[Closed log] Temari, Kakashi (part 1)
Characters: Temari, Kakashi (closed)
Date: Mid-summer
Setting: Port Royale tavern
Summary: (Part 1) Temari sneaks out of the house one night and has a chance meeting with Kakashi at a local tavern. Kakashi, in lieu of a Sasuke, gives her his revenge speech, and Temari, wanting to get away from her life, finds an opportunity.
Warnings: Some language, consumption of alcohol, and a few innuendos.
The things that the women of society were made to force themselves into was ridiculous. Temari wasn't entirely sure she could even call them clothes. The term clothes seemed to imply, to her at least, something practical to cover ones' self while in public. And those nasty little corsets and voluminous dresses she was made to wear on a daily basis were certainly not practical, and were anything but comfortable. Which is why she much preferred the servant's breeches she was currently donning by the candlelight. Everyone had long since gone to bed, and she had smuggled the garment out of the clean laundry earlier during the day, sometime shortly before lunch. Hopefully the owner wouldn't miss it and would understand.
Temari just needed to get out.
Being men's clothes, they didn't fit her quite right, but they were good enough, and she wasn't about to complain that she wouldn't be struggling to breathe for the rest of the night. Getting dressed was the easy part. Getting down the stairs was the hard part. Attaching her rapier to her belt (it sure felt good to at least be able to bring it along with her), blowing out the candle, and taking her borrowed boots in hand, she left her chambers and tip toed down the stairs, eliciting a small groan or creak from each one. At the bottom, she paused, and listened, her ears ringing with the dead silence. She didn't hear anyone stirring, save for some snoring upstairs. Next was the door, which creaked ever so slightly on its hinges, but was not as bad as she had thought it was going to be. She was home free, in the most literal sense of the word.
The sultry night air hit her like a wall, but she was used to it, and quickly pulled the boots over her feet. The streets were almost barren, save for a few strays who seemed to heading home for the night anyway, but other than that, it was silent. Most people were either or asleep or at...
..the tavern she had decided on, so she'd heard, was one of the more "upscale" ones, if that term could really be applied. Really all it meant was that it had a lower occurrence of bar fights than most other places, and was generally less packed on nights such as this, but it was still a filthy, disgusting establishment. And she loved it.
She didn't particularly enjoy the stench of alcohol and dirty men and other substances she dared not try to name, nor did she much like the looks some of the gruff men gave her, but the whole lack of formality, the tense air, the honesty abounding and flying insults and laughter-- it was all very different and rather exciting for a young lady who'd only ever experienced the life high society lived, a calm, clean, polite life. Taking an empty seat at the bar, she ordered the first thing that came to mind, conscious to keep her voice low so as not to give herself away, and while she waited, she wondered...
What in the world was she to do now?
Taverns were, ironically, one of the few pleasures that Kakashi attributed to his lifestyle without complaint. They were loud, and he preferred silence; often crowded, whereas he was a solitary creature by nature; and in more than a few instances he had walked in on, or been walked in on by, an old enemy that apparently was not too old, as he still remembered Kakashi’s face and every wrong that he had committed against said enemy. Regardless, pubs had a homey feel to them, almost like a ship on land, and so they were a rare place where Kakashi could easily-and safely-belong, blend, and mingle more often than not.
But a rather tedious past week inevitably led to a lack of interest on his part in the present. He had enough on his mind already, what with the death of his latest captain and the decision that lie before him now, the latter warranting an answer in the next several hours, and so it was more in an action of retreat than a search for pleasure that he had come to this tavern around two hours before.
At first he had retreated to a corner, refusing any drink for the sake of a clear mind, a tight wallet, and a novel that needed reading. But as the night wore on, Kakashi began to loosen in both mind and muscle and was finally convinced that none of his shipmates were going to join him and offer to pay. Before long this reality had him making his way to the bar and claiming the stool closest to the wall.
He was not all that thirsty, as a few barrels of rum-not top quality, but that was beside the point-had been broken open that morning-and afternoon-in a farewell toast to the ship’s late captain and Kakashi had gotten as much as he felt inclined to take. Even so, he found himself ordering a half-pint flagon of the stuff, but had hardly touched it when a voice only just caught his attention. It was low and quiet and he missed what it said-all the more reason for curiosity, as hardly a body in the place seemed able to speak below a yell. He looked over.
She was young and pretty with a little stress on the second quality, but it was in such a way that her lack of immediate ladylike qualities fit her. She was dressed in men’s clothes and carrying a weapon-not an uncommon sight among women of Kakashi’s company, and he was so used to it that he had had no trouble in discerning her gender. He watched the bartender retreat to fetch her order, but his attention quickly returned to her. He kept his head down as before, gaze as subtle as he could make it. She didn’t seem to be waiting for anyone, at least not at first glance, which fit nicely with his steadily growing desire for a bit of company, namely for that of the fairer sex. So in spite of the danger that could be lying in the simple action of an address, Kakashi took the chance, openly turning his head towards her and calling across the couple of empty stools that separated the two of them.
"Entertain my curiosity, Miss: would you happen to be a newcomer, or are you passing through?" A quarter of a warm smile graced his lips, meant to disarm anything about him that might come off as threatening. "Or have you simply had a rather particularly unpleasant night, and I’m only contributing by interfering?" Each of these possibilities was a guess, of course, based on her simple, clean dress and reserved appearance, but Kakashi was not aiming for accuracy so much as he was a conversation.
Miss. There went that plan, flitting out the door like some distressed butterfly, but she supposed she shouldn't have been stupid enough to assume that no one could ever figure her out. She had been accused of having a rather boyish voice, true, but that was all she had going for her. But still, at the very least, her attire had not yet brought specific attention to her gender, and that was the most she could ever really ask of it. Perhaps a little facial hair might have helped her case...
Glancing over, she sized up the man who had addressed her...nothing particularly special in his blue eyes and what appeared to be a scar, but she did find his silvery hair rather intriguing. His face seemed kindly enough, though, and he didn't seem to intend her any harm, not at the immediate time anyway, and so she loosened up. The only problem remaining was that she had not even considered what to tell anyone about herself or what sort of story she had. Perhaps it best not to lie, unless absolutely necessary. Stretch the truth for all it was worth, and only make things up when you absolutely had to. Maintaining lies was a whole other challenge in itself.
"I suppose you might say I've had an unpleasant life," she replied just loud enough to be heard. She might have considered it true, for while she had money, she never quite had happiness or fulfillment, and what was a life without those? "But I could use a bit of company, if you'd so oblige me."
"I'm terribly sorry to hear that." Pleased by the invitation that he had hardly had to work for, Kakashi stood, his movements patient and lazy as his fingertips caught the lip of his flagon and pulled it after him. He settled easily onto the stool beside her, his attention outwardly focused on his drink but taking in what it could out of the corner of his left eye. When she had returned his stare, that vague sense of feminine air about her had thickened slightly by the full sight of her face, provoking his interest further.
"If my joining you can alleviate some of your displeasure, I'm more than happy to give it." He stole a glimpse at her, his voice serious but his expression lax. "Perhaps together we can join forces and chase off the memories of our misfortunes, if only for a while."
"Well then, you can lead the way," Temari prompted with a gentle smile, taking a deep breath and leaning forward onto the bar. Yes, you go first so I have time to thing exactly how I'm going to word things. Next time--if there was a next time, of course--she'd be sure to plan these sorts of things out ahead of time. But she was grateful for the company, at the very least. Polite company at that, all things considered. Anyone could have confronted her...anyone. So she didn't have any qualms but...that didn't help with the fact that she was a little bit flustered.
Really, she couldn't say her life was all that bad. All things considered, it was pretty good. But then there was her mother, and her brothers, and her father, none of whom she'd met, but all of whom were he sources of discomfort, a blemish on an otherwise perfect life. Perhaps there was enough about them to make sufficient conversation, if she worded things just right...
