Heart within the beast

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan's ears twitched as the man's voice echoed within them. His head turned towards the door, then slowly back down to Rhea


"Do you want me to send him away?"


His voice was soft and low, quiet enough that it wouldn't be heard beyond the two of them.

 

[Ricia]

Rhea shook her head and pressed her fingers to Kurogan's mouth gently before whispering to him, "If my father knew I was in a room alone with another boy he would be a bit upset. He... should pass in time..." She told him softly.


Kurogan could her the soft foot steps across the hallway outside the study they manage to hide themselves in. "Miss Rhea?" He called again, he sounded rather unsure.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan made a face as his ears twitched back towards the door again.


"True enough . . . one thing though. As far as your father is concerned, you aren't alone with another boy."


Rhea would feel fur sprout up beneath her hands as Kurogan shifted back into his wolf form. His gaze drifted to meet with Rhea's, though his ears twitched back towards the door every couple of seconds

 

[Ricia]

Rhea smiled when Kurogan turned into a dog, though her hand still connected to the dog. She waited quietly.


"Miss Rhea?" he called again, the foot steps got a bit louder. Rhea sighed light before standing up off the ground and patting her dress down to get any dirt or hair off. With that she walked slowly out into the hall. "I am here. Sorry... I had a small panic attack... I had to take a little bit alone to myself." She told him, giving him a small curtsy.


He looked lightly shocked, "You... you could have told me.... I know we just meet... but maybe I could have helped you."


"No... I'm sorry." Rhea said softly, "Excuse my rudness... but strangers make it worse..." She said looking to Kurogan.


"G-give me a chance! I can be more then a stranger Miss!" He said a bit desperately. Rhea started to fidget uncomfortably.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan walked quietly behind Rhea, standing at her side. He eyed the young man quietly for a while, he seemed desperate to try and become closer to her . . . but for what purpose. When Rhea started to fidget, he took one purposeful step between the young man and Rhea. His eyes were locked with the young man, and perhaps the dog that came up to his waist seemed much more intimidating quietly standing vigil than if he was barking in his face.

 

[Ricia]

When Kurogan took on a more protective stance against the young man, he seemed to shrink back a bit.


"Sorry... he is very in tune with me..." Rhea said softly, excusing Kurogan's behavior as what he was trained for.


He looked a bit upset, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you so..." He apologized.


"Its alright... but I need to return to the party... excuse me." Rhea said with a light bow before moving on and back into the room. She tried to sneak back in before she was grabbed by someone suddenly, "Ah." Rhea gasped before looking up at Sage who was grinning wildly.


"I was just about to come looking for you. It's not fun when I am not watching you anymore." Sage told her with a smirk.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan followed behind Rhea, but his eyes were locked on the young man until he was several feet behind the two. His ears continued to twitch around as they walked, constantly on the lookout for sounds. It was a pity the party limited his sense is smell so much. He couldn't rely on it to pinpoint people. Which was why he nearly had a panic attack when someone grabbed Rhea. Thankfully it was Sage. Kurogan gave the woman a pointed look before sticking by Rhea's side


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[Ricia]

"Miss Rhea is this man bothering you?" The young gentlemen had followed her back to the party, of course that would be normal.


"Ah well--" Rhea started, but Sage cut her off.


"Of course I am bothering her. What a stupid question. No doubt its a trait that runs in the family." Sage bantered, of course she still had a tight hold around Rhea's waist.


"I beg your pardon? Take that--" He was about to tell Sage off, but she interrupted him again.


Sage had put her hand up abruptly to cut him off from speaking, "You obviously don't know the first thing about getting a lady's hand in marriage. You think sweet maidens like her want to hear about your family life? No, she is actually a masochist. She craves being beaten by words, why our friendship and deep bond come from me verbally abusing her daily! No... she is not a mere princess... she is a secret raw sex beast, deep inside."


Rhea immediately blushed dark red as Sage started to say some very... explicated things. The young man looked like he couldn't even process the things Sage was saying anymore, his own face equally as red.


It was then that Rick came up behind Sage and grabbed her head and Sage stopped talking. She soon started to laugh loudly, "Spare me... Rick..."


"Please excuse our friend. They are medically ill and act out when they have not been properly medicated. Miss Rhea hangs out with them out of pity." Rick confirmed rather calmly.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan's own face probably would have been just as red as Rhea's was if he didn't have a mass of black fur covering it. He had already known Sage was particularly . . . open about the subject. However this was significantly more brash than he had ever heard her be. Which was why he was so glad when Rick showed up and immediately took ahold of the situation. Kurogan could already tell he'd dealt with Sage numerous times before. As if in confirmation of Rick's statement, Kurogan let out a low bark, which punctuated the air.

 

[Ricia]

"Excuse me...." He said before turning around and walking away, his face many shades of red and a look of shock.


Sage made a face like she was trying not to laugh, but she couldn't hold it in before she burst out laughing, her eyes tearing up. "Ahhh! Did you see his--" She was cut of by a loud thunk, as Rick has smacked her across the head.


"Ow... ow... ow... R-R-Rick... that hurt!" She whinnied, now couched on the floor holding her head, though the pain didn't last long before she burst out laughing again, obviously unable to control herself.


Rick sighed and pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose, ".... I can't even fathom what goes through your mind sometimes..."


Rhea's poor mind looked completely fired, her fact a darker shade of red, "Sage! W-why... why would you say... t-t... that...." Her voice shrunk a bit as she tried to ask her question, not even being able to call the unspeakable works even 'that'.


