Heart within the beast

[Ricia]

Rhea's smiled faded a bit when he seemed to get lightly emotional about it. She wondered if Rick reminded him of someone. Someone back home. "Do you miss your home?" Rhea asked Kurogan. She knew he didn't want to talk about it... and she knew he didn't like talking about it, but the question just slipped out... She was concerned for Kurogan, specially for his happiness. Would he really be happy here with her? Forever pretending to be a dog? What happens when she gets married... what then?

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan remained silent for a little while, letting the music fill what would have been a somewhat tense silence.


"I would be lying if I said I didn't. But returning is impossible."


Where had that question come from? Then again, he had purposely avoided any talk about his home and his circumstances . . . and hadn't exactly been subtle about it either.

 

[Ricia]

"I didn't mean to ask a question I know you don't like... I just want you to be happy. I am just a bit worried too, you know?" Rhea said softly, though she looked away from him and more to her father, who was eyeing Kurogan.

 

[Ixidor92]

"I am happy though."


Kurogan gave her a small smile as the dance continued. His eyes briefly followed Rhea's gaze to her father, his glance only meeting the man's for a second before he focused back on the young woman in front of him. He chose not to extrapolate any more on his statement, thinking it spoke for itself.

 

[Ricia]

Rhea mirrored his smile back at him. He was happy now it sounded like... but what about into the future? The song ended only a few moments, leading to Rhea taking a step away from Kurogan to curtsy.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan bowed back politely as the dance ended. The crowd would start to clear out soon . . . or at least Kurogan hoped that the crowd would clear out soon. He gently walked Rhea back to where Sage and Rick were, all the while his ears twitching around beneath the hat he wore.

 

[Ricia]

Sage smiled at Kurogan, "ok well... I have to go catch the bus, so I'll.... get that thing from you later!" She said. She ment the suit, because she was sure not going to get it from him now.


"Ok. You guys be safe on your way home." Rhea said softly, waving off her friends.


"See you later Rhea." Rick said with a light salut before leaving.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan gave back a wave of his own, debating the most obtuse way he could go about returning the borrowed suit to Sage. As the partygoers filed out, he leaned down a bit to Rhea's ear level.


"I should be leaving as well. Can't stay 'Hikaru' for much longer now, can I?"


He gave her a smile before muttering a quick "I'll be back."


He found the room where his own clothes had been dropped off, and made a quick change before shifting. The suit for now was folded and stuck in the top of the closet, where he hoped it would go unnoticed. Now the massive dog that her parents knew, Hikaru trotted back to where the festivities had been, hoping not too many were gone, so as to cover his absence.

 

[Ricia]

Rhea stood by her father and thanked everyone for coming to the party, thanking other men for dancing with her. It was a tiring and if not a bit dizzying process. The young man who Sage manage to harassed gave Rhea a rather flushed look before leaving. All through the empty thanks, Rhea kept her fingers tangled is Kurogan's soft fur. She was nervous about the discussion about to come with him... but she didn't know why.


Why should she be nervous? Rhea searched deep inside her for the answers, only to get the question from earlier in the dance returning to her mind. What of the future? Was Kurogan just going to stay her dog forever... What did she want from Kurogan?


Subconsciously, her grip tightened on Kurogan. She continued to smile at fancy suits and pretty dresses as they walked by and thank their time.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan eyed every individual who passed, consistently aware of Rhea's fingers going through his fur. His mind was abuzz with thoughts right now. While had deliberately chosen to push it to the back of his mind for the party, the fact that Rhea was essentially being married off by her father tugged at him like a jagged wire.


Why?


It was the why that was grinding at him. So much so that he almost missed Rhea's tightening grip. His ears perked up at the motion, followed by a quick raising of his head to look into her eyes.

 

[Ricia]

Rhea didn't look back at him. She was more concentrated on the people passing by. It took almost an hour before they finished saying goodbye to all the guest. After they were gone, she said a quick good night to her father and then told the maids that they did not have to help her get ready. She was exhausted and was going straight to bed, so she told them.


