The Tale of Harau

Tarunda had a slight blush on her cheeks, nodding to Vari as he left, she finished her plate, almost all of the food had been eaten and thankfully she only had to finish off one bottle of Kiroku's purchase before everything was paid for and not wasted. She smiled to herself as she teetered off to the girls room, falling onto her bed and getting undressed slowly, she looked over to see Kiroku tucked in and smiled. Vari had a good heart. She giggled a little as she snuggled into her sheets and quickly fell asleep, locking the door with a flick of her fingers.

Vari was the first to wake up, he stretched a little and looked around. Getting out of the bed he pulled on his shoes and attatched his kusarigama. He pulled a dagger out from under his bed and put it in the hilt. Vari always slept with a dagger under his pillow, it was a habit now. The squirrel moved out to the hallway and knocked on the door to the girls room to at least get Tarunda up, he really wanted everyone to get moving again, even if the siblings have horrible hangovers.
He sat in the hallway and started sharpening the blade on the end of the kusarigama, waiting to see what happened.

Tarunda woke up a bit after the knocking, murring softly as she stretched sitting up and looking around, the light was flooding in from the window because the curtains were a little light. She slowly pulled on her clothes, strapping on the armor and shivering a little as she felt the cold hit her from being outside the sheets. The tigress stood up and nudged Kiroku a little so she'd wake up, noticing the hangover cure Vari had left and smiling a little. She exited the room and spotted Vari, waving to him a little and smiling as she sat next to him. "You got another stone? My blade could probably use a good sharpening." She said, drawing her Tai Chi blade and setting it on her lap.

Vari smiled a little as he handed over the sharpening stone. "Here ya go. Good morning Tarunda. How are you today?" He asked as he put his blade away, having finished already. "That's an interesting blade, so what is it called?" He asked as he looked it over.

Tarunda smiled as she started sharpening her blade. "It's called a Tai Chi blade. It's native to my nation, and it has a very beautiful style behind it, more like a dance than anything." She giggled a little as she ran the stone along her blade. "As for me, I'm alright. Woke up rather easily too." She sat back and looked at him. "I saw all the stuff you did for Kiroku, that was pretty nice of you."

Vari blushed a little and smiled. "Hey, I'm not used to having a good side, so I'm making up for it. Not having to kill everyone I meet is actually a really nice difference." he sat back and sighed as he nodded. "I like having friends... its a new experience for me." He wagged his tail and then wrapped it around his waist so it wouldnt bother the tigress as she worked on her sword. "Do you have many friends where you're from?"

Tarunda sat there for a moment, pondering what to say. "Yes, I believe even though they were servants, I treated them well enough that they became my friends... and I had a few close friends among those with a similar status to my own." She had to figure out a good way to get away from this tender subject. "I think it's really sweet of you to do all that for someone you just met. I think she may just be stealing the show." She giggled a little and sheathed her blade again, looking over at Vari. "Oh, I came up with an answer for you, if I had to choose..." she leaned in and whispered in his ear, then gently kissed his cheek, giggling a little and blushing.

Vari blushed bright when he heard the answer to his question, then shivered a little when he was kissed on the cheek. "Oh... well I'll be sure to remember that... the next time those two go off on a battle." He stammered, looking over at the tigress and smiling sheepishly. "I uh... well... I..." he blushed brighter and chuckled. "We need to separate them before they get into some incest... any ideas?"

"Oh I was thinkin just the power of companions." Tarunda sat back, still with a heavy blush on her face. "I saw that look she gave you the moment she woke up under you, and I know you've been trying to help it along. Good on ya Vari." She nudged him and giggled. "Keep that up and her spite for her brother will be quickly forgotten." She smiled at him and wagged her tail. "As for Katsuo... I might just give him another taste of what happened yesterday. I'll see if he bites." She grinned sheepishly and blushed as well. "I cant believe we're planning this kind of stuff."

