Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Kishikata no Eos ❯ Meetings ( Chapter 2 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: dawningfire 
Wherein Dawn and Breandon fight, and Breandon is warned by Pluto
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 10.09.2004 | Updated On: 04.06.2005 | Pages: 5 | Words: 6.7K | Visits: 173 | Status: Completed
Wherein Dawn and Breandon fight, and Breandon is warned by Pluto
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 10.09.2004 | Updated On: 04.06.2005 | Pages: 5 | Words: 6.7K | Visits: 173 | Status: Completed
Kishikata no Eos
Chapter Two -- Meetings
Light cast from the Earth on the horizon spilled through the half-open windows of a modest studio apartment several kilometres from the palace grounds. Inside, Breandon lay amidst crisp black sheets, eyes half closed as he absently stroked the soft auburn tresses of the young woman who lay sleeping on his chest. A light sheen of sweat covered them both, testament to the activities of the past hour. He sighed, images from earlier in the evening playing over in his mind. /Perhaps a burgundy... no, something lighter.../"Lavender, maybe," he murmured softly. "A delicate, more light-hearted colour..."
"Colour for what?" Her fingertips trailed over his chest.
"Your dress, Dawn," he answered gently.
"DAWN!" The young woman sat up in bed, anger evident in her green eyes and the flush that appeared in her cheeks. "You can't even remember my name fifteen minutes after you, you..." Furious, she pulled the black sheet off the bed, wrapping it around herself as she retrieved her clothing.
Breandon simply rolled to his side, amused. "It's actually been over an hour, and I highly doubt you would have heard anything before then. You're quite noisy."
"Yeah, well... it was faked," she shot back haughtily, almost dressed.
He laughed, the low tone barely audible past the bed. "Now, that's just a boldface lie," he replied. "You actually seemed to enjoy yourself."
Outraged, she flung one of his shoes at him before slamming the door behind her. Still chuckling, he sat up and pulled on a simple pair of black silk pants before reassembling the bed. It wasn't the first time that an evening companion had stormed out before the sun rose. At least she hadn't been dragged out by an angry brother... or father... or other large male family member.
A row of bonsai lined the windowsill in the kitchen, testament to Breandon's other pastime. The sketchbook lay on the table, blank pages begging for some bit of creativity upon them. Ignoring both momentarily, he set about preparing coffee. The heavy aroma soon filled the entire apartment, and Breandon sat with a cup at the table, fingers absently stroking the blank page before him.
/Why her?/ The question gnawed at the edge of his conscious, the image of the decidedly unconventional young woman replaying itself over and over in his mind's eye. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, she wasn't any better looking than any of the myriad of women he'd chased through the years. She had a tendency to be crass and outspoken, and discarded formality any chance she had. He ran a hand through the impossibly long strands of hair that had worked their way loose from the queue. It simply didn't make any sense...
/So why bother thinking about it, then?/ Pushing the sketchbook away, he turned his attention to the recently neglected bonsai. He didn't expect sleep to come for a few hours, and this would occupy the time until then.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The spaceport was nearly empty, save for a group of uniformed guards and a handful of mechanics keeping up with repairs to some of the smaller escort shuttles of the Royal Family's personal fleet. The collection of personnel all snapped to attention as Queen Serenity exited the shuttle that had just arrived. Endymion was there to greet her, his expression quickly matching his wife's anxious frown that showed on her face. Taking her hand, he leaned in close as they walked the length of the spaceport.
"I can't go back there by myself," she said quietly. "Not even with the additional bodyguards and plain-clothes operatives we have stationed there."
His grip instinctively tightened. "What did they -"
"Nothing happened," she hurried on. "I just think that a family social visit would be better received. Besides, it would force them to be on their best behaviour," she added dryly.
"I doubt it," he replied, pulling her in close to him. "It would risk your safety, Rini's, not to mention the people we'd have to bring along..."
"And anything happening during a well-publicized visit would ruin their image, and both you and I know that the Arronné family would kill their own mothers rather than risk their sophisticate image they strive to keep." She kissed him lightly on the cheek, squeezing his hand tightly. "One of the lovely nuances of Pavori society, my dear."
Endymion managed a bit of a grumble. "I don't know about this..."
"We have to meet with them in a more social setting," she reasoned. "They control over half of the known phosphera mines, and we can't afford to have that supply compromised, especially with the upcoming renovation of the Lunar fleet." The pale yellow crystals were an integral component of most of the vital systems present in every ship available to the Lunar Navy. Far more efficient than any battery that had been developed, they were convenient to handle and could be stored in a standard supply closet on the ship. Unfortunately, no one had figured out how to synthesize them in a laboratory setting, so they were forced to deal with the governments and clans that had laid claim to the few known deposits. The Pavori society had blossomed after the discovery of phosphera on one of the moons they inhabited, and the stranglehold they had mastered on the supply had caused them to become incredibly wealthy in only a few generations' time. Almost on par with royalty, the Arronné family demanded the respect that came with such wealth and power, through charm or intimidation.
He shook his head as he opened the door of the transport for Serenity. "You might be right, but I still don't like it." He slid in beside her as another guard shut the door, another bodyguard getting in next to the driver before they sped off for the palace.
"I'm not fond of the whole thing either," she sighed, resting her head on his shoulders. "It's a necessary evil, unfortunately."
He kissed her forehead, then settled back against the leather seat. "Unfortunately," he echoed. "Can we worry about the details in the morning."
"It's already morning, dear," she mumbled sleepily. "We'll discuss it later."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
While it was technically morning, Dawn's night hadn't ended. Truth be told, she didn't want to go back to the palace until she was good and tired... spending the day with Rini while they entertained some influential women's group had soured her disposition to the point where she felt the need to be as unsophisticated and unladylike as possible. Naturally, she'd found her way to Greynn's, clad in a screaming red blouse that complimented the black leather skirt and boots she'd discovered in Eos' closet. Her hair wild, her attitude teetering on the brink of insane, and a bit of alcohol in her system, Dawn had the image of one woman that no sane man would dare approach. Vince had been kind enough to break out the rum for her, and she kicked a second shot back. On a whim, she decided to attempt to balance the shot glass on her nose, tilting her head back.
A shadow blocked her light -- a short shadow. "Is it even possible to do that?" a familiarly cultured voice asked.
"What, you never tried?" She concentrated, lifting her chin to compensate for the slope of her nose. "And no offence, but I'm not in the greatest of moods at the moment."
Breandon came into her range of vision, completing a shrug. "No offence, but I didn't come to see you." He lifted a hand to Vince, at the bar, who waggled a bottle of designer water at him before shooting it down the bar. "Thank you, Vince." Taking his water, Breandon spun on one heel, the end of his ponytail whipping perilously close to Dawn's face, and settled down at a nearby table.
The shot glass slid off the edge of her nose, courtesy of the hair-induced breeze. She managed to sit up and catch it, slamming it next to the rum. "Are you looking for a fight, or are you always this..." She searched for the right word, and failed. "Nonchalant, show-offy, and... water? You're drinking water in a bar?"
Breandon tipped the bottle in a salute. "I don't always come to get drunk." He fished a pack of cards out of a shirt pocket, spreading them across the table. "In fact," he continued, "tonight I'm merely meeting someone. A friend."