With that, Rhea started the low scale up the stairs and to her room, she let out a light sigh. "That was fun... But only when I was with you guys." She told Kuragon as they walked to the room. She opened the door slowly, waiting for the black wold to get through the door before shutting it. "One moment... i'm going to get changed." Rhea told him as she picked up her night clothing and walking to the bathroom.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan trotted gingerly up the steps behind Rhea, slowing only when the door was shut behind them. He let out a breath as Rhea walked into the bathroom and started to get changed. After a few moments, he shifted into his bipedal form, leaning back against the foot of the bed. His mind was a tumultuous storm right now. He needed to get it in order if he wanted to ask the right questions. And why . . . why did he feel like his chest was going to fall through his stomach?

 

[Ricia]

(Sorry left for something, about to do some homework though xD )


Slipping the dress off herself, Rhea tried to calm down. She felt worse then the time her parents caught her sneaking out to go see Roen...


Hanging the dress up on one of the hangers, she slowly slipped on her pajama shirt and pants. The silk felt nice on her skin, but at the moment it was the last thing on her mind. She hesitantly stopped by the door of the bathroom. On the other side of it, Kurogan was waiting for her. She wondered what kind of questions he was going to ask her? Most likely the basic ones like... why didn't she tell him.. and why she had to get married. Rhea took a calming breath before opening the door up and looking up to Kurogan.


She hadn't turned the lights on when they had came into the room, not for any particular reason other then she just didn't. Though she admitted that Kurogan was just as striking in a suit... as he was now leaning against her bed, bathed in the moon light of that night. She felt herself blush lightly at the embarrassing thought, tugging at her own sleeves shyly before walking over to Kurogan and sitting down next to where he leaned on her bed.


She stared down at the floor, to afraid to make eye contact now, "I'm ready." She said softly, giving him the OK to say or ask what ever he wanted.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan's ears twitched in Rhea's direction as she sat down next to him, her faint voice cracking the floodgates that held back his barrage of questions. He took a deep breath and decided to make sure he had the situation right.


"Your father . . . said that you were open to engagement. In other words . . . he's planning to marry you off when you come of age--do I have that right?"


Kurogan's voice was even for now. It seemed almost like he was purposely doing so.

 

[Ricia]

Rhea's head almost snapped up to look at Kurogan, her mouth slightly open in surprise. She was so caught of guard by the... well what was it exactly? Did he just propose to her? Or... was she reading too deep into the question? It was just a question... did he want the right? Kurogan did have a habit of only getting straight to the point... so it lead her back to the question... did he just propose to her?


The question completely knocked Rhea off the solid land she prepared so that she could answer all his questions. He just knocked her straight off and into a sea of emotions and 'what ifs'. All of her questions before seem to suddenly turn into Kurogan being with her as a person in the future instead of him being 'Hikaru', the dog she got from the pet store.


Rhea at some point had gotten off the bed and was standing, she was still looking up at Kurogan with a flushed face and a slightly agape mouth, her eyes were still wide with shock. It didn't seem like she was going to get through the shock for a few more moments yet. Her mind was busy turning and spinning.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan's ears twitched a couple of times as he waited for an answer, but none came. When he turned to look at Rhea, she had stood off the bed, and had a look of . . . what the hell was that look? It wasn't an expression he'd seen before on Rhea.


"Um . . . sorry? Did I say something unexpected?"

 

[Ricia]

"I.... I..." Rhea tried to start. She was not sure how to say that. His reaction was all wrong. He looked confused. "I um..." Rhea coughed lightly and turned away, her back to Kurogan now. "I..." She sucked in a small breath and then let it out slowly. "What... I.. Didn't understand the question.. But.." She said her face was still scarlet red, she closed her eyes to try and get a hold of herself. She proububly heard wrong... something... Getting married to Kurogan... No way!


"..............."


Maybe. Maybe it would be ok.


"No no..." Rhea said softly before turning to look at him again, "Please... umm rephrase the question... for me... please...please.." She said. She sounded just as jumbled up as when she tried to lie to Rick earlier about where Hikaru had gone.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan raised an eyebrow at Rhea's behavior, especially when she turned around. She looked the same color a tomato thrown at a brick wall.