Kakashi raised his eyebrows and cocked his head, turning back to his drink. "Very well." He paused a moment to raise the cup, prop his elbow against the bar, and reflect over the number of things that qualified as a misfortune. "Well, a normal night would warrant cursing something simple and day to day-a bad trip, losing what appeared to be a promising profit, even unfortunate weather if one could think of nothing else." He looked at her again, tone thoughtful. "But your presence merits a special occasion, I'm sure, so despite having suffered all of those recently, I shall dedicate tonight to denouncing something particularly wicked."
Another pause, because even in that category, Kakashi had several possibilities to consider. "My father's killer," he said finally, bringing the drink to his lips. Before taking a swig, he threw in casually, "The bastard be damned for shooting a good man in the back." Not a subject he liked to bring up often--or at all, really--but he had not been lying about her presence being special. She was the first Kakashi had spoken to out of choice rather than necessity in a long while; and she had offered him leadership of the conversation, after all, so he took it with the intent of being honest with himself as well as with her.
Oh…ooooh…one of them. Pirate, privateer, she wasn’t sure which, but he certainly wasn’t enlisted in the navy, unless he, like her, was moonlighting as someone else. She highly doubted it. She wasn’t particularly surprised, considering exactly where she was, but she was certainly now intrigued, if not by the story then by his brazen compliment. (really, it wasn’t every day that she was considered particularly special.) Her inner monologue subsided as she listened to his story, suddenly rather interested. It wasn’t every day that she got to hear such tales, unless it was one of the naval officers she was made to entertain, who really seemed to care more about their badges and their military accomplishments rather than anything of any real import.
Not that there was much to hear, but a deceased parent…she could relate to that, so easily. And her mind also had the tendency to wander, creating dramatic, fairy tale like scenarios in her mind whenever she let it get out of hand. And she only ever chose to let it get out of hand. This one she would store for later, however, as she still had company and she was still polite, if only by force of habit.
“Just like that?” she asked, the words escaping her lips before she could realize how rude such a comment was. But then, he had brought the subject up. “Well then, do you…know where this person is, are you going to track them down, and get revenge?”
An amused "hm" echoed inside the flagon before Kakashi lowered it back onto the bar and folded his arms along the chipped wood.
"I couldn't tell you how many times the thought's crossed my mind. But fortunately for me, I never even saw the man's face. I've no name, nothing to go on. I was quite bitter about that for a while, to be honest." Kakashi's hand came up, rubbing the stubble along his jaw in memory. "I imagine I could find him, if I really wanted to try...and assuming he's still alive." He spoke as if the matter didn't concern him personally, as if this man hadn't set in motion a track of events that had twisted and changed Kakashi's life to a point where he could never hope to go back. But he had had about twelve years to think this matter over, so disregard was no longer difficult. "But I'll tell you something."
Here he looked over again. "I've met a number of men in my days-some good, some not so much-who had dedicated their lives to vengeance. An eye for an eye, they said. Sounded perfectly logical at the time, as I could relate. Most of them, I haven't seen since. But of the handful that I have..." Kakashi's eyes moved behind the bar, staring off. "...They were never satisfied." A poor way of phrasing it, but it was difficult to explain with even a thousand words. "Revenge can become a man's life, his purpose, and then when all's said and done, that purpose is gone. Men can despair after that-whether from the loss of their reason to live, or finding that the satisfaction they've been searching for is never going to come.
"A couple of them seemed happy, of course," he went on, "but considering how bad their lives had been up to that point already, even misery seemed a step up from where they were." Looking at his companion once more, Kakashi smiled and waved a hand. Even for a conversation with a woman, he was being more talkative than usual. "Excuse my chatter. I've long been lacking in considerate company, so I'm afraid I'm abusing the privilege."
"You run around like a chicken without its head..." she murmured, more to herself than anyone around her, trailing off as her own thoughts and memories took over. It was a wonderful sentiment, really, and not something she was entirely a stranger to. Perhaps the sort of desires she'd been privy to had been much more cleverly masked, behind a facade of civility and carefully periphrased so as not to seem crass or barbaric. And whether or not they had been so wronged as to actually have a need for such retribution was an entirely different matter. But justified or not, she'd seen how wrapped up one could get in their own little world, only for their anger and desire to become that world, and then when their world was ripped from them, there was nowhere left for them to go, nothing left for which they could work and strive.
"No, no, you're abusing nothing," she said, snapping back into reality. She had been ignoring her own drink, which the bartender had brought sometime back, and only now took a half-hearted sip so as not to let it go to waste. Much more accustomed to wine, it took at least a minimal effort get even that much down, but she had to admit that she didn't mind so much. "If I seem disinterested, I'm not, merely enthralled and perhaps a little too interested. We are almost entirely in the same boat, you know, except for the fact that I know the men who killed my mother."
She waited only a second, not long enough to receive any sort of prompting, but just enough for any objections to be raised. Even if there had been, she wouldn't have listened. She couldn't recall ever telling anyone her story in its entirety. And even now, she wouldn't be, carefully planning how to exclude the giveaway details.
"I won't be vague, the blame lies solely with my father and my brother," she continued, gaze now turning to the shelves of bottles behind the bar, hands idly fussing with her drink. "I'm always being told that I'm just like my mother was, and that she was a sweet woman with a good heart and a smart head. But the rest her body was not so lucky...and my father pushed her too hard to give him sons...and his second son, my youngest brother that is, is what did her in.
"I never got to meet her, of course. I may have been born on his ship, but my father would not have me raised there, so I was sent away. And him I only met once, when he came to deliver some of my mother's personal heirlooms." Her story must have sounded so pathetic, a little girl pining for her long lost mother. But what was the difference, losing a father, losing a mother? "I know you must think it petty of me, but when it could have been avoided so easily, and now I shall never get to meet her...it's infuriating."
She would have liked to break down into tears, but she was not one to cry, instead fighting back the lump in her throat with another sip of her drink. She was beginning to understand exactly how one might drown their sorrows in alcohol, almost literally.
So she had an extended family, most of them still alive by the sound of it. If her father owned a ship and a family and had enough resources to push for sons after sending his daughter away, the man certainly wasn't low class. If he was, he was making a pretty decent profit; but most likely this woman was of a rank higher than she wanted to suggest.
Kakashi listened without comment, not normally being one to offer comfort or advice-at least not in such sentimental matters. But he identified. All too easily.
"I can understand if you feel angry towards your brother," he murmured when she had finished. "Anyone would." He gazed inside his flagon, now half-empty, a brief distraction before deciding to go on. "My mother died giving birth to me, her first child. I had only just forgiven myself for it when my father was murdered, so I personally don't find that type of pain petty by any means." Heart wrenching was more like it. The shock of his father's death had hit Kakashi harder than anything he had experienced up to that age, and in some immature train of thought, he had ended up blaming himself for both of his parents' deaths.
Another smile, seemingly genuine. He and this woman may have nearly been in the same boat, but perhaps he and her brother were already there. "I know forgiveness is the most difficult part of the matter...but it is possible, if you want it to be. And if you don't, well...that's also understandable," he added with another tilt of his head, implying that he meant it. While he had gotten over his mother, that was only one on a long list.
Temari honestly would have liked to comfort this stranger a little more than she physically could, given the situation. Perhaps it was an actual streak of sympathy--after all, they could easily relate to each other--or just an ingrained reaction, but either way, the was more she could do, but couldn't, all at the same time. She felt as if there were more to the story than what he was letting on, or perhaps other things troubling him, but it would be simply rude to press harder when he was already opening up to her. At least, as far as she could tell...there was always, always the possibility that he wasn't being entirely truthful, although towards what ends she couldn't figure out, and something made her want to give him the benefit of the doubt, where she normally might not have.
"My brother I'm sure I could forgive, if I were to ever meet him again," she said with a sigh, "but my father...perhaps I can never forgive him. Where there was nothing my brother could have done, my father...his actions were deliberate. He knew she was unwell, unfit to bear more children, and he wouldn't leave her behind on shore. That, to me...is almost the same as murder. And one can never truly forgive a murderer, I think. Act civil, pretend to forgive them? Certainly. But in your heart of hearts, I think I will always bear ill will towards him."
She shook her head, inhaled slowly, exhaled just as slowly. "I can assure you, your situation is far worse than mine. But perhaps take some solace in that you may go out into the world and make something of your life. Do the things that would make your father and mother proud if they could see it."