"I thought you didn't mingle much," she answered, stretching her legs out over another barstool and crossing her ankles. Adjusting a wrinkle in her black tights, she reached again for the rum. "Business or pleasure?"
"I don't mingle at Court," he corrected. "I come here rather often. For /pleasure/."
The way he said the last word made an unpleasant shiver roll over Dawn's skin. "Well, then... my apologies for distracting you."
Breandon bared his teeth. "You didn't. Go back to your drinking, little girl. Finish sulking and go back to Our Royal Pinkness."
Dawn leapt from her seat and planted one hand on his table. "Then I'll do it now and leave you alone afterwards." She leaned over, her voice a mezzo growl. "I'm not little, I'll sit in my melancholy for as long as I damn well please, and if I could go without setting foot in that damned castle for another twenty four hours, I'd be almost orgasmic."
A tall figure, crowned with short, wild, dark hair, manoeuvred gangly limbs through the doorway. He lifted a hand and waved to Breandon, who waved back, ignoring Dawn's heated comment. "Yo, Kieran!"
"Heyla! Bren. Who's the babe?" The person winked a shocking purple eye at Dawn, still standing in furious attitude.
Dawn whirled around at the 'babe' comment, and came face to shoulders with whom she assumed was Breandon's evening companion. Lifting her head, she gave him a dazzling smile coupled with a flirtatious wink. "Dawn Connolly," she replied with a purr.
Kieran held out a large, well-calloused hand. "I'm Kieran Taliesin Patric Dubhglas, and pleased to meet you." He displayed a surprisingly shy smile.
She shook his hand, then stepped back against the table to give her neck a break. The man was just... well, tall would have been an understatement. "Likewise. Well, while you're quite charming, your companion here just doesn't seem to measure up. Pleasure meeting you, doll." Another smile, and then a colder variety at Breandon, and she headed off for the pool tables.
Kieran blinked innocently at Breandon. "I think you made her mad, Bren. I don't think she'll sleep with you now."
Breandon made a face and scooped up the cards. "That wasn't the idea. Not the idea at all. Come play, and stop speculating on my love life."
"Or lack thereof."
"Or lack thereof."
Kieran folded his length into the seat across from Breandon and immediately became immersed in the cards.
Across the room, the thwack and thud of a furious one-person game of pool had commenced. Dawn flipped her hair away from her face and bent over the table, leather reflecting the scant amount of light in the bar.
Five minutes passed, punctuated only by the crack of billiard balls and the soft shluff of cards. Breandon's attention wandered more and more often to the leather-clad figure at the pool table.
Kieran took three hands in a row, and frowned at the cards. "Your game is bad tonight, Bren. You're out of practice -- or not paying attention?" The figure of Dawn stretched the length of the table, one foot off the ground as she attempted the final shot. Breandon practically held his breath, watching her. Kieran waved a hand in front of his face. "Helloo?"
/Thunk/. Perfect game. Pushing herself up such that she sat demurely on the edge, Dawn caught sight of her admirer. Emboldened by the success of her game and the rum in her system, she recrossed her legs and blew a saucy kiss in Breandon's general direction.
Breandon promptly turned red. Kieran apparently found that very interesting, because he started to poke at his friend. Breandon swatted him, and turned his back on Dawn.
Kieran's eyes went round. "You're sulking! Aww, that's so cute. Right? Cute is the right word?" Vince muffled laughter.
Dawn's amusement echoed through the bar, growing closer as she approached the table. Angling herself such that her top displayed the right amount of cleavage, she steadied herself with her cue less than a foot from her target. "Guardian, one. Designer to the stars, zero."
Breandon didn't reply. Kieran looked back and forth. "I don't get it ... "
"And neither will he," Vince called from his spot at the bar. Dawn looked back, catching the double entendre immediately.
Breandon smacked the empty water bottle down on the table. "I don't come here to be made fun of."
"And I didn't come here to have someone stare at my ass, but hey... it happens." She ran her tongue over her lips. "What can ya do about it?"
Breandon stared at her, peridot-green eyes gone flat and narrow. "You know what you need, Guardian?" he began.
"What?" Interested, she relaxed slightly against the cue.
He stood up, hooking a toe around the base of the cue and jerking. "You require some taming, little Guardian."
Dawn crashed to the floor, mouth hitting the cue such that the corner of her mouth bled slightly. She rolled on her back, pushing herself up to a sitting position before dabbing her lip with a finger. "You cocky little son of a bitch," she swore. "I'm no one's Pygmalion project."
"A what?"
She sneered, getting up. "Pygmalion. Basis for My Fair Lady. It's a..." She stopped suddenly, eyeing him. "Never mind." Twentieth century literary works were not her forte this late at night. "Not important," she finished.
Breandon stood over her, a small dark part of him relishing the chance to finally be taller than this arrogant young Guardian. He snatched at her wrist, attempting to yank her up.
"Don't." She pulled her hand away, her pride hurt more than anything else. Dawn stood up and brushed her hair from her face. "Some gentleman you are," she mumbled.
Breandon grabbed her wrist this time in a strong grip. He rose on his toes, fully aware of how ludicrous it would look and annoyed by it, and hissed into her face, "I never claimed to be a gentleman."
"Then I'm horribly sorry that I gave you the benefit of the doubt when I met you." She caught her voice before it cracked, sarcasm covering a tearful rage that threatened to break loose at any moment.
He all but threw her wrist down. "Damn you. /Damn you/. Get out of my dreams. Get out of my mind. /Leave me alone/."
Confused, she stepped back a few paces, her head tilted to the side in a terribly bewildered fashion. Swallowing hard, she looked back to Vince, who merely shrugged as he put away the rum.
A horridly bent smile turned Breandon's face into something resembling a demented clown's. "You don't understand," he cooed. "You're thinking, 'I didn't DO anything!' You exist. Your very existence is quite enough."
Dawn's chocolate brown eyes widened at the statement. "You're right, I exist. And I'm going to go exist somewhere else for the rest of my evening." Wiping the corner of her mouth, she stumbled over a barstool. Dawn righted it as she backed up, trying to maintain eye contact with the smiling Rainault.
Kieran, until then forgotten by the two antagonists, put out a hand to help Dawn right the stool. Breandon stalked past him, following Dawn. "Bren, don't ..." Kieran knew the attempt was futile even as he made it. Emotions were just so much static to him.
Breandon grabbed both Dawn's wrists and jerked her face down to his, capturing her mouth in a fierce, brief moment.
The gasp and protest that Dawn would have made were abruptly cut off. Gooseflesh broke out over her skin as her body relaxed in serene enjoyment, then immediately stiffened in shock and something not unlike terror. Wrenching herself away, she gasped for air and involuntarily whimpered. Breandon turned on a heel and walked away, feigning unconcern. Dawn's lower lip quivered as her throat tightened. Not having the capacity to deal with the onslaught of emotions in such a public place, she did the only thing she could... run out.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Wake UP!" A pillow nailed Dawn squarely in the face, prompting her to sit up and let fly with a pillow of her own. It went wide, missing Rini's figure by a few feet and landing next to Dawn's discarded outfit from the night before. She gave a feline arch and flopped back down amidst the sheets.
"You wanted something?" She mumbled into the remaining pillows, pulling the comforter back over her shoulders.
"Well, we'd like to talk to you, Dawn."
