Black and Silver Always Match ((GO Initiation, Closed to Raelyse))

[Anila]

Intro thread for Sakruazuka Anila Miyu as well as initiation thread into The Grander's Order.

The Flying Pride was a big enough ship to comfortably carry over a hundred people. It was formerly one of Corone's battleships, but had been replaced by newer and more deadly versions. It had been the economic choice to turn the still-seaworthy vessel into a passenger vessel to ferry civilians from Corone to Alerar, and the trip could take anywhere from a day and a half when weather favored travel, to over a week when the seas suddenly turned.

It was sultry afternoon in early autumn, though, and the time was past for unexpected aberrations in weather. The ship had just cast off from Radasanth's port not even an hour before, and the island was still within easy view of the ordinary passenger.

One passenger stood regarding that slowly fading clumping of soil, with its seething population -- so many lives, and everyone with his or her own petty reason to fight everyone else. Perhaps, she reflected, it will be the same everywhere else. Akashima was unimpressive...the rest of Corone was unimpressive. Who cares if the 'Triumverate' crushes the rebels or the rebels upset the ones currently claiming power? The nation as a whole lacks discipline, and so it is doomed to repeat its history.

These thoughts belonged to a young Akashiman noblewoman. She was very short, not even five and a half feet tall with the wooden blocks on the soles of her sandals, but somehow she radiated an aura of crisp assuredness that made it difficult to overlook her. She was wearing a yellow kimono with blue and white floral patterns covering it, and a pale gray obi tied the thing together at her waist. The long jet-black hair was done up so that it protruded over her ears and hung like a helmet over her head, with decorations inserted artfully by the silent figure standing at a respectful distance behind her. Her face was painted white like the moon, save for the lips, which were blood red, and the eyebrows that arched over her dark brown eyes had been left alone, instead of plucked and painted higher. None of her real flesh was visible beneath the makeup and kimono, for the figure's hands were tucked into the sleeves that would stretch to the hem of the kimono if she let her arms hang down. Even now the ends of the sleeves hung to her knees. She had yet to say anything to anyone.

Her name was Sakurazuka Anila Miyu -- or, as these self-obsessed heathens would understand it, Anila Miyu Sakruazuka. It was her first time beyond the borders of Akashima, and she would not return to her homeland until she had toured every country of Althanas. It was just a ploy to put off an annoying arranged marriage, although like a dutiful daughter, Anila knew she had no choice. She could not disrespect her father's wishes so blatantly, and her betrothed was of a higher family than she was -- only slightly, but it was still a marriage up the scale in rank.

Doubtless there would be some foreigners who dared try to take advantage of a lady on her own with none but a maidservant to accompany her, but Anila felt no concern. She was reassured by the weight of steel in her sleeves -- the big fans used as both ornament and weapon, Hagane and Uindo.

The slight clack of wood on wood caught Anila's attention, and she turned her head as her maidservant, Hissomi, approached her and made a bow. Anila glared down at the slightly taller woman for a moment before nodding. It was time.

Apparently, some few others of rank had chartered this vessel as well, and the captain (or company, whichever) had organized some sort of formal dance -- one to which only the very wealthy and powerful were invited -- and it was a chance for meeting and networking. Maybe there would even be a little bit of drama as old-established rivals found themselves on the same vessel.

No...these people can be blood enemies one day and blood brothers the next...and back to fighting. But it will be wise, I believe, to make connections.

With that thought, Sakurazuka Anila Miyu descended to where the dance was being held, preceded by her maidservant. Hissomi made a bow to the captain and presented the invitation, and he made a sweeping bow to his obvious social superior. She returned the gesture with a sharp nod, and wordlessly entered the room. There were some people there...but, ah, yes. So few of these that had wealth were inclined to arrive on time, preferring to captivate the attention of the room. It was so very dull.

The music could have been better selected. Do they really use a scale with seven notes -- more akin to twelve -- when the five note scale is more than adequate?

The music was cloyingly complex and almost dissonant -- quite annoying, and Anila was looking forward to everyone arriving so she could introduce herself (or rather, make everyone else introduce him or herself to HER) and leave.

This trip will not be over soon enough.

[Raelyse]

It had been an eventful, yet somewhat dull week for the Prince of Myrusia as he left his luxurious Coronian inn to board the ship to return to Alerar and his clan, the Grander's Order. His underlings had been informed that their leader needed to go to Corone to create connections and prepare for the group's coming 'invasion' of sorts into the war torn melting pot. In truth though, Raelyse had done little more than win hearts of young girls and glance lovingly into his finely crafted weapons. Though no chance presented itself for him to test them out, the prince was sure that soon enough, he would get a chance to hear that familiar shrrriiiikk sound as blade kissed sheathe on the way to sinking into soft flesh.

Raelyse had grown wary of riding in carriages, so the narcissistic one had asked a wizard to teleport him the short distance between his inn to the port. There were no shortage of wide eyes and even a few claps of amazement as the impeccably dressed, silver haired, fair faced noble stepped out of seemingly nothing straight onto the dock of the grand looking Flying Pride. It was not the best looking ship that the prince had ever seen, though it was certainly the most unique. The holes where cannons would have pointed outwards still existed, though they were so long out of use that flower wreaths were hung on them to welcome the patrons. Raelyse could only chuckle. It was a shame that no other ships were in the harbor but as the prince climbed the boarding that would lead to the deck, his smile at the humorous sight twisted into a sadistic smirk. It was a expression that he flashed often and when he made it, few people smiled for much longer.

The prince was greeted by one of the deck hands, a pimply face, curly haired, wide eyed young boy, possibly no more than fifteen. Raelyse gave him no time of day, strutting by him and even tapping his cane lightly against his ankle as he did so to irritate him slightly. Of course, there was nothing he could do. Even the captain ate out of this customer's hand and this little boy was so far from the captain's rank that he never even dared to share breathing space with him.

Although he was by no means an enthusiast, Raelyse knew music when he heard it and he quickly followed it, knowing that only in the company of a plethora of people would the ship dare play music this loud. The fact that he had spied a few noblemen and women climb aboard before him only quickened his step towards the party. If there were lots of people, particularly fellow nobles, the prince of Myrusia saw no reason not to introduce himself with grandeur and make an impression on these people's minds.