While I am stuck here, relegated to tea parties and luncheons and being courted, she would have liked to add, but that would be going a little too far, and giving away far too much.
Oh, yes. They would certainly be proud to learn that their only son and heir to his family's name had traded his noble heritage for a life as a pirate. That was a thought that had occurred to Kakashi many times, but for all the guilt it produced, he had never turned his back on what he did. He had an excuse when he was younger, inexperienced and helpless at the time; and perhaps his parents would have approved of his initial intentions, but sticking to this life for as long as he had...there was no justification for that. He had his reasons for doing what he did and while they were enough to placate him most of the time, he never liked to imagine what his deceased parents would think.
Kakashi didn't say that to this woman, though, not when she seemed honest in her words of comfort. That, and he had already revealed to her in a couple of minutes what he normally wouldn't tell someone he had known for a couple of years-too much. Far too much.
He wanted to return her consoling gesture with anything that might have comforted her, but could think of nothing. Her father's actions might have been understandable in the eyes of the society they lived in, however cruel, but Kakashi could not personally say anything about it that didn't express some degree of disapproval; nor could he go in the other direction, sounding as if he were defending the man.
So in the end he consented to simply replying, "Perhaps. There's no telling what the future may bring for either of us." Lifting his drink in a toast, he looked towards her, a shadow of his smile still in place. He didn't know if it was because of sympathy, alcohol, or the quick liking he had taken to her, but she seemed to be growing prettier by the minute and he had noticed. Regardless, he resisted letting his gaze linger or his speech falter for too long. "I'll drink to that hope. And may you become as fine a woman as your mother was, if you haven't already." Kakashi would have also proposed drinking to the possibility of the woman's reconciliation with her father, but he abstained.
"To finding the closure we both seek," she added, raising her glass to the toast. Really, that was all anyone could ever ask for. Closure. Comfort in the way things turned out. And she really meant it. Decent people-- and decent men, at that-- were hard to come by. For being a stranger, she felt an odd sense of good will towards him, as if she really did want him to come to some sort of beneficial end. Perhaps she was just becoming a softie, perhaps the alcohol for which she had little tolerance was going straight to her head, or perhaps it really was some sense of kinship in the troubles they shared. Whatever it was, it lent her a sincerity in her well-wishes that she rarely had these days. It actually felt good to be honest about such things for once.
Setting her drink back down again, a brief, awkward pause ensued, during which she debated whether she should say something, or whether there should be a full-fledged moment of silence, or perhaps she should say something to his compliment. It wasn't often that she was complimented by a man who wasn't trying to get his grubby paws on her money and her foster father's status, and although he may have had other intentions altogether, at least even those would be for personal gain. She would make no assumptions, and give him the benefit of the doubt, naturally, but even then, such intention was less shallow than money or fame.
"I'll admit," she started, finally deciding on what thoughts to vocalize and how to word them, "you are very flattering for a gentleman I have known for less than an hour, but I have stuck around for that reason precisely-- you are a gentleman. Even the kindest of men can become animals when under the influence of alcohol and surrounded by those of their own species. Therefor, while it may not mean much to you...I must give you thanks for keeping such pleasant company. It's appreciated more than you can imagine."
Kakashi's smile returned, as genuine as he had made it tonight. "Certainly. And in turn I must thank you, for to be regarded by a woman radiating such class is a rare form of flattery," he replied, lifting his drink again before finishing it off. He would let her take that comment as she would.
"...Although," he said thoughtfully after another pause, "if you truly think so well of me..." The ambiguity that he was so fond of would most definitely have him treading on thin ice, but in truth, he was rarely on anything firmer. "There is one thing I could ask of you that would make this night an even better memory in days to come." Kakashi was, namely, curious about how she would answer, but he had also been too serious up to this point. He needed to loosen up, and some gentle teasing in the process would certainly help.
He had been polite just far, so she really had no reason to believe he had ulterior motives, but she couldn't help a small chuckle at what sounded a lot like a proposition. Still, she would play along and give him the benefit of the doubt, if only for her own amusement. She could easily justify that she owed it to him not to be making assumptions.
"Why, sir, I do believe you are flirting with me," she said with a tone of mock-surprise, leaning in a little closer. Perhaps she should have worn a dress, she would have been able to show off a little more of her bust, or any of it at all, but her men's attire was not going to allow for that, which was a real shame. "But since you have been so very kind and complimentary tonight, I might indulge you if you would be so kind as to tell me what, pray, you might ask of me to make this night better. One cannot agree to conditions one does not yet know, hmm?"
Oh she had a very good idea of what those conditions were, but it couldn't hurt to be just a little flirty herself. She'd always been told she was the 'hard-to-get' type anyways...
Of the possible reactions he could have incited, that one had been under those that Kakashi figured to be the least likely. It didn't disappoint him-not by any means-but it meant that he had to rethink his response. Fortunately, experience made that feat rather simple.
"Not necessarily." He swiveled towards her on his stool, moving swiftly from his slouch to face her before relaxing again. Putting most of his weight against the bar, he closed a little more of the space between them. "Bear in mind that I never stated my intent...and yet you, apparently not knowing my said conditions, have put yourself in a position meant to make me think that you're willing to accept them regardless." He had caught her game and was gladly returning it. Kakashi gave her a searching look, voice echoing her previous false surprise. "I do hope you're not a hypocrite?"
She watched his movements discreetly, noting his posture and his expression, both now more lax than before. The was to be expected, she supposed, and she enjoyed his playing along with a sort of idle amusement. She was used to these sorts of word games, so it was no novelty for her, but it was interesting to find it played out here, of all places. She'd heard and had discussions before, in the parlor, in the ballroom, at the dinner table-- skirting the real issue at hand, masking true intentions with veils of heavily-interpreted wording. How many love affairs had she heard discussed over dinner, where the participants assumed no one would understand? And some of the secrets and scandal she was privy to when others weren't wise enough to realize that they were not the only ones well versed in such means of expression. It was, the majority of the time, amusing and gave her all sorts of facts to keep for a rainy day.
"Ah, I did not intend to lead you on then, if that is what you've come to understand," she said, feigning an apology. "I merely meant that I might be more inclined to oblige you, as you've been so generous in your compliments. But of course, I will only decide that when I hear precisely what these conditions are. I simply can't be jumping off the tallest building simply because I've met a gentlemanly stranger."
She was smiling a genuine smile, however much she would like to pretend to stay distant. How could she resist when present company was so much more entertaining than most everyone else she knew?
"So do tell, what is it you would like to ask of me?"
She was more playful than he had thought. She had guessed what he meant, but was evidently determined to receive a direction assertion of his intentions. Ambiguity would serve no role in this exchange.
"Apology accepted." Resting his chin on his fist, Kakashi watched her with a tilted gaze. "As for my request..." He looked towards the tavern's front, eyes flitting nonchalantly over the crowd. "I ask that you be honest, and tell me whether you think I'll wake up tomorrow morning and regret having let you walk away without so much as a name."
It was an honest question, something of a confession, a masked proposal, a subtle compliment, and partly a jest all at once, although he wasn't completely sure how she would interpret it. That would also be interesting to see. "I'm a man who keeps record of his losses, if only for the sake of consistency...and so I was curious as to whether you're normally this charming, or if I was simply one of the fortunate few to have seen this side of you." Kakashi focused on her again; his smile returned from suggestive back to friendly, although he remained where he was. "My intent was nothing more shameful than that," he finished.
And so the tables turned, and he was the one toying with her now. And somehow she didn't mind it too much, but perhaps because she hadn't lost quite yet, and so the game still had some entertainment value to it. She'd never been a very good loser, however, so she'd have to be sure to keep the upper hand. Unflinching in her expression and unfaltering in her tone, she kept up the ruse.
"No, of course it was nothing more than that," she agreed with a small shake of her head. "I suspected nothing of the sort, but I do like to practice a little caution. I hope this is reasonable and you aren't offended."
She was avoiding the point. But what could a name hurt? She was proud, but she could have a bit of modesty when she needed to, and she knew she couldn't be that well-reknowned that dropping a name here and there was going to cause much of a problem.
