Talk about unexpected...
Who: Sin, Tierce, and Verilain Where: Tierce's apartment When: Monday evening
The exiled dragon puttered around in his kitchen, neon red hair slicked back from his face due to a recent shower. Sin was due around the apartment soon and he thought it would be nice if he had some sort of dinner ready for her.
Dressed in black leisure pants, Tierce chopped up veggies and other salad ingredients until a female Russian voice called from his bedroom. He paused, chuckling as he replied back in English, "For the last time, you're welcome!"
Knockity-knock-knock! The scrawy teen stood on the other side of the door, rappin' away at it, her hair a bright off-orange today. She seemed a little more annoyed than usual, and really just needed to see her man.
And that would be his lovely little Slayer at the door now. Popping a red pepper slice into his mouth, he called out something in Russian and went to answer his door. Lip ring winked in the light as he grinned, "Little one. . ." He opened the door wider for her.
"Hey Puff." She stomped in cutely, looking ready to just punch someone. "Prepare for cuddles. I need them."
Closing the door behind her, Tierce frowned while he locked it. "What happened?"
"Dude. Catherine's PISSED. And I am too. One of the Watcher's kinda went all Dark Side on another one, just to steal more power for the Wolfram & Hart fight. We're afraid he's gonna get all evil again and nto be use to ANYONE." Yeah, all of that came out in one long-ass breath.
Tierce whistled, "That. . .does not sound good." He was about to say, "Well, I have food in the kitchen if that makes you feel any better," But he was interrupted by that female Russian voice again, "Tierce," The woman asked, the rest said in Russian as she stepped out into the short hallway that led to the bedroom.
The woman had black and white hair, black and gray spackled horns protruding fro the sides of her head, and skin nearly as pale white as said hair. . .and she was dressed in nothing more than a towel. Eyes that were slitted like a cats and colored white glanced between the couple and seemingly black painted lips curved into a shy smile, "Oh, eh. . .Hallo." She said to Sin.
Sin's eye grew horrifyingly wide then, and the little thing felt her hands curl in to tight fists. "Oh... oh HELL no! OH NO YOU DI'INT!" She stomped once then, and almost made a move towards the girl, but then paused, as if unsure of WHO she wanted to punch more. "Alright, kids, get in line, who wants the ass-kicking first?"
Despite Tierce having lived for well, centuries, he did have his times of male stupidity. This, was obviously one of those times. He inwardly cringed when he realized too late at the significance of Verilain's appearance. The dragon held up his hands in surrender and calmly said, "Whoa. . .whoa. You're right, I didn't." The half-demon in the towel had some how brought out a switchblade when Sin stepped toward her. How Verilain had produced a blade wearing nothing more than a towel was a mystery.
Sin stayed quiet for a few moments. As if carefully choosing her words. And then this came out anyway. "Um... Tierce? Then why is a WAY HOTTER THAN ME woman wearing a freakin' towel standing in your home? And for that matter, how the hell did she get a knife? You know what? I don't wanna know. I just know that you better get to talking, because right now I'm torn between being heartbroken and being pissed, and you got about sixty seconds to explain this before pissed wins out."
Clearing his throat, he said something in Russian and Verilain shrugged, replying back and headed into the kitchen while Tierce led Sin into the bedroom. Shutting the door behind them and sat at the foot of the bed, patting the space beside him, "Come, little one, let us talk."
"Do I even want to sit on this bed now?" She asked, not even trying to be funny. "If she got her freakin' herpalie-erpalies all over it I aint TOUCHING it."
"Clearly you weren't listening when I explained the concept of swan's to you, Cynthia." Tierce moved backward on the bed, leaning on his elbows, "Dragon's mate for life, remember?" The dragon arched a neon red brow at her.
"It's easy to say that or in my case, hear it, Tierce!" She was starting to panic a little, and suddenly, her spazzing out ceased being cute... and started to sound rather heartbreaking. "I mean you think I don't know my own limits? You think I don't know I'm not the most awe-inspiring beauty in town? And when I come here, and I see... see... THAT..." she just motioned to the room. "What am I supposed to think?" She fought back tears, and shook her head. "And I know what's coming! I know I might not come back! And I know if I don't, you're not just gonna... never be with anyone again, but while I'm here, I wanna at least think I'm the only woman you'd ever look at!"
The dragon sighed. This was one of the few things that he disliked about humans, they were always quick to make assumptions. However, in this case he'd make an exception because he didn't think Cynthia fully understood what he meant by "dragon's mate for life" because she, herself, didn't fully understood if she was completely in love with him or not.
