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!*

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[mistressnaoko]

Naoko turned from where she had been looking out the window towards Zhilbar. She blinked and reached behind her, where she drew out a small box. Within was a ring.

"Only if you'll look in mine, dearest heart," she smiled.

Inside the box was this.

[zhilbar]

Zhil blinked, with a slightly puzzled look on His face, but He took the box with a right good will and opened it...

And after a moment, a dazzling smile stretched ear to ear on the old dragon. Twisting it onto the ring digit of His right paw, He leaned over and kissed His love slowly, lingeringly. "I doubt I shall ever take it off, My darling. How could I stand to part with it?"

Her own little holder had a tricky little locking mechanism to it, but Zhil went ahead and showed her how to open the thing-

And inside a single golden scale, carved in bas-relief to show a certain priestess and everyone's favourite Dragon-God holding one another close.

The scale's donor was obvious, of course. "A little something of Me seemed appropriate under the circumstances, no?" He tried affecting an airy and carefree tone, but His eyes followed her closely; Zhilbar was letting her in through the most intimate method He knew.

Giving her power over Him, to use as she saw fit.

Zhil's heart bore many a scar, it's true; trusting was difficult enough, but willingly creating a vulnerability this way, letting someone in so far past the armour, able to cripple Him with a betrayal? It hurt Him on several levels to do such a thing, but by damn she was worth it.

[mistressnaoko]

Naoko merely smiled when Zhilbar showed her how to open the gift; she would have had fun figuring out the mechanism herself, but it was never a bad idea to let the guys do all the work.

That was, until she saw the gift.

She almost backed away from the scale, shocked and surprised beyond all words. This was more than an intimate gift; it was a sword, and one she was not sure she could be certain she would be able to care for.

"Zhilbar... I..." she looked up at him, her face confused, shocked, and perhaps, awe.

[zhilbar]

He'd actually intended to let her figure it out, but after deciding what to put inside...

Well, He just couldn't wait that long.

"I'm yours, love." He said quietly, with a rueful smile. "Voided the warranty a long time ago, but what there is of Me is all for you... And I wouldn't have it any other way." Zhil's seen and had way too many relationships end just because one side felt they didn't matter to the other, and fully intends to keep that from happening here.

But more than that, it was a declaration stronger than mere words could ever be. And that's exactly what he wanted it to be.