Immediately coherent, Dawn sat straight up and gave the most embarrassed of smiles to Queen Serenity, who stood in the doorway. Even in a white dressing gown, she looked elegant and regal. "Then I guess I'd better get out of bed, your Majesty," she managed sheepishly.
"Just stay there," Serenity laughed, much to Rini's surprise. She took a seat at the vanity in the bedroom. "This won't take long, but it would be better you know some details now before we leave this afternoon."
/Leave?/ "Going somewhere? And I'm coming along?" The rum, although only a small amount, had given her a slight headache that throbbed behind her eyes. What she wouldn't give for a cup of coffee...
"Duh," Rini snapped. "You're my Guardian. You have to."
"Watch it, young lady," Serenity answered in a tone of warning. "You can be catty once we get to Pavori space. You'll fit right in," she finished wryly.
The expression on Dawn's face resembled that of a child being told to take a spoonful of vile medicine. "Another bunch of image-loving socialites? Swell." She sighed, taking a second to realize that this wasn't exactly the best place for sarcasm. "Sorry, your Majesty."
"No need to apologize. I'm not fond of them, either." She refolded her hands on her lap. "They're very into stature and image, and the concept of personal assistants and bodyguards is ingrained in their society. Only the most important figures can afford to hire them, and most of these escorts are regarded in a separate upper class." She smiled brightly at Dawn, who was unable to mask her interest. "Actually, in Pavori society, you'd outrank most of the Planetaries, as you're the personal bodyguard of the Imperial Princess."
"That's... interesting," the slightly unkempt Guardian replied. "So, bottom line is, I have to really behave?"
Rini made a small strangling noise in her throat, which Serenity silenced with a glare. "Actually, Endymion and I would prefer it if you present a more antagonistic persona. The more dangerous you appear to them at first glance, the less likely it will be for them to attempt anything when it comes to Rini. In addition," she said with a sly grin, "having you along puts us on par with the Pavori, status-wise. To put it plainly, you are the epitome of a personal bodyguard, and the Arronné family will be in utter awe of your abilities, not to mention the fact that you work directly for the Lunar Kingdom."
/So I have license... no, wait, direct orders from Serenity herself to act like a badass during the whole trip?/ "I can manage that, no problem," she answered with a devilish grin. "How long will this last?"
"Two days," Serenity said with a melodramatic sigh. "Personally, that's about thirty-six hours too much for me. The visit is intended to be a social one, but Endymion and I will be meeting with the Arronné family during the day to informally discuss issues relating to a resource stranglehold." She rolled her eyes, and for a moment Dawn saw the bubble-headed and impatient college girl she had left before her summer vacation. "They're just horrid."
Dawn chewed her lip thoughtfully, wincing as she hit the spot where the cue had stabbed her the night before. "Sounds like it. So, do Rini and I come with you to your meetings, or are there other plans for us?"
Serenity smoothed the fabric of her dressing gown over her lap as she spoke. "It depends. Both of you are coming along to present a non-threatening image. It would look /very/ bad for anyone associated with the Arronné family to act hostile towards myself or any member of my family while we were there on a social visit." She plastered a saccharine smile on her face, prompting both Dawn and Rini to laugh out loud. Serenity chuckled as she winked at the pair. "You might come along with us, or they may want to take you on tours to try and impress you. What's vital is that the two of you are never separated." Her voice took on a more serious tone as she stood up. "I don't trust any of them, and neither of you should, either."
"Oh, I don't trust anyone who thinks I'm something special," Dawn deadpanned. "You want me to terrify them, I can do that."
"No kidding. I'll play demure, you play deadly. It'll be fun." Rini grinned fiercely at her mother. "This is a time to play?"
"Oh, yes. This is definitely a time to play," Serenity replied, her expression mimicking her daughter's. "And Dawn?"
"Yeah?" The yawn escaped before she could correct herself. "I mean, yes, your Majesty?"
"You'll have to travel in your Senshi fuku. It's a symbolic thing." Standing up, she nodded at Rini. "You've got about three hours to get your things packed. If I know Arrturo Arronné, he'll want to have some massive welcoming dinner to show off his estate and his daughters. If you look anything less than stellar, you're in for it. That goes for you, too," she said to Dawn. "I'll see the pair of you at the spaceport later." With that, she gracefully exited the room, leaving the two girls to stare at each other in shock.
"The FUKU?" Dawn slid out of bed, her nightshirt hanging off of her shoulder. Her reflection in the bedroom mirror showed a slight bruise on the corner of her mouth. "Why does that outfit strike me as less than professional?"
Rini flopped into the chair that her mother had previously occupied. "Because you don't understand how it is here. That Senshi fuku, it's the ultimate status symbol. You wear that, you're immediately recognized as an elite member of the Moon Kingdom's most prized tradition."
"Oh." Now it made perfect sense.
"And what happened to your mouth?" She had finally noticed Dawn examining the bruise. "Bite something the wrong way?"
"Pool cue," she mumbled, thinking back to the night before. Stupid son of a bitch, she would give Breandon Rainault a piece of her mind when she saw him again. What gentleman took the opportunity to send a lady sprawling to the floor of a bar... /but he never claimed to be a gentleman,/ she thought to herself... /and I sure as hell can't claim to be a lady/. /Why did he kiss me anyway... tells me to leave, then kisses me like that, and then just walks off... but that kiss, it was just... damn it all. Boys.../
"Well, put some make-up over it... you look like you got caught in a bar fight." Disappearing into the closet, Rini began selecting Dawn's wardrobe for the trip. "Get clean, I'll get your stuff together for this trip."
"But you're the Princess. You have to get ready to leave as well..."
"And you have to look presentable," Rini interrupted, emerging with a few of the black suits. "I mean, you have to go all out. Dry hair and everything."
Dawn disappeared into the bathroom to get a much-needed shower. "I can do that," she called. "Just find me a better dress than what I wore before."
"Better?"
"As in no black." She stuck her tongue out at her reflection, remembering what had been said to her at the dinner. Shedding her nightshirt, she climbed into the shower and relished the warm water running over her skin. In the bedroom, Rini frowned at the selection of clothes on the bed. It'd have to do... at least, for now. The fuku was the most important part, she reminded herself. With Dawn, it was nothing like they'd seen before.
For that matter, Dawn herself was nothing like they'd seen before. Rini allowed herself a smug grin with that thought and headed back to her own room under the watchful eyes of the palace guard. The Pavori would certainly be in for a surprise when they met the new Guardian.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
By noon, Breandon had managed to pull himself out of his otherwise empty bed, take a shower, and nurse a very large cup of coffee. Dark circles under his eyes gave evidence to a fitful night's sleep. The blank pages of his sketchbook sat in the centre of the kitchen table, almost mocking him. Scowling, he reached over and closed the book roughly before throwing it on a chair. "Damn her," he muttered aloud to the bonsai. Images of the auburn-tressed Guardian had filled his dreams for the better part of the night, scenes from Greynn's replaying themselves over and over in his mind's eye. Other images had managed to work their way into his subconscious, images that were far tamer than the woman he'd managed to encounter only three times in the space of a few weeks. Three times, and twice they had been under fairly confrontational circumstances. Confrontational on her part, he thought smugly.
A knock at the door interrupted his train of thought. He padded barefoot to the door, one hand still holding his coffee while the other pressed the intercom. "Yes?"
