Beneath your perfume and make-up you're just a baby in disguise.

[hellspawnedhero]

Who: Dante and Roze (fullofthorns)
What: Drunken idiots, flirting and sexual tension.
When: Thursday evening.
Where: Dante's apartment.

Dante would be lying if he claimed he wasn't disappointed the girl he'd talked to was underage. She was hot, spunky, a fighter and few things turned him on like a woman who went for what she wanted. But jailbait was jailbait, and he wasn't going to risk being labelled a sexual deviant just for a pretty face. She didn't look like she could be much younger than eighteen anyway, so he might get his chance yet in this place.

And, of course, none of that factored in to the fact that he had offered her alcohol. His policy on underage drinking was far more lax...okay, it was downright nonexistent. It wasn't his business if someone wanted to get utterly wasted before they hit twenty-one. So, after giving her a bit of time to get settled in, he'd sent her a message asking when she wanted to take him up on that offer.

Now he was lounging on the couch in his apartment, seemingly relaxed except for the heavy broadsword resting against the arm of the couch by his head, within easy reach should he need it. It was a survival habit Dante had picked up from years and years of regular demon attacks: never be unarmed.

Coronamon was lying on the other arm of the couch, dozing. Not that Dante was surprised. The kid was energetic, so it was only natural that he would wear himself out fast. Nor was he disappointed. He didn't care to listen to a bunch of chiding about how much he was likely to end up drinking tonight.

Comments

[fullofthorns]

"No shit. That stuff is ridiculous. Honestly, my least favorite work. At least corporeal demons have some fuckin' perspective, y'know? When you spend all your time as an umbrella you don't really have a good grasp on reality. There was a demon in an amulet some guy bought from Romania. Entitled prick. Catholic's got that one though. They thought it was part of Dracula's Raiment. I didn't bother disabusing them of the nothing. Because if I got a piece of that, I'd keep it."

She coughed and cleared her throat, cheeks coloring as she stuck out her tongue in a grin.

"Gotta get the occasional souvenir, and Drac was a class act. If I'm gonna have spooks hanging around I'd rather interesting ones. Mom has a fan that belonged to Elizabeth of Bathor--wait. Do you even know who I'm talking about?" she asked, drawing a leg up onto the couch and wrapping her arms around it, chin resting on her knee. Just a brief flash of lace panties past the hem of her top. Pink roses.

[hellspawnedhero]

His eyes immediately went down to her skirt and an eyebrow quirked just slightly. Roses. He liked her style.

"Not big on pokin' into human legends. Most of the time they don't even know what the hell they're talking about. Same with religion, really."

He shrugged, noting with annoyance that the weapon on his shoulders made the gesture a lot more difficult than it should.

"Can't tell ya if Dracula's real or not where I come from, though. Bit before my time. But I hear ya on the souvenirs. Heh, you oughta see my collection of Devil Arms back home."

[fullofthorns]

"So, what's a Devil Arm?" she asked, tucking a stray strand of hair behind one ear and arching a brow, chest plumping as she rested against her leg for support. If she wasn't trying to flirt, she was hideously good at being alluring on her own merit. The gestures certainly didn't look like mere affectations, the were smooth and relaxed. Natural.

"Dracula was real where I'm from. Elizabeth of Bathory, too. We have to watchout for a lot of urban legends, too. Bloody Mary stuff. Kids chanting names into mirrors and not realizing just what they're doin'."

[hellspawnedhero]

"A Devil Arm's somethin' like Rebellion. The soul of a demon turned into a weapon. You might be impressed how many of 'em you can collect when the entire demon world is out for your head."

[fullofthorns]

"So, not that different from mom's fan, really. Bits of demons left over and influencing an item," she remarked, nodding slowly.

"You gonna to stand around posturing and looking awkward or take a seat? Scared I'm gonna bite?"

A cocked brow and crooked smirk flaunted her humor. She was amused at Dante cooling off, while she had no intention of doing so.

"Chicken shit."

[hellspawnedhero]

"I sit down, I ain't gonna want to get back up again. And someone's gotta go get that booze I promised."

He grinned, gesturing back toward one of the bedrooms. And it was entirely true. If he sat down, especially with Roze there looking so pretty, he knew he'd make himself comfortable and then it would be tempting to just wake Coronamon up to get the drinks. But then he'd just have to deal with his partner being a worrywart about his drinking. Again.

