Lunar Eclipse
The words toppled out of B’raemha’s before she could even comprehend what she was saying.
“I’m your rolanberry!”
Lyse blinked and her cousins gasped. Hien and Gousetsu had turned their heads towards the young woman with partnering looks of abject confusion. Komachi who up until this point had looked bored stiff was suddenly very focused on her protégé, gaze searching her face.
The the intended listener of her outburst seemed genuinely stunned, his lips parted and eyes blown wide.
“BRAEEEEE-“ She meeped at the sight of lyse about to slap her, and knew her cousins were closing in behind her.
“What are you sayingggg-“
“Brae, you can’t HIT ON him-“
In front of them, Magnai was not even registering the group squabble, trying to decode what the woman had said.
“…A western expression, I presume. Betokening-“ He had originally planned to express how little he cared, but he was forcefully pulled back into reality by the newest words from B’raemha’s mouth.
“It is wrong to volunteer myself? I presumed that the sun would be needing a moon!”
It was as if the world came to a standstill. The room seemed to fade away as Magnai stared at the miqo’te woman with a look of revelation. His partner next to him had looked at his Khan with shock, and then back to the young woman. The Oronir on the throne leaned forward, scrutinizing B’raemha with such intensity that she shivered.
“D-did I say something wrong?” She managed to squeak out, feeling the room was much too quiet. She had made a joke! She was a keeper of the moon after all, and the man kept going on and on about how he was the GREAT SUN. Was it inappropriate of her to have injected humor into this situation.
“The moon…?” Magnai mutters, still looking her over with wonder in his golden eyes. The rest of the party is looking at her with further shock, N’rhabye mouthing ‘B-A-D’ at her.
“You..a moon, hidden behind the clouds that surround you…” The words make B’raemha’s face feel like melting, and she coughed a bit in embarrassment. He suddenly stands and the group jumps, at he thrusts a finger at her.
“Look into my eyes, woman! See you Azim?! Are you my Nhaama?!”
The room goes silent and B’raemha is sure she could hear a pin drop. Her body was practically alright with blush, her heart pounding wildly against her chest. She had no idea what in the Twelve he was talking about, but his romantic flourish sent heat exploding through her. While a narcissist, she could admit to herself he was a fine male specimen. His gorgeous eyes and toned arms certainly had her focus, but there was something about the raw power that the man exuded that got to her. And that prose was….well, she was lying if she said it hadn’t affected her.
She realized that everyone was staring at her, waiting on her response to the man in front of them. Her mismatched eyes couldn’t even meet the man’s hard stare, and the woman found herself clutching at her pendant for stability.
“I…um…maybe?” She really had no idea what she agreeing to; it would be a lie if she said she had been listening during the story times that the others partook in with the locals. Her companions gasped around her, and she cringed at the sound of the same people as before beginning to berate her.
“WHY, WHAT-?!”
“DON’T BE STUPID, BRAE-“
“Do you need your head checked, B’raemha-!”
“ENOUGH.”
The harshness of Magnai’s voice silenced everyone, and he strode forward to B’raemha with purpose in his eyes.
“Speak ill no further of my Nhaama! She revealed her ethereal soul, hidden until now!” He grabbed her waist and hoisted her up, gaining a panicked shriek from the cat girl.
“PUT ME DOWN-“
“Long have I searched for you, my love. I dare never allow you to wander from my sight again.” He crushes her against his powerful chest and she gasps, arms flying around his neck just to steady her.
“I-I think there’s been a mistake, sir-!” She tries to reason, but the man silences her with a kiss that has her companions shouting in protest.
“Guess I’ll, uh, see you guys later-!” She attempts to lean forward to wave her friends off, but a muscled arm yanks her back to Magnai’s chest, and Hien frowns next to her. Both hostages, but only one truly “trapped”. She wiggles a bit in attempt to loosen his grip, but the man only chuckles against the crown of her head, his other hand moving to tilt her face up to his.
“My Nhaama…my moon, my love.” B’raemha really wished she didn’t find that as romantic as she did.