"Breandon Rainault, I'd like to have a word with you, if I may." The authoritative tone of a female voice came back into the apartment. Unlocking the door, he came face to face with the somewhat familiar figure of Sailor Pluto, who stood with her arms folded and a disapproving expression on her otherwise lovely face.
"Of course," he replied, stepping back so she could enter. "Please, have a seat. Could I get you some coffee, perhaps?"
Pluto frowned. "I'll stand, thank you. You, however, might want to sit down." She nodded at the wooden table and chairs, waiting until he resumed his place. "Now," she began sternly. "It's come to my attention that you've made the acquaintance of one Dawn Connolly. Is this true?"
"If you want to put it that way, then yes, I have. The Princess introduced her to me, and I've encountered her a few times since then." He shrugged, setting the coffee on the table. "What of it?"
"Care to explain your behaviour in Greynn's last night?" She glowered at him. "According to my sources, the two of you decided to exchange insults until she fell over, at which point you resembled a madman and forced yourself on her."
"Yes, she and I had a heated discussion. Yes, I kissed her. If you'd like my personal opinion, I think she deserved it, for the way she was acting and flaunting herself," he shot back. "Are those the kind of qualities you look for in a Guardian?"
Pluto drew herself up stiffly, jabbing a finger in his face. "That young woman, whether you're aware of it or not, is the personal Guardian of the Princess."
"As I've been reminded multiple times."
"And you are not to associate yourself with her in any more than a professional manner as one would assume at Court," Pluto finished.
"My professional manner or yours?" He took a sip of coffee.
"Professional manner meaning that you are not to associate with her outside of official Palace functions. That young woman is not to be the object of your..." Pluto tried to find a somewhat tactful arrangement of words. "Exuberant and short-lived lustful adventures." /So much for tact/.
"My WHAT?" Breandon leapt to his feet, slamming the mug on the table.
She rolled her eyes, not in the mood for theatrics. "You've managed to gain a reputation as a very charming young man who brings home pretty girls to play with on a fairly regular basis. I'm telling you that /that/ woman is not to be grouped in that category."
"Would you care to explain that dictate?" he shot back acidly.
"Because I SAID so," Pluto snapped. "Because she can't afford to be distracted by you, or by anyone else."
"I am NOT a distraction," he answered hotly. Breandon overrode Pluto before she could reply to that piece of arrogance. "It never seems to occur to you Senshi types that you're NOT the only ones who can protect people."
Pluto's eyes went flat, and she stared down at Breandon. "This is not an issue of protection. This is an issue of my informing you to distance yourself from Dawn."
Breandon turned away, looking out the window with blind eyes. "I don't think I can."
"Excuse me?"
"I said, I don't think I can." The affronted expression fell off his face, replaced with a pensive weariness Pluto was pretty sure wasn't common.
"Care to tell me why?"
"It would be really great if I could explain to myself why she keeps showing up in my damn dreams!" he exploded. "Anyway, she likes the same bar I do, and I'm not going to stop going there just on your say-so."
Pluto delicately took a seat, resting an elbow on the table. "Well, it's the only place I'll let her go, but that's beside the point." She tapped her fingers on the table lightly, quite intrigued. "What's this about your dreams?"
"Never mind," he muttered, sounding rather like a sulky small boy. "You don't care if I pine away and die, anyway."
Pluto suppressed the urge to chuckle. "Since you designed that dazzling work of art for me a few years ago, I do have a certain fondness for you." She picked up the sketchbook from the chair next to her and set it on the table.
Breandon picked it up and flipped to a page close to the back, then passed it to her. "Do you think it will suit her?" The sketch in question showed a floor length gown, both flowing and formfitting, with open loose sleeves and a swirl of train.
"Suit whom?"
"Dawn."
She glanced from sketch to artist, and then back to the sketch. "It's very lovely, and a very simple design that should do both her and the gown justice." She raised her head to speak. "What prompted this idea?"
"I wish I knew."
"Serenity didn't ask for something like this? Or Rini?"
"No."
Pluto eyed him warily. "Did something happen last night that I should be aware of?"
"Oh, it's been going on since long before last night."
A sigh of frustration escaped her lips. "Since when, then? And maybe in more than just a handful of words?"
Breandon pondered the blowing leaves outside the window. "You're expecting me to explain something even I don't understand. I don't know if I can get you to believe me when I say that I don't want to play with her." He laid emphasis on 'play'. "I want to ... cherish her, protect her, but she can be so -- EXASPERATING, sometimes. So independent."
Pluto smiled in spite of herself. "That she is," she answered fondly.
"Did you know we've only ever met three times? Just three. It's not SUPPOSED to happen like this!" He smacked a fist down on the arm of the chair.
"What's not supposed to happen?"
He rubbed a hand over his face, hiding most of the blush that came to it. "The subjugation by female of the most notoriously difficult to tame bachelor in the entire Lunar capital," he replied, the phrasing humorous but the tone not.
She blinked, aeons of practice allowing her to conceal the shock that came with such a statement. Truth be told, she had to agree, but on an entirely different level. Something like this was certainly not supposed to happen... knowing what lay ahead for Dawn in her future in the 21st century. "Well, I imagine that's something that neither you nor I had anticipated upon her arrival here."
"I didn't even know she was coming. Sure, I heard about Eos, who has -- " He blinked. "She's Eos, isn't she? Another Eos. From the ... past. Kishikata no Eos, the Eos of the past. Damn."
She passed a hand over her eyes, massaging the dull throb that had begun in her forehead. "You realize this is proprietary information, correct? Not something that is to be spread about the kingdom as common knowledge?"
"Do I look stupid to you?" he snapped back.
"I didn't mean to imply that you were," she answered curtly. "Dawn is a Guardian, one that I had to tap more than ten years ago to protect the Princess when she was living in the late twentieth century. Myrannda - Eos - can trace her lineage back to Dawn's family. Considering the circumstances, I had to tap her and bring her here." She closed her eyes, the headache only intensifying.
"I understand. I really do," he repeated at her sceptical look. "Winter would break all my bones for me if I didn't. Which is why I'm supposed to stay away from her. I just don't really think I can ... not be around her."
She threw her hands in the air. "Well, I give up. All I can tell you are the facts. Personally, I'm getting tired of playing the wicked witch when it comes to these sorts of things." Her voice softened as she realized that this was not the time or place for such a tirade. "I'm telling you this simply because I don't want to see her hurt. She's an amazing creature, and I already feel terrible about putting her in this situation."
"I wouldn't hurt her. I couldn't hurt her. I'd rather take the blow myself than let her get hurt," Breandon replied absently. His brain reconnected to his mouth, and he realized what he'd been saying. And to whom. "I mean, uh ... "
Pluto stood up, smoothing out the wrinkles in her suit. "I think I understand," she said quietly. "You'll keep what I said in mind?"
He looked up at her, bewildered green eyes making him look about half his age -- whatever that was. "Please don't ask me to do this, Pluto ..."
"Fine," she answered in a harsh voice. "Then don't. I'm merely trying to help keep things in perspective."
He flinched, a tear slipping down the side of his nose.
"Breandon ..."
"Don't you think you've done enough?"
