|
Post by skyeknight on Feb 1, 2018 16:39:07 GMT
Axel waited outside of Tony's for Anna. The day was crisp and chilly. His hands were in the pockets of his leather jacket. Anna was on her way, but he had time to finish his cigarette before she showed up, at least he believed he did. He didn't know how she felt about smoking. Then he shook his head at that thought. Would he really quit smoking if she didn't like him doing it? Perhaps. It was laughable really, a demon like him 'going steady' with a girl like Anna. Still, he couldn't complain. This was actually the happiest he had been in quite some time.
He supposed this counted as a first date. Something low key that wasn't just coffee and them making out. Though, if the later happened, once again he wouldn't complain. Still, after Anna's confession of how past relationships went and Axel's sheer inexperience at anything remotely serious, slow and steady was the best way to go. They weren't just rushing to jump into bed together, which Axel was out of his league with. But he'd be damned if he said she didn't want to make him try the whole 'serious' thing.
The power she had over him. With just a smile or a simple word, he was all but compelled to listen to her. He had already proven the lengths in which he was willing to go in order to keep her safe. For a demon, that said a lot. She invoked feelings that he didn't often have contact with or if he did, it was mostly him just going through the motions of what he knew he was supposed to do for that feeling. With her, these emotions were real.
|
|
|
Post by neverlandlostgirl on Feb 3, 2018 3:57:16 GMT
Soon enough the sound of footsteps quickly approaching filled the air and a moment later Anna came into view. She quickly spotted Axel and waved at him, her lips growing into a wide smile as she made her way over to where he stood outside the restaurant.
"Hi Axel."
She stopped just in front of him and continued to smile as if everything were right in the world. It was so good to see the young woman smiling again. She was dressed in a overlarge pink t-shirt with a sloth on the front, one sleeve hanging off her left shoulder to show the strap of the white cami she was wearing underneath. She wore light blue jeans with the knees missing and a pair of tan boots covered in buckles.
"Hope you weren't waiting very long for me. Pascal wanted some spoiling before I left. I think he's starting to get jealous that I don't spend all my time with him."
She gave a small laugh at this thought, pushing her hair behind her ear. She didn't have it in her usual braids tonight and instead let it hang fee around her shoulders, creating a waterfall of strawberry blonde waves.
|
|
|
Post by skyeknight on Feb 4, 2018 4:34:48 GMT
Axel winced when she approached. He took his cigarette and closed his hand around it. The smoke sizzled out in his palm. It didn't hurt. If anything he liked the heat of the dying cigarette. He pitched the butt into the nearest trashcan. He wasn't like one of those assholes who just dropped theirs in the streets. He might have also been trying to look 'good' for Anna as a responsible person.
"Hey."
He felt a smile spread across his lips as he looked at her. She looked much better than she had last time. Each time he saw her, she had recovered more and more from what had happened with that experiment of hers. He was just happy to see her health improve. Though, with her hair down like that, it was distracting. He found himself wondering just how soft it was but quickly shook that thought aside. Take it slow, he told himself.
"I think he'll live if I steal you for a few hours." he joked.
|
|
|
Post by neverlandlostgirl on Feb 5, 2018 6:46:20 GMT
"Well, you wouldn't think so with the way he was....."
Suddenly Anna broke off midsentence as her nose wrinkled up, a small frown creasing her forehead. It would have normally been a cute look on her except she was sniffing at the air in a way that was almost animalistic.
"Huh, I smell cigarettes. I didn't know you smoked."
She looked up at Axel with a bemused expression. She had never smelled smoke on him before but then again she had noticed recently that scents seemed to be much more powerful to her. Perhaps it was just her imagination but she couldn't recall having that good of a sense of smell before the incident with the serum...
However, not wanting to focus on that before their first official date had even begun, she merely shook her head and raised a playful eyebrow at Axel.
"Hey, I thought we agreed no secrets. If you smoke you don't have to hide it from me."
|
|
|
Post by skyeknight on Feb 5, 2018 15:42:03 GMT
"And here I expected about a lecture about cancer sticks," he teased.
Hard to miss the smell of cigarettes, he supposed. He could put out the cigarette, but the smoke he had exhaled lingered. He smiled sheepishly for literally being 'sniffed out' by her. Though, considering her profession, he expected something to be said about his health, and living longer or something like that. But he was a demon, cigarettes and a hard party life would barely impact his longevity. Save for the fact he didn't party. Not like he used to. He was a very different person back when he had been under Cruella's employment, until he wised up.
"I didn't want to wait for it to burn out," he said. "I only smoke every so often."