As he moved towards the party, located in the ship's ex-cargo hold, he could hear the distinct sound of chatter accompanying the distinctly average music. The band played with little coordination and even less finesse, which led the prince to believe that the nobles weren't here for the luxury, they were here for the novelty. The chatter and lack of dancing only served to further prove his hypothesis. With a charming smile, he paused briefly outside the entrance to the room.

"Let's give them something to talk about," the prince said softly to himself before he pushed the doors open, watching as they flew open before him.

Making careful measure to step loudly and tap his cane even louder on the fine floor beneath, Raelyse made his way towards the center, throwing his flawless silver hair behind his head and smiling warmly at any who made eye contact with him.

Raelyse was more at home in a party like this than a fish was in water.

[Anila]

Novelty...yes, that was why those who had gathered here had taken the time. That, and there was not really anything else to do aboard this ship. Novelty had brought many conversations to Anila. Most people had heard very little about Akashima, and to see an authentic specimen of that reclusive kingdom in full regalia...that was novel.

And she had made sure to play it up for all it was worth. The little cute bow, the willingness to speak only after spoken to, the soft words uttered to be perfectly pleasing to the ear...oh yes. Novel. But God it was sickening to pander to their stereotypes. Still, no matter. If they thought she was charming for it, so much the better. They would remember her. It was important to be remembered.

The doors opened to admit one final guest, and of course he was just as flashy as everyone else. The loud step, the obnoxious rapping of the cane...the entire room turned to look.

Anila had made sure to position herself always so she could glance to the door from the corners of her eyes, and she did now as well, not interrupting her explanation of some Akashiman festival or other.

This new arrival, a well-dressed male, reminded her of nothing so much as he did one of the snow herons that inhabited her native land...it was probably his coloring. He was paler than most of the others, with long silvery white hair and an aura of grandeur about him. The snow heron...the most beautiful of birds, the most graceful of hunters...and sometimes lethal to the hunters who tried to take them. Her own brother had a scar from where one of the birds had stabbed him with its bill.

The woman to whom Anila had been speaking made an excuse of going to talk to an "old friend" on the other side of the room, and the little Akashiman again made that so slight bow as the woman strutted across the floor, right in the line of the Snow Heron that had taken the center of the floor.

If he is the Heron, I will be the swan, Anila thought, and as his gaze swept across her, she turned, looked him in the eyes for just the briefest of moments before her eyelids lowered, she completed the turn...and walked away from him and back toward her maid servant as though they would leave. There was no clumsy bob to her step as there were to so many of these other peoples'. Instead she floated, ghostlike, as though she wasn't really there...and with no one else paying her any mind -- for indeed the Snow Heron looked grand enough to divert attention away from the Swan -- the illusion was only completed.

[Raelyse]

As the center of the room slowly changed to accommodate the newest attraction, Raelyse felt that same sense of euphoria he had felt since he had been a teenager, the high that popularity gave those who had it and drove others to get it. The prince of Myrusia had always had the charisma, at least temporarily to attract people to him, to somehow manage to interest people in ways that they had never experienced before. As he arrived at the drinks table, he noticed the typical reaction he would receive in a place like this. People looked, people talked but people would not approach him. It was something that happened too often for him to be surprised. A sly smile came across his handsome face as he glanced across the room.

There did not seem to be that many things to attract his eye, though a few did warrant a second glance. A buxom blonde girl was the first to come close to approaching him, slinking as gracefully as a cat towards the bar and ordering a drink before flashing the prince a charmingly sincere smile, which he returned. Raelyse shook his head slightly and walked straight past her and into the crowd, smiling softly to himself when he past her.

Never accept the first one, let the others compete, let the others think they can have a chance and the true gems will surface from the rough. That 'girl' had been at least ten to fifteen years older than the prince and though he had tried, he was not willing to, this night. Not when a stray head caught his eye. Raven black hair was the first thing to capture his attention, though a fine kimono was the stimulus which would seal it. It was a fine gown, to match any that the prince had seen. He loved how those formal dresses were put together and even better, how they were taken apart.

The crowd parted slightly, whispers that Raelyse knew were about him echoing in the relatively small room. He ignored them though, because he had found his gem.

She moved with unerring grace, which compared to the clumsy fumble of many of the others in this room was a welcome difference to the prince. Raelyse was also surprised as he got nearer, to within a few feet, to realize that she was shorter, much shorter than he was or even some of the other women in this room. This wasn't a detraction, far from it. This was a positive. How a woman of that stature was able to capture his eye and mystify his senses temporarily must be something special. It was not an uncommon event for Raelyse to be entranced in such a way, though it had happened often enough for the prince to know what to do to get what he wanted.

"Good evening," he said, tapping into his knowledge of the elven language to make his voice sound melodic and soothing to the ears.

Raelyse paused for a moment, waiting for her to turn around. If the front of her body was as captivating as the back, he did not want to be caught with words in his mouth.

[Anila]

For a moment, Anila thought she had been missed by the Heron. She would be somewhat easy to miss...all of these foreigners were so gangly. But then the three-gaited step started approaching her faster than she was walking.

She pretended to not hear his step follow her, to simply go about what she had been doing, to have merely been there and soon to be gone. Her head was held up, but the dark eyes were tilted modestly to the floor. Still she could feel the weight in her sleeves.

She paused for a moment as she came parallel to Hissomi, and in that moment the Heron caught up to her and spoke.

Two words...a greeting and acknowledgment. The lids rose as she looked up, and she had to suppress a smirk of triumph. All too easy, she thought, even easier than I'd hoped.

The words were smooth, melodious...almost as obnoxious as the other voices, but richer and less atonal. Good.

The briefest of moments passed before Anila started her turn -- leading ever so slightly with the hip to give the illusion of time slowing as she did so, turning the head last -- but everything would align properly when she stopped. Gratzia, the training she had been put through from infancy, had done well in Anila's case.

She looked up for a brief moment at the Heron she had caught. He was quite tall, with prominent features. Perhaps most striking were his hair -- silver like the first snow clouds, and his eyes -- blue like the waters rushing into the mountain streams.