"Actually, I don't think I've tried nearly as hard as I should have." Disgusted with herself, Pluto turned for the door. "And if anything, anything at all should happen to her on your account, you will answer to me. Not the Princess, not Serenity... me."
"You're awfully good at that guilt-tripping stuff."
Her eyes narrowed. "Remember what I said," she cautioned as she left. "I don't give warnings lightly."
Chapter Two -- Meetings
Light cast from the Earth on the horizon spilled through the half-open windows of a modest studio apartment several kilometres from the palace grounds. Inside, Breandon lay amidst crisp black sheets, eyes half closed as he absently stroked the soft auburn tresses of the young woman who lay sleeping on his chest. A light sheen of sweat covered them both, testament to the activities of the past hour. He sighed, images from earlier in the evening playing over in his mind. /Perhaps a burgundy... no, something lighter.../"Lavender, maybe," he murmured softly. "A delicate, more light-hearted colour..."
"Colour for what?" Her fingertips trailed over his chest.
"Your dress, Dawn," he answered gently.
"DAWN!" The young woman sat up in bed, anger evident in her green eyes and the flush that appeared in her cheeks. "You can't even remember my name fifteen minutes after you, you..." Furious, she pulled the black sheet off the bed, wrapping it around herself as she retrieved her clothing.
Breandon simply rolled to his side, amused. "It's actually been over an hour, and I highly doubt you would have heard anything before then. You're quite noisy."
"Yeah, well... it was faked," she shot back haughtily, almost dressed.
He laughed, the low tone barely audible past the bed. "Now, that's just a boldface lie," he replied. "You actually seemed to enjoy yourself."
Outraged, she flung one of his shoes at him before slamming the door behind her. Still chuckling, he sat up and pulled on a simple pair of black silk pants before reassembling the bed. It wasn't the first time that an evening companion had stormed out before the sun rose. At least she hadn't been dragged out by an angry brother... or father... or other large male family member.
A row of bonsai lined the windowsill in the kitchen, testament to Breandon's other pastime. The sketchbook lay on the table, blank pages begging for some bit of creativity upon them. Ignoring both momentarily, he set about preparing coffee. The heavy aroma soon filled the entire apartment, and Breandon sat with a cup at the table, fingers absently stroking the blank page before him.
/Why her?/ The question gnawed at the edge of his conscious, the image of the decidedly unconventional young woman replaying itself over and over in his mind's eye. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, she wasn't any better looking than any of the myriad of women he'd chased through the years. She had a tendency to be crass and outspoken, and discarded formality any chance she had. He ran a hand through the impossibly long strands of hair that had worked their way loose from the queue. It simply didn't make any sense...
/So why bother thinking about it, then?/ Pushing the sketchbook away, he turned his attention to the recently neglected bonsai. He didn't expect sleep to come for a few hours, and this would occupy the time until then.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The spaceport was nearly empty, save for a group of uniformed guards and a handful of mechanics keeping up with repairs to some of the smaller escort shuttles of the Royal Family's personal fleet. The collection of personnel all snapped to attention as Queen Serenity exited the shuttle that had just arrived. Endymion was there to greet her, his expression quickly matching his wife's anxious frown that showed on her face. Taking her hand, he leaned in close as they walked the length of the spaceport.
"I can't go back there by myself," she said quietly. "Not even with the additional bodyguards and plain-clothes operatives we have stationed there."
His grip instinctively tightened. "What did they -"
"Nothing happened," she hurried on. "I just think that a family social visit would be better received. Besides, it would force them to be on their best behaviour," she added dryly.
"I doubt it," he replied, pulling her in close to him. "It would risk your safety, Rini's, not to mention the people we'd have to bring along..."
"And anything happening during a well-publicized visit would ruin their image, and both you and I know that the Arronné family would kill their own mothers rather than risk their sophisticate image they strive to keep." She kissed him lightly on the cheek, squeezing his hand tightly. "One of the lovely nuances of Pavori society, my dear."
Endymion managed a bit of a grumble. "I don't know about this..."
"We have to meet with them in a more social setting," she reasoned. "They control over half of the known phosphera mines, and we can't afford to have that supply compromised, especially with the upcoming renovation of the Lunar fleet." The pale yellow crystals were an integral component of most of the vital systems present in every ship available to the Lunar Navy. Far more efficient than any battery that had been developed, they were convenient to handle and could be stored in a standard supply closet on the ship. Unfortunately, no one had figured out how to synthesize them in a laboratory setting, so they were forced to deal with the governments and clans that had laid claim to the few known deposits. The Pavori society had blossomed after the discovery of phosphera on one of the moons they inhabited, and the stranglehold they had mastered on the supply had caused them to become incredibly wealthy in only a few generations' time. Almost on par with royalty, the Arronné family demanded the respect that came with such wealth and power, through charm or intimidation.
He shook his head as he opened the door of the transport for Serenity. "You might be right, but I still don't like it." He slid in beside her as another guard shut the door, another bodyguard getting in next to the driver before they sped off for the palace.
"I'm not fond of the whole thing either," she sighed, resting her head on his shoulders. "It's a necessary evil, unfortunately."
He kissed her forehead, then settled back against the leather seat. "Unfortunately," he echoed. "Can we worry about the details in the morning."
"It's already morning, dear," she mumbled sleepily. "We'll discuss it later."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
While it was technically morning, Dawn's night hadn't ended. Truth be told, she didn't want to go back to the palace until she was good and tired... spending the day with Rini while they entertained some influential women's group had soured her disposition to the point where she felt the need to be as unsophisticated and unladylike as possible. Naturally, she'd found her way to Greynn's, clad in a screaming red blouse that complimented the black leather skirt and boots she'd discovered in Eos' closet. Her hair wild, her attitude teetering on the brink of insane, and a bit of alcohol in her system, Dawn had the image of one woman that no sane man would dare approach. Vince had been kind enough to break out the rum for her, and she kicked a second shot back. On a whim, she decided to attempt to balance the shot glass on her nose, tilting her head back.
A shadow blocked her light -- a short shadow. "Is it even possible to do that?" a familiarly cultured voice asked.
"What, you never tried?" She concentrated, lifting her chin to compensate for the slope of her nose. "And no offence, but I'm not in the greatest of moods at the moment."
Breandon came into her range of vision, completing a shrug. "No offence, but I didn't come to see you." He lifted a hand to Vince, at the bar, who waggled a bottle of designer water at him before shooting it down the bar. "Thank you, Vince." Taking his water, Breandon spun on one heel, the end of his ponytail whipping perilously close to Dawn's face, and settled down at a nearby table.
The shot glass slid off the edge of her nose, courtesy of the hair-induced breeze. She managed to sit up and catch it, slamming it next to the rum. "Are you looking for a fight, or are you always this..." She searched for the right word, and failed. "Nonchalant, show-offy, and... water? You're drinking water in a bar?"
Breandon tipped the bottle in a salute. "I don't always come to get drunk." He fished a pack of cards out of a shirt pocket, spreading them across the table. "In fact," he continued, "tonight I'm merely meeting someone. A friend."
"I thought you didn't mingle much," she answered, stretching her legs out over another barstool and crossing her ankles. Adjusting a wrinkle in her black tights, she reached again for the rum. "Business or pleasure?"
"I don't mingle at Court," he corrected. "I come here rather often. For /pleasure/."
