The Stroke of Midnight (OP and Allies)

[Felicity Mason]

Nauren? Who in the wide Galaxy was that supposed to be? Not anyone she knew from the Academy. So who? She was puzzled now, more than she was before. And embarrassed. The way he was looking at her...
Wait.

If he liked Felicity, then why was he staring at her cousin like that? Yes, yes, she knew she didn't actually have a cousin, but he didn't know that! He thought she was Felicity's random cousin. And he was staring at her and calling her a 'dream' and touching her...

When I find out who you are, Nauren, I am going to push you off the balcony...

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Felicity Mason"]

He realized he was still standing there with his arm around her and the music had stopped for now. "Do you want to sit miss, or talk about your cousin more while the next song comes to pass... speaking of her though, what mask is she wearing or do you not know... i was hoping you were her considering your appearance but she must have changed her appearance to stay hidden..." He looked around once, double checking for anyone close to what she looked like.

 

[Felicity Mason]

"O-oh!"
She looked down, noticing how close they still were. Around them, new partners had taken the floor. She pulled away clearing her throat.

"Y-yeah. Let's sit somewhere."

Anywhere but out in the open. She could feel eyes on her. Like they all knew. Where was her Father when she needed him? Had he not noticed? Surely he would at least step in! Weren't fathers supposed to want to protect their little girls from boys? Wasn't that the cliche?

"I think she's wearing purple."

That would not narrow it down. Purple was a very popular color here tonight. And when it came time to take off her mask... Well, she was just going to have to cross that road when she came to it.

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Felicity Mason"]

He looked around and sighed as he couldn't figure out who it was. "Guess ill have to just ask her another time who she was, you know tat is a shame with these masks, i can't tell who is who." He moved with her off to the side and sat down next to her, watching the floor but also looking at her when he spoke or she did. "So, are you like her or different?" He realized after he said it he was probably not making much sense. "What i mean is, do you like the same things as her, or would you hit me for doing something stupid too?" He smiled, already thinking about the book she had dropped on his face that time.

 

[Felicity Mason]

"Why? Hoping I'll be easier than her?"

Felicity's voice went sharp, like a fresh blade. Oh, she wished she had one right now... Honestly, what was he thinking? Flirting with Her, or well, Felcitiy's 'cousin'? Was he brain dead? There was only one Felicity!

...Even if that other girl actually was Felicity. Which she was. Which... she was starting to confuse herself now.
She clutched at her own hands, gently touching the scar on her palm through the thin gloves. She was itching for a fight now. How well could this twig of a boy hold up if she fought him? Owain could hold his own. Owain would fight back. But this one? He didn't look like the type to do anything at all.

..Wait. What did he just say about her hitting him? Now she had to rack her brain to think about all the boys she's hit over the years.

This was going to take some time.

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Felicity Mason"]

"What..." He looked at her as he said that and went wide eyed and hook his head. "No no nononononnono, I dont lik- i mean i dont know anything about you and i... err..." He sighed and literally fell forward with his head in his hand. "Im sorry.... i didn't mean to give you any ideas. You are pretty but i know nothing about you so i really have no reason to judge you. I don't think you will be easier than her... what ever that means." He still had his head in his hand, wincing as he turned, as if his shoulder hurt him.

 

[Felicity Mason]

...Interesting reaction. She was starting to see something in him. Something that might just tell her exactly who was hiding behind that mask.

"Nauren," she sighed, leaning in a little with a playful smile on her face, "I was teasing..."

She wasn't really. In truth, she was still quite mad. But she knew how to play this game. She had practice on Owain. Well, kinda. It couldn't be hard to fake interest. All she had to go was keep leaning in, place a hand against his cheek. Make him think she was trying to kiss him. Her heart raged in her chest. She didn't want this to be her first kiss, but if he really cared for her, he wouldn't do it. And if he did... well, then she would know what kind of guy he really was.
And Felicity would have to punch him.

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Felicity Mason"]

"Oh... ok... what are you doing..." He looked at her face as she leaned close, backing a bit as he looked at her mask... those eyes again... how did she have such similar eyes as her cousin. None the less he just blinked at her getting close, a kiss was the last thing on his mind, turning to face her as she got close he winced again and decided never to turn her body again. "Uh... so do you like music?"

 

[Azula Tindara]

A simple plastic mask couldn’t disguise Jaani and his battle-worn features. He arrived with the Gungan contingent wearing full battle regalia, as Boss Baal had demanded. He walked alongside the Gungan contingent, his head bowed low. There was nothing but shame as he looked across the assembled Protectorate soldiers. They had stood firm, the Gungans had been routed.

He walked into the lavish hall; it was not the first time he had been to the palace, but he was still awed by its beauty. Not the organic beauty of the Gungan cities, it could never match the delight of Otoh Gunga at night, yet it was still magnificent.

“Mesa hopin’ dey have dose tasty fish sticks!” one of Jaani’s fellow soldiers quipped, shoving him in the ribs with his elbow.

“Yup,” Jaani replied solemnly. He sighed deeply as he walked towards a table of food and drinks. Shielded by the feathery orange mask, he hoped no one could see how pained his expression was. It was selfish really, to be so concerned with one’s own failure in light of events. Still, it had shaken him to the core. His mind was set, though he had told no one yet. Tomorrow he would resign from the Gungan army. Boss Baal would need to find a new bodyguard. He would go out into the Galaxy and expand his horizons. Maybe out there he could grow, develop, and find some solace.