Her face contrasted his quite starkly. Where his face was angular, hers sloped gently -- the nose flowed down from between her eyes, the cheeks sloped gently back, the mouth was small and full, like a rosebud, and she had a small chin. She was painted the palest of whites all over her face and neck, and her lips were the most perfect scarlet -- like blood, or the hibiscus flower. Her eyes had hints of lavender painted delicately around them and instead of being the color of sky and water, were an earthy brown. Still they held the same distance, the same disdain, behind the warmth and beauty forced into them for this meeting as the Heron's did. These were two that would not accept being second, and it was the time to decide if they were first together or if one of them was above the other.

Anila only let this piercing (but soft) glance last a moment before bending her head and frame ever so slightly to acknowledge his...well, rank among foreigners. She straightened up after a moment, and took a half-step back, creating a physical distance between them, for he had come too close in his greeting.

Yet another thing about these foreigners. They need their space and then run right into everyone.

"Good evening," she replied to him, words spoken lightly, articulated carefully, each syllable endowed with the hours and hours of rigorous training it required to be a lady in Akashima.

They stood there, still for now, but they had already entered into a dance, and Anila was sure he knew it, too. The Heron had come to the Swan and the Swan had bent her neck to him...and it was once more the Heron's move.

[Raelyse]

It didn't take long for the natural beauty of the girl before him to melt his confident candor into an expression of sincere joy, even to the point where a sense of warmness emitted from him the more he glanced at her pretty features. Whether the expressions on his face were genuine or false was not known to anyone, not even to Raelyse himself - the prince had faked many emotions in his life to get what he wanted to the point where sometimes he did not even know whether he believed himself. As far as strangers knew though, his emotions appeared truthful, for they had been perfectly rehearsed.

In his twenty years of life, the prince of Myrusia had been to countless functions and danced with even more women, of all shapes and sizes. In fact, he was positive that he had used his rings' magic to disable the enchantment which crippled his right leg more times for dance than for battle. He turned a bit, channeling its power for a second before lifting his cane straight off the ground and feeling as energy flowed through and the prince stood straight, perfectly upright. He thrust his cane in the servant's direction, indicating for her to take it. She was prompt in that respect, pulling it from his grasp with little aggression, letting the prince know that he was superior.

The prince then turned to the woman standing before him and opened his palm and placed it gently in front of her. He looked down and admired her dress before letting his eyes rise to smile at her beautiful face once again.

"My name is Prince Raelyse of Myrusia, and of Erebus," he said, genuinely amused at his new greeting. "You seem enchanting and have captivated my eyes and attention in the short time I have seen you. Allow me this dance so I may do the same."

[Anila]

The slight fidgeting move might have been a preparation to lift the cane, and it may well have been a trick of light and shadow...but it may have been something more. It would bear watching.

Hissomi had glanced briefly at her mistress before taking the nobleman's cane, but had not hesitated once she caught the flicker of Anila's eyes. She hurried up to the pair with the hurried little steps proper to one of her rank, made a bow, took the cane, and bowed once more while retreating back to her place.

As Raelyse offered her his hand and introduced himself (as no less than a prince), Anila untucked her hands from her sleeves for the first time since she'd boarded the vessel, and placed one of her hands in his. The fingers were delicate but strong, the skin was a fair shade of olive, and the nails were reasonably short and had been polished the same way as a piece of agate, until the natural nail was strong and hard, perfectly smooth and shiny.

"I am Lady Sakurazuka Anila Miyu of Akashima," she said with a little smile, "and I would be delighted to share this dance with you, Prince Raelyse."

She let him lead her onto the dance floor, the perfectly beautiful man and woman who would become the centerpiece of the show. The little smile had remained fixed. The situation was going exactly how she had desired it to.

All too easy. Gratzia.

[Raelyse]

The change of music was perfectly executed, the prince of Myrusia leading perfectly, his hands intertwining smoothly with her's as the two moved as one. Raelyse slowly but surely began to close the distance between the two of them, even slouching his shoulders slightly to decrease the distance between the two of them. Even with that action though, she still gazed up at him and him down at her. It was not something that Raelyse minded though, he knew that glancing at him from such an angle would naturally highlight his superiority. Which of course, I am, he thought with a wry smile to himself. I am a prince and she is a lady. Not to mention the Grander's Order.

"Milady," he said, glancing down at her, even trying to sneak a peek down the front of her kimono. Still, he moved effortlessly with unerring grace even while continuing to talk to her. "Why leave Akashima, specifically for Alerar? I have met ladies from there," Raelyse frowned slightly at the thought of those twin redheads. "And they seem happy there and they miss their homeland. Why leave at all?"

The prince smiled at her again.

"Not that I am complaining," he said, bringing his hand down lower to run gently over the obi which tied her kimono together and held it up. A smile formed on his face as he remembered his last encounter with an obi and fortunately, it had come second best to the prince. "It is an honor to share this dance, this boat, this space with you."

Then, suddenly, the prince bent down and placed his lips just inches from her ears, speaking and breathing warm air into it and almost teasing her with his tongue. "Between you and me," he said, jest in his voice. "I grow tired of these nobles, please be different, milady."

[Anila]

Bunnies worked out over AIM

Anila considered the Prince's question for a moment, very quickly beginning to grow annoyed of how freely he allowed his right hand to move. Her motions of the dance were graceful, perfect...she'd never danced this particular dance in her life, but he knew the steps and she knew how to follow.

"Why leave Akashima?" she echoed, before giving her answer. "Akashima is small, and the world is big. Is it not natural for a lady with ambition to desire to see that which has always before been beyond her grasp? Alerar is but the first stop on a long journey. After that, I shall return home and fulfill my role as my father wishes me to."

Raelyse chuckled, shaking her slightly but moving seamlessly after that. "Then you and I are more similar then you think. I too left my country for myself, though I do not intend to return anytime soon. I hope, milady, that you stay in Alerar for a bit longer so I can show you why."

Anila, finally more than annoyed, took the Prince's right arm (with its wandering hand), and firmly placed it back at her waist before putting her hand back on his shoulder. He was doing his best to make her feel a bond between them, hunching down and such, and if she hadn't known that, it would have worked rather well. Excepting, of course, that she despised poor posture.

"I have but two years to explore the world," she replied, gracefully denying this invitation. "I've no intention to tarry long in any one place."

"Oh really?" he said, raising his eyebrow slightly. "That's a shame."

"Shame or no shame," she replied, "a noble of Akashima -- man or woman -- will not dishonor his or her family by denying the duty that comes with their privilege."