Vari blushed brighter. "So you did see that." He smiled a little and nodded. "I think she needs someone, and I certainly think it would be weird if it was her half brother all the time. So I'm throwing in my name for concideration. Do you really think I have a chance?" He looked a little optimistic and then looked over at her. "Not that... I wont hold you to what you said sooner or later... I mean... I ..." he frowned. "Relationships are weird."

"Relationships? I guess you havent had them before." Tarunda giggled a little as she folded her arms and looked at him. "You'll be fine. I'm sure of it." She blushed a little as she leaned in. "And I like you too Vari, I wouldnt have told you that if I didnt. There's just another guy I've got my eye on right now. If that's okay." she looked a little worried, juggling suitors had never been her strong point.

Vari nodded a little and smiled. "Dont worry, I understand completely." He grinned and waved his hand. "We've just got a pact for the next time theyre training or something. Or maybe every time the go off training." He offered, smirking a little as he leaned forward to rummage through his pack. "I know I've got some in here somewhere."

"Oh I have no doubt you do. You've got all sorts of things in your little bag of tricks there." Tarunda giggled. "I think every time they go sparring might actually be good. I've been in this nation a few weeks already and it's become a little taxing to be on my own. I'm glad I have friends to share the night with again. Traveling hasnt been my best suit, but I used to go across the land with some of my friends for different reasons, and camping was always fun." That and hosting parties in the palace... but she didnt think telling him that would be a good idea.

Katsuo groaned as he sat up from the bed. ^ Gah...that was a hell of a dream...^ he thought, a faint smile briefly showing itself as he recall the action between Kiriko and himself in it. As he made his way out of the bed, he noticed something...different. As he looked down, he noticed that his pants were unbuckled...by alot. ^....that was a dream....right? ^ he thought to himself, a brief sense of panic rose over him. ^ It had to be, she wouldnt even dare be caught with me......^ ~gulp~ ^....I hope^ he thought before he dressed up and made his way out of the room, luckily his hybrid nature made him immune to the effects of hangovers.

~Kiriko woke with a groan, despite who it had been about....and what it had been about, she realized she didnt want it to end...Perhaps she was realizing that carrying so much hate for so long was so much harder and taxing than forgiveness. It was odd though she felt oddly warm in the pit of her stomach...~ "no...it couldnt have been" ~she whispered to herself and crawled out from under the sheets. Like her half brother her breed made her immune to hangovers and she felt fine...if a little confused by the soreness...and warmth she felt. She rummaged through her things and changed her clothes, which held a strange scent to her. Yet it wasnt unpleasant. Still she wanted clean clothes and so she finished changing quickly before yawning and stretching a little. She exited the room a surprising little spring in her step~

Katsuo made his way down the hall, his mind racing with thoughts on the events of last night. Although he tried to deny it, he rathered enjoyed the thought, but knew deep down he shouldnt. However, his thoughts were quickly cut off as he almost ran into Kiriko. " Oh sorry, umm...good morning. Uuhhhh...you sleep well? " he asked, his face turning a light tint of red.

~She blushed a little herself~ "Y-yes...katsuo i slept fine....You?" ~she replies she smelled that scent again...and her blush turned even darker~ "You...didnt happen to have an odd dream did you?" ~she asks hoping he said he didnt~

Katsuo went silent momentarily. ^ Oh god...it wasnt a dream....^ he thought to himself. His face now bright red. " Uhh..I..I slept fine. And...dream? Ha..ha ha...ha....no of co..course not. And even if I did it wasnt about you....ha.....haha....." he stuttered, fumbling in his own words. " Why did you? " he asked suddenly.

"i kinda had a dream we...um... uhhh" ~she hesitates and lowers her voice~ "i had a dream we um mated...and i kinda feel strange...this morning..." ~she finishes averting her gaze~ "i dont know why i had it...but i did...perhaps it was the alcohol but i guess it was just a dream since you didnt have any..."