 

[Felicity Mason]

"Mmm hmm... Music..."

Her voice was soft. She leaned even close the more he tried to pull away. Her hand went up to touch his cheek, carefully guide it back to her. Was he too embarrassed? Or was he really just that stupid?
Hmm... stupid. Who did she know that was stupid?
Owain made the top of that list, but he wasn't here. She was pretty sure about that. If he was here, she would have probably heard him loudly flirting with the first thing with legs he found.
There was also that silly body guard she hired. What was his name again? She didn't really pay much attention to him.
And almost every boy she went to the Academy with was certainly only there because their parents bought their way in.

Why did he seem so clueless?

"Don't you want to kiss me?"

[member="Jaani Doosun"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Felicity Mason"]

Ok at first he might have had some chance at being able to react calmly, maybe just have her back up a bit, thinking that she was trying to figure out what he looked like under the mask... those eyes... but then her second comment came and he blinked several times and stuttered, tripping over his words now as all attempts to be calm were lost in a single moment. "I... no.. i mean yes... i mean... i didn't want... i uh... it... Didn't you just..." He simply touched her hand as he shut his mouth, pulling it from his face and moving it to rest on her leg. Then he brought his hand up, touched her cheek... then slowly back up without doing anything and tried get her to back up too. "No, i don't want to kiss you. Its not because of your looks, but more that i know not a single thing about you... Sorry, i just don't want to."

 

[Felicity Mason]

She stared at him for a long time. A bit too long. He was actually a bit cute when flustered. Still a complete idiot, but an adorable idiot.

All of a sudden, she burst out laughing/ No explanation. No words. Just laughter. So much so, that she was soon out of breath, gasping, unable to breath enough to make her laughter audible again.

He really did like her! He passed that test... in the funniest way possible! When she finally caught her breath, she had to reach under her mask to wipe away tears.

"You are... hilarious," she gasped, breathing deep.

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Kaiden Rohn]

The Havoc Squad commander found himself seated at the bar, leaning forward and folding his hands on the bar. The bartender was a younger Naboo man, grateful for the actions that the Protectorate had taken. [member="Riley Stryker"] was in the room too, but not in his dress blues. Kaiden wasn't either- he had actually forsaken a dress uniform for a modest black suit with no tie. He sighed, getting his foul liquor-laced drink and starting to go for it.


"To the victors."He said to no one in particular.

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Felicity Mason"]

He blinked, even more confused as she could not understand how things would be able to pass for him. "Uh... thank you... why am i funny?" She was laughing... at him... and her eyes were watering as she laughed. What he does next was something that made him who he was, he laughed with her, realizing it suddenly at how naive he had been, smiling at how she had ran him around. "You didn't actually want to kiss me, did you?"

 

[Felicity Mason]

"Of course not!"

She grinned at him, still catching her breath.

"But I had to know just what kind of guy you are, Mister Nauren. I think I have you figured out."

Yes. She was sure of it now. He had to be. The same height, same weight, same color hair, and eyes. He had to be...

"You're one of my- err, my cousins school mates, aren't you?"

Wrong.

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Felicity Mason"]

He smiled and shook his head as he stood there. "No, im not a school mate of her, just a...well i would say friend but thats not really that true either.." He leaned back in the seat and looked up at the ceiling, realizing then how out of place he was. He really was nothing more than a kid that owes his home and his place here to Felicity, but how could he just say that, that he owed her his life as it was?

 

[Feena]

"Sir, I beg your pardon."

The Queen smiled as she tapped one of the gungans on his shoulder from behind. He wouldn't know her through the mask, and she was certain she had not met him regardless. Feena knew very few gungans. Still, after the loss at Otoh Gunga, she truly wanted to speak to one.

"I hope you don't think me rude, but I get to see so few Gungans in the capital."


[member="Jaani Doosun"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

Oh. So not a school mate. That eliminated quite a few, now that she thought about it.

"Oh? Where do you go to school then? You live on Naboo, right?"

She looked out at the crowd, the dance floor. People were partnering off again for the next song. She wanted to be out there too. Would anybody else ask her to dance the whole night, or would she be stuck with this guy? The one who just confessed to having a crush on her? It was too awkward! She couldn't face him all night!


[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

"Well... i don't really, i taught myself alot of this stuff..." He watched her looking at the dance floor and smiled, holding out his hand. "Care for another dance, then perhaps you can help me find your sister to ask her for one?" He smiled at her as he sat there, hand out towards her with a smile that seemed a bit too often on his face... always on his face... and his eyes seemed to remain on hers, blinking as he looked at them.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

This was too much. He was so stupid. So very, very stupid. How couldn't he have figured it out at this point? She wasn't even a good liar!

"Err... you mean my cousin," she corrected, giving an awkward smile as she took his hand.

She followed him to the dance floor once again, but she wasn't really there anymore. Now she was thinking about someone else. Oawin was somewhere right now. Not here. Not at this party. What was he doing instead?

"You know, when you find her, you should really tell her how you feel. Maybe she won't feel the same, but it's better than keeping it in forever, right?"

...Who do I think I am, giving that kind of advice? I could do the same myself...

[member="Glyph"]