[fullofthorns]

"Well then, I'd say you were wasting time standing back on your heels, hot stuff. You owe me drinks. I made that raincheck and I came back before you had to cool off too much. Heck, I didn't even string you along. Couch is gettin' cold," she drawled, moving her leg to cross them again and lean back once more with her arms across the couch.

"Who says you won't wanna get back up? You wouldn't be the first guy to panic in the face of a proper challenge."

[hellspawnedhero]

"I ain't the one that panics, Sweet Stuff. I'm the one that sends the newbies runnin' pink."

He gave her a wink and a grin before turning on his heel and walking off toward the room he'd gestured towards.

[fullofthorns]

She watched him go, bearing her teeth just slightly and clicking her tongue as she murmured a low sound of approval. Stretching with a groan, Roze scratched the back of her head and debated letting her hair down. Probably too much trouble to bother with though, in the long term. She didn't have anything to fix it back up with later and she had a bad habit of getting tangles when drinking.

"Running pink," she muttered to herself, rolling green eyes skyward. Sort of a an unfair jab at her, really, considering her hair. She'd get him back eventually.

When he came back she was still sitting on the couch, though now she'd taken to twisting the green bead resting at the hollow of her throat on its red satin cord. There wasn't much doubt to what she was thinking when she looked him over with a lazy half-smile.

[hellspawnedhero]

He was carrying a bag with three bottles when he returned and dropped onto the couch. Rebellion once again found a resting place within easy reach as he crossed his legs casually. He'd sat much closer to her than was generally considered polite, so that his bent knee was resting on her lap.

Her hand toying with the necklace initially drew his gaze, but it quickly drifted downward and he took a moment to re-appreciate the nice display of cleavage before giving the bag in his hand a light shake.

"I think you're gonna like what I got saved."

[fullofthorns]

She didn't mind at all, shifting slightly to accommodate the position, leaning forward and resting an elbow on his knee and sniffing at the bag.

"Don't hold me in suspense. Its not like I need an excuse to play dirty, but I'm about to the point where if I don't feel a good burn somewhere I'm gonna start flippin' tables," she grunted, pursing her lips and narrowing her eyes at the sack.

"Just tell me you're not a strictly whiskey kinda guy."

[hellspawnedhero]

"Whiskey's for when you wanna get smashed and don't care how. This is for havin' fun with it."

He opened the bag and showed her a bottle each of strawberry vodka, strawberry schnapps and Xuxu.

"Got the stuff to make a hell of a Bloody Mary, too, if you like that kinda drink."

[fullofthorns]

"Oh my gawd, you're a fruit-drink guy?" she asked rather loudly, eyes darting up to his face, teeth bared in a brilliant grin. It was evidently not a judgment. Slapping the inside of his thigh a little roughly the girl laughed delightedly.

"Un-fuckin'-believable, there's no way the world has half that kinda luck. You're stupid hot, drink excellent shit and I'm willing to bet when we fight - because we're gonna fight - you're totally gonna give me a run for my money. And if you win? Not that you will, but if you win? Huh, I bet its worth losing. Man!"

She barked a harsh laugh of disbelief, leaning back hard against the couch and shaking her head, a hand over her face.

"What are the fuckin' odds I'd get sucked into the Twilight Zone and end up on the fast track to awesome...my mom would shit."

[hellspawnedhero]

"I wouldn't count on me losin' just yet. Two and a half decades of demons on a guy's tail is a hell of a motivator to learn how to kick ass and take name. But I'll tell ya what...if you can give me a fight worth having, I'll give ya a nice treat."

He leaned in just close enough to suggest he might kiss her, but stopped short. The look in his eyes said that he wanted to, but the promise would lose its effect if he gave it to her already.

"And when you're a bit older, I'll give ya something really nice."

[fullofthorns]

Her eyes widened briefly, scalp tingling with the momentary crackle of excitement and full, glossed lips curling in a slow grin.

"Don't make promises you don't intend to keep. I don't take rejection. Not that I don't take it well, I just don't take it at all. You'll regret it til the day you die..." she finished in a whisper, leaning close enough when she spoke that their breath dampened their lips.

A quirk of her mouth and the smile devolved into a smirk as she sat back again. Not before brushing noses, of course. As she slid back one of her hands that had snuck up while closer dragged along his arm and closed about the bag, pulling it out of his grasp.

