Answering Machine

[mistressnaoko]

*BEEP!*

Hie! You've reached Naoko, Sukina, Celeste and Kurei!!! We're not around right now, but you can leave a message specifying who it is that you want to talk to after the beep and we'll get right back to you!

Ja Ne!!!

*Beep!*

Comments

Upon a very special night...

[zhilbar]

Zhilbar smiled, offering up a box to Naoko. "Just another token of love and regard, darling."

And inside the box?



Sneaking in for a kiss, He wrapped His arms around her waist and held her close. "Merry Christmas, darling."

Re: Upon a very special night...

[mistressnaoko]

*Melts into the embrace of her lover* Thank you very much, dear one.

*Offers shyly a small pouch. Within it, there is a small gem, where a single strand of white hair is entwined with a similar strand of dark red*

The hairs belonged to my parents... it's customary for an Alin'sa to gift such a token if she wishes to.. pledge herself to just one partner.

...UM.

[zhilbar]

A broad, doting smile creased His lips as He held her close, relishing the feel, the smell of her in His arms like that... then He reluctantly disengaged, to see what she wished Him to have.

Ooh, pretty! Interesting effect, makes sense as a ceremonial offeringWHAT DID SHE JUST SAY.

Gently removing the symbol, He stared at it... and then stared at her. "Naoko... Does this mean what I hope it means?"

The look on His face is quite interestingly at odds with His words, though.

Re: ...UM.

[mistressnaoko]

*Goes completely red*

Not marriage but... a commitment to each other in lieu of that? The Alin'sa... don't really believe in marriages. *Doesn't look at him at ALL*

Re: ...UM.

[zhilbar]

If she had, she certainly would have seen one decidedly crestfallen dragon.

He'll heave a big sigh and hold her close, saying nothing for a long moment... and then pull away to look her in the eye with a rueful smile. "I suppose I should thank you for keeping Me from looking the fool, then. For the longest time, My love, I've been intending to ask for your hand as soon as... certain matters were reconciled." ((Kyle, off somewhere very far away: AAAAAAUGH! AAAUGH! I'VE BEEN TRYING TO FINISH THE CHIBI THREAD, STOP CRUSHING MY SKULLLLLAAUAAUGHTHEPAIN!!!!!))

"Yet it seems that the one who hesitates is lost, as I most certainly am. Lost the initiative, lost the chance, lost My heart to the wondrous lady in My arms... I would dearly love the opportunity to entwine our fates together, My beloved. Let us make it so."

And naturally, Zhil being the romantic old fool that He is, He takes her in those warm, scaled hands to try and seal it with a kiss.

Re: ...UM.

[mistressnaoko]

*Kisses him back very gently*

Tis not an initiative lost, dearest one. It's just... marriage seems to be a shackle and places too much expectations on either. You already have my heart, dearest one. Dost thou need my hand as well? *giggles*

Re: ...UM.

[zhilbar]

Now, this? This is the part where Zhil grins like an idiot. Because this is the part where Naoko essentially made it official that she wished to spend the rest of her life with Him, being His one and only... And Zhil's got no problem with that at all.

"I suppose it's all in how you look at it, My darling. I've never seen anything wrong with the promise to love, honor, and cherish one another, but your customs are a part of you, and I embrace them as such."

And now a roguish grin. "I'll take any and every part of you I can possibly get, pretty lady, just so long as it's freely given! If I hadn't made that clear yet, then be aware now!" Here comes some shameless tickling!

It'll pause after a few moments, though, as Zhilbar has a Thought. "..Does this mean I should snag scales from My parents to give in return? I've been meaning to have you meet them for the longest time as it is, so." Sorry, but Zhilbar's family doesn't really do it in the 'hair' department.

Re: ...UM.

[mistressnaoko]

*Does the only thing she can do at this moment*

Rehhhhh?

((Think the last panel))

Re: ...UM.

[zhilbar]

Zhil hears this noise... and He is confused.

"...Beg pardon?" Tickling is on hold until this gets cleared up!

Re: ...UM.

[mistressnaoko]

*Stammers* Me.. mee... meeting your parents?

Re: ...UM.

[zhilbar]

Is He raising an eyebrow-ridge? Why yes, He is!

"That... is the applicable custom, yes?"

Re: ...UM.

[mistressnaoko]

*Goes red* I'm.. I'm..

I'm... Your parents...

*Is simply shocked?*

Re: ...UM.

[zhilbar]

He's starting to wonder if He broke her, poor thing. If she's breaking over something like THIS, that's worrisome information!

"...Noooo, you're not My parents. I'm fairly sure I would have noticed, darling, what with all the scales and horns and hugeity and incest and all. And I'm not even sure how you'd pull off being both of them at once, nor am I intending to think about that because I don't want My mind going there."

They've been going out for four and a half years. ...Oh, wait, it's ONLY been four and a half years! Gracious, how time flies. Should He have waited for the five-year mark? Still, it's probably appropriate to take care of these things before permanent commitments to one another!

You know what might work? Doing nice things to her until she felt better. Now what to do first, and should that first thing involve a hot tub? This is a Very Pertinent Question.

Re: ...UM.

[mistressnaoko]

*Laughs* That would have been hilarious, dear one, but of course I'm not your parents! Though I am both to Juanita but that's beside the point... and she's my goddaughter after all.

It's just... I never thought your parents were still around. *Now out in the open*

Re: ...UM.

[zhilbar]

Okay, she's bouncing back, GOOD. "Well, you're the one who said it, My love!" It's true, she did! "And that's okay, godparenting goes by different rules. If you were someone's actual father, I'd very much like to be aware of it... and may need a few diagrams."

Hmm? Oh, that. "Well, of course they're still around, Naoko! Sure they've been dead for about twelve thousand years, but dead isn't the same as gone."

Re: ...UM.

[mistressnaoko]

Ah. *Understanding dawns*

So your parents did not leave this plane after their deaths? I wonder why...