'

Beru's brows knit together at the response she offered in regards to the future telling stuff.  The crystal eyes, enchanting as they may be, obviously must have hindered her more than anything.  It was something he'd considered just for the briefest of seconds earlier, sometime shortly after she'd removed the blindfold, but forgot all about as events quickened in pace.  It seemed like she didn't want to talk about it now though, so they wouldn't.  He could only imagine she'd received enough pity throughout her life thus far.  She didn't need his too.  

"I'm Beru.. Wait, sorry.  Did you just say princess?"  He choked.  Princess of the Armada.  She did just say that, right?  And here he was nipping at her and shit.  He was going to get himself beheaded.  He meant to return the bow, do anything, but before he could get his body to move she'd already dropped the formal act.  Damn, this girl was really something else.  "Like, really a princess?  Or is this another joke?"  It had to be a joke, right?  What would a princess be doing out here talking to Beru?

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Start carvin' darlin'

“Beru. Nice, short.” She said, and grinned at him, before turning it into a roll of her eyes at his exaggerated response. Being a Princess wasn’t that big of a deal, was it? Like, everyone she knew was a Prince or Princess. Her friends down the Hallows, her friends in Ashen, her own siblings. Like, who wasn’t a princess these days?

She settled her eyes on him again. Did he really think she was lying again? Well.. maybe it wasn’t such a stretch. She had already led him on once before. She didn’t like the idea that he maybe didn’t trust her. “No, that one’s true. My dad is Sirius Fatalis, maybe you’ve heard of him?” Sometimes it seemed like the whole world knew who her father was. But then, he was really old. “It’s no big deal.” She added quietly.


"Speech"

'

"I'm going to be honest, Kite..."  He paused for a moment and just stared at her.  "I've never heard that name in my life."  At least not that he could remember.  Or, maybe it did sound a little familiar? Back home he'd never really thought he would need information like who owns what so it was quite possible that his mom had said something about the guy and Beru just decided to disregard it.  Serius Fatalis sounded... kind of legit though.. Maybe.. His stare formed into something more akin to a squint, and he held his gaze for a few beats longer.  He didn't want her to pull another one over on him, but it seemed like with this particular bit of information it was probably safer to just say he believed her.  Plus, just like before, he kind of wanted to anyways.. But, well.. Who knows.

"Easy for you to say." He snorted. "Sounds like a pretty big deal to someone that doesn't come from nobility though."  Beru prodded at her.  "You might want to lead with that next time.  Might have just let you insult me earlier without saying anything had I known."  Or maybe that was why she hadn't said anything.  Maybe she was sick of people treating her different for that too.  

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Start carvin' darlin'

She paused, looking at him in surprise, and then burst in laughter. “You haven’t!?” She asked him, shaking her head. ”That’s awesome.” Beru was so… distant from her life. Maybe that was part of the appeal she was feeling for him right now. Her family was huge, and suffocating, and had seen every moment of her life. The painful, the heartbreaking, the embarrassing. Beru knew none of it. He was just another wolf, one who had believed if just for a moment, that she could see the future.

“It’s really not.” She argued, her face settling into a familiar mulish tilt as he spoke of treating her differently if he had known. Would he really? If so, she would have to punch him. At least now she knew to look out for the crystals. “Do you want to kiss me, Beru?” She asked the wonderfully anonymous stranger. Maybe she said it just to see what he would do. He looked pretty cute when he was off kilter.

"Speech"

'

He grew flustered with the sudden burst of laughter that came from his company.  She said it was awesome that he had no idea who her father was, but he didn't feel awesome.  He felt kind of stupid.  If she was really this tickled with it all then clearly Serius Fatalis was a name that should have struck a bigger chord.  Damn it.  Why was it so difficult for him to just, like, be cool?

Beru shrugged at Kite's protest, but what fell from her lips next made anything he might have retaliated with get stuck in his throat.  "I - Uh.... W-what?" It took him a long, awkward moment to squeeze the response out.  First he had to process the words she'd spoke, and then he had to force his body to listen to him again. "Do I want to... Kiss?"  That's what she said. She definitely said kiss.  If his cheeks had been red at all earlier he couldn't even imagine what sort of hue they took now.  Thing is, he definitely did want to kiss the princess.  She was beautiful, and even though today was really fucking weird he'd been having such a good time.  He couldn't just say that though, could he?  