He could admit to his own impatience. He wasn't a pack a day smoker, more like a pack every two to three months (sometimes more). He was his own lighter. Sometimes he needed something to take the edge off things. Today he popped a cigarette to get him over his nerves of a first date with Anna. She might not have realized it, but she was intimidating. He never settled down with one person before. And yet there the were, on a date.
|
|
|
Post by neverlandlostgirl on Feb 6, 2018 7:05:24 GMT
Anna made a face and stuck her tongue out playfully at Axel.
"Well, I guess when you're a Fire Demon you don't have to worry about those kinds of things. And I won't bug you about it."
For now. That was what the look on her face said but she didn't speak anymore on the topic and instead pointed a thumb at the restaurant entrance. The entrance was lit with golden light and distantly the sound of accordion music could be heard from inside.
"Shall we? And don't forget, I'm paying tonight. If you try to pull a fast one and pay the check first you'll have to deal with me."
Here she raised her fists in a boxing stance before lightly punching Axel on the chest, the smile on her face revealing the threat to be less than serious.
|
|
|
Post by skyeknight on Feb 6, 2018 15:59:40 GMT
"Right. Right. I got it memorized."
He couldn't help but chuckle when she hit him. It didn't hurt. Though, he doubted that was her intent. The whole back and forth paying. He supposed that was going to be a thing, to keep them from fighting. At least it wasn't the other way around where one party couldn't pay or refused to. Here they were fighting over who would. He supposed things could be worse. But he held up his hands in mock surrender, feigning injury from her light hearted jabs.
"I promise I won't try to steal the check this time," he said.
He walked to the door of the restaurant and held the door open for her. He grinned at her. It had been a while since their confession. His staff had settled down about it for now, but they were all but salivating for more gossip and news. They insisted it was because they wanted to see him happy because he had worked so hard to see them happy. He had given a lot for his staff to get where they were. And there was never any hard feelings when they found a better career for themselves.
|
|
|
Post by neverlandlostgirl on Feb 6, 2018 21:55:14 GMT
"Good!"
Anna stopped pretending to punch Axel and made her way towards the entrance to Tony's. The Fire Demon was one step ahead of her and opened the door, allowing the light and delicious smell of cooking pizza pour out.
It didn't take much time for the server at the front to look up their reservation and get them seated. Anna took her seat across from Axel at the small table, letting her eyes wander a bit. She hadn't been to Tony's before but she had heard good things about it at the BPD. And if the food was half as good as the scents filling the air, she would certainly be coming back.
"Wow, this place looks good. I can't believe I never stopped in here before now. Guess I've always let the Nevermore be my go to place."
|
|
|
Post by skyeknight on Feb 7, 2018 16:08:36 GMT
"The chef used to be one of mine," Axel said, "Until he went to culinary school and got a job here."
Axel was always happy to see his employees do better for themselves. When he hired the guy, he was in a bad way. He was broke, living on the streets and paying everything he had to pay his wife's hospital bills. Now they were back on their feet and expecting a little one. They were a success story of what good could come from being given a second chance. Axel changed his life around. He was doing the same, one employee at a time. He couldn't do anything extremely crazy, just work with these people when they were down on their luck and give them a hand up.
"I recommend their supreme pizza. A little bit of everything," he said.
|
|
|
Post by neverlandlostgirl on Feb 8, 2018 5:27:14 GMT
"Oh, that sounds great!"
Once again she sniffed at the air and couldn't help but lick her lips at the scents that greeted it. Fresh tomatoe sauce. Baking pizza dough. The spicy tang of herbs and seasoning.
"I kinda forgot lunch today in the wake of a new case."
She gave a small shrug of the shoulders as if this were something only to be expected when handling a fresh corpse. And while most people's appetites would be nonexistent after seeing much less performing the autopsy on a body, the exact opposite was true for Anna.
As if to verify this, a small growl suddenly came from her stomach. Grinning, she put a hand over it almost as if that would silence it.
"Sorry. Guess I really am hungry, but if your friend runs this place I'm sure I'll leave full and more then happy."
|
|
|
Post by skyeknight on Feb 8, 2018 20:24:13 GMT
"Yeah, I get it. Saving the city one body at a time." Axel said.
She did important work. To both her, the cops, the city and the victim's families. Without her, there would have been no justice, no way to find out "who did it" and criminals would get away with crimes. He could lecture her about her health, but rather, he was very pleased he was the reason she took her break. She stopped so she could come see him and have dinner with him. He would chalk that up to a victory in his book, especially considering how much of a workaholic she was.
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure there's something on the menu you would like." he reassured her.