"Temari," she finally offered. "And I don't suppose you'd be kind enough to return the favor, would you?"
"Perfectly reasonable. A lady can never be too careful in such a time and place." She had come right back without skipping a beat or batting an eye; she knew what she was saying, which made for much more liking than if she had not. Kakashi had always appreciated a woman's wit, and Temari was certainly no exception. She was a highlight, if anything.
"I would say that you've earned that favor," he mused. "And even if you had not, I assure you that I'm of a kinder nature than my demeanor may suggest. Kakashi." Then, casually, "Rather rough and unrefined compared to yours, I'm afraid. I apologize for not being christened with something more audibly pleasing." He was slipping into the easiest part of the conversation, having completed the hardest stage of starting the match. Now it was simply a matter of keeping it up.
"What is in a name, anyway? But it has a charm all its own, I can assure you."
Names were such an odd thing-- as long as you had the right one, you could have any amount of reknown you wanted, without ever having to earn it. But hers was a common name, and she didn't recognize his, so any amount of fame attached to it was beyond her. But then, who was to say it was his real name? And how was he to know she was being truthful? She didn't not believe him, so much as she was idly aware that he might be acting under a false name. It was of no real concern, merely something she kept in mind. For all he knew, she was doing the exact same. And then, that was ignoring that had he so chosen, he could have taken on a much more well-known name and had her entirely fooled. It was for that exact reason that, to her, names meant little else than a means by which to hail someone.
"And besides, mine is not a name you would want. Something so lilting would not instill respect into the hearts of others, whereas such a strong name as the one you have been graced with might."
She was laying it on a little thick now, but she managed to keep her tone light, and still withing the range of humor, in an attempt to indicate that she was playing it up a bit, joking but only with sincere intents.
This time Kakashi allowed himself a small grin, having caught her wordplay for what it was. "Lilting or not, your name fits you, I believe, and that in itself deserves respect." He hesitated, studying her face. "Like you, it sounds charming, gives off a pleasant ring. Has a good form," he added without blinking. "And were Temari a color, I imagine it would be something of a golden hue." His gaze moved briefly to her hair before returning to her eyes. "My name may be strong, as you put it, but it lacks any true philosophical value. In that regard, I must admit that you've the upper hand."
"Why, you do realize you are leaving me speechless here," she replied, feigning embarrassment. "You are far too kind, so forgive me if I'm a little too flustered to return the favor. But I do commend you for achieving this much, where others might not have. I've been told I'm...how do they put it, difficult? Yes, that's it."
Now, she had to wonder, what was he up to? Trying to make small talk? Trying, once again, to flirt? (if that had been his aim in the first place...she supposed some people could naturally be very friendly.) Interesting none the less, and she didn't exactly have anywhere important to be. Although she would be exhausted in the morning, staying out so late...playing sick, it seemed, was the only option now that she had become enthralled and didn't see herself leaving any time soon.
"Forgive me if I've embarrassed you at all. That surely was not my intent. But I hope you realize that I simply have too much material to work with in terms of your appearance." Kakashi had purposely strayed from his original path before now for both the sake of amusement and to test his boundaries, feeling out just how far she would let his speech carry and how she would respond; now satisfied and confident, he was beginning to move back to that path. "I might be inclined to compliment another quality, should I know of it, that you would be more comfortable with. Unfortunately, I know nothing of your nature save for what I can see and what you yourself have presented to me thus far..." He straightened up slightly and reached past her, resting his arm along the counter and only just avoiding a brush against hers. Possibly the boldest move he had made, and one during which he watched her for a sign. "And to learn anything more rests on whether or not you will oblige me."
Temari tilted her head slightly, a playful gesture if anything, when coupled with her lingering smirk. Apparently, the path never strayed far. She was curious, though, as to what this innuendo might be veiling, or if it was a cover for anything at all. With the way he'd phrased simply asking for her name, it wouldn't have surprised her if this line of conversation would lead somewhere else equally unexpected. She had every intent to find out.
"Are you then asking me to present more of myself to you?" she asked in jest, shifting forward ever so slightly more in response to his somewhat forward gesture. He definitely was not the shy type, not at this point in the evening. "Because if that were the case, if I were to agree to whatever it is you're looking for in particular...I would be inclined to ask you to reciprocate."
She had taken what Kakashi had planned to be a gradual descent and turned it into a sudden and rapid plunge. Regardless, it was easy enough to keep up with her, particularly because he was not at all displeased by this outcome and was able to slide rather effortlessly into the correct frame of mind for it.
Avoiding the question, he replied evenly, "How thorough of you. Nor do I find it an unfair trade. But," he objected regretfully, "there is the possible problem that we don't share the same tastes in what we're each looking for. Were that the case, I fear we would reach something of an impasse."
"Well then, you could always tell me what it is you are looking for, and if I find it simply unacceptable, then we merely move on with the night," she suggested, looking thoughtful about it, even though it was easily a logical progression.
This was most likely the reason most men called her difficult. She was much more too the point, and it ruined their little games, when things didn't play out exactly as planned. So it was quite the change of pace to encounter someone who, instead of giving up in a fit of annoyance, simply went with the flow. Despite her reservations, she inwardly decided that, had they not been from such different worlds, they might have been, at the very least, good friends.
And there she was again, apparently intent on making Kakashi say just what he wanted and taking nothing less. He certainly was not shy on the matter; and it would be even more interesting to see how she would react if he obliged and gave her the answer she wanted. She obviously knew just what he was aiming at, so she would be expecting it. Even so, he wanted to see just how far he could stretch her patience.
"A wonderful plan," he agreed. "But I've been raised in such a way that it is common courtesy to put a woman ahead of oneself...and being, as you say, a gentleman, I feel I am disposed to follow this rule." Kakashi straightened up slightly, speaking as though he were discussing business rather than engaging in the same amorous banter. "So by all means, Miss Temari, do tell me what it is you're looking for so that I may follow suit."
Glancing about the room briefly, Temari's eyes confirmed what her ears had heard. The room was getting a little more crowded and a little more rowdy. She really did hate to have to shout over other peoples' voices. That, and rowdy, drunken men didn't suit her tastes, especially when she was in the presence of someone much calmer and much less drunk. But it opened up a very good opportunity for her, to see just what he was all about. With her weapon still faithfully at her side, she didn't so much fear actually getting attacked--should he, for any reason, turn violent-- so much as she simply hoped she wouldn't have to use it.
And she'd be lying if she said she wasn't the least bit intrigued by his assumed motives, and she couldn't say that the entire time she'd been there, she hadn't thought, at least once, that he was mildly handsome just as he was mild mannered. Unbefitting as granting such a wish might be, should she decide it worth her while, it was really nothing to her, or anyone who had been privy to how the judge's wife had been unfaithful to him at least three different times, with three different men, confessing when the guilt became too much, only to find out that he had been even more unfaithful. Piety was merely a facade for so many aristocrats, it was sometimes astonishing, but certainly a comfort in a situation like this.
"Well I, for one, would like to find some place a little quieter and a little more..."
She trailed off, glancing back over the crowed once again, before returning her gaze to meet his, green eyes half lidded as a mischievious grin played on her lips.
"How should I say...private?"
Kakashi traced the path of her gaze over the room after she finished, hesitating as though he were contemplating her words. Part of him wondered if she were really agreeing so frankly after putting up such a playful resistance, but there was nothing for him to lose in going along with her to find out. Regardless, he wasn't going to rush, either.
"Any place safe from prying eyes in this world would be considered private," he pointed out, turning back to her. "Would you happen to have any such particular location in mind?"
Pondering for a moment, only one realistic solution came to mind. She couldn't take him him, that was preposterous. And she wasn't about to invite him to share a room at a nearby inn, that was just a little too suggestive for her tastes. That left very few conclusions, and she took the simplest one.
"I confess, I don't," she replied, "but perhaps we could go for a little stroll, down the street, and we'll see where that takes us."
He couldn't help smiling at that. "That sounds wonderful." His motions slow, languid, and deliberate, Kakashi pushed his empty flagon back, dropping a few coins deftly alongside it and standing. Leaning against the bar, he returned his attention to Temari. "Shall we?"
