Planet Masquerade

Log 4

Kaoru followed submissively behind Saurai, his head hung as though bearing the weight of a death sentence. Saurai himself was just as much an enigma as Kallan, the young prince notice, as he tried desperately to notice anything and everything else but his current, growing anxieties. Saurai, with his brown hair swishing around him as he moved, walked with the stealth and awkward grace of a cat, while still managing to look composed and military-like...

Quite like a space pirate, but almost more like one who had previous, less reputably infamous training. Kaoru wondered, too, how the first mate of an intrepid ship such as the In'Syrcilan had come to know Myrnian in the first place, or who he was, for that matter. Myrna, though powerful in it's own right, was really only designed to stand up against the forces of Irim. No one, other than Rand, that is, really wanted Myrna for anything, simply because it was outdated, and stuck so strictly to traditions, that it's resources weren't utilized to their full, ‘modern' potential.

And, after all, the universe, full of many other, better prospecting planets, was indeed quite vast. Or so Kaoru had thought; But now, hearing his native tongue in regions that spoke primarily dialects of the Interstellar language, he wasn't so convinced.

His stomach churned, in quite the unprincely constitution, and he scolded himself. He really wasn't a very diplomatic royal at all. What would he do once he faced the captain, who knew who he was..? He hadn't been on the ship very long, hours maybe, though it could be a day for all he knew, taking into account the fact that he had no idea how long he'd slept. Saurai glanced back at him, and he turned artfully away, not wanting to let on how indecisive he was.

Would he, perhaps, be given up to Rand for a hefty exchange..? There was little doubt Rand could afford to buy even a prince, and certainly would have no trouble with one so useless as Kaoru. A sickening shiver reverberated down his spine as he thought of what Rand might to do him, were he to actually gain him. It was all the more humiliating to think of when he realized Saurai had been looking right at him. “We're here.”

Kaoru stared at the doors before him. They were a bit larger than the previous, monotonous bunch of doors they'd passed, but were otherwise equally simplistic in design. As a prince, it unnerved him to see a lac of extravagance surrounding someone of position. It was almost a rite of passage for traditionalistic Myrnians for flaunt their status. Saurai activated the slide on the door, and impassively nodded Kaoru in.

It was relatively dim, for the simple fact that the cabin was fashioned to take in natural light, which, at current, was only the glittering of stars. A few, scattered sconces and lamps lit a contrastingly warm glow into small radiuses, but added little more light than the window. From what he could see, the room was well furnished, but not profusely so. He'd expected, as one of the ignorant masses, to find pirates either successful and living in the lap of luxury, or unsuccessful and impoverished (the former of which he'd thought for the notorious In'syrcilan).

“Well, welcome,” he heard, startling himself a bit from looking around the room. A man, whom he hadn't seen until just that moment prior to his speaking, but assumed was the ship's captain, stepped from one of the darker corners and out towards the large window, where Kaoru could more easily make him out. He was tall, and well built, though not either overly so, and handsome, Kaoru supposed, of what he could see that wasn't covered by dark, mask-like glasses.

The more Kaoru stared at him, waiting for some further proposition, the more the man's light skin and dark hair began to remind him of Kallan. The more he waited, too, the more apprehensive he became, and when the pirate declined to speak another word for longer than Kaoru could stand, he spoke. ‘What do you want of me?” he asked plainly, suspiciously, a nd perhaps with more spite than he had intended.

“Testy,” he replied, though Kaoru couldn't make out his expression. “Suspicious, aren't we?” he asked, but Kaoru only countered with silence. He shook his head, turning away towards the light a bit, and Kaoru thought perhaps he saw the space captain smirk as he took a seat. “Won't you sit?” he asked when Kaoru didn't move, gesturing towards an empty arm chair across from him.

Silently, suspiciously --as accused-- Kaoru walked to the seat and sat down, conscious of the pirate carefully watching and evaluating every one of his motions. He didn't seem so smug, though, as the golden-eyed boy though he might be, knowing ‘K's' secret. Perhaps Saurai hadn't said anything yet..? Kaoru could hope, but if that turned out to be the case, he had no idea why he would have been summoned to the captain's quarters, of all places, to begin with.

“I'm sure you know why you're here,” he said. “So, I'd like you to just go on and elaborate upon your current situation, so we can determine how best to dispose of you. But, I'd just like to say, before you get started, that it's quite a nuisance for me to have to deal with someone like you so inconveniently.”

“Someone like me?” he asked warily, forgetting to take diplomatic pauses. “What exactly does that mean?” he asked, suspicion lacing his voice. And inconvenient, how, he wanted to ask, but he thought perhaps he'd been too bold already considering his position. He felt foolish for knowing so little, and saying so much; it didn't help that, unable to see his eyes, it was hard to discern the other man's exact expressions. ‘Someone like him' could mean royalty... Or even simply just a stowaway. Silently, he hoped for the latter.