"I... Do you... Want to kiss... me?"  Beru couldn't even bring himself to look at her anymore.  "Because.. I mean... " he wouldn't say no.  But just because she asked if he wanted to kiss her didn't mean that she wanted to kiss him.  What if this all really was just another joke? Must be hilarious to watch him squirm like this. Damn it. What a nightmare.

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Start carvin' darlin'

Ohhh, that was a good look. She eyed him appreciatively as his entire brain ground to a screeching halt. She could almost see the steam coming out of his ears. His cheeks started to match the markings under his eyes. She waited for him to gather his thoughts and force out a question. She looked at him expediently as he repeated it. He averted his gaze and finally asked if she wanted to kiss him.

“You know, I do believe I do” She said, surprised at how easily the words left her lips. The truth was, if she was in Beru’s paws she probably would have made a mess of it too. But she had said it first, and was leaving Beru scrambling. She was absolutely delighted.

“...Well?” She asked expectantly, taking another step closer to him. Closing that distance so she could look across at the blushing boy, and place her paw over his. She had never, ever kissed anyone before. But she wasn’t about to tell him that. If he took the lead, she could pretend she knew what she was doing.


"Speech"

'

How was she so calm?! The yearling could feel his heart practically pounding from his chest with each passing tick of the metaphorical clock.  She proclaimed that she, in fact, would like to kiss him, and even still he waited for the punchline.  It was only when Kite had really started making moves that Beru knew he had to unfreeze and start acting if he wanted this kiss to come to fruition.

His paw tensed beneath hers.  It was automatic, but after it happened he was able to get it to relax, and then he too began to lean in closer.. though his restlessness definitely got the best of him, because the speed in which he moved in to secure the kiss only resulted in him missing miserably, unromantically bumping her pretty little nose. "Shit- I'm so sorry, Kite, I --"  He pulled back to look her over. Well, it wasn't bleeding.  At least not yet.  Surely this was only a disaster because it was his first kiss, right?  They had to get better with time, easier. Not knowing how to rectify the situation, he simply surrendered and pressed his maw to hers.

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Start carvin' darlin'

He was actually going to kiss her. Her dad would be so mad if he found out. Poor Beru, he didn’t even know the name of the Warlord. If he did, he might have hesitated a little more before choosing to kiss her. Kite wondered at this lucky turn of events.

She looked across at him, at his delightfully stained cheeks and -- and suddenly he was bumping her nose, almost falling onto her. “Ow!” She complained, but her voice had the hint of laughter at the ridiculousness of this whole situation. She had no idea what she was doing, or what impulse she had followed to poke him into kissing her. Oh well, it was a bust, but it had been fun while it lasted.

And then his muzzle was on hers, and they were kissing. She opened her eyes wide, startled as she leaned forward just a little. Leaning into the kiss. Then they were parting, and she giggled softly. “Well!” She said, not sure what else to say. What did someone say after a kiss? Thanks?


"Speech"

'

And just like that the kiss had found it's conclusion.  Beru felt a strange sense of emptiness as they parted, an emptiness that he was pretty positive could refill with just one more.. But he wouldn't push his luck.  He tentatively looked into her crystalline eyes and waited for her to react first.  
"Yeah... Thanks."  He grinned sheepishly.  "I, uh... That was nice.. I mean, except for the part where I almost broke your nose..." He laughed a little, mostly from embarrassment but also because it was kind of funny in a sick and twisted 'universe out to get him' sort of way.  "We should do it again sometime.. I mean..."  What the hell was he even saying? Do it again sometime.  Sheesh.

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Start carvin' darlin'

Oh! She’d been right. One did say thanks? Or was Beru just making this up as he went along, like she was? Things felt different between them now. More awkward. she‘d asked him to kiss her to toss him out of his comfort zone, to watch him squirm. He had, and it had been fun. But where did one go from here?

“Should we?” She asked in surprise, shaking herself out of her thoughts to look at him consideringly again. “What exactly are you thinking? Like, kissing buddies, or something more exclusive?” Okay, she was definitely pulling his tail again, but she kind of liked where this was going.