Date: Mid-summer
Setting: Port Royale tavern
Summary: (Part 1) Temari sneaks out of the house one night and has a chance meeting with Kakashi at a local tavern. Kakashi, in lieu of a Sasuke, gives her his revenge speech, and Temari, wanting to get away from her life, finds an opportunity.
Warnings: Some language, consumption of alcohol, and a few innuendos.
The things that the women of society were made to force themselves into was ridiculous. Temari wasn't entirely sure she could even call them clothes. The term clothes seemed to imply, to her at least, something practical to cover ones' self while in public. And those nasty little corsets and voluminous dresses she was made to wear on a daily basis were certainly not practical, and were anything but comfortable. Which is why she much preferred the servant's breeches she was currently donning by the candlelight. Everyone had long since gone to bed, and she had smuggled the garment out of the clean laundry earlier during the day, sometime shortly before lunch. Hopefully the owner wouldn't miss it and would understand.
Temari just needed to get out.
Being men's clothes, they didn't fit her quite right, but they were good enough, and she wasn't about to complain that she wouldn't be struggling to breathe for the rest of the night. Getting dressed was the easy part. Getting down the stairs was the hard part. Attaching her rapier to her belt (it sure felt good to at least be able to bring it along with her), blowing out the candle, and taking her borrowed boots in hand, she left her chambers and tip toed down the stairs, eliciting a small groan or creak from each one. At the bottom, she paused, and listened, her ears ringing with the dead silence. She didn't hear anyone stirring, save for some snoring upstairs. Next was the door, which creaked ever so slightly on its hinges, but was not as bad as she had thought it was going to be. She was home free, in the most literal sense of the word.
The sultry night air hit her like a wall, but she was used to it, and quickly pulled the boots over her feet. The streets were almost barren, save for a few strays who seemed to heading home for the night anyway, but other than that, it was silent. Most people were either or asleep or at...
..the tavern she had decided on, so she'd heard, was one of the more "upscale" ones, if that term could really be applied. Really all it meant was that it had a lower occurrence of bar fights than most other places, and was generally less packed on nights such as this, but it was still a filthy, disgusting establishment. And she loved it.
She didn't particularly enjoy the stench of alcohol and dirty men and other substances she dared not try to name, nor did she much like the looks some of the gruff men gave her, but the whole lack of formality, the tense air, the honesty abounding and flying insults and laughter-- it was all very different and rather exciting for a young lady who'd only ever experienced the life high society lived, a calm, clean, polite life. Taking an empty seat at the bar, she ordered the first thing that came to mind, conscious to keep her voice low so as not to give herself away, and while she waited, she wondered...
What in the world was she to do now?
Taverns were, ironically, one of the few pleasures that Kakashi attributed to his lifestyle without complaint. They were loud, and he preferred silence; often crowded, whereas he was a solitary creature by nature; and in more than a few instances he had walked in on, or been walked in on by, an old enemy that apparently was not too old, as he still remembered Kakashi’s face and every wrong that he had committed against said enemy. Regardless, pubs had a homey feel to them, almost like a ship on land, and so they were a rare place where Kakashi could easily-and safely-belong, blend, and mingle more often than not.
But a rather tedious past week inevitably led to a lack of interest on his part in the present. He had enough on his mind already, what with the death of his latest captain and the decision that lie before him now, the latter warranting an answer in the next several hours, and so it was more in an action of retreat than a search for pleasure that he had come to this tavern around two hours before.
At first he had retreated to a corner, refusing any drink for the sake of a clear mind, a tight wallet, and a novel that needed reading. But as the night wore on, Kakashi began to loosen in both mind and muscle and was finally convinced that none of his shipmates were going to join him and offer to pay. Before long this reality had him making his way to the bar and claiming the stool closest to the wall.
He was not all that thirsty, as a few barrels of rum-not top quality, but that was beside the point-had been broken open that morning-and afternoon-in a farewell toast to the ship’s late captain and Kakashi had gotten as much as he felt inclined to take. Even so, he found himself ordering a half-pint flagon of the stuff, but had hardly touched it when a voice only just caught his attention. It was low and quiet and he missed what it said-all the more reason for curiosity, as hardly a body in the place seemed able to speak below a yell. He looked over.
She was young and pretty with a little stress on the second quality, but it was in such a way that her lack of immediate ladylike qualities fit her. She was dressed in men’s clothes and carrying a weapon-not an uncommon sight among women of Kakashi’s company, and he was so used to it that he had had no trouble in discerning her gender. He watched the bartender retreat to fetch her order, but his attention quickly returned to her. He kept his head down as before, gaze as subtle as he could make it. She didn’t seem to be waiting for anyone, at least not at first glance, which fit nicely with his steadily growing desire for a bit of company, namely for that of the fairer sex. So in spite of the danger that could be lying in the simple action of an address, Kakashi took the chance, openly turning his head towards her and calling across the couple of empty stools that separated the two of them.
"Entertain my curiosity, Miss: would you happen to be a newcomer, or are you passing through?" A quarter of a warm smile graced his lips, meant to disarm anything about him that might come off as threatening. "Or have you simply had a rather particularly unpleasant night, and I’m only contributing by interfering?" Each of these possibilities was a guess, of course, based on her simple, clean dress and reserved appearance, but Kakashi was not aiming for accuracy so much as he was a conversation.
Miss. There went that plan, flitting out the door like some distressed butterfly, but she supposed she shouldn't have been stupid enough to assume that no one could ever figure her out. She had been accused of having a rather boyish voice, true, but that was all she had going for her. But still, at the very least, her attire had not yet brought specific attention to her gender, and that was the most she could ever really ask of it. Perhaps a little facial hair might have helped her case...
Glancing over, she sized up the man who had addressed her...nothing particularly special in his blue eyes and what appeared to be a scar, but she did find his silvery hair rather intriguing. His face seemed kindly enough, though, and he didn't seem to intend her any harm, not at the immediate time anyway, and so she loosened up. The only problem remaining was that she had not even considered what to tell anyone about herself or what sort of story she had. Perhaps it best not to lie, unless absolutely necessary. Stretch the truth for all it was worth, and only make things up when you absolutely had to. Maintaining lies was a whole other challenge in itself.
"I suppose you might say I've had an unpleasant life," she replied just loud enough to be heard. She might have considered it true, for while she had money, she never quite had happiness or fulfillment, and what was a life without those? "But I could use a bit of company, if you'd so oblige me."
"I'm terribly sorry to hear that." Pleased by the invitation that he had hardly had to work for, Kakashi stood, his movements patient and lazy as his fingertips caught the lip of his flagon and pulled it after him. He settled easily onto the stool beside her, his attention outwardly focused on his drink but taking in what it could out of the corner of his left eye. When she had returned his stare, that vague sense of feminine air about her had thickened slightly by the full sight of her face, provoking his interest further.
"If my joining you can alleviate some of your displeasure, I'm more than happy to give it." He stole a glimpse at her, his voice serious but his expression lax. "Perhaps together we can join forces and chase off the memories of our misfortunes, if only for a while."
"Well then, you can lead the way," Temari prompted with a gentle smile, taking a deep breath and leaning forward onto the bar. Yes, you go first so I have time to thing exactly how I'm going to word things. Next time--if there was a next time, of course--she'd be sure to plan these sorts of things out ahead of time. But she was grateful for the company, at the very least. Polite company at that, all things considered. Anyone could have confronted her...anyone. So she didn't have any qualms but...that didn't help with the fact that she was a little bit flustered.
Really, she couldn't say her life was all that bad. All things considered, it was pretty good. But then there was her mother, and her brothers, and her father, none of whom she'd met, but all of whom were he sources of discomfort, a blemish on an otherwise perfect life. Perhaps there was enough about them to make sufficient conversation, if she worded things just right...
Kakashi raised his eyebrows and cocked his head, turning back to his drink. "Very well." He paused a moment to raise the cup, prop his elbow against the bar, and reflect over the number of things that qualified as a misfortune. "Well, a normal night would warrant cursing something simple and day to day-a bad trip, losing what appeared to be a promising profit, even unfortunate weather if one could think of nothing else." He looked at her again, tone thoughtful. "But your presence merits a special occasion, I'm sure, so despite having suffered all of those recently, I shall dedicate tonight to denouncing something particularly wicked."