She glanced up at him again, this time pulling her head back just the slightest bit so she could angle her head down...a disapproving sort of look, but she only held it for a moment.

[Raelyse]

The sense of nobility emanating from the lady in his arms was slowly starting to disgust him. That animal, chemical reaction that had existed when they had first locked eyes was ebbing away gradually, but it was noticeable to the prince who was inevitably causing him to distance himself, even resuming his posture once more. A slight twinge in his back made him lament the choice of ever slouching. As they moved slowly, it became obvious that as his chances of battling her obi slowly faded, he was putting less conviction and effort into dancing with her. He even caught himself glancing around the room at the women who were giving him lustful looks, ones that he could not help but smile at.

His mind ran through all the different flaws of the lady he was with now, comparing to the women around the room who would be more than happy to accept such an invitation from a prince. Not to mention that this one was almost the opposite of Raelyse and yet he could still see parts of himself in her. He hated it.

Deciding not to give up one of the classier women here, the prince wiped the smile from his face and looked down at her again. His eyes flashed with some form of rage or frustration.

"How can you speak of ambition and leaving the shackles of Akashima when you want to return so badly?" he began, the volume of his voice slightly raised and drawing the attention of people around him. "Do you know of what I have achieved?"

"Did I say I wished to return? No. I merely said that to do so would be my duty in two years' time. As for what you have achieved...Akashima is not entirely deaf, of itself. But what I have heard of the outside world is limited. I push boundaries by travelling, as my parents severely disapproved," she responded, a tinge of rebellion running through her voice. It was something that Raelyse instantly noticed. How could he not? It was the tone that he spoke in whenever he spoke of Myrusia. How he hated the shackles of that hovel.

It was then that Raelyse noticed the small amount of hauteur that had crept into and out of her voice at "as for what you have achieved," as though she'd meant to say something completely different, and protocol had forced her to remain polite. He could not help but smile.

The prince contemplated revealing everything in bragging, but decided against it when he got a few 'looks' from the nobles around him. Whispers of Raelyse Salidan were beginning to spread around Alerar and he did not want them to become anything substantial just yet. The Grander's Order was not strong enough, not ready to unveil itself to the world. There were still a few cogs that needed to be added to the clock before it could function at maximum efficiency. A second smile formed on the prince's face and he lifted his hand to create some distance between them so he could let his fingers stroke her cheek gently. "Well then, what of the outside world would you like to know first?" he said suggestively, almost lewdly.

She moved her head as his hand came up to touch her, a little denial, but he touched her anyway. His words that followed sparked something in her akin to anger, but a lady never allowed herself to become angry.

She let iron creep into her smile. "I will learn of the outside world at my own leisure," she replied, intimating that she would also choose her own company...and likely not his.

Raelyse smiled and bent down more than he had before, grabbing her bottom lips with his in a sudden kiss, instantly enjoying the taste of her makeup on his tongue.

"How's that for leisure?" he asked, barely heard, while his lips still entwined with hers.

[Anila]

Ladies never allow themselves to become angry...

...except in situations like these.

This Raelyse "Prince" grabbed her like some salacious hooligan, pulling her into a kiss. She could feel his tongue on her lips, rough, like some animal, and she became angry.

Her right foot slid back and her left knee bent forward, just enough to give her a decent amount of leverage against the deck of this ship, and her right hand slammed toward his chest, open hand, a strike with the heel, enough to effect a little distance, and as her first blow struck him and forced him back, her left hand whipped forward and up to lash mercilessly across the Prince's face. Oh, it wouldn't damage much. She hadn't had her fan in her hand.

She stepped back, brown eyes flashing rage, but that was abruptly shut off as she tucked her hands back into her great sleeves. "How dare you?" she demanded icily. The very air around her seemed to crackle with her displeasure.

Without waiting for Raelyse to reply, Anila turned abruptly and glanced at her servant.

"Hissomi," she said, that displeasure still crackling through her heretofore dainty voice, "return the man his cane. He'll need it to walk." The little servant rushed forward, making a bow and giving Raelyse back his cane, and Anila turned and walked out -- swiftly, but losing none of the grace that had first attracted the Prince.
__________________________________________________ __________

It was but a few minutes' walk to return to the room Anila had procured for the voyage. Hissomi opened the door and followed her mistress in. The lady was already preparing to change out of the kimono and makeup -- Hagane and Uindo were now resting on the dressing table, instead of inside the great sleeves.

The removal of the kimono was as slow a process as putting it on was, and eventually the garment was neatly folded on the bed. Hissomi gently washed her mistress's face of the makeup -- smudged since that ruffian had dared kiss her -- and then took down her hair. It was long -- falling to the young Lady's hips.

Anila regarded herself briefly in the mirror as Hissomi put the kimono and obi gently into the drawer and removed the pants and long top. They did not speak as Hissomi helped her mistress dress -- they never spoke. Hissomi was a mute, and Anila not inclined to share her thoughts.

When the clothes were on, Anila sat on her feet while her servant brushed out and braided her hair. She almost looked like two different women -- in the makeup and kimono she was the perfect Akashiman beauty. Now she looked almost like she belonged in the ranks.

But there was still the same mouth, the same eyes...the same shape of the face. The same personality. A mere change of clothing could not change the fact of nobility.

When her hair was finished, Anila laid down on the bed. "I will rest," she informed her servant brusquely. "You may amuse yourself or remain, I do not care which...just bring my fans here, first."

Hissomi made a bow, then got the fans -- Uindo left and Hagane right, always -- and handed them to her mistress. She made another bow and left the room -- Anila did not wish to sleep, she knew.

She wished to seethe. And the air would receive the brunt of her anger at night, while everyone else rested.

[Raelyse]

The imprint of Anila's hand was still on Raelyse's cheek, just inches away from his lips when the smirking prince slid the key into his assigned quarters and pushed the door open. He had left the ballroom slightly afterwards, surprising all present there with a snide smile across his face. His cane led the way and as soon as he was out of everyone's eyesight, his back relaxed and his posture slumped to accommodate his hindered leg. His lips were still curled into that sadistic smile when he took off his jacket, throwing it to the ground and threw himself on the drastically under par bed in the right corner of the room.