"Speech"

'

Something more exclusive?! Beru's heart had just finally started to slow down before rampantly speeding back up again.  She couldn't mean, like, boyfriend and girlfriend, could she?  Well, that's kind of what the word meant.  What else could she be trying to convey? Was he sweating now?  Yeah, it was pretty hot out tonight, wasn't it?  

" I mean..."  He thought carefully for a moment, desperately trying to make sure what he said next wouldn't make him appear anymore foolish than he'd already made himself look, which was admittedly quite hard.  "So, I don't know.. It's like.. I only really need one kissing buddy, right?"  he found his gaze avoiding hers again.  "So, like.. If we go that route.. It's like... We might as well just be.... I don't know... Exclusive.. right...?"  holy shit holy shit holy shit.  Wait a minute, was he moving too fast? Weren't they supposed to get to know each other a little more first or something?

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Start carvin' darlin'

Kyanite giggled again, and gave his paw a pat. He was stammering and blushing and averting her gaze again. He was so easy to wind up, and she was having so much fun that she could almost forget what exactly she was saying. Almost. When it came down to it, kissing was kind of fun. Did she really want to cut off her avenues and agree for herself with what she was asking of him? Exclusive.

Then again, everyone she knew was always family. Knew her, knew the Fatalis line. Had a certain sort of expectation. Beru was fresh, and fun. And really, how many opportunities was she going to have to kiss someone else. “It’s a deal then.” She agreed. Oh, and because she just couldn't help herself, she grinned very wide and said. “You only get to kiss me.”

"Speech"

'

Man, if this was going to be a thing then the yearling really was going to have to learn how to look at her for more than five seconds without freaking out.  He forced his gaze back to hers.  His face was burning up and his insides felt like jelly. How did she make this all look so easy?  Could it be that she'd had exclusive kissing buddies in the past?  Not that it mattered, but Beru wished he could be as calm and collected as she seemed.

"Yeah? Are you... Sure?"  He just managed to choke out, though in all honesty he was proud that he got words out at all.  She was so cool, and Beru was coming to the realization that he was actually pretty lame.  She didn't have someone else she'd rather waste her time on? The yearling was positive he couldn't be the only one interested in the girl. Hold on.. What was he doing though?  Because he sure as hell didn't want her backing out now.  "Wait, no.  You already said it's a deal.  It's a deal.  I'll only.. k-kiss...."  oh boy.

Just wait until Wari found out.  If there were anything grounding Beru even slightly now it was the fact that he'd be able to leave and tell his sister that he and a beautiful princess just went exclusive. The look on her face was sure to be priceless. He had to survive this first though, and preferably without scaring his new special friend away.  Who would have guessed his charisma was this horrible?

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Start carvin' darlin'

She laughed at the slap of surprise on his face as she told him he was the one locked into this deal. Really, he should have checked the fine print. “I’m a Princess, remember?” He had made it seem like such a big deal. Must be time to use that against him. “If you want me to be exclusive, you’re going to have to sweeten the deal Beru.” Oh, no, that was just too good.

She had no idea what she actually wanted from him, but she was very excited to find out what he could offer. She’s never been so much the centre of attention before. Not for anything other than her eyes. She was loving every second of it, of twirling poor Beru around her little paw. It was just bad luck for him how much she was enjoying this. Otherwise, she might not have been giving him such a hard time. She tapped a paw gently against the ground, as if to say she was waiting.

"Speech"

'

"W-What?"  His voice sounded confused as he stared at the beautiful wolf before him, and then that stare flattened to something more akin to a glare. "What?"  He repeated, this time without the previous shyness.  Sweeten the deal?  And how did she suppose he did that?  Did it make sense, her being a princess and all?  Sure.  But sweetening the deal sounded like some shit nobles did when they married their kids off to one another, and she knew Beru wasn't like her in that regard. What was he even supposed to offer, the crystals off of his back?  

Nope.  That was it.  This was all just a big joke after all. "That cat of yours teach you how to play with your food?" So that's how she was able to remain so calm then, it was never a serious thing for her. "Glad I was able to amuse you, Kyanite Fatalis, Princess of the Armada, but I'm not having fun anymore."  He growled, standing up and bowing before her irritably.