Tierce stood and then dropped to the ground, his upper body disappearing underneath the bed until he produced a small shoebox. Leaning his back against the bed, he crooked a finger at Cynthia, "Sit. I'd like to show something to you."
Her eyes went wide. Holy shit. Her mind went into overdrive here... she tried not to think. This was NOT what she was thinking. No way. "Wh-what is it?"
Pulling the lid off, the shoebox was filled with many things. Trinkets, small momentums of his past, sketches, and photographs. There were surpringly few sketches and photographs of people. Handing some of them over to Cynthia, she'd notice that all the women, and the few men, all had a body type similar to hers. "Verilain is nothing more than a friend." His head tilted a bit, "A very OLD friend, but nothing more than a friend. Besides. . ." Tierce gestured to what was in the Slayer's hands, "Does she really look like my type?"
She felt her heart deflate a little at the same time her mind was relieved. It *did* feel good to see these, to hear his words... but the lovestruck girl inside her had foolishly thought he was going to pull something far different from that box. "N-No... I guess not. You're just the best thing that's ever happened to me, Tierce. You're the first guy that's ever made me feel like a woman, and not some silly tomboy. I dunno what I'd do without you."
He rummaged through the box some more, his hand closing around something that was too small for the Slayer to make out. Tierce then leaned in to her, his lips brushing against hers while he pressed something into the palm of her hand.
She felt him push something into her hand, and she blinked in mid-kiss. "Whtsths?" She mumbled against his lips, opening her palm.
Tierce pulled away and started putting the sketches and photographs away, "See if yourself." At that, a knock sounded on the bedroom door and Verilain opened it a crack so she could ask, "Tierce, I get dressed now, da?" The dragon chuckled and stood, "Da. One second and Sin and I will move out of the room."
She heard the woman's voice and still felt herself grumble a little, before opening her hand, and looking into her palm. It was a ring. Wha... "Um... Tierce? Is... is this what I think it is? I mean, I dunno if DragonStuff is different than humanstuff in more ways than one, but to humans? This usually means something."
He stood, pulling Sin to her feet with him and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. Tierce smiled, "I know. It's to prove my point about us."
"If this means what I think it means, this is at once very romantic, highly strange, and mildly insulting." She blinked, chuckling nervously.
The dragon paused with his hand on the doorknob, "Insulting?"
"Cuz if you're proposing to me? You're not only not even ASKING me, but I kinda feel like youre asking me because I freaked out." She laughed though, obviously not offended.
Perhaps Tierce didn't think of that because of how he was raised. There was technically no ceremony involved when it came to such things in the life of a dragon. It was felt that it was unneccessary and that the presentation of some small token, like a ring, was enough proof. "My apologies, little one, I didn't mean to insult you."
"I'm laughing you goofball." She said, hugging her little frame to him. "I know you have, like, different customs and stuff. And if you had asked, this is where I'd be saying yes." She sniffled happily, even if it wasn't quite how she'd always dreamed of it. "No way are the other girls gonna top this one, ever. No question involved, and with a mostly naked woman in the next room."
"Well, neither of us is exactly normal, now are we?" Tierce said matter-of-factly and grinned at her before opening the door and letting Verilain into the bedroom. When she saw Sin, the half-demon smiled and waved again pleasantly, "Hallo!"
Sin forced a grin and waved. "Hey, mystery woman."
Tierce jerked a thumb toward the kitchen, "I'll leave you two ladies to go finish dinner. The both of you? Behave!" The dragon warned and then closed the door.
Wow. Awkward. The newly semi-sorta-engaged Slayer just rocked on her heels now, giving an uncomfortable grin. "Heh. So! Um.. what brings your almost naked self to these parts?"
"Oh, I have job here." Verilain smiled, revealing sharp canines and nodded, "I kill and get, eh, how do you say. . .big bucks?" The half-demon tossed the towel away and took up her latex -looking catsuit.
Sin felt her eyes go wide as the woman just.... revelled briefly in nudity, thanking GOD Tierce couldn't see it. As if she didnt have enough self image issues already... "Well, um... cool? I mean, we kinda need people who kill things. You know, for good. And stuff." Yeah, this? Was why Sin would never be the leader.