He looked up at the wooden ceiling, picking up the numerous flaws. There were plenty of splinters and parts of the wood even seemed to creak but it was relatively clean, probably the result of quick cleaning. The mattress wasn't that soft and the room not that large, but in the opposite corner there was a table with 'authentic' ship captain materials. Raelyse nearly chortled. This was an ex naval vessel, rendered obsolete by newer creations and the deck hands were just too lazy to remove the compass and maps that littered the table. This was such a pitiful excuse for a ship that definitely was not a worthy house for the prince of Myrusia. He could hardly remember why he had even decided to come here.

Sitting up and wiping his forehead clean of any sweat, Raelyse smiled that same smile that he had made earlier.

"Wait... Yes, I do."

[Anila]

Finally the night came, and with it a chill that seemed to deny the sultry warmth of the day. Anila stood at the broad aft of the ship, completely alone, for even though Hissomi stood in visible range, Anila could consider herself alone while with her servant.

She was still dressed in her traveling suit -- a tight royal-blue top that clasped at her neck and wrists, and then went all the way down to the middle of her shins and calves. At each hip a long slit began, in order to allow perfect mobility, and beneath that she wore a pair of black slacks. On her feet were a sturdy set of walking shoes...after all, her father had not allowed her much money, and walking would give her something to complain about in letters to her mother. She held her two fans loosely in her hands, Uindo in her left hand, its dragon ready to fly, Hagane in her right hand, its sword ready to be released. But for now both fans were closed as their mistress looked out on the night, letting the breeze gently stir the long braid that hung down past her waist.

It is beautiful out here...so different from the mountains, you can smell the salt of the sea and feel it as the waves bump against the ship. I'll have to be careful, though, to pay attention to those bumps. An error in judging when to catch could mean a lost hand. The Akashiman almost sighed, and then looked up at the sky. Full moon tonight...and bright stars. It looks exactly the same as it did back at home.

She stretched out her arms and legs a little bit, and then stood still, again facing the very aft of the anchored ship. Her hands were at her sides, and her feet were solidly under her shoulders -- and then for a moment, all was still. Anila closed her eyes, letting herself hear the music she had danced to back at home.

Anila slid her foot forward, allowing the fans to slide open. Each movement was sheer grace, the slender form and her fans flowing from one stance to the next without pause. The two deadly fans caught the moon's light and reflected it broadly, flashing lights onto the soft face and highlighting the figure. After a minute or two, the dance sped up, and she tossed Uindo into the air while spinning. The fan flipped once, twice, and a third time before coming down so close that had Anila been even a few inches closer she would have surely been cut, but instead the delicate hand came up to catch the fan by its end as though it were no more than one of the paper fans. For just a moment, the dance slowed, one fan came up and angled over her head and the other followed its trajectory, pointing toward the deck of the ship. For just that moment, she was the Crane -- the first bird dance animal she'd adopted yet -- and then she twirled, tossing one fan and then the other, moving freely of them for just a moment as a slightly big wave caught the ship hard enough to lift it by a hand's span.

Anila had had her hands up and fairly high to catch the fans, but that would be a bad idea in this instance. Instead, she pulled her hands in as she did another full turn, rotating her wrists and sliding her arms back out, catching them, and then ending with Hagane pointing down to the deck of the ship and Uindo cresting up into the sky, catching the moon's light as though it were a lost piece of the great orb. For a few moments, Anila stood as she was, just breathing. The fans came down and swept closed again.

Then, suddenly, the slender maiden let out a shout, and with a loud CRACK both fans snapped open and whipped to her left. This dance was a different style -- half dance, half kata. Each movement still had the inherent grace, but this time there was power and speed. She did not toss the fans this time, instead letting them come up and around in deadly arcs as she sank them into airy opponents, letting them smack shut and then suddenly reopen. The moonlight flashed off of her fans like sparks of flame or lightning, nothing so soft and graceful as it had been before. This dance lasted only a few minutes, and again Anila stood still at the end, just breathing. She then gestured to Hissomi, who brought a cloth and took Hagane while her mistress dabbed her face briefly. But just as soon as Anila was done with that, the fan switched hands again.

The fans were the thing Anila was most possessive about. Other than she, only her maidservant could touch them, and only at her command. Hissomi couldn't understand that possessiveness, but it was not her place to question.

Finally done with the exercise, both women turned to leave...but then stopped.

[Raelyse]

It had been a relatively uneventful period after he had left the ballroom and decided to stay put for a short period of time. He laid down on his bed, closed his eyes and smiled. He had no luck in falling asleep though and the prince decided that he would find something interesting to do. He didn't bother changing, grabbing his shirt and slipping it back on, moving out the door so fast that he only finished buttoning it up when he was a few feet out of his room. A stray eye from a girl in the corridor caught his but he walked by her, knowing exactly who he was after. Even though he moved with the limp in his right leg, there was an obvious spring and excitement pervading his every step. He climbed the stairs and stood on the deck of the ship, leaning over the railing for a moment to glance at the dark waves, continually broken by the ship.

He glanced to his right, a small room that he had seen on the way to the ballroom. It was obvious that it was the captain's room because it was the only place on the deck where light was coming from. The prince turned and walked slowly towards it, his ginger smirk plastered onto his face and showing no sign at all of removal. Raelyse's eyes were locked purely on the ship's door and he studied it, imagining wrapping his hands around the door knob feet before he was even close to approaching it.

A loud shout in the night broke his concentration though and the prince turned in the direction where it had come from. It was then that his smile widened. It was not often that Raelyse's eyes let him down, but this time he was happy that the captain's room was not the only visible light that he could see. He crept up slowly, his eyes keenly locked on the light. Two figures were prominent but the prince of Myrusia was only interested in one. He hid behind a pillar, his smile now formed clearly from ear to ear.

It was the girl from before and she was moving exquisitely. Raelyse had seen this kind of movements before, but never on a figure as beautiful as her's and he found that he could not peel his eyes away and had to strain just to blink. It was only when she finished that the prince regained his composure. Taking a deep breath, he stepped from behind the pillar, shifted his foot forward and leaned onto his cane, shifting most of the right side of his body onto it.

"Hello again," Raelyse said with a wink. After a few uneasy glances into her eyes, he took a step back, gripping the handle of his sword cane and pulling apart the sword from its sheathe. He lifted it, exposing it to the light and demonstrating its almost perfect make to the women before him. "It's a shame you didn't use a few of those moves earlier, I would have kissed you much sooner and with much more passion."