"Well... I know hes not going to bother you for the rest of the night." Sage said with a pointed grin.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan let out some soft snorting that could have been attributed to laughter. But he followed up Rick's attack on Sage's head by batting it down again with one of his front paws. His eyes were trained on her with a glare. Though he did have to admit, the young man probably wouldn't be bothering Rhea again for the rest of the night . . . not that they could take that approach with every young man in the party . . .

 

[Ricia]

Sage flinched away from Kurogan in a way he only saw her do once before when he attacked her the first time they meet. Shooting up off the ground and behind Rick, "Well.... anyway..." Sage said with a light cough. "Good luck the rest of the night... Hikaru has sure been gone for a long time, I wounder if he went home?" Sage said, then she grinned wildly at Kurogan.


Rick seemed to think about it, "Your right. I wounder if hes ok. He sure did leave rather suddenly. I wounder if his work called him." Rick speculated.


"Its always about work with the guy, I swear hes on the job 24/7." Sage said. She was just trying to make his life harder...

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan shot Sage a look that could kill. She was deliberately going to make this difficult wasn't she . . . Kurogan looked up at Rhea, his eyes practically begging for an escape. He needed to slink away before changing back into 'Hikaru'. Then they could see how the rest of the night would turn out. He had to think of a way to stand in for Rhea while he was in human form . . . though it was not going to be easy

 

[Ricia]

Sage seem to shrink behind Rick at the warning look like the cowered she was, but he knew that wasn't going to stop her.


Rhea took a moment, but she finally caught on to what was happening, "Oh um... Hikaru texted me." Rhea said it sounded really lame because she didn't lie very well. "He'll be back when he can... he had to go help his... boss out..." Rhea ended lamely before laughing lightly.


Sage looked like she was going to have a laugh attack when Rhea tried to help cover 'Hikaru'. Rick just looked a bit confused as to why Rhea's sentence had came out so awkward. "That sounds reasonable."

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan let out something of a snort. It looked like Sage was about to die laughing, or at least from trying to stop. She was going to enjoy every second of this wasn't he. Kurogan noted to look for a chance to leave the festivities again at some point and come back as 'Hikaru'. He let out a sigh and looked up at Rhea, wondering if/when she was going to head back

 

[Ricia]

Most of the night went something of them same pace. Rhea would leave to go dance with other men and some how another excuse herself to go and hang out with her friends a bit. It took her a bit, but she was able to find a balance that pleased her father and not send her into a nervous panic attack. It wasn't completely easy, and no thanks to Sage, it wasn't easy for Kurogan either. Easy or not, Kurogan manage to still pull off enough time to find a place to shift, Rhea finally aloud to hang out with her friends at the last leg of the event.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan let out a long, slow breath as he leaned against one of the pillars within the ball room. He felt exhausted, even though the physical activity he had undergone was very little. Rhea was chatting with Sage in front of him . . . and Kurogan had found a level of irritation with the woman he did not think possible. She had done everything in her power to prevent him from leaving to get a chance to shift back into 'Hikaru', and hadn't made his life any easier after that point. Then there was her father to worry about . . . seventeen. Seventeen men that Rhea had been asked to dance with over the course of the party. He tried to push it to the back of his mind. They didn't matter, he would still ask Rhea for the last dance when it came.

 

[Ricia]

The night dragged on for Rhea. Sage was having a time of her life, Rick was not. Soon her father caught the attention of the party guests and told them that he was pleased they had attended the party and that it was the last song for the night. It was then that Rhea looked up at Kurogan and smiled at him. She move to him rather quickly so she didn't get asked by anyone else to dance, a lot of people's gazes move to her as soon as 'last song' came out of her father's mouth.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan gave out a bit of a smile as Rhea started to walk towards him. His eyes did not miss the turning heads as Rhea's father spoke. He didn't care, he had made a promise. He took a few steps forward and gently grasped her hand when she was within reach. His callused fingers wrapped around her own as he leaned down to her.


"I promised didn't I?"

 

[Ricia]

"Yes, you did." Rhea said softly, her hands confidently took his own. "I am sorry... about all the trouble Sage has been causing for you..." She said looking down to his chest, "and me." She pointed out almost as an after thought. She walked with Kurogan, allowing him to lead her.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan let out a light chuckle as the song started


"The difference is that one of you actively chooses to make that trouble."


Kurogan forced himself to take small steps to the slow dance, allowing Rhea to stay in step with him. His peripheral vision picked up a few gazes, but nothing he was concerned with

 

[Ricia]

Rhea let a soft giggle escape when Kurogan seemed to be in, give or take, good humor about the situation. She stepped lightly with Kurogan, though thankful for the slow pace. The height difference potentially making the dance a bit harder, though she didn't have to worry so much about it. "I guess I kind of owe you a bit explanation... about tonight." Rhea said, she sounded a bit guilty about the whole situation.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan let out a soft sigh and leaned his head down a little


"Don't worry about it immediately . . . we'll have all night. For now--try to let this end on a high note."


He offered a small smile to her as the music continued

 

[Ricia]

Rhea smiled at Kurogan, she was happy I felt that way. She was happy he could so easily lift her up like he has done so many times. "Do you like Rick?" Rhea asked, to help make more pleasant conversation.

 

[Ixidor92]

"I . . ."


Kurogan gave a different kind of smile. Something a little pained but genuine


"I see something of a kindred spirit in him. If that makes any sense."