The waiter stepped up to their table to take their order. Axel went for the supreme pizza and a soft drink. He leaned back and smiled at Anna. He supposed this was the first time they actually went out to eat. She made food for him last time, wowing him with her cooking prowess. Axel was not as capable when it came to cooking. Grilling, yes, but braising, broiling or basting something? He was an extremely lost cause. It was why his work had more than one fire extinguisher.
|
|
|
Post by neverlandlostgirl on Feb 9, 2018 9:08:07 GMT
Some might have found it exceedingly morbid to talk about the criminal investigation and medical examination of bodies. However, Anna was glad to know Axel didn't mind, especially given how she worked in such a field and was very passionate about her job.
When the waiter came and asked if they were ready to order, she perused the menu briefly before making her choice.
"I'll try the House Special pizza, per favore."
Hoping her Italian accent wasn't too terrible, she returned her attention to the Fire Demon as the waiter went to place their order.
"So how have things been at the bar lately? All the girls doing pretty good right now?"
Anna knew most of them fairly well from all the time she had spent at the Bourbon Grasse, but she hasn't dropped by since she and Axel had kissed. While it wasn't common knowledge they were together, Sarah had seen them and was sure to have told everyone at work they were dating. She didn't mind them knowing but she wasn't sure ready to be bombarded with questions and teasing when she went back in. That could wait until she and Axel had figured out just how serious their relationship was.
|
|
|
Post by skyeknight on Feb 9, 2018 15:35:57 GMT
"Things are good," he reassured her. "Better now that LaRue has healed. The bands we had covering for him... Weren't bad but they didn't draw in the same crowds."
The new bands and their fans didn't know Axel's rules. They had tried their luck with the servers and the hostesses. Axel had to set a few in their place. Not to mention an increase in bar fights. People trying to push for more drinks when they were well past their limit. Luckily his girls were tough and he had patrons who were more than happy to call people out on their bullshit. It made for a few easy arrests for the BPD.
"The girls think I scared you off," he teased. "Or embarrassed you by getting caught."
They had teased him, but vowed to lay off Anna (or at lest not tease her as much as they did him). They were happy for him and for her. The girls were fond of Anna (and Pascal). It was still kind of an adjustment thing for him. Since he and Anna were still very new together.
|
|
|
Post by neverlandlostgirl on Feb 23, 2018 6:35:05 GMT
"LaRue.... That name sounds familiar. He's the one troll dating Aqua now, right?"
Normally she would have been up to date on anything and everything involving her fellow BPD co-workers but she was still being observed closely after the disaster with her serum. True, she wasn't in danger of losing her job at that time and most of the legal parameters surrounding her continued employment at the BPD had been dropped, but she still has to be careful. It was only because her record had been spotless before the incident that she hadn't lost her job... or gone to jail. That meant focusing on her duties as a medical examiner instead of spending time learning about everyone's social life.
When Axel talked about the girls at his bar noting her absence, she merely stuck out her tongue and blew a very quiet raspberry.
"Hey, I'm all for a good and playful teasing but even I have a limit on how much I can take. We only just started dating and every time I come in they start asking questions. Some of which are not to be spoken of in public."
Anna put on an air of proper fussiness at this but the color in her cheeks didn't fade. She knew the servers were largely just joking when they asked these questions but part of her wondered if they were really just jokes or something more serious.
|
|
|
Post by skyeknight on Feb 23, 2018 15:09:07 GMT
"Maybe?" Axel shrugged. "Omar comes in and performs regularly so I know him. He's been trying to serenade this blue haired chick for a while but I think she's oblivious."
Axel didn't speak much to the woman. Most of her time was spent listening to music, rather than chatting up the bartender. Which was fine by him. He had plenty of other people who liked to talk to him. Besides, he wasn't the one she was there for. She ordered her drinks, something typically sweet and by the end of the night was a blushing flustered mess once Omar finished chatting her up. It was clear the troll liked her. Omar had even come to him asking the woman's preferred drinks. Though, the drink suggestions came with the advice of, don't get her drunk and Axel's suspicions of what type of drunk she was. She would likely fall under the category of a happy drunk, perhaps even an affectionate one. He was normally a good call at those sorts of things.
"Aw, don't worry. I'll keep you safe from them," he teased.
His servers didn't mean any harm. If anything, he was the one getting a lecture not to break Anna's heart because of his track record and Anna's general sweet nature that seemed to have his entire staff fond of her. They wouldn't pick on her, just him, because they knew that he could take whatever harassment they threw at him and could dish it out. His staff was like his own dysfunctional family of sorts.
|
|