The prince smiled and took a few steps forward into the light, lifting his head up and smiling wide to reveal his glimmering white teeth. "Why don't we dance again?"

[Anila]

Anila raised an eyebrow as the Heron from before started pulling his sword out. Apparently slapping him hard enough to leave a mark had taught no lesson to this ruffian, and she would have to teach him again.

As he brought out the sword and leveled it at them, Anila brought up her fans and flicked her wrists hard, opening them with a resounding CRACK that the gods would be envious of in their thunders.

She didn't charge, although one foot slid forward and she could attack at any time. Hagane came up in front of her, in case he should charge prematurely, but she let out a sadistic grin of her own as she lifted Uindo toward Hissomi.

"You will excuse me a moment. It is dreadfully difficult to cleanse blood from silk."

Her maidservant removed the cover on Uindo, revealing the sweeping lines inscribed on the blades themselves -- a way of telling it apart from Hagane, which was completely smooth. She'd have been able to tell her fans apart no matter what, though. When Hissomi finished unbinding Uindo, Anila let that fan drop down in front of her and extended the other fan out to the side even as Hissomi was moving that direction to unbind that fan.

When the fans had had their silken coverings removed and glinted nakedly in the moonlight, Anila brought Hagane back to the forward, parallel to the ground, while Uindo gently slid back to her side at a right angle to its brother.

Anila's eyes had never left Raelyse, but the steady gaze was not the sort of admiration to which the Prince was accustomed. This was the gaze of an opponent, ready should he decide to charge underhandedly, ready to cut him down if he did so.

Now that preparations had been made, the smirk slid from her face, replaced by something cold, something implacable.

"Come. Show me if you can dance indeed."

[Raelyse]

Ever since he was a child, Raelyse had been amused by the long sword. Every hero in every tale had one, every knight sunk the final blow with one. Spears, axes, knives, hammers and daggers... none of those interested him. He had stoically devoted himself to studying the long sword and its ins and outs. In Myrusia, he had only learnt by reading from books and pretending that he was truly a great swordsman. Now that he had left and had run into his fair share of duels, the prince was proud to admit (and this time, it was well founded) that he had evolved and become almost a master when it came to the use of a sword. Like many before him who had used the weapon, they claimed that it was an extension of their body. As the prince glanced into his reflection into the flawless titanium blade of his weapon, he could think of no better metaphor.

"I think we've already established," the prince said slowly, taking small steps forward and then beginning to circle around her as he spoke. "That I can dance. In fact, if you'd like, I'd like to establish a few more things with you."

He wandered around her, moving so that he was always in her line of vision, though sometimes she might have had to turn her head to look at him. Raelyse loved the feeling. Her face was serious and focused, never seeming to change in the very least. On the other hand, the prince of Myrusia held his weapon nonchalantly, the handle of the weapon barely even in his grasp. His face continued that pattern, a amused smile sprawled across his thin lips. She entertained him so much and he at any moment, he was afraid he would burst into laughter.

Raelyse decided against it though and when he had finished amusing himself with her rather humorous expression, he finally made his move. In the blink of an eye, the prince shifted his right foot forward, tightened his grip on the handle of his weapon and raised it so that the tip of the blade pointed at the girl in front of him. For a second, his smile faded but that was as long as his seriousness lasted and his lips curved upwards to their previous position, revealing his sparkling teeth.

Raelyse took another step forward, shifting his left leg in front of his right. He glanced into the girl's eyes and the reflection of her face in his sword. She didn't seem to move, appearing to be trying to act with courage in this situation. The prince was partly amused and partly amazed - her face was no more than a few inches from his sword.

Taking a step backwards. "What did you say your name was again? I forgot... But now I will remember. For you amuse me."

Raelyse took a step back, but still held his weapon at her level, too close for her comfort.

"Usually I'm so bored on these boat rides. Congratulations are in order."

[Anila]

The Heron circled her, but she did not move...at any instant she could be facing any direction, so she did not need to move...she merely needed to know where he was and what he was doing. Her dark eyes followed him, and she never turned her head more than just the slightest bit.

He's toying with me...how...dull.

He was circling her...circling her as a cat does a lame bird, considering what it should do, exactly. But she was far from a lame bird...she kept her stance relaxed, her hips low, and her feet light. Like the water...

Then he lunged, and the hand that held Uindo tensed up slightly before relaxing. He doesn't have that great a reach... She was right, and the sword stopped over her hand. Her expression remained cold and serene, even as he stepped forward more so that the tip of his blade was less than a hand's span from her face.

Oh, yes...he was amused by her, she could tell. That sickening grin still played across that perfectly beautiful masculine face...the look had only faltered once, and that had been an obvious feint to one who had trained in her katas from the time the top of her head only reached Sensei's belt.

She didn't look into his eyes...to look into eyes like that in a fight would be to fall prey to illusion. A true artist watched the center of the body...and she watched how his arms and chest moved, more than anything. Still...the way he moved...the easy way he held his sword...she knew he was watching her, she knew that even in a moment, should she attack, he would counter. He had the stance of a real swordsman, and that earned him some grudging respect...for swordplay comes only through hard practice.

But is his hard practice as good as my long training? He has the advantage in reach and power...but he has only one weapon, and I can make two blows in the same time span with my fans.

"What did you say your name was again?" he asked, interrupting the thoughts flashing under her implacable demeanor. "I forgot...but now I will remember. For you amuse me." He stepped back, his blade once more over the hand that held Uindo.

Anila let a smirk cross her own features. "I was about to ask the same question of you, Kijuuki...and I will give you my name again later, maybe, if I feel you are worthy of it."

With a sudden motion, she jerked Uindo up, batting his blade away and shifting her weight to her back leg. Hagane flashed forward, and Uindo pulled back -- her stance was reminiscent of nothing as much as a scorpion, with its big claws in front and its deadly tail behind, ready to strike.

"For now, I am Sasori to you. And let us establish if your dance with your sword is as flawless as your dance to the clumsy notes you call music."

[Raelyse]

The prince couldn't help but smile confidently as she spoke to him. He was confident he could defeat her, with no problem. Her weapons were unconventional, but Raelyse had too much about him that no warrior he had heard nothing about could possibly stand a chance. But that would be no fun. And that was why he had come up in the first place. He still held hope that the dance floor would not be the only place where his lips would touch her's. Even now, glancing at her in such an aggressive stance, he still could not get his mind off those beautiful red lips and how he craved to touch them again. Raelyse, knew though, that by standing idly here and not showing her who was the stronger, he would not come close at all.