The way he said the last word made an unpleasant shiver roll over Dawn's skin. "Well, then... my apologies for distracting you."
Breandon bared his teeth. "You didn't. Go back to your drinking, little girl. Finish sulking and go back to Our Royal Pinkness."
Dawn leapt from her seat and planted one hand on his table. "Then I'll do it now and leave you alone afterwards." She leaned over, her voice a mezzo growl. "I'm not little, I'll sit in my melancholy for as long as I damn well please, and if I could go without setting foot in that damned castle for another twenty four hours, I'd be almost orgasmic."
A tall figure, crowned with short, wild, dark hair, manoeuvred gangly limbs through the doorway. He lifted a hand and waved to Breandon, who waved back, ignoring Dawn's heated comment. "Yo, Kieran!"
"Heyla! Bren. Who's the babe?" The person winked a shocking purple eye at Dawn, still standing in furious attitude.
Dawn whirled around at the 'babe' comment, and came face to shoulders with whom she assumed was Breandon's evening companion. Lifting her head, she gave him a dazzling smile coupled with a flirtatious wink. "Dawn Connolly," she replied with a purr.
Kieran held out a large, well-calloused hand. "I'm Kieran Taliesin Patric Dubhglas, and pleased to meet you." He displayed a surprisingly shy smile.
She shook his hand, then stepped back against the table to give her neck a break. The man was just... well, tall would have been an understatement. "Likewise. Well, while you're quite charming, your companion here just doesn't seem to measure up. Pleasure meeting you, doll." Another smile, and then a colder variety at Breandon, and she headed off for the pool tables.
Kieran blinked innocently at Breandon. "I think you made her mad, Bren. I don't think she'll sleep with you now."
Breandon made a face and scooped up the cards. "That wasn't the idea. Not the idea at all. Come play, and stop speculating on my love life."
"Or lack thereof."
"Or lack thereof."
Kieran folded his length into the seat across from Breandon and immediately became immersed in the cards.
Across the room, the thwack and thud of a furious one-person game of pool had commenced. Dawn flipped her hair away from her face and bent over the table, leather reflecting the scant amount of light in the bar.
Five minutes passed, punctuated only by the crack of billiard balls and the soft shluff of cards. Breandon's attention wandered more and more often to the leather-clad figure at the pool table.
Kieran took three hands in a row, and frowned at the cards. "Your game is bad tonight, Bren. You're out of practice -- or not paying attention?" The figure of Dawn stretched the length of the table, one foot off the ground as she attempted the final shot. Breandon practically held his breath, watching her. Kieran waved a hand in front of his face. "Helloo?"
/Thunk/. Perfect game. Pushing herself up such that she sat demurely on the edge, Dawn caught sight of her admirer. Emboldened by the success of her game and the rum in her system, she recrossed her legs and blew a saucy kiss in Breandon's general direction.
Breandon promptly turned red. Kieran apparently found that very interesting, because he started to poke at his friend. Breandon swatted him, and turned his back on Dawn.
Kieran's eyes went round. "You're sulking! Aww, that's so cute. Right? Cute is the right word?" Vince muffled laughter.
Dawn's amusement echoed through the bar, growing closer as she approached the table. Angling herself such that her top displayed the right amount of cleavage, she steadied herself with her cue less than a foot from her target. "Guardian, one. Designer to the stars, zero."
Breandon didn't reply. Kieran looked back and forth. "I don't get it ... "
"And neither will he," Vince called from his spot at the bar. Dawn looked back, catching the double entendre immediately.
Breandon smacked the empty water bottle down on the table. "I don't come here to be made fun of."
"And I didn't come here to have someone stare at my ass, but hey... it happens." She ran her tongue over her lips. "What can ya do about it?"
Breandon stared at her, peridot-green eyes gone flat and narrow. "You know what you need, Guardian?" he began.
"What?" Interested, she relaxed slightly against the cue.
He stood up, hooking a toe around the base of the cue and jerking. "You require some taming, little Guardian."
Dawn crashed to the floor, mouth hitting the cue such that the corner of her mouth bled slightly. She rolled on her back, pushing herself up to a sitting position before dabbing her lip with a finger. "You cocky little son of a bitch," she swore. "I'm no one's Pygmalion project."
"A what?"
She sneered, getting up. "Pygmalion. Basis for My Fair Lady. It's a..." She stopped suddenly, eyeing him. "Never mind." Twentieth century literary works were not her forte this late at night. "Not important," she finished.
Breandon stood over her, a small dark part of him relishing the chance to finally be taller than this arrogant young Guardian. He snatched at her wrist, attempting to yank her up.
"Don't." She pulled her hand away, her pride hurt more than anything else. Dawn stood up and brushed her hair from her face. "Some gentleman you are," she mumbled.
Breandon grabbed her wrist this time in a strong grip. He rose on his toes, fully aware of how ludicrous it would look and annoyed by it, and hissed into her face, "I never claimed to be a gentleman."
"Then I'm horribly sorry that I gave you the benefit of the doubt when I met you." She caught her voice before it cracked, sarcasm covering a tearful rage that threatened to break loose at any moment.
He all but threw her wrist down. "Damn you. /Damn you/. Get out of my dreams. Get out of my mind. /Leave me alone/."
Confused, she stepped back a few paces, her head tilted to the side in a terribly bewildered fashion. Swallowing hard, she looked back to Vince, who merely shrugged as he put away the rum.
A horridly bent smile turned Breandon's face into something resembling a demented clown's. "You don't understand," he cooed. "You're thinking, 'I didn't DO anything!' You exist. Your very existence is quite enough."
Dawn's chocolate brown eyes widened at the statement. "You're right, I exist. And I'm going to go exist somewhere else for the rest of my evening." Wiping the corner of her mouth, she stumbled over a barstool. Dawn righted it as she backed up, trying to maintain eye contact with the smiling Rainault.
Kieran, until then forgotten by the two antagonists, put out a hand to help Dawn right the stool. Breandon stalked past him, following Dawn. "Bren, don't ..." Kieran knew the attempt was futile even as he made it. Emotions were just so much static to him.
Breandon grabbed both Dawn's wrists and jerked her face down to his, capturing her mouth in a fierce, brief moment.
The gasp and protest that Dawn would have made were abruptly cut off. Gooseflesh broke out over her skin as her body relaxed in serene enjoyment, then immediately stiffened in shock and something not unlike terror. Wrenching herself away, she gasped for air and involuntarily whimpered. Breandon turned on a heel and walked away, feigning unconcern. Dawn's lower lip quivered as her throat tightened. Not having the capacity to deal with the onslaught of emotions in such a public place, she did the only thing she could... run out.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Wake UP!" A pillow nailed Dawn squarely in the face, prompting her to sit up and let fly with a pillow of her own. It went wide, missing Rini's figure by a few feet and landing next to Dawn's discarded outfit from the night before. She gave a feline arch and flopped back down amidst the sheets.
"You wanted something?" She mumbled into the remaining pillows, pulling the comforter back over her shoulders.
"Well, we'd like to talk to you, Dawn."
Immediately coherent, Dawn sat straight up and gave the most embarrassed of smiles to Queen Serenity, who stood in the doorway. Even in a white dressing gown, she looked elegant and regal. "Then I guess I'd better get out of bed, your Majesty," she managed sheepishly.