"Da. Eh, Clinton said that. He talk to his leader about me." Verilain smiled and after donning her suit, grabbed her platform wedge boots that added another 3 or 4 inches to her already 6 foot frame. From the pile of clothing next to the towel, Verilain produced her thigh holster with guns, strapping them on and double checked the weapons one more time.
"Wow. You're like Rambo with a rack, aren't ya?" She smirked, shaking her head. "Hate to tell you... but unless you're packing some super-special magic bullets, guns ain't gonna kill what we're gonna be fighting."
Verilain's head tilted, her features looking enirely confused, "What is Rambo?"
"Rambo. Sylvester Stallone." When that met no response, Sin blinked. "Um... actor? All oily and muscley, mumbled a lot and shoots things? Ahhh nevermind. So how do you and my dragon know each other?"
"Ah." Started Verilain, checking her other gun and replacing, "Tierce in trouble many years ago. I help him." The half-demon nodded and then donned her duster.
"Yeah, I bet." She muttered, under her breath, before putting that sweet look on again. "I'm Cynthia. I've been... helping him in far funner ways."
Verilain chuckled, "I do not think having a Ganorbash demon chasing him was not so fun!"
"Yeah, but having TEH SEX is way more fun, I'd wager." She snarked right back, attitude-y little grin still in place. She wasn't hating the girl... it was just a natural defense mechanism. "WAY more fun."
"Eh, that is true." Verilain shrugged and made a little face, "But Tierce is too, eh. . .skinn for my liking." Then the half-demon waved casually, "But that is neither here nor there. I am, eh. . .how do you say. . .spoken for?"
"Ah..." well... spoken for was always good. So was not finding her Puff attractive. Although she found herself oddly insulted by that, as well. "So who's the lucky guy?" She asked, managing to keep the sarcasm there completely out of her voice.
Verilain scoffed, "He may be lucky. Me?" She shook her head and waved him off, "I am not so lucky. Purely political union. Wives of Vileo end up "dead." Eh. . .if you know what I mean."
"Aww. And who says romance is dead." She snarked back, trying not to snicker. "So... out of curiosity, why WERE you almost naked in my kinda-sorta-fiance-type-person's house?"
"Oh, I use, eh. . . bath shower?" She turned, gesturing to the bathroom. "I run into Tierce last night, he offer safe place to stay one night." Tugging one last time on a strap on her duster, Verilain said matter of factly, "I go now. Have job to do." She smiled at Sin, "It was pleasure meeting you, Cynthia. I, eh. . .apologize it was not better, eh. . .circumstances, da?" She stuck her hand out at the Slayer.
Sin took the hand, and shook it, amazed at her own restraint. This was about a half second from becoming a catfight, but she kept herself in check. "Right. Um... see you around?" She said, wondering how the hell Tierce managed to find these people.
"Bye." Verilain nodded at the Slayer and then headed out of the bedroom where she called out to the dragon. The two shook hands and the half-demon slapped him once on the upper arm and then left.
Sin just watched, blinking cutely, until the woman left. Then, as she wasnt the type to keep any thoughts to herself... "Where the hell do you MEET these freakin' people, Puff???"
Tierce just shrugged and said, "Well, when you've lived as long as I have. . ."
"Whatever, whatever..." the teen said, honestly just trying to put the whole thing out of her head now. "So... do I get to be asked, you know... the proper way? Just for my own sanity? So I know this whole thing is what I think it is, and not just me projecting?"
Verilain was completely out of sight, out of mind. Amusement crossed his face and Tierce crooked a finger at her.
Always powerless when he turned on the charm, Sin gave that swoony look she reserved just for him and shuffled over, nibbling her lip. If this was what she hoped? She was calling Catherine and Meredith the MINUTE she got home. She'd deal with her mother later.
Taking her hand that still held the ring, Tierce actually went down on bended knee and said, "With the promise that ring holds, will you marry me?"
All she could think was 'yes!'... yet what came out was, "Holy motherfreakin' CRAP." It was like none f it was real until he made this one silly, all-too-human gesture. "Oh man... yes! Of course! I mean... are... are you sure???"
Tierce stood in a fluid motion, gently backing the Slayer up against one of the walls of the short hallway. Lacing his fingers with hers, he lifted her arms above her head and pressed them gently against the wall as he leaned into to kiss her. When he pulled away, the dragon murmured, "I would not ask, if I was not sure, little one."
She just hugged him, really beyond words at this point. "Yes, yes, si, da, and every other language. I love you."
"And I you, little one." Tierce murmured, picking her up and disappearing with her into the bedroom.