Another pause, because even in that category, Kakashi had several possibilities to consider. "My father's killer," he said finally, bringing the drink to his lips. Before taking a swig, he threw in casually, "The bastard be damned for shooting a good man in the back." Not a subject he liked to bring up often--or at all, really--but he had not been lying about her presence being special. She was the first Kakashi had spoken to out of choice rather than necessity in a long while; and she had offered him leadership of the conversation, after all, so he took it with the intent of being honest with himself as well as with her.
Oh…ooooh…one of them. Pirate, privateer, she wasn’t sure which, but he certainly wasn’t enlisted in the navy, unless he, like her, was moonlighting as someone else. She highly doubted it. She wasn’t particularly surprised, considering exactly where she was, but she was certainly now intrigued, if not by the story then by his brazen compliment. (really, it wasn’t every day that she was considered particularly special.) Her inner monologue subsided as she listened to his story, suddenly rather interested. It wasn’t every day that she got to hear such tales, unless it was one of the naval officers she was made to entertain, who really seemed to care more about their badges and their military accomplishments rather than anything of any real import.
Not that there was much to hear, but a deceased parent…she could relate to that, so easily. And her mind also had the tendency to wander, creating dramatic, fairy tale like scenarios in her mind whenever she let it get out of hand. And she only ever chose to let it get out of hand. This one she would store for later, however, as she still had company and she was still polite, if only by force of habit.
“Just like that?” she asked, the words escaping her lips before she could realize how rude such a comment was. But then, he had brought the subject up. “Well then, do you…know where this person is, are you going to track them down, and get revenge?”
An amused "hm" echoed inside the flagon before Kakashi lowered it back onto the bar and folded his arms along the chipped wood.
"I couldn't tell you how many times the thought's crossed my mind. But fortunately for me, I never even saw the man's face. I've no name, nothing to go on. I was quite bitter about that for a while, to be honest." Kakashi's hand came up, rubbing the stubble along his jaw in memory. "I imagine I could find him, if I really wanted to try...and assuming he's still alive." He spoke as if the matter didn't concern him personally, as if this man hadn't set in motion a track of events that had twisted and changed Kakashi's life to a point where he could never hope to go back. But he had had about twelve years to think this matter over, so disregard was no longer difficult. "But I'll tell you something."
Here he looked over again. "I've met a number of men in my days-some good, some not so much-who had dedicated their lives to vengeance. An eye for an eye, they said. Sounded perfectly logical at the time, as I could relate. Most of them, I haven't seen since. But of the handful that I have..." Kakashi's eyes moved behind the bar, staring off. "...They were never satisfied." A poor way of phrasing it, but it was difficult to explain with even a thousand words. "Revenge can become a man's life, his purpose, and then when all's said and done, that purpose is gone. Men can despair after that-whether from the loss of their reason to live, or finding that the satisfaction they've been searching for is never going to come.
"A couple of them seemed happy, of course," he went on, "but considering how bad their lives had been up to that point already, even misery seemed a step up from where they were." Looking at his companion once more, Kakashi smiled and waved a hand. Even for a conversation with a woman, he was being more talkative than usual. "Excuse my chatter. I've long been lacking in considerate company, so I'm afraid I'm abusing the privilege."
"You run around like a chicken without its head..." she murmured, more to herself than anyone around her, trailing off as her own thoughts and memories took over. It was a wonderful sentiment, really, and not something she was entirely a stranger to. Perhaps the sort of desires she'd been privy to had been much more cleverly masked, behind a facade of civility and carefully periphrased so as not to seem crass or barbaric. And whether or not they had been so wronged as to actually have a need for such retribution was an entirely different matter. But justified or not, she'd seen how wrapped up one could get in their own little world, only for their anger and desire to become that world, and then when their world was ripped from them, there was nowhere left for them to go, nothing left for which they could work and strive.
"No, no, you're abusing nothing," she said, snapping back into reality. She had been ignoring her own drink, which the bartender had brought sometime back, and only now took a half-hearted sip so as not to let it go to waste. Much more accustomed to wine, it took at least a minimal effort get even that much down, but she had to admit that she didn't mind so much. "If I seem disinterested, I'm not, merely enthralled and perhaps a little too interested. We are almost entirely in the same boat, you know, except for the fact that I know the men who killed my mother."
She waited only a second, not long enough to receive any sort of prompting, but just enough for any objections to be raised. Even if there had been, she wouldn't have listened. She couldn't recall ever telling anyone her story in its entirety. And even now, she wouldn't be, carefully planning how to exclude the giveaway details.
"I won't be vague, the blame lies solely with my father and my brother," she continued, gaze now turning to the shelves of bottles behind the bar, hands idly fussing with her drink. "I'm always being told that I'm just like my mother was, and that she was a sweet woman with a good heart and a smart head. But the rest her body was not so lucky...and my father pushed her too hard to give him sons...and his second son, my youngest brother that is, is what did her in.
"I never got to meet her, of course. I may have been born on his ship, but my father would not have me raised there, so I was sent away. And him I only met once, when he came to deliver some of my mother's personal heirlooms." Her story must have sounded so pathetic, a little girl pining for her long lost mother. But what was the difference, losing a father, losing a mother? "I know you must think it petty of me, but when it could have been avoided so easily, and now I shall never get to meet her...it's infuriating."
She would have liked to break down into tears, but she was not one to cry, instead fighting back the lump in her throat with another sip of her drink. She was beginning to understand exactly how one might drown their sorrows in alcohol, almost literally.
So she had an extended family, most of them still alive by the sound of it. If her father owned a ship and a family and had enough resources to push for sons after sending his daughter away, the man certainly wasn't low class. If he was, he was making a pretty decent profit; but most likely this woman was of a rank higher than she wanted to suggest.
Kakashi listened without comment, not normally being one to offer comfort or advice-at least not in such sentimental matters. But he identified. All too easily.
"I can understand if you feel angry towards your brother," he murmured when she had finished. "Anyone would." He gazed inside his flagon, now half-empty, a brief distraction before deciding to go on. "My mother died giving birth to me, her first child. I had only just forgiven myself for it when my father was murdered, so I personally don't find that type of pain petty by any means." Heart wrenching was more like it. The shock of his father's death had hit Kakashi harder than anything he had experienced up to that age, and in some immature train of thought, he had ended up blaming himself for both of his parents' deaths.
Another smile, seemingly genuine. He and this woman may have nearly been in the same boat, but perhaps he and her brother were already there. "I know forgiveness is the most difficult part of the matter...but it is possible, if you want it to be. And if you don't, well...that's also understandable," he added with another tilt of his head, implying that he meant it. While he had gotten over his mother, that was only one on a long list.
Temari honestly would have liked to comfort this stranger a little more than she physically could, given the situation. Perhaps it was an actual streak of sympathy--after all, they could easily relate to each other--or just an ingrained reaction, but either way, the was more she could do, but couldn't, all at the same time. She felt as if there were more to the story than what he was letting on, or perhaps other things troubling him, but it would be simply rude to press harder when he was already opening up to her. At least, as far as she could tell...there was always, always the possibility that he wasn't being entirely truthful, although towards what ends she couldn't figure out, and something made her want to give him the benefit of the doubt, where she normally might not have.
"My brother I'm sure I could forgive, if I were to ever meet him again," she said with a sigh, "but my father...perhaps I can never forgive him. Where there was nothing my brother could have done, my father...his actions were deliberate. He knew she was unwell, unfit to bear more children, and he wouldn't leave her behind on shore. That, to me...is almost the same as murder. And one can never truly forgive a murderer, I think. Act civil, pretend to forgive them? Certainly. But in your heart of hearts, I think I will always bear ill will towards him."
She shook her head, inhaled slowly, exhaled just as slowly. "I can assure you, your situation is far worse than mine. But perhaps take some solace in that you may go out into the world and make something of your life. Do the things that would make your father and mother proud if they could see it."