“Why,” the captain said, an all-too-amused smile playing across his lips for Kaoru's taste. “A refugee, of course; A stowaway, like the rest of your freeloading companions.” It bothered Kaoru that he held no malice or even annoyance in his tone. “Whatever else would I have meant?” His coyness bothered the pale prince, but he remained as stoic as ever. “I've already spoken to the rest about their hoped destinations, seeing where I could most conveniently --for everyone-- drop the lot of you off. You're the only one left. It seems you... Slept through the announcement?”

Kaoru flushed, felling foolish but relieved. “Oh...” he bit his lip, not sure of how to proceed. “Well, I...” Where did he want to go..? Rand was... He didn't know where, but probably someplace close by, not that he really knew where he was either, for that matter. He absolutely couldn't ask to be taken to Myrna, but if he was dropped off at a space port, he had no idea how he'd get back without the Red Prince finding him first. Though he hated to admit it, and nearly winced when he did, for now it seemed that the safest place for him was, in fact, of all locations, a pirate ship.

“Forgive me,” he said suddenly, snapping Kaoru from his devastating thought. “I'm afraid I sometimes forget how dim this room can get. It must be uncomfortable for you,” he said, standing. “And you know, if you don't have any place to go, you can always join up. Pirates are just people with no place to belong, anyway. Besides which, I think it's safe to say that we were all refugees at some point or another ourselves... And also,” he said, flicking a switch on the wall and illuminating the room for the first time, leaving Kaoru surprisingly unhappy the lights were on. He hadn't realized until then just how grateful a mask the relative darkness had been until it was gone, leaving him feeling terribly exposed. “I've heard that Kallan's already taken quite a fancy to you.”

The young prince stared at him for longer than he should have. He looked remarkably much like the young man of whom he'd just spoken, but for the way he held himself, and a thin braid of long hair just behind his right ear. Though, Kaoru supposed, without being able to see his entire face, it was rather hard to really tell, his hair and skin coloration was still quite similar to Kallan's. “Come now; let us get a good look at you,” he said, extending a hand to Kaoru, who, a bit too dumbstruck to do otherwise, complied. “Ah,” he said knowingly, cupping Kaoru's chin in his hand and lifting his head up to look at him. “I can see why Kallan would like you so much... Tell my, my lovely little stowaway, what do you think of him, hmm?”

“Well,” he began, managing relatively well in the ‘keeping-his-composure department,' he though. As a prince, he was unused to being touched by most anybody else in this fashion, especially not while trying to converse, and especially not by a space pirate. “He's...” he paused, debating whether or not to be honest, and then whether or not he really knew how, regarding Kallan. “Certainly, he's not as well versed and well-mannered as yourself,” which was about the only thing he could think of to say just then that he could actually convince himself of.

“Artful,” was the reply. “You managed quite thoroughly to avoid answering the question, citing what he isn't, rather than what he is. I'm impressed. It seems that you're good at at least a little more than what I'm sure Kallan intends to use you for.” He laughed a little at Kaoru paling suddenly and becoming uncomfortably stiff beneath his touch. “It was a simple joke. Now...” he tilted Kaoru's chin up more, and leaned forwards, leaving only a minute space between them, leaving Kaoru to squirm uncomfortably. “Where is it that you come from?”

He opened his mouth, unsure of what he would say, and thankful when, suddenly, he heard the automated door to the room slide open. Both he and the captain turned their heads to look in the direction of the doorway, his chin still cupped in the other's hand, to find Saurai standing there purposefully, an unreadable expression on his features. Kaoru saw, in his peripheral vision, the captain of the In'syrcilan quirk a brow, as if to ask why Saurai had appeared unannounced just then. “Ah, I...” Saurai didn't seem to know either. “I apologize for the interruption, sir, but I was wondering when you were wanting to get around to the sweeps...”

“Ah, yes,” the captain replied, seemingly convinced his first mate's intentions were true, dropping his hand. Kaoru took a grateful step back, his chin and cheek tingling where he'd been touched. “Well, then,” he turned to Kaoru and smiled. “I'm sorry, but you'll have to excuse me for now... Saurai can take you back to wherever you are... Staying. I would, though, like to speak with you again. I've still no idea who you are, my little stowaway.” Kaoru pursed his lips shut and simply nodded back to the captain's knowing smile, thankful to exit the room with Saurai, but conscious of covered eyes on his back, even after the door slid closed.

Blindly, he followed Saurai, who hadn't said anything when he'd left, only nodded to him and started walking. Kaoru had yet to figure out the exact mapping of the ship, and still found all the doors and halls to be confusingly monotonous. He wondered why Saurai hadn't said anything, and if he would, and even, if he had, why his captain hadn't said anything. “E-excuse me... Saurai?” he asked timidly, stopping when the brunette stopped and turned back to look at him. “I uh... That is... I... Are the captain and Kallan related?” he spoke the question faster, losing too much of his nerve to ask what he really wanted to know. He didn't know, however, why he'd suddenly come up with that particular question.

“Well...” Saurai paused, turning fully around to engage Kaoru. “Yes, I suppose you could say that. You're very intuitive, you know,” he stated more than proposed. Kaoru reddened; he seemed to be complimented lately for things he didn't fancy himself, by Kallan, Saurai, and even... “Kallai. He and Kallan are... Similar, I guess you could say, but they've really got different personalities.” Kaoru nodded; It seemed plausible. Kallai, as it seemed to be the captain's name, seemed a bit more mature than Kallan, though they both shared an unnervingly cocky smile. “What did you think of our captain?” Saurai asked, shifting his weight to one foot, and pulling his arms across his chest.