"That's adorable," Raelyse said, his tone still patronizing, his feet still circling him around her. "I didn't think we'd be up to the point where you'd be calling me by pet names, but I'm delighted all the same."

He watched her muscles tense, watched her breathing increase as the blood swarmed through her body. This was the feeling that he wanted her to feel, the state that he wanted her to be in. If she wanted to know his fighting prowess, she would know it soon, she would know it all to well. Raelyse's own muscles tensed and twinged with excitement, his fingers tightening around the handle of his sword. He looked at her, then smiled, as if to tell her that he was ready.

It was barely anything more than a slight warning though, for in the blink of an eye, the prince thrust his weapon forward, aiming to stab her through the neck. It was a basic attack and Raelyse held back some, not unleashing the full strength of his taut muscles. Thus, only a quick parry with one of her fans was required, though the weapon wasn't significantly knocked away. The prince moved it back though and shifted it closer to his side, eying her, watching as she tried to analyze him. He gave her nothing, simply smirking and breathing gentle breaths, loosening and tightening the grip on his sword. The distance between them was only a few feet and he could almost feel the heat emanating from her body. It was a feeling he was sure he didn't mind.

Raelyse brought his sword closer to his body, aiming to use a stronger strike, one that if successful would cleave her in half at the waist. As he brought the blade back in preparation, he watched as she prepared, preparing the perfect counter attack to his predictable strike. The prince continued though, watching as she, as expected, brought her fan down to block, before she whirled quickly and gracefully, aiming to use the spare fan as a weapon against the prince's face. Unfortunately for her, Raelyse had read her like a book, launching his attack to get the response that he wanted. As soon as she began to whirl, the prince took one step backwards and clenched his spare hand into a tight fist.

Before her turn had completed, his fist had slammed hard into her stomach, before his blade was pressed gently against her neck, cold titanium ready to cut her throat with little resistance.

"How was I?"

[Anila]

"Pet names? Hardly," Anila scoffed. "You're just gangly like a Kijuuki, and a scoundrel's name is hardly worth remembering."

She watched him tense up for combat...and perhaps he was a good swordsman in his own right. But all she really needed was one good strike across the belly or neck and that stolen kiss would become his last.

He thrust his blade at her, testing the waters more than truly attacking, and she flicked her right hand out slightly, folding Hagane as she did so. The steel fan batted the titanium blade away, deflecting the attack. He'd locked his wrist against her being able to actually bat the blade away, but she didn't need to fling her opponent's arm away. After all, then he could bring his blade up and back for a more powerful strike.

The few inches that his sword scraped by was more than plenty.

He pulled back, his hand coming almost to his face and his blade angling down. As he did so, she stepped forward, Uindo becoming the leading fan and Hagane becoming the trailing. This time as his blade sliced toward her, she brought Uindo down and across her body, slamming it against the sword and using the force of her strike to give momentum to a spin.

Her feet never lost connection with the ground, and as she did, Hagane flashed open, heading straight toward those infuriatingly blue eyes. He'd seen the move coming, though -- had set the sequence up so that she would attack as she had! -- and pulled back as she whirled forward, just enough to avoid the strike.

She saw the shoulder move and felt the slight shock and explosive pain as the punch slammed into her side. He hadn't held back too much for that blow...but then again, neither had her brother Keiji, some days. She let the blow send her skidding back, and let Hagane fold as she brought the fan down to rap the fist that had struck her.

Annoyed, she stepped forward, bringing her right hand down and readying a flat sweep -- too late and too blindly. His blade tapped gently against her neck, and to continue her attack would mean her death and not guarantee his.

"How was I?"

Infuriating.

She looked up at him, at that smug smirk, and responded with a smirk of her own. She'd lost...but she didn't have to make it a loss.

"Not bad, for a foreigner," she admitted, glancing down at her right hand -- still poised to whip out, unfurl the fan, and disembowel him. It would have been off by a few inches...he had a superior reach. However, she believed she had made her point, and stepped back and away from his sword before turning.

"Hissomi," she snapped, unfurling her fans and holding them out for her servant to re-cover. Anila made sure her side was to the Heron, in case he wanted more of a fight.

"I am Sakurazuka Anila Miyu," she responded to his earlier question. "It is a name you would do well to not forget."

The fans re-bound, she gave Hagane to Hissomi to hold, retaining Uindo for herself.

[Raelyse]

His knuckles stung immediately after he was smacked hard by her metal fan, though it was just weak enough for him to shrug off. He quickly withdrew his hand though, soothing it gently against the smooth material his clothes were made of. If there was anything that Raelyse was good at, it was making sure people never noticed that he was weak. He glanced at her, seeing her expression soften and observe the way she talked to her servant. It was not much different to the way that the prince spoke to his underlings. That sense of patronizing condescension littered her voice the same way it did with his. The prince was sure that she would notice it soon if she hadn't already, it was the way that he talked to her.

Raelyse turned to his side, eying the sheath that made up the bottom half of his cane. It lay there, as clean as when it had left the magnificent blade that it had housed seconds before. The prince stared at it intently for a moment, before it twitched, under influence from Raelyse's magical talents and levitated into the air. Within seconds, it floated towards the prince's eager hands and it quickly covered the his sword before the prince tapped it onto the ground and leaning on it.

They were still not that far apart, a few short feet, ignoring the notable height difference between them. He looked down at her, that smirk still on his face, spread across his lips. It was only when he looked down to focus that he noticed that his cane was almost completely covered in water, a side effect of his little party trick from before.

"No promises," he said. Raelyse could see a little bit of himself in her. "But that's way too long and too confusing sounding. I already learnt to speak Elvish, learning how to speak your language might be a bit much."

The prince didn't shift, didn't move at all from that position as he stared, almost glared at her, his tone and emotions changing almost immediately to one of seriousness.

"Tell me, what do you hope to gain leaving your country?"

[Anila]

He knows nothing of the Sakurazuka? Then he knows nothing of Akashima. H'mm...his ignorance, while irritating, might be used to my advantage at some point. Best, then, not to ask how he encountered Asuka Yamihara...she's just the type to have gone off and then be homesick.