Katsuo's jaw dropped, there was no hiding it now. " Jesus...um...what if I told you, that...there was a possibility....that I too......could....possibly....that...um......I had the same dream.... and.....~ahem~ ...it....turns out.....well, it's rather funny and all.....but....it may not have been a dream....." he finished quickly before closing his eyes tightly. ^oh god now im screwed....^

Neither of them seemed to notice that Vari and Tarunda were sitting right there next to them in the hallway. He couldnt say for Tarunda's expression, but Vari had his mouth agape at what he had just heard. "I know it took me a while to get to bed last night... but are you serious?!" He looked... flabergasted as he stared up at the two. "What in the name of god were you thinki... well you were both insanely drunk and attractive so I could understand ... but ... bwwuuuuaahhh..." he groaned and rubbed his temples. "Malfunction... attempting to reboot."

Tarunda had much the very same expression, stunned disbelief was all over her face. But unlike Vari who just thought that they were just morons... she suddenly got a raging anger that welled up in her stomach. She stood up and slapped Katsuo. "You are disgusting!" she shouted right in his face. "That's it I cant stand you anymore. First you walk in on me naked, then you sleep with your sister?! The sheer... improbability of your actions is astounding Katsuo!" She turned to Kiriko. "And youuu..." she growled venomously. "I... I have no words for you. Thats how wrong this is right now." She slapped Kiriko in the face as well, then kicked Katsuo in the balls and stormed out.
The tigress made her way outside, glad that there wasnt many others out as she started crying, her frustration and anger had boiled enough that sadness and depression grew out of them as well, she fell to her knees by a tree and started sobbing, her hands on the ground in front of her as she leaned forward, her head down. Why did she care this much? She knew exactly why, she wasnt just after Katsuo after all, and to be honest... it scared her more than anything else that had happened so far.

Vari's head seemed to be smoking, his brain was working so hard to try and figure out what was happening, it made it especially hard when he saw Tarunda's reaction to this whole episode. He knew they were only good friends in her eyes, but he didnt know she fancied Katsuo that much. Sure, he was used to not loving anyone and being alone in the world, but all this hurt, and he wasnt exactly sure from who's part in it did it hurt the most. Vari simply sat there, trying not to show it as he rubbed his head.

~Kiriko collapsed into tears she didnt remember anything, really...if it had happened she didnt know...it was too improbable to be real and yet there were other signs that spoke of its possibility of being reality...she wouldnt trust Katsuo's word anyways...she still didnt like him...though she had given in and let go of her burning hatred for him...now that was reserved only for the main cause of her lifes course...her father~ "B-b-but i dont even know if it was real!" ~she wailed, she was starting to regret having been captured by katsuo...things were starting to become so strange....lines were being muddied and had begun to fade...she didnt really know where she stood anymore. Still sobbing she ran from the inn blazing past Tarunda and off into the morning...soon dissapearing into the crowd. She finally stopped running two miles out of town and collapsed from exhaustion, tears still streaming down her face.~ "Whats happening to meeeeee!" ~she cries out to the heavens, howling and roaring her inner confusion and despair. when she had set out on this quest it had all seemed so simple...kill katsuo, take his body back to the shin castle and then kill the king...after that it didnt matter her mother would be avenged...now, she apparantly pissed off some bitch of a tigress (no offense liz, this is all in character u know i wuv you) had possibly slept with her half brother. She was a lame excuse for an avenging daughter...and fur, she couldnt seem to do anything right and fucked everything she tried up~

Vari looked up at Katsuo and sighed. "You've got a choice bro... go after your sister, or go after Tarunda. And in the case of the tigress... I know for a fact that it's not me she wants to go find her." He stood up and rubbed his eyes. "Whichever you choose... I'll find the other one, so at least we can start moving. Are you up for this?" He asked slowly as he tapped Kats on the shoulder. "Or should I just try and get them both while you mull things over."