"Maybe I'll go see if Deluge is still around the willows.. Bet she'd exclusively smooch me without a catch."  He grumbled to himself, though it was definitely meant for her ears as well.  He could play games too if that's the way it was going to be.

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Start carvin' darlin'

Well that took a sudden and unexpected turn. He was being so cute and unsure of himself, and then suddenly he seemed to straighten. Looking very much annoyed with her. “Hey, come on. Maybe I like some romance with my kissing companions. Are you really that afraid of a challenge?” She shot back at him as he turned away from her and spoke of someone else smooching him.

And here she thought he’d never kissed before. She glared at him for a moment, everything had been going so well and she wasn’t sure exactly where it fell apart. “Big baby!” She grumbled at him. She’d really liked the attention, too. Why did he have to be such a brat about it?


"Speech"

'

Romance?  Was that really all she'd meant by sweetening the deal?  Well, if that were the case then in typical Beru fashion he was definitely overreacting now, so the only logical next step would be to turn to another classic Beru staple, refusing accountability.

"How am I a big baby when you're the one beating me around like a mouse?!"  He hissed.  The yearling had never been on an emotional rollercoaster quite like this one, and as a wolf who already struggled with managing his feelings he couldn't say he was a big fan of it.  "Do this a lot?  Make guys have weird and confusing feelings about you just so you can laugh at them?  What am I, victim number 7, 8?  Is that why you were out in the woods, just trying to lure in the next one?"

"Thief!"  His raven squawked.  "Shut it!"  His eyes were like daggers on the poor bird, who more than likely just got upset with the shift in atmosphere.

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Start carvin' darlin'

She had to struggle to hold in a snort at the image he presented. “You're a little big for a mouse, aren’t you?” She retorted back dryly. Did he really think she was so cool and calculated? Drawing in guys as she felt like it? Did he think her that clever and controlled? Actually, she kind of felt like it was a compliment.

“Actually, you're the first, but thanks” She returned. She tried to make it sound annoyed or sarcastic, but a little bit of pride might have leaked in regardless. “Why, do you think I’m pretty enough to have a swarm of guys swooning?” She batted her eyelashes at him. She still wasn’t sure if she was annoyed with him or not. He did kind of act like a big baby all of a sudden, but she liked that he thought she was so popular. She glanced at his raven as he cawed a word at them. "That's right!" She agreed with the bird. "Beru is a big silly thief, isn't he?"


"Speech"

'

He chose to ignore her comment regarding the mouse business because it wasn't anything he could seriously debate against.  What was he going to do, tell her he was in fact the right size for a mouse?  Yeah, that's a solid defense right there. Instead, he decided to respond to the next slew of words that left her muzzle.  "Ha! Doubt it.  And you know you are, so don't make me say it."  the words sounded like praise or admiration, they weren't supposed to.  Shit, no charisma, and now he was losing his argumentative sparkle too.  Just great.

"And Beru is not a big silly thief! Leave Walpurgis out of this!"  He snapped.  This was all so frustrating and ridiculous.  She still seemed so calm in comparison to him, which only told him that this was still her game and he was still losing. Part of him desperately wanted to leave, but there was another part of him that thought he would feel sad if he never saw her again.  But that didn't make any sense, because he'd only just met her.  Huh.  She might not be able to see into the future.. but did she maybe use his blood to cast some sort of spell on him? "What do you want, Kite? I'm sick of making an ass of myself so if it's nothing then I should probably go."

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Start carvin' darlin'

“I want you to say it anyway” She said, dropping her voice lower, hoping it sounded… what, more interesting? The worst part was, she kind of liked this argumentative Beru as much as she liked the stammering shy one. He was just so… interesting, dammit. Or maybe it was still that allure of how distant he was from her life.

She was really, really tempted to make a comment about him referring to himself in third person, but then he was already moving the subject on, and warning her that he was going to go. “No, wait!” She said, reaching forward with a paw. Her voice lifted in sudden desperation. She didn’t want him to go. That was the last thing she wanted. If they parted like this, would she ever see him again? “Wait. I… I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have teased you so much. But you're so cute when you blush.” She stammered. Apologising was much harder than teasing, and this time a hint of colour touched her cheeks. She was falling on the defensive for once, and it knocked her off her stride.

"Speech"