"I just . . . wanted to make sure I understood the situation . . ."


Kurogan reach up and began to rub one of his ears nervously. This had rapidly gone from one of the most dreaded talks he had had to one of the most confusing.

 

[Ricia]

"Um.. no?" She said unsure how to answer the question. That wasn't rephrasing the question. She put her hand to her heart and then took a deep breath. Now her mind was completely frazzled. "He's not... marring me off to just anyone..." She told him softly. "But to people who have power. Perhaps politically or... in a different company. It seems a little old fashioned for the times now... but my dad was engaged around my age... so shell I. I guess..." She just looked down to the ground. Man she really made a fool of herself. She rarely assumed thing... and now it really made her look bad. Beside there was no way Kurogan would know she had such a thought... a simple blunder. She would play it off easily! Just like how Sage would.... well ok maybe not exactly how Sage would...

 

[Ixidor92]

As Rhea spoke, one of Kurogan's hands started to clench into a fist subconsciously.


"I--see."


He took a deep breath and looked at Rhea . . . who was still flushed as all hell


"Rhea, are you sure you fell all right?"


He stood up and walked over to her, putting one hand on her forehead


"You look about as red as the trees in autumn."

 

[Ricia]

"I'm... fine." She said, her breath hitched lightly when he touched her forehead. Her hands moved to his, laying gently on top of it, though she didn't try to move his hand. Maybe it was just the selfish thought in her. Kurogan would save her... just like he always did. He would saver her from her dad. If she married him, then he would let her do what ever she wanted. She smiled lightly, that was most likely a fantasy... but it was a pleasant one.


She took a deep breath, "I'm fine..." she repeated to him. "Sage told me something a long time around, when we first meet... before we were even really good friends." she waited for a moment, wanting Kurogan's encouragement to keep going.

 

[Ixidor92]

"All right then . . ."


Kurogan let his hand fall from her forehead, though his fingers almost unconsciously wrapped around her own. He raised an eyebrow at the sudden mention of Sage


"What did she say?"

 

[Ricia]

"I made her really mad one time, I had told her about my situation and about Roen... everything that had been happening. I told her I can't do anything and I told her I really hope Roen helps me." Rhea said softly. "It was the first time I ever watched her lose her cool. She just kind of.. exploded. She told me I was an idiot for waiting for someone to come along and save me. 'No one is going to save you because no one cares.' she told me. 'You have to save yourself.'" Rhea shifted her feet a bit, she was staring at Kurogan's chest now over his feet.


"Then Roen did save me I guess you can say... He took me into his custody and I was saved. Sage didn't know what to say because what she told me was just proven wrong... but I look back on her words now and think, maybe she was right." Rhea rocked back on her heels, using Kurogan's weight to help her move on the ball of her feet, holding on to his hand. Almost like a child that swung from between their parents, "Even if she was right... I couldn't do it... save myself I mean." She told him softly.

 

[Ixidor92]

Kurogan remained silent throughout the exposition, remaining calm throughout. He was somewhat surprised that Sage would lose her cool over something like that . . . but that wasn't what came to his mind right now. Quietly, and without any warning, Rhea found herself pulled against Kurogan's chest. His arms wrapped around her in a hug, his chin resting down on top of her head


"Maybe you didn't save yourself . . . but you did save somebody. And that somebody isn't going to sit quietly while this happens."


As he spoke, Kurogan felt heat rising in both his chest and his cheeks. What was going on?

 

[Ricia]

She almost yelped in surprise when she was pulled against him, but she didn't struggle. Rhea hugged Kurogan, wrapping her arms around his side and burying her head into his chest. "I know she wasn't completely right... because I know people care..." She told him,"Even she does." Rhea said to his chest. "I'm terrified about what the future is going to bring for.... us." Rhea said. The way she said it, it sounded a bit more forbidden then she meant it to. She meant it more in the mere fact he was posing as her dog. Her face flushing again, though lighter then when she manage to scare herself.