"Just stay there," Serenity laughed, much to Rini's surprise. She took a seat at the vanity in the bedroom. "This won't take long, but it would be better you know some details now before we leave this afternoon."
/Leave?/ "Going somewhere? And I'm coming along?" The rum, although only a small amount, had given her a slight headache that throbbed behind her eyes. What she wouldn't give for a cup of coffee...
"Duh," Rini snapped. "You're my Guardian. You have to."
"Watch it, young lady," Serenity answered in a tone of warning. "You can be catty once we get to Pavori space. You'll fit right in," she finished wryly.
The expression on Dawn's face resembled that of a child being told to take a spoonful of vile medicine. "Another bunch of image-loving socialites? Swell." She sighed, taking a second to realize that this wasn't exactly the best place for sarcasm. "Sorry, your Majesty."
"No need to apologize. I'm not fond of them, either." She refolded her hands on her lap. "They're very into stature and image, and the concept of personal assistants and bodyguards is ingrained in their society. Only the most important figures can afford to hire them, and most of these escorts are regarded in a separate upper class." She smiled brightly at Dawn, who was unable to mask her interest. "Actually, in Pavori society, you'd outrank most of the Planetaries, as you're the personal bodyguard of the Imperial Princess."
"That's... interesting," the slightly unkempt Guardian replied. "So, bottom line is, I have to really behave?"
Rini made a small strangling noise in her throat, which Serenity silenced with a glare. "Actually, Endymion and I would prefer it if you present a more antagonistic persona. The more dangerous you appear to them at first glance, the less likely it will be for them to attempt anything when it comes to Rini. In addition," she said with a sly grin, "having you along puts us on par with the Pavori, status-wise. To put it plainly, you are the epitome of a personal bodyguard, and the Arronné family will be in utter awe of your abilities, not to mention the fact that you work directly for the Lunar Kingdom."
/So I have license... no, wait, direct orders from Serenity herself to act like a badass during the whole trip?/ "I can manage that, no problem," she answered with a devilish grin. "How long will this last?"
"Two days," Serenity said with a melodramatic sigh. "Personally, that's about thirty-six hours too much for me. The visit is intended to be a social one, but Endymion and I will be meeting with the Arronné family during the day to informally discuss issues relating to a resource stranglehold." She rolled her eyes, and for a moment Dawn saw the bubble-headed and impatient college girl she had left before her summer vacation. "They're just horrid."
Dawn chewed her lip thoughtfully, wincing as she hit the spot where the cue had stabbed her the night before. "Sounds like it. So, do Rini and I come with you to your meetings, or are there other plans for us?"
Serenity smoothed the fabric of her dressing gown over her lap as she spoke. "It depends. Both of you are coming along to present a non-threatening image. It would look /very/ bad for anyone associated with the Arronné family to act hostile towards myself or any member of my family while we were there on a social visit." She plastered a saccharine smile on her face, prompting both Dawn and Rini to laugh out loud. Serenity chuckled as she winked at the pair. "You might come along with us, or they may want to take you on tours to try and impress you. What's vital is that the two of you are never separated." Her voice took on a more serious tone as she stood up. "I don't trust any of them, and neither of you should, either."
"Oh, I don't trust anyone who thinks I'm something special," Dawn deadpanned. "You want me to terrify them, I can do that."
"No kidding. I'll play demure, you play deadly. It'll be fun." Rini grinned fiercely at her mother. "This is a time to play?"
"Oh, yes. This is definitely a time to play," Serenity replied, her expression mimicking her daughter's. "And Dawn?"
"Yeah?" The yawn escaped before she could correct herself. "I mean, yes, your Majesty?"
"You'll have to travel in your Senshi fuku. It's a symbolic thing." Standing up, she nodded at Rini. "You've got about three hours to get your things packed. If I know Arrturo Arronné, he'll want to have some massive welcoming dinner to show off his estate and his daughters. If you look anything less than stellar, you're in for it. That goes for you, too," she said to Dawn. "I'll see the pair of you at the spaceport later." With that, she gracefully exited the room, leaving the two girls to stare at each other in shock.
"The FUKU?" Dawn slid out of bed, her nightshirt hanging off of her shoulder. Her reflection in the bedroom mirror showed a slight bruise on the corner of her mouth. "Why does that outfit strike me as less than professional?"
Rini flopped into the chair that her mother had previously occupied. "Because you don't understand how it is here. That Senshi fuku, it's the ultimate status symbol. You wear that, you're immediately recognized as an elite member of the Moon Kingdom's most prized tradition."
"Oh." Now it made perfect sense.
"And what happened to your mouth?" She had finally noticed Dawn examining the bruise. "Bite something the wrong way?"
"Pool cue," she mumbled, thinking back to the night before. Stupid son of a bitch, she would give Breandon Rainault a piece of her mind when she saw him again. What gentleman took the opportunity to send a lady sprawling to the floor of a bar... /but he never claimed to be a gentleman,/ she thought to herself... /and I sure as hell can't claim to be a lady/. /Why did he kiss me anyway... tells me to leave, then kisses me like that, and then just walks off... but that kiss, it was just... damn it all. Boys.../
"Well, put some make-up over it... you look like you got caught in a bar fight." Disappearing into the closet, Rini began selecting Dawn's wardrobe for the trip. "Get clean, I'll get your stuff together for this trip."
"But you're the Princess. You have to get ready to leave as well..."
"And you have to look presentable," Rini interrupted, emerging with a few of the black suits. "I mean, you have to go all out. Dry hair and everything."
Dawn disappeared into the bathroom to get a much-needed shower. "I can do that," she called. "Just find me a better dress than what I wore before."
"Better?"
"As in no black." She stuck her tongue out at her reflection, remembering what had been said to her at the dinner. Shedding her nightshirt, she climbed into the shower and relished the warm water running over her skin. In the bedroom, Rini frowned at the selection of clothes on the bed. It'd have to do... at least, for now. The fuku was the most important part, she reminded herself. With Dawn, it was nothing like they'd seen before.
For that matter, Dawn herself was nothing like they'd seen before. Rini allowed herself a smug grin with that thought and headed back to her own room under the watchful eyes of the palace guard. The Pavori would certainly be in for a surprise when they met the new Guardian.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
By noon, Breandon had managed to pull himself out of his otherwise empty bed, take a shower, and nurse a very large cup of coffee. Dark circles under his eyes gave evidence to a fitful night's sleep. The blank pages of his sketchbook sat in the centre of the kitchen table, almost mocking him. Scowling, he reached over and closed the book roughly before throwing it on a chair. "Damn her," he muttered aloud to the bonsai. Images of the auburn-tressed Guardian had filled his dreams for the better part of the night, scenes from Greynn's replaying themselves over and over in his mind's eye. Other images had managed to work their way into his subconscious, images that were far tamer than the woman he'd managed to encounter only three times in the space of a few weeks. Three times, and twice they had been under fairly confrontational circumstances. Confrontational on her part, he thought smugly.
A knock at the door interrupted his train of thought. He padded barefoot to the door, one hand still holding his coffee while the other pressed the intercom. "Yes?"
"Breandon Rainault, I'd like to have a word with you, if I may." The authoritative tone of a female voice came back into the apartment. Unlocking the door, he came face to face with the somewhat familiar figure of Sailor Pluto, who stood with her arms folded and a disapproving expression on her otherwise lovely face.