While I am stuck here, relegated to tea parties and luncheons and being courted, she would have liked to add, but that would be going a little too far, and giving away far too much.
Oh, yes. They would certainly be proud to learn that their only son and heir to his family's name had traded his noble heritage for a life as a pirate. That was a thought that had occurred to Kakashi many times, but for all the guilt it produced, he had never turned his back on what he did. He had an excuse when he was younger, inexperienced and helpless at the time; and perhaps his parents would have approved of his initial intentions, but sticking to this life for as long as he had...there was no justification for that. He had his reasons for doing what he did and while they were enough to placate him most of the time, he never liked to imagine what his deceased parents would think.
Kakashi didn't say that to this woman, though, not when she seemed honest in her words of comfort. That, and he had already revealed to her in a couple of minutes what he normally wouldn't tell someone he had known for a couple of years-too much. Far too much.
He wanted to return her consoling gesture with anything that might have comforted her, but could think of nothing. Her father's actions might have been understandable in the eyes of the society they lived in, however cruel, but Kakashi could not personally say anything about it that didn't express some degree of disapproval; nor could he go in the other direction, sounding as if he were defending the man.
So in the end he consented to simply replying, "Perhaps. There's no telling what the future may bring for either of us." Lifting his drink in a toast, he looked towards her, a shadow of his smile still in place. He didn't know if it was because of sympathy, alcohol, or the quick liking he had taken to her, but she seemed to be growing prettier by the minute and he had noticed. Regardless, he resisted letting his gaze linger or his speech falter for too long. "I'll drink to that hope. And may you become as fine a woman as your mother was, if you haven't already." Kakashi would have also proposed drinking to the possibility of the woman's reconciliation with her father, but he abstained.
"To finding the closure we both seek," she added, raising her glass to the toast. Really, that was all anyone could ever ask for. Closure. Comfort in the way things turned out. And she really meant it. Decent people-- and decent men, at that-- were hard to come by. For being a stranger, she felt an odd sense of good will towards him, as if she really did want him to come to some sort of beneficial end. Perhaps she was just becoming a softie, perhaps the alcohol for which she had little tolerance was going straight to her head, or perhaps it really was some sense of kinship in the troubles they shared. Whatever it was, it lent her a sincerity in her well-wishes that she rarely had these days. It actually felt good to be honest about such things for once.
Setting her drink back down again, a brief, awkward pause ensued, during which she debated whether she should say something, or whether there should be a full-fledged moment of silence, or perhaps she should say something to his compliment. It wasn't often that she was complimented by a man who wasn't trying to get his grubby paws on her money and her foster father's status, and although he may have had other intentions altogether, at least even those would be for personal gain. She would make no assumptions, and give him the benefit of the doubt, naturally, but even then, such intention was less shallow than money or fame.
"I'll admit," she started, finally deciding on what thoughts to vocalize and how to word them, "you are very flattering for a gentleman I have known for less than an hour, but I have stuck around for that reason precisely-- you are a gentleman. Even the kindest of men can become animals when under the influence of alcohol and surrounded by those of their own species. Therefor, while it may not mean much to you...I must give you thanks for keeping such pleasant company. It's appreciated more than you can imagine."
Kakashi's smile returned, as genuine as he had made it tonight. "Certainly. And in turn I must thank you, for to be regarded by a woman radiating such class is a rare form of flattery," he replied, lifting his drink again before finishing it off. He would let her take that comment as she would.
"...Although," he said thoughtfully after another pause, "if you truly think so well of me..." The ambiguity that he was so fond of would most definitely have him treading on thin ice, but in truth, he was rarely on anything firmer. "There is one thing I could ask of you that would make this night an even better memory in days to come." Kakashi was, namely, curious about how she would answer, but he had also been too serious up to this point. He needed to loosen up, and some gentle teasing in the process would certainly help.
He had been polite just far, so she really had no reason to believe he had ulterior motives, but she couldn't help a small chuckle at what sounded a lot like a proposition. Still, she would play along and give him the benefit of the doubt, if only for her own amusement. She could easily justify that she owed it to him not to be making assumptions.
"Why, sir, I do believe you are flirting with me," she said with a tone of mock-surprise, leaning in a little closer. Perhaps she should have worn a dress, she would have been able to show off a little more of her bust, or any of it at all, but her men's attire was not going to allow for that, which was a real shame. "But since you have been so very kind and complimentary tonight, I might indulge you if you would be so kind as to tell me what, pray, you might ask of me to make this night better. One cannot agree to conditions one does not yet know, hmm?"
Oh she had a very good idea of what those conditions were, but it couldn't hurt to be just a little flirty herself. She'd always been told she was the 'hard-to-get' type anyways...
Of the possible reactions he could have incited, that one had been under those that Kakashi figured to be the least likely. It didn't disappoint him-not by any means-but it meant that he had to rethink his response. Fortunately, experience made that feat rather simple.
"Not necessarily." He swiveled towards her on his stool, moving swiftly from his slouch to face her before relaxing again. Putting most of his weight against the bar, he closed a little more of the space between them. "Bear in mind that I never stated my intent...and yet you, apparently not knowing my said conditions, have put yourself in a position meant to make me think that you're willing to accept them regardless." He had caught her game and was gladly returning it. Kakashi gave her a searching look, voice echoing her previous false surprise. "I do hope you're not a hypocrite?"
She watched his movements discreetly, noting his posture and his expression, both now more lax than before. The was to be expected, she supposed, and she enjoyed his playing along with a sort of idle amusement. She was used to these sorts of word games, so it was no novelty for her, but it was interesting to find it played out here, of all places. She'd heard and had discussions before, in the parlor, in the ballroom, at the dinner table-- skirting the real issue at hand, masking true intentions with veils of heavily-interpreted wording. How many love affairs had she heard discussed over dinner, where the participants assumed no one would understand? And some of the secrets and scandal she was privy to when others weren't wise enough to realize that they were not the only ones well versed in such means of expression. It was, the majority of the time, amusing and gave her all sorts of facts to keep for a rainy day.
"Ah, I did not intend to lead you on then, if that is what you've come to understand," she said, feigning an apology. "I merely meant that I might be more inclined to oblige you, as you've been so generous in your compliments. But of course, I will only decide that when I hear precisely what these conditions are. I simply can't be jumping off the tallest building simply because I've met a gentlemanly stranger."
She was smiling a genuine smile, however much she would like to pretend to stay distant. How could she resist when present company was so much more entertaining than most everyone else she knew?
"So do tell, what is it you would like to ask of me?"
She was more playful than he had thought. She had guessed what he meant, but was evidently determined to receive a direction assertion of his intentions. Ambiguity would serve no role in this exchange.
"Apology accepted." Resting his chin on his fist, Kakashi watched her with a tilted gaze. "As for my request..." He looked towards the tavern's front, eyes flitting nonchalantly over the crowd. "I ask that you be honest, and tell me whether you think I'll wake up tomorrow morning and regret having let you walk away without so much as a name."
It was an honest question, something of a confession, a masked proposal, a subtle compliment, and partly a jest all at once, although he wasn't completely sure how she would interpret it. That would also be interesting to see. "I'm a man who keeps record of his losses, if only for the sake of consistency...and so I was curious as to whether you're normally this charming, or if I was simply one of the fortunate few to have seen this side of you." Kakashi focused on her again; his smile returned from suggestive back to friendly, although he remained where he was. "My intent was nothing more shameful than that," he finished.
And so the tables turned, and he was the one toying with her now. And somehow she didn't mind it too much, but perhaps because she hadn't lost quite yet, and so the game still had some entertainment value to it. She'd never been a very good loser, however, so she'd have to be sure to keep the upper hand. Unflinching in her expression and unfaltering in her tone, she kept up the ruse.
"No, of course it was nothing more than that," she agreed with a small shake of her head. "I suspected nothing of the sort, but I do like to practice a little caution. I hope this is reasonable and you aren't offended."
She was avoiding the point. But what could a name hurt? She was proud, but she could have a bit of modesty when she needed to, and she knew she couldn't be that well-reknowned that dropping a name here and there was going to cause much of a problem.