Broken from his ponderings, Kaoru took a moment to answer. In all honestly, he thought more or less the same thing of the captain as he did of Kallan, which was, in a nut shell, that he had no idea what to think, exactly. “He's... Well, I don't know,” he offered truthfully with a meek shrug. Forest green eyes studied him for a moment, and for that moment he was afraid he'd said something wrong, until a whimsical grin flashed across Saurai's lips.

“That's an honest answer if I've ever heard one,” he said simply, shrugging in return, and turning back to leading Kaoru to his obscurely placed room. Not to be left behind, Kaoru followed in a haste. “This ship's not really that hard to figure, you know,” Saurai said after a moment, seemingly more apt to talk after Kaoru's display of truthfulness. “It's actually rather small, too, even for a pirate ship. It's just got a shoddy layout, is all; kind of old and outdated. You'll get used to it eventually, I suppose,” he said with a warm smile as he extended a hand to present Kaoru's door to him.

Nodding in understanding, he silently fiddled with the panel outside until the door opened. “I would stay in here for a while, if I were you,” Saurai said, pulling Kaoru back outside the doorway for a little to listen better. “They're going to be doing sweeps of the ship pretty soon, to make sure they didn't miss any stowaways, and it'd be bad if they caught you out, is all,” he said with a shrug. “Someone'll be by later to let you know you can wander, but I advise against it even then. Oh... I guess you haven't eaten, either. I'll send someone with food a little later. It'll be a while though, your highness, sorry.”

Wincing, Kaoru nodded. “No, it's fine, thank you,” he replied softly, wary only for the fact that his princeship had been mentioned. “Saurai,” Kaoru called softly, as the young man turned to leave. He turned back, and looked to the golden-eyed boy questioningly. “Why... Why didn't you tell him..?” Kaoru asked softly, his head bowed modestly. Saurai seemed so loyal to Kallai, yet he hadn't said a thing, not about Kaoru being a prince, or where he was from, or even about his real name.

Saurai smiled a little. “Apusayu yp zu Kwelswe gotdy, semf yp zu Arsdrt drevepmf,” he said simply. Apusayu yp zu Kwelswe gotdy, semf zu Arsdrt drevepmf, loyalty to my Leader first, and to my Leader second, though, Kaoru noticed, he had said leader the first time in Iriminian, rather than Myrnian, like the rest of the sentence. “Besides,” he said, shrugging and walking off. “He didn't ask.”

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“You wouldn't be hiding something from me, would you, Saurai..?” Kallan asked his first mate, a malicious suspicion to his tone. They sat in the captain's quarters, Kallan's classes sitting aimlessly on a small round table next to the false braid, his legs pulled up into his chair with him in quite the nonchalant position. “Because it'd be highly depressing to find out that you were, you know.”

Saurai looked uncomfortable sitting in the chair, one of the finer pieces of furniture on the ship, though not by much and more conventional than anything. Kallan would have attributed his lack of comfort to keeping dark, shady secrets had it not been for the fact that he knew Saurai wasn't the kind of person who ever really seemed comfortable when sitting in any one place for any duration of time, especially not one so ‘high class'. “What secrets would you mean, sir?” he asked demurely, and Kallan rolled his eyes.

His first mate was almost always overly serious, and when Kallan himself wasn't, he found it simply annoying. “Whatever, I don't care, you're just weird I guess,” Kallan said, standing and stretching with a sigh, as Saurai simply nodded in compliance. “Well you are a good liar. You told him my name was Kallai? -Excuse me... You told him the captain's name was Kallai. And he bought it. You know what they say about blonds though, don't you? And I suppose white's close enough... Gosh, he's so pretty, I just couldn't help myself. And he's got really soft skin, Saurai! I get all tingly just thinking of all the things I'd like to teach that boy...”

“You're neurotic.”

“Oh lah,” Kallan said through a yawn. “And you're a brunette, Saurai; we can't help the things we're born with, can we, my lovely first mate, you!” It was Saurai's turn to roll his eyes, which happened, surprisingly, not often in Kallan's company. “Well, Kallai's lovely first mate, you! that is. Oh, Saurai,” he turned meaningfully to the green-eyed young man. “I've got a chore for you. I've ordered a special meal for our pretty little guest from the kitchens... And I'd like you to take it to him. Captain's orders,” he added gayly.

Standing, Saurai shook his head. “If you don't mind my saying so, sir, I don't really think you should mess with this one so much...” he offered with a shrug. “Sir.”

Kallan only smiled. “Of course I don't mind you saying so, Saurai! Doesn't make a spot of difference, though. Now, off with you!” Kallan said, mockingly regal, waving his hand at his first mate. Saurai only bowed his head curtly, and left. “Well,” Kallan said aloud to himself, walking to stand before the large window of stars, folding his hands together behind his back. “This ought to be interesting.”