Heart within the beast

[Ricia]

Sage hummed lightly waiting for him, "Nah... hes like Rhea... except hes a drag queen pretty much. The only person on record to call my gender immediately on seeing me. As I did with him apparently. He doesn't use the thing unless his dad tells him to clean up." She said with a deep laugh. "And don't worry about Rick, hes a respectable guy. You should trust him over me any day. Though I would love for him to find out your a dog... oh his reaction!" Sage said laughing at the possibility while she listened to him dress.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan buttoned the shirt up slowly, tucking it in before the overcoat was thrown on. His tail was well-hidden around his waist, and he looked like he could pass of at just about any high-class establishment . . . if it weren't for the wolf ears poking out of his hair.


"Well, I don't plan on revealing that to anyone else. Hell, the only reason I let you find out so easily was because I didn't think it would be possible to keep it a secret."


He walked out from behind the foot of the bed, stopping in front of Sage


"And I wasn't referring to your 'clothier'--I was referring to the fact that I was not formally invited. What if someone suspects I'm not supposed to be here?"

 

[Ricia]

Sage pulled out a rather nice hat with a smirk, "You think its hard keeping a secret from me? You better hope Rick doesn't stay around... hes... really... observant. But it takes him a while and on top of that he doesn't believe in.. supernatural stuff." She paused and listen to him as she stood up on her toes to put the hat on his head. "About that.... have fun." She said with a rather mischievous smirk.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan forced himself to stoop a little as Sage put the hat on his head.


"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."


When he stood up fully though, he found himself stopping. His eyes narrowed at the woman that was half a foot shorter than he was.


"I'll take that as a no then."

 

[Ricia]

(Sage is 5'9. Rick is 6'0, Rhea 5'2)


Sage smirked at him, "Ah Don't worry... you proububly won't attracted his attention unless you stalk Rhea through the entire night. I actually look forward to you defending yourself against her father. Specially since you can't just go punching people... or security... it would make Rhea really upset." She said, almost in a taunting manner. "Should we go now?" She asked.

 

[Ixidor92]

(He's 6'4 . . . so about half a foot taller than Sage)


Kurogan shook his head


"Well, if I'm not supposed to 'stalk' Rhea for the night--"


He stopped himself and decided it wasn't worth it. He would come up with his own solution. As for Rhea's father . . . well she was right that he would need to come up with some kind of defense against him. He looked up and followed Sage to the door


"I guess we should."


He quietly wondered to himself what Rhea would think, suddenly having him in his bipedal form

 

[Ricia]

Sage chuckled lowly before leading the way out of the bathroom they were in where Sage hid his stuff. Of course they were already in the house, so they didn't have to pass initial security which was in the front of the house. When they got back into the ball room, Rick was still with Rhea, dancing with her, mostly stalling.


Rhea was smiling a bit talking with Rick about something as they danced.


"I hope you know how to dance... I don't have time to put you through a crash course." Sage told him with a chuckle.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan couldn't help but smile when he saw Rhea. At least she seemed to be deriving some enjoyment from this experience. He leaned over to talk to Sage quietly


"That's one thing you don't have to worry about."


As to whether he would actually put himself on the dance floor or not . . . that was an entirely different story. He stood up fully after speaking to Sage, tilting one side of his hat up a couple centimeters with one of his hands. While not completely blocking sound, the hat did muffle his sense somewhat . . . and it was rather disconcerting.

 

[Ricia]

Sage was looking foreword to the entertainment that Kurogan was going to provide for her. She knew this entire ball could become a memory to remember... or the worse night imaginable. Of course she didn't really care which it turned out to be. She just wanted to watch the drama unfold and for Kurogan to try his hand at sweet talking his way out of a rock and a hard place. From what Sage has seen... He rather punch his way out. To bad he actually knew how to dance... she was looking foreword to watching him fail at that. The thought of throwing the man into the an environment complete hostile to people who don't know what they are doing. "Good luck." She told him after her mind stopped moving.


Rhea on the other hand was starting to grow more anxious as Kurogan was gone. She had been asked a few times to dance by other men... but Rick was rather intimidating so he kept a lot of them away. He just had to glare at anyone who came near Rhea and they mostly shrunk away.

 

[Ixidor92]

(Sorry this took so long. I was away from home the last couple of days and just got back)


Kurogan had to raise an eyebrow at the woman when she said 'good luck'. He was unsure of whether she actually meant it or was merely a joke of hers. Despite how much time the woman had been around him, Kurogan still wasn't entirely sure of what went through her mind.


"Thanks."


He decided that he would at least pretend to believe her, on the chance that she was worried in any capacity. Kurogan's eyes traveled over the crowd of people, finding Rhea alongside Rick. He started to move towards them, avoiding interrupting any clumps of people. The less you want to be seen, the more people will notice you. If you appear to have purpose, they will willfully ignore you. Kurogan remembered the words of an old friend . . . finding it odd that he had never intended to utilize such advice before. He briefly put a hand on Rhea's shoulder, letting the contact only last for a moment before letting her turn around


"Excuse me--"

 

[Ricia]

(Its ok, hope you had fun. ^^)


Both Rhea and Rick turned to look at him. Rick gave him a rather hard stare, it almost looked like a glare. "Hey. She's busy." Rick said. She was busy, Rhea was very busy starting at Kurogan with a wide eyed stare of shock. Her mind was almost sure that that was Kurogan... he just didn't have ears and a tail. Maybe under the coat? Where did he get the suit? So many questions came in her mind as she continued to gape at him slightly.

 

[Ixidor92]

(Most certainly did. But I won't be leaving again until the end of winter break it seems)


Kurogan looked Rick in the eyes, not exactly used to having someone close to his height.


