially since it pleased him that she wanted to avoide danger. "It would be my honor Lady Tuli to escort you and bring you home again." He continued to smile, it was strange how around her it seemed natural, his whole persona seemed more alive -he wasn't trying to hide his emotions, wasn't trying to keep himself detached. He only hoped that he would not live to regret it.

Please don't hurt me Tuli, that's all I ask. He through before answer her question, it seemed she really was excited about the propest of travelling the world. "Indeed, I must admit that my faviourite sight is sitting on a snowy mountain and watching the Sun rise and fall. Its cold but the way the colours bounce off the snow is magical. And then you have the dancing lights of the North." He let out a little laugh, it seemed his own enthusiam about the world had returned also, she really did seem to be a good influence to him.

Just then a firefly sat on his nose, wiggling it in an effort to get it off he found himself distracted. The little wings flapped happily on the insect while the legs rubbed and tickled his nose.  

[Syaoran-Puu]

Tuli’s smiled broadened, he was serious, he was willing to take her and show her places she had never been. “That sounds beautiful, Haishan. Could we go there first?” she could imagine how beautiful the sunlight reflected off of the snow covered tops. She had seen snow here in the woods, but she had never seen a vast amount among snowy peaks.

She couldn’t help but to laugh just a bit, she was excited. Just then, she saw the little firefly land on Haishans nose. She had heard the old wives tale of the fireflies, she found it amusing that it would land squarely on the stallion. “Looks like someone’s going to get lucky!” she laughed, then suddenly stopped, realizing she was the only mare around. She had put her hoof in the mouth this time. “Sorry,” she looked away a little embarrassed. “That came out wrong…”  

[Syaoran-Puu]

Happy that she didn't think his idea of beauty was pathetic cheered him up, "We can go where ever you want first. But sometimes other things come up on the way and you get diverted.... the fates have a funny way of doing that." After all they had brought him here in the winter and then again now.... how could he repay them??

At her words he went bright red. No one had ever spoken like that to him and he had no idea what to say or do. Before too long it seemed she too had realised what she had said and seemed embarassed also -at least it wasn't just him. Despite his age he was still a virgin, never allowing anyone to get close made it extremely difficult to form relationships let alone romance. Finding a little courage he looked at her again, she really was beautiful -her perfect blues floated over her pelt like mist and everytime he looked at her he noticed yet another feature or pattern of interest. Yet how could she ever find herself interested in someone like him? Just as that thought rumbled in his mind the firefly flew from his nose and circled his head a little....

Still not willing to try and talk for fear of making a fool of himself he simply shook his head, she nothing to be sorry about.  

[Syaoran-Puu]

“I am so, so sorry,” she said again. “That was very rude of me,” she tried to apologize to Haishan. She was so use to be able to pick with her brothers that it all slipped out before her brain realized it. She looked back up at him, kind of biting her lips. She hoped it didn’t make her less of a lady in his eyes.

She tried to change the subject as the firefly danced above his head, “Oh, I wouldn’t mind. I just…” she cleared her throat and tried not to sound so embarrassed, “I’d just like to see the Northern lights you’re talking about.”  

[Syaoran-Puu]

She was still apologising, it seemed that his shake of the head was not enough to soothe her. Slowly he tried to refocus his mind so that he could talk once more "-no need to say sorry Lady Tuli." Yes he was slightly embarassed but she had done it harmlessly, it wasn't as if she was trying to mean, just joking with him like he was a brother. The idea of her considering him one of her brothers strangely stung but if that was all he could ever be to her then he would take it in a heartbeat.

Then she spoke again, She wouldn't mind? She wouldn't mind what?, not entirely sure if he was hearing her corectly or not, was she trying to say she wouldn't mind bein his one? Or was she now referring again to the offer of seeing the world? Unsure he cleared his throat, his cheeks still bore the soft red blush and was showing no sign of fading -he had never been truely embarassed before, it was a strange sensation.