She turned her head slightly, tilting it just enough to look down at him, despite the fact that he was taller.

"If you have not the mental capacity to remember that my family is the Sakurazuka, Raelyse of Myrusia and now Erebus, then remember Anila." She flicked her thick braid over her shoulder before answering his question. "What do I hope to gain by leaving Akashima?" Had she been of a lower class, she would have snorted, instead she turned, indicating the he go with her to the side of the ship.

She could still feel the force of the strike from where he had managed to hit her, but despite the fact that she would probably bruise from that and that it still hurt a little bit, she walked straight, as though he had never managed to touch her.

When he had reached her side, she gestured expansively with her fan. "There is a lot of world out there. Akashima is only a little of it. I suppose, like you, I am running away from responsibility. However, I am not running from it indefinitely. My parents arranged a marriage for me, and when I am twenty-one I will be married."

She shrugged, a small motion that was poignant in its meaning. "Then it will be my job to reflect my husband's stature at court, bear children and scream at servants. Maybe keep concubines in line, as well."

[Raelyse]

The ends of Raelyse's lips perked upwards for a moment, showing the hints of one of his smirks, before he hid it with considerable effort. He was looking out to the ocean, spying the tip of Alerar's mountains near the peak of the horizon. The sight of the closest thing to home he had was more than enough to steal his attention but he still kept an eye on the girl just a few feet from him, even though his ears were less than attentive as Anila spoke. For a while, Raelyse had contemplated listening, even responding, but the proximity of Alerar meant that his companion had fulfilled her role - he had been sufficiently entertained on the normally boring boat ride.

The prince took a few steps backwards, finally tearing his eyes away from Alerar's peaks long enough to move towards his quarters, realizing that he had spent almost no time in it since he had boarded the ship.

"Well then," Raelyse said, deciding to fake boredom before realizing that he was now on his way to being genuinely bored. "I wish you all the luck in your future endeavors, Anila. With the children and the concubines, enjoy your time outside Akashima because when you return, you will crave nothing more."

He straightened his posture and stretched his back slowly before moving away yet again, contemplating whether he should give her anything more.

The memory of her smooth lips on his was all that he needed to reassure himself that Raelyse was a name that would not soon be forgotten.

[Amaril Torrun]

And here’s the judging…

STORY

Continuity- 6 - Anila’s reasoning for getting on the boat to Alerar was quite sufficient. I knew exactly where she was coming from and what her plans for the future were. Raelyse’s explanation was significantly less involved. While you touched on the reasons to return to Alerar, I found myself wondering why exactly he was all the way in Corone in the first place. While a few sentences can sometimes do the trick in letting a reader know what is going on, I’d expect a bit more from a character moving to a different continent.

Setting- 5 -There were some good descriptive areas of the thread, and interaction with things on the boat. At several parts however, the thread was a bit lacking in the character’s surroundings, especially after the two came face to face outside.

Pacing- 4 - The story seemed like it was leading up to something substantial which kept me reading, but then abruptly ended. I’m not sure if one or both of you simply lost interest in the thread, but there was hardly any closure.

CHARACTER

Dialogue- 8- This was one of the stronger parts of the story. Not only did the speech fit in but even the way the characters spoke was described. While the latter wasn’t as common near the end of the thread, the dialogue was still strong. I also liked the “heron” and “gem” names your characters had for each other. One thing to look out for Anila is that you shouldn’t retype what another character said in a separate post. Readers don’t want to have to re-read the same statements just because the next person needs to respond, because they lose the feel of actually being immersed into the world. Instead, I would stick to writing about, in this instance, Anila’s annoyance or contempt toward Raelyse’s dialogue.

Action-6 - I have to say, that kiss in the middle of the dance made me laugh a little even though I half expected it. It fit with Raelyse’s thoughts perfectly, but with a bit of spontaneity. The actual battle was nowhere near as exciting as when Raelyse was circling Anila, which was disappointing. You guys kept the action quite interesting until the most active part of the story, which I found a bit odd. I know Raelyse outclasses Anila in terms of levels, but I think you two could have done a lot more with it.

Persona- 7- Another strong point. I really enjoyed both of these characters. Their main similarity was that each refused to be equal to the other, which is always a good conflict when played out as well as you two did. I hope to see a more fleshed out story with these two in the future.

Writing Style

Mechanics- 5- There were some typos throughout the thread. Here are a few of the bigger things I saw:

In Anila’s second post: “reminded her of nothing so much as he did one of the snow herons that inhabited her native land...it was probably his coloring. He was paler than most of the others, with long silvery white hair and an aura of grandeur about him. The snow heron...the most beautiful of birds, the most graceful of hunters...and sometimes lethal to the hunters” The …’s would be more appropriate as commas. For the first one, I’d end the sentence and start a new one. …’s are usually used at the ends of certain sentences or dialogue to give a sense of the story drifting off to a new place or scene, not in the middle of a sentence.

In Raelyse’s eight post: “She entertained him so much and he at any moment, he was afraid he would burst into laughter.” This could use some rewording.

Technique- 7 - I liked how Raelyse not only used the metaphor of his long sword being an extension of his own arm, but the fact the he recognized it as something common amongst sword fighters and decided to attach himself to it.

In Anila’s third post: “her lips were the most perfect scarlet -- like blood, or the hibiscus flower” Blood is a common description for something that’s read; the hibiscus flower is not. There were some very creative comparisons throughout this thread.

Anila’s allusion to the future of a housewife is an unhappy thing to think about. With the rigid way she talks about “having” to get married, but not talking about “wanting” to, I hope she eventually decides to bail on her responsibilities. Popping out children and yelling at servants for the rest of her life certainly doesn’t sound like a very fulfilling life.

Clarity- 6- I was able to understand everything that went on during the quest. Some things, like Raelyse circling Anila, took a significant amount of time and I knew exactly what was happening. Other parts, such as the battle that soon followed, went by so fast that the I had to re-read the post to make sure I knew what happened.

Wild Card- 5 - While this quest had potential, it ended just when I thought it was getting to the juiciest part, and didn’t really solving anything.

The final score is 59

Congratulations!

Anila receives 612 experience and 200 gold.

Raelyse receives 1965 experience and 200 gold.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the judging, feel free to PM me or hit me up on AIM: loligagerrofl.

[Letho]

EXP/GP added!