"Temari," she finally offered. "And I don't suppose you'd be kind enough to return the favor, would you?"
"Perfectly reasonable. A lady can never be too careful in such a time and place." She had come right back without skipping a beat or batting an eye; she knew what she was saying, which made for much more liking than if she had not. Kakashi had always appreciated a woman's wit, and Temari was certainly no exception. She was a highlight, if anything.
"I would say that you've earned that favor," he mused. "And even if you had not, I assure you that I'm of a kinder nature than my demeanor may suggest. Kakashi." Then, casually, "Rather rough and unrefined compared to yours, I'm afraid. I apologize for not being christened with something more audibly pleasing." He was slipping into the easiest part of the conversation, having completed the hardest stage of starting the match. Now it was simply a matter of keeping it up.
"What is in a name, anyway? But it has a charm all its own, I can assure you."
Names were such an odd thing-- as long as you had the right one, you could have any amount of reknown you wanted, without ever having to earn it. But hers was a common name, and she didn't recognize his, so any amount of fame attached to it was beyond her. But then, who was to say it was his real name? And how was he to know she was being truthful? She didn't not believe him, so much as she was idly aware that he might be acting under a false name. It was of no real concern, merely something she kept in mind. For all he knew, she was doing the exact same. And then, that was ignoring that had he so chosen, he could have taken on a much more well-known name and had her entirely fooled. It was for that exact reason that, to her, names meant little else than a means by which to hail someone.
"And besides, mine is not a name you would want. Something so lilting would not instill respect into the hearts of others, whereas such a strong name as the one you have been graced with might."
She was laying it on a little thick now, but she managed to keep her tone light, and still withing the range of humor, in an attempt to indicate that she was playing it up a bit, joking but only with sincere intents.
This time Kakashi allowed himself a small grin, having caught her wordplay for what it was. "Lilting or not, your name fits you, I believe, and that in itself deserves respect." He hesitated, studying her face. "Like you, it sounds charming, gives off a pleasant ring. Has a good form," he added without blinking. "And were Temari a color, I imagine it would be something of a golden hue." His gaze moved briefly to her hair before returning to her eyes. "My name may be strong, as you put it, but it lacks any true philosophical value. In that regard, I must admit that you've the upper hand."
"Why, you do realize you are leaving me speechless here," she replied, feigning embarrassment. "You are far too kind, so forgive me if I'm a little too flustered to return the favor. But I do commend you for achieving this much, where others might not have. I've been told I'm...how do they put it, difficult? Yes, that's it."
Now, she had to wonder, what was he up to? Trying to make small talk? Trying, once again, to flirt? (if that had been his aim in the first place...she supposed some people could naturally be very friendly.) Interesting none the less, and she didn't exactly have anywhere important to be. Although she would be exhausted in the morning, staying out so late...playing sick, it seemed, was the only option now that she had become enthralled and didn't see herself leaving any time soon.
"Forgive me if I've embarrassed you at all. That surely was not my intent. But I hope you realize that I simply have too much material to work with in terms of your appearance." Kakashi had purposely strayed from his original path before now for both the sake of amusement and to test his boundaries, feeling out just how far she would let his speech carry and how she would respond; now satisfied and confident, he was beginning to move back to that path. "I might be inclined to compliment another quality, should I know of it, that you would be more comfortable with. Unfortunately, I know nothing of your nature save for what I can see and what you yourself have presented to me thus far..." He straightened up slightly and reached past her, resting his arm along the counter and only just avoiding a brush against hers. Possibly the boldest move he had made, and one during which he watched her for a sign. "And to learn anything more rests on whether or not you will oblige me."
Temari tilted her head slightly, a playful gesture if anything, when coupled with her lingering smirk. Apparently, the path never strayed far. She was curious, though, as to what this innuendo might be veiling, or if it was a cover for anything at all. With the way he'd phrased simply asking for her name, it wouldn't have surprised her if this line of conversation would lead somewhere else equally unexpected. She had every intent to find out.
"Are you then asking me to present more of myself to you?" she asked in jest, shifting forward ever so slightly more in response to his somewhat forward gesture. He definitely was not the shy type, not at this point in the evening. "Because if that were the case, if I were to agree to whatever it is you're looking for in particular...I would be inclined to ask you to reciprocate."
She had taken what Kakashi had planned to be a gradual descent and turned it into a sudden and rapid plunge. Regardless, it was easy enough to keep up with her, particularly because he was not at all displeased by this outcome and was able to slide rather effortlessly into the correct frame of mind for it.
Avoiding the question, he replied evenly, "How thorough of you. Nor do I find it an unfair trade. But," he objected regretfully, "there is the possible problem that we don't share the same tastes in what we're each looking for. Were that the case, I fear we would reach something of an impasse."
"Well then, you could always tell me what it is you are looking for, and if I find it simply unacceptable, then we merely move on with the night," she suggested, looking thoughtful about it, even though it was easily a logical progression.
This was most likely the reason most men called her difficult. She was much more too the point, and it ruined their little games, when things didn't play out exactly as planned. So it was quite the change of pace to encounter someone who, instead of giving up in a fit of annoyance, simply went with the flow. Despite her reservations, she inwardly decided that, had they not been from such different worlds, they might have been, at the very least, good friends.
And there she was again, apparently intent on making Kakashi say just what he wanted and taking nothing less. He certainly was not shy on the matter; and it would be even more interesting to see how she would react if he obliged and gave her the answer she wanted. She obviously knew just what he was aiming at, so she would be expecting it. Even so, he wanted to see just how far he could stretch her patience.
"A wonderful plan," he agreed. "But I've been raised in such a way that it is common courtesy to put a woman ahead of oneself...and being, as you say, a gentleman, I feel I am disposed to follow this rule." Kakashi straightened up slightly, speaking as though he were discussing business rather than engaging in the same amorous banter. "So by all means, Miss Temari, do tell me what it is you're looking for so that I may follow suit."
Glancing about the room briefly, Temari's eyes confirmed what her ears had heard. The room was getting a little more crowded and a little more rowdy. She really did hate to have to shout over other peoples' voices. That, and rowdy, drunken men didn't suit her tastes, especially when she was in the presence of someone much calmer and much less drunk. But it opened up a very good opportunity for her, to see just what he was all about. With her weapon still faithfully at her side, she didn't so much fear actually getting attacked--should he, for any reason, turn violent-- so much as she simply hoped she wouldn't have to use it.
And she'd be lying if she said she wasn't the least bit intrigued by his assumed motives, and she couldn't say that the entire time she'd been there, she hadn't thought, at least once, that he was mildly handsome just as he was mild mannered. Unbefitting as granting such a wish might be, should she decide it worth her while, it was really nothing to her, or anyone who had been privy to how the judge's wife had been unfaithful to him at least three different times, with three different men, confessing when the guilt became too much, only to find out that he had been even more unfaithful. Piety was merely a facade for so many aristocrats, it was sometimes astonishing, but certainly a comfort in a situation like this.
"Well I, for one, would like to find some place a little quieter and a little more..."
She trailed off, glancing back over the crowed once again, before returning her gaze to meet his, green eyes half lidded as a mischievious grin played on her lips.
"How should I say...private?"
Kakashi traced the path of her gaze over the room after she finished, hesitating as though he were contemplating her words. Part of him wondered if she were really agreeing so frankly after putting up such a playful resistance, but there was nothing for him to lose in going along with her to find out. Regardless, he wasn't going to rush, either.
"Any place safe from prying eyes in this world would be considered private," he pointed out, turning back to her. "Would you happen to have any such particular location in mind?"
Pondering for a moment, only one realistic solution came to mind. She couldn't take him him, that was preposterous. And she wasn't about to invite him to share a room at a nearby inn, that was just a little too suggestive for her tastes. That left very few conclusions, and she took the simplest one.
"I confess, I don't," she replied, "but perhaps we could go for a little stroll, down the street, and we'll see where that takes us."
He couldn't help smiling at that. "That sounds wonderful." His motions slow, languid, and deliberate, Kakashi pushed his empty flagon back, dropping a few coins deftly alongside it and standing. Leaning against the bar, he returned his attention to Temari. "Shall we?"