"I-they-em" Curses, it seemed he was struggling again -his confidence nearly depleted and he had to admit he didn't like being 'forceful' with her anyways, if something was going to happen between them it would happen with time, there was no need to rush it. But that did change his nerves. Curse them, and curse the Gods for making so poor at socialising. The Northern lights where indeed beautiful, but the mist coloured mare before them outshone them. He would take her there if that was what she wanted, and so he nodded.

He stood to he feet slowly, night time had now set in and the stars where shining high in the sky, yet below the canopy of leaves and flowers they where not visible. Walking towards the arch again he turned his head to look at her, the short walk had calmed his nerves greatly to the point he felt able to talk once more. "Would you care to walk under the stars with me? Just for a while -I won't keep you away from your herd all night, don't worry." And then he smiled once more, hoping with all his might that she would accept.  

[Syaoran-Puu]

She closed her mouth, she had said all she could say on the situation. She was still embarrassed, but it would pass. The topic of discussion changed and she watched as her company rose to his feet and headed towards the exit.

Her heart fluttered a bit at the request of an evening walk. What was that? She stood and shook off her coat, taking a deep breath, the feeling in her chest would not go away. She shouldn’t have had that reaction, it was just a walk, right? Once her coat was cleared of debris she replied, “Certainly.” She nodded and took to moving closer to Haishan.

As they exited the thick forest, she could see the stars shimmer over head. It was a beautiful clear night, the moon and stars glistening brightly. “Do you…” she stopped, again not wanting to be rude, but her curiousity…oh the curiousity. “..do you have a mate out there?” she asked as she looked up at the night sky, not wanting to look at him directly.  

[Syaoran-Puu]

Heart a flutter and sudden lump rose to his throat as she accept his offer and joined him by his side. She was so close that he could swear that he could feel the heat resinating off her, he wasn't sure if the blush was still visable on his cheeks but with the asking of her question it was sure to return once more.

A mate?! It wasn't as if he hadn't thought about it, of course he had, what stallion wouldn't? But the truth was no one had ever caught his interest and unlike others he knew he had never gone out of his way to try and seek a mate, he believed in the fates and knew that one day they would lead him to true love, to his true mate -yet he was unsure what such a day would look like and part of him was already considering if she was the one?! "No," he said, perhaps a little bluntly. If anything else he didn't want to give her the impression that there was anyone else, not even a possible mate. Before Tuli Haishan had pretty much kept himself to himself, never forming true relationships.

He knew from his earlier encounter with her Father that she was without a mate but he didn't want her to think she was spying on her on he returned the question, "Do you?" He was sure that although she was without a mate she was likely to have had interest, perhaps at one time she had even believed she had found her one, that was a conversation he would rather not have right now though.

Walking beside her with his rump slightly swaying from side to side with his movements he found his eyes looking to the sky as the canopy thinned. Already he could see several twinkling stars shining down upon him. Their flickering little lights seeming to shine just for them, like they where the only two creatures on the Earth.  

[Syaoran-Puu]

Whew, she sighed as quietly as she could. She would have felt very akward had Haishan had a mate and here she stood with him after a beautiful evening. She continued walking at his side, a slow a steady gate. She knew the question was coming, it was after all a way to get to know one another. She didn't like to talk about her mate situation much...or her lack there of.

"No, I haven't one either," was all she could muster out. She doubted that he would want to hear her stories of watching her siblings grow and have families, how she met stallions and things just didn't work. She had bad luck in the area of love, it wasn't her cup of tea.

She walked along silently, not really sure where the conversation should go from there.  

[Syaoran-Puu]

He was glad that she didn't lie to him and say that she had a mate -perhaps that meant that she was at least still looking? He quickly pushed that thought out of his mind, there was no point in getting his hopes up for something that may never come to pass, after all it was just like the fates to play with his heart.

Then a silences blanketed over them.

He hated it.