"You drinkin' outta cups?" she asked, arching a brow as he eyes drifted to inspect the contents. "I prefer straight from the source. Always tastes better with your hand wrapped around a long neck."

[hellspawnedhero]

He licked his lips as she pulled away, hands itching to pull her back towards him. That kimono looked so easy to open...if only she was eighteen, he'd probably already be finding out if she'd let him try.

He forced his eyes from her lips to the bag and reached over to grab a bottle out of it.

"Prefer straight if I'm not mixin' it with something. Cups just slow ya down."

[fullofthorns]

"Agreed..." she replied casually, taking a second bottle from the bag and setting the last aside.

"You know. In Japan, a popular belief is that if you share a drink with someone," she cracked open the bottle and sniffed the contents, "...its the same as kissing."

A soft snort and she pressed her lips to the mouth of the bottle, tilting it back and swallowing hard, throat moving twice with a heavy gulp. Pulling away with a gasp and soft cough she tilted the bottle towards Dante after running her tongue over the glass and clearing away the last bead of fluid.

"Unless you really want me in a bad position, I hope you have something to eat laying around. Drinking on an empty stomach does not a pretty lady make."

[hellspawnedhero]

He smirked as he took the bottle from her, making sure his fingers brushed against hers. He hummed to himself thoughtfully, then tilted the bottle back for a gulp of his own. He took his time before lowering the bottle, drawing his tongue slowly over the edge and inside of the rim and savoring the thin film of liquid that had clung there while keeping his eyes on Roze.

"I think I prefer the more direct version, no offense."

He offered the bottle back to her, reaching down with his other hand to grab Rebellion.

"You're not gonna take offense if I offer ya leftovers from dinner, right?"

[fullofthorns]

"Tch, people who can't eat leftovers or turn their noses up to anything that isn't spoiled piss me off," she answered, snagging the bottle back from him with a faint scowl.

"And you're the one with all the rules, Princess. I don't mind pussy-footing around the details and taking the time but until then I'm gonna take what I can get."

She tipped the bottle against her head by way of toast and salute before taking another swig, eyes at half mast as she imagined she could taste the saliva there, eyes fixed on Dante as she did.

[hellspawnedhero]

"Got the rules for a reason. But if you're real nice, maybe I'll consider giving you a preview of what I've got planned if you manage to impress me in battle."

He gave her a suggestive smirk as he stood up and walked off again, hefting his sword onto his shoulders in a motion that made his hips move just enough to call attention downward.

[fullofthorns]

She chuckled at that, tongue flickign over her bottom lip before teeth closed on it as her eyes roamed down, then back up. Yes, she was behaving badly. Yeah, it was probably a little defensive behavior, railing against her apparent abduction and celebrating her sudden freedom from the oppression back home.

Was she going to regret it?

Taking another look at Dante's hips and backside, she decided the answer was 'no'. Chances were pretty good that by the end of this, she was going to be absolutely free of regret. Although she did enjoy mulling over the promises he made. Not of the rewards, but of the fight. It had been a long time since she'd had any good competition and even longer still since anyone was fighting to get in her skirt. Of course that was her father's fault.

Shit. Talk about Daddy issues.

Muttering a low curse to herself she stretched out on the couch, resting her head on one arm, one foot over the other arm. The second foot bent at the knee and rested on the floor over the side of the couch, putting her in a broad and comfortable sprawl in the man's absence. Meanwhile she explore the contents of the other bottles finding herself pleasantly surprised on all counts.

"Know any good ways to get quick cash around here?" she called out, capping one bottle and opening another. "I'll treat next time. Well...unless they've got laws against purchase under a certain age. Then I'll just fork over the money I suppose..."

[hellspawnedhero]

Coronamon rolls off the arm of the couch and onto Roze's leg when she raises her voice and mumbles something in his sleep before curling up.

Dante waits to respond until he's on his way back, carrying a cardboard box the right size and shape for pizza and half a box of strawberries.

"Some guy said somethin' about jobs that give decent pay."

[fullofthorns]

She sat up slightly when Coronamon rolled, smirking and reaching over to tug him gently up, resting him in her lap. When Dante returned she sat up enough for him sit where she could rest back in his lap.

"What kinda jobs? K-man says I ain't supposed to fight or somethin'. Like my tactics and weapons are pretty useless against the locals? That's some shit. Man, pizza. I love you."