"My apologies for not introducing myself. I'm an acquaintance of Rhea's--"


How should he introduce himself? Kurogan was off the table, since he already knew him as a dog by that name. But anything else and Rhea might not necessarily realize it was him right away . . . judging by her expression she wasn't sure. Thinking about it, she hadn't seen him in the form of a man that often even after he stopped . . . of course, that was it.


"--Hikaru."


He offered his hand to the gentleman."

 

[Ricia]

"H-Hikaru!" Rhea finally sputtered, it showed in her eyes that him saying that completely confirmed it.


Rick lifted an eye brow at 'Hikaru' and then looked at Rhea. He then turned back to Kurogan and shook his hand. It was a strong hand shake, "Nice to meet you. My name is Rick. A friend of Rhea's." He said a bit unsure.


Sage of course came up and latched onto Rick's arm and hummed, "Rick! You did so good defending the male population away from Rhea! I'm proud of you."


"Sage.. where have you been?" He asked with a scowl.


"Oh just the bathroom! I ran into Rhea and I's friend... Hikaru." She said with a rather large smile. "Rhea.. stop staring.." Sage said.


Rhea shook her head and blushed a pretty shade of red. "Sorry... I was just... I almost..." There was a long pause before she looked up at Kurogan, "You look nice..."

 

[Ixidor92]

"Rick. Rhea's talked about you a little."


Kurogan offered a small smile to Rhea as she shook her head, though her compliment was a tad unexpected.


"Thank you . . . Someone I know was kind enough to lend these to me."


That made two half-truths so far. How many more would he have to tell before the night was over?

 

[Ricia]

"That's good. I guess. I don't talk with her much.... So.." Rick trailed off a bit.


Sage started to laugh more and it made Rick look at her. "Sage... stop that."


"I can't... I can't!" She said trying to get ahold of herself. Though another song started to play and Sage seem to perk up. "My turn!" She said before grabbing Rhea's hand and sweeping her away to the dance floor, leaving Rick and 'Hikaru' alone with each other.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan raised an eyebrow at Sage laughing hysterically. What about this exchange was so funny to her? Unless she merely found it amusing that Rick didn't know what he actually was? No matter. He'd have to mentally make sure that he was 'Hikaru' this evening.


"I still can't figure out that woman."


Kurogan made the off-hand comment to Rick as the two girls went back to dancing, hoping to strike up some manner of conversation. His ears were still twitching beneath his hat, picking up muffled conversations.

 

[Ricia]

"Figure her out?! You don't do that, you watch her. Right now... ooh right now I know she is up to something... she is walking around with that 'I know something you don't' Smirk. The one she gets when shes played a prank." Rick said obviously annoyed. "She did something... I have just to figure out what.... what did she do..." He said rubbing the temple of his nose. He sighed, "Why do I bother most of the time...?"

 

[Ixidor92]

Well--Rick certainly did know Sage well. Normally he would feel inclined to help the man . . . but he couldn't go around just saying 'by the way I'm a wolf'.


"Maybe she hid something under your nose? She's the type to do that."


A hint couldn't hurt. Kurogan's eyes followed the two ladies out on the dance floor. Sage was taking the lead, to nobody's great surprise.

 

[Ricia]

"Thanks caption genius. She's more sneaky about thing if she though I could figure it out. She is flaunting it right now." The thing was, the flaunt wasn't for Rick... no, it was for Kurogan. "It doesn't mater... What harm could it do? I hope anyway... She is such a pain. She is lucky Rhea cares like she does. How do you know Rhea again?" He said suddenly changing the subject.


(Sorry for my lack of posting, spending times with family) ^^

 

[Ixidor92]

(No problem. Same thing here)


Kurogan was somewhat grateful for a change in subject, though less so on what had been selected. He had to be careful here...


"Well . . . to make a fairly long story short, I was rejected from my place of birth. Rhea found me and helped me find a place to stay. She's entirely too nice for her own good--"


He looked up at the two on the dance floor again


"Not that that's a bad thing by any measure."

 

[Ricia]

"Nothing wrong with being nice. its when you don't have the guts to protect yourself from the people with wrong intentions when it gets you into trouble." Rick pointed out to Kurogan. "But you don't seem like a bad guy. I usually have a good abilities to get first impressions.... usually." Rick said with hit of annoyance again. He seemed like an easily irritable guy. "Well glad you could make it though. Rhea seemed happy... if not shocked to see you."

 

[Ixidor92]

"I've . . . never exactly dressed up before. I'm not surprised she was in a little disbelief."


The man did seem easily irritable, but also with good intentions.


"Do you mind if I ask how you met those two?"

 

[Ricia]

"Sage is my co-worker. Its a long story but I am willing to tell it." He said, the song ended but Sage stuck her tongue out at a man who tried to take Rhea away before taking her to dance again. Rick shook his head, "Sage doesn't have it the best... but he way she shows it is the worst ways... I meet Rhea through Sage one day. It was at an event a bit similar to this. There were a few times Rhea stopped by our work to see Sage as well. She treats Sage like a true friend... which Sage doesn't have a lot of, or Rhea so I hear."

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan shook his head


"Not that I've seen. Sage was the only person I saw who visited her when she was living by herself."


As for outside the apartment . . . now that he thought about it he hadn't been able to see that much beyond. There were only a few weeks between when Rhea found out what he actually was and then was taken back by her parents.

 

[Ricia]

"You visited her often too then?" Rick asked when mentioned Sage was the only person he saw. Rick rocked back on his heels light as his eyes scanned the room slowly. He looked like he was looking for something, or expecting something. He seem to take a moment to critically stare at a few individuals for a moment before he dragged his eyes back to Hikaru.