And then without meaning to his rump swayed into her, gently touching her warm mist coloured pelt. Embarassment swept over him like an icy shower that chilled him to the core, so much so the only word he could muster was, "Em....em.... Sorry!" The red hot glow was now fixed upon his cheeks once more.

He just seemed to make a full of himself time and time again around her -what was it about her that seemed to effect the very essence of him? He managed to open up around her, it was just natural, and yet at the same time so strange -he wasn't sure why.

Desperate to change the subject, to think of anything else, to talk of anything else, he racked his brain for something to talk about -anything. Then suddenly he blurted out, "Do you have any hobbies?"  

[Syaoran-Puu]

She took a small side step as he bumped into her slightly. She didn't think much of it, but she laughed softly as he seemed embarassed to have touched her. It was the second time he had started appologizing to her for something so small. "You don't need to appologize, really," she used her rump to slightly bump him back like she use to do with her brothers.

She smiled and continued to walk, taking a moment to think about his inquiry. Hobbies? Not really....She walked...explored...ate...sunned. Nothing really exciting. "I just like to enjoy nature....find new things. I spend a lot of time with my family,"

She cast a look over to him, she knew she sounded like the most boring mare in Kawanii, "You?"  

[Syaoran-Puu]

He wasn't sure what to do or think as she bumped into him, she took it so casually -was he mistaken to think it was worst than it was. Perhaps he needed to rethink everything? Had the ways of the world changed? He had always assumed that a true gentleman never touched a mare unless they where mate as a form of respect, her the mare beside him seemed far more relaxed about the situation? Perhaps it was how she had been brought up? Despite the tender touch he knew that she respected herself. "Ok..." he mumbled as she said he didn't apologise, though he wasn't sure he would remember straight away and just apologise out of habit.

Nature... why did he think there was more to it than that? Yet he knew better than to pry into the business of others -it usually ended badly. "Me... I tend to keep to myself, I have travelled far and wide meeting lots of creatures and soquili." At least that was the nice version of events, war, violence, pain... that was the real truth. "...but I do have one hobby." It was something he had never shared with anyone before, he had a met a soquili a long time ago that collected shiney objects and that had given him a idea. No matter how far or wide he travelled he always tried to pick up at least one flower and hung it out -the same way he seen the two-leggers do it- to try and preserve it. "...I like to collect flowers from the places I have been." Was that too girly? He wondered what she would think of him now....  

[Syaoran-Puu]

Tuli didn't think much at all of the gently bump, it was more of a friendly action between her brothers than a sign of disrespect. She just smiled and continued walking, her ears flickered as she listened to the sound of the night time insects singing their songs.

She turned to look at him as he spoke of his hobby, it was something she had never heard of, "How...How do you collect them? Wont they break?" she was curious. She had never been around two leggers before so she was unaware of their customs.

"I don't collect anything," she pondered for a moment, "I...I don't know that any of my family does...."  

[Syaoran-Puu]

Haishan loved her curiousity towards his hobby, but at the same time a little embarassed -flowers where not exactly masculine, but he liked the way they looked and they reminded him of all the places, people, and things he had seen and done. To him it was almost like a book of his life, each flower holding a different story, a different secret. And considering that violence and saddness seemed to follow in his wake it was nice to have something nicer to remember.

At Tuli's question he shook his head, "Not when you know how," he smiled remembering all the times he had destroyed beautiful flowers as he attempted to save them. He still had some of them, after all even the damage told a story. "You just need to remember to pick them with as long a stem as possible, and try not to fly too fast or when it's too wind." That wasn't fun, the petals flew everywhere and made a mess. There was this once beautiful flower that grew only really high in the mountain that he had tried to collect more than once but never managed it.

He thought for a moment, it was hard trying to simply explain how to collect them, so maybe showing her would be better. "Why don't you pick a flower -and I will show you how to preserve it. That way you will always have something to remember me by?" Perhaps it was too much to hope that she would want a token to remember him by, but he had to hope.