"Of course," he replied, stepping back so she could enter. "Please, have a seat. Could I get you some coffee, perhaps?"
Pluto frowned. "I'll stand, thank you. You, however, might want to sit down." She nodded at the wooden table and chairs, waiting until he resumed his place. "Now," she began sternly. "It's come to my attention that you've made the acquaintance of one Dawn Connolly. Is this true?"
"If you want to put it that way, then yes, I have. The Princess introduced her to me, and I've encountered her a few times since then." He shrugged, setting the coffee on the table. "What of it?"
"Care to explain your behaviour in Greynn's last night?" She glowered at him. "According to my sources, the two of you decided to exchange insults until she fell over, at which point you resembled a madman and forced yourself on her."
"Yes, she and I had a heated discussion. Yes, I kissed her. If you'd like my personal opinion, I think she deserved it, for the way she was acting and flaunting herself," he shot back. "Are those the kind of qualities you look for in a Guardian?"
Pluto drew herself up stiffly, jabbing a finger in his face. "That young woman, whether you're aware of it or not, is the personal Guardian of the Princess."
"As I've been reminded multiple times."
"And you are not to associate yourself with her in any more than a professional manner as one would assume at Court," Pluto finished.
"My professional manner or yours?" He took a sip of coffee.
"Professional manner meaning that you are not to associate with her outside of official Palace functions. That young woman is not to be the object of your..." Pluto tried to find a somewhat tactful arrangement of words. "Exuberant and short-lived lustful adventures." /So much for tact/.
"My WHAT?" Breandon leapt to his feet, slamming the mug on the table.
She rolled her eyes, not in the mood for theatrics. "You've managed to gain a reputation as a very charming young man who brings home pretty girls to play with on a fairly regular basis. I'm telling you that /that/ woman is not to be grouped in that category."
"Would you care to explain that dictate?" he shot back acidly.
"Because I SAID so," Pluto snapped. "Because she can't afford to be distracted by you, or by anyone else."
"I am NOT a distraction," he answered hotly. Breandon overrode Pluto before she could reply to that piece of arrogance. "It never seems to occur to you Senshi types that you're NOT the only ones who can protect people."
Pluto's eyes went flat, and she stared down at Breandon. "This is not an issue of protection. This is an issue of my informing you to distance yourself from Dawn."
Breandon turned away, looking out the window with blind eyes. "I don't think I can."
"Excuse me?"
"I said, I don't think I can." The affronted expression fell off his face, replaced with a pensive weariness Pluto was pretty sure wasn't common.
"Care to tell me why?"
"It would be really great if I could explain to myself why she keeps showing up in my damn dreams!" he exploded. "Anyway, she likes the same bar I do, and I'm not going to stop going there just on your say-so."
Pluto delicately took a seat, resting an elbow on the table. "Well, it's the only place I'll let her go, but that's beside the point." She tapped her fingers on the table lightly, quite intrigued. "What's this about your dreams?"
"Never mind," he muttered, sounding rather like a sulky small boy. "You don't care if I pine away and die, anyway."
Pluto suppressed the urge to chuckle. "Since you designed that dazzling work of art for me a few years ago, I do have a certain fondness for you." She picked up the sketchbook from the chair next to her and set it on the table.
Breandon picked it up and flipped to a page close to the back, then passed it to her. "Do you think it will suit her?" The sketch in question showed a floor length gown, both flowing and formfitting, with open loose sleeves and a swirl of train.
"Suit whom?"
"Dawn."
She glanced from sketch to artist, and then back to the sketch. "It's very lovely, and a very simple design that should do both her and the gown justice." She raised her head to speak. "What prompted this idea?"
"I wish I knew."
"Serenity didn't ask for something like this? Or Rini?"
"No."
Pluto eyed him warily. "Did something happen last night that I should be aware of?"
"Oh, it's been going on since long before last night."
A sigh of frustration escaped her lips. "Since when, then? And maybe in more than just a handful of words?"
Breandon pondered the blowing leaves outside the window. "You're expecting me to explain something even I don't understand. I don't know if I can get you to believe me when I say that I don't want to play with her." He laid emphasis on 'play'. "I want to ... cherish her, protect her, but she can be so -- EXASPERATING, sometimes. So independent."
Pluto smiled in spite of herself. "That she is," she answered fondly.
"Did you know we've only ever met three times? Just three. It's not SUPPOSED to happen like this!" He smacked a fist down on the arm of the chair.
"What's not supposed to happen?"
He rubbed a hand over his face, hiding most of the blush that came to it. "The subjugation by female of the most notoriously difficult to tame bachelor in the entire Lunar capital," he replied, the phrasing humorous but the tone not.
She blinked, aeons of practice allowing her to conceal the shock that came with such a statement. Truth be told, she had to agree, but on an entirely different level. Something like this was certainly not supposed to happen... knowing what lay ahead for Dawn in her future in the 21st century. "Well, I imagine that's something that neither you nor I had anticipated upon her arrival here."
"I didn't even know she was coming. Sure, I heard about Eos, who has -- " He blinked. "She's Eos, isn't she? Another Eos. From the ... past. Kishikata no Eos, the Eos of the past. Damn."
She passed a hand over her eyes, massaging the dull throb that had begun in her forehead. "You realize this is proprietary information, correct? Not something that is to be spread about the kingdom as common knowledge?"
"Do I look stupid to you?" he snapped back.
"I didn't mean to imply that you were," she answered curtly. "Dawn is a Guardian, one that I had to tap more than ten years ago to protect the Princess when she was living in the late twentieth century. Myrannda - Eos - can trace her lineage back to Dawn's family. Considering the circumstances, I had to tap her and bring her here." She closed her eyes, the headache only intensifying.
"I understand. I really do," he repeated at her sceptical look. "Winter would break all my bones for me if I didn't. Which is why I'm supposed to stay away from her. I just don't really think I can ... not be around her."
She threw her hands in the air. "Well, I give up. All I can tell you are the facts. Personally, I'm getting tired of playing the wicked witch when it comes to these sorts of things." Her voice softened as she realized that this was not the time or place for such a tirade. "I'm telling you this simply because I don't want to see her hurt. She's an amazing creature, and I already feel terrible about putting her in this situation."
"I wouldn't hurt her. I couldn't hurt her. I'd rather take the blow myself than let her get hurt," Breandon replied absently. His brain reconnected to his mouth, and he realized what he'd been saying. And to whom. "I mean, uh ... "
Pluto stood up, smoothing out the wrinkles in her suit. "I think I understand," she said quietly. "You'll keep what I said in mind?"
He looked up at her, bewildered green eyes making him look about half his age -- whatever that was. "Please don't ask me to do this, Pluto ..."
"Fine," she answered in a harsh voice. "Then don't. I'm merely trying to help keep things in perspective."
He flinched, a tear slipping down the side of his nose.
"Breandon ..."
"Don't you think you've done enough?"
"Actually, I don't think I've tried nearly as hard as I should have." Disgusted with herself, Pluto turned for the door. "And if anything, anything at all should happen to her on your account, you will answer to me. Not the Princess, not Serenity... me."
"You're awfully good at that guilt-tripping stuff."
Her eyes narrowed. "Remember what I said," she cautioned as she left. "I don't give warnings lightly."