Another Year Older - Beyril's Apartment (MATURE) (Lani and Beyril)

Beyril gave a slight tug at his shirt collar, pulling his face into hers and damned near viciously kissing him. Akira knocked on the door, knowing all too well not to simply come in at this point, "Hey, we need you two out here if you're ready."

"Mrrrf-" was the only reply Tony could give, outside of tapping the door twice with his foot to confirm that he got the message.

Beyril blushed, and let him go, cheeks crimson as she bit the inside of her lip nervously, "Sorry..." she murmured, letting her arms go slack around his shoulders.

"You're good," he whispered, nuzzling her cheek. "C'mon, fireball. It's shorttime."

Beyril's cheeks went even redder at the nickname and she stepped around him to the door, not releasing his hand, "To be continued...?" she smirked, stepping out into the living room.

Akira was reclining on the couch with a book, an odd relaxation that amidst the colorful balloons and streamers was.... weird to say the least. A round cake with rainbow sprinkles all over and a phoenix done in icing on top was lined with candles, and a lighter sat next to it, presumably for later.

Beyril turned vermilion, looking back to Tony in playful accusation, "You totally were in on this, weren't you?"

The grin that had spread across his face was reminiscent of a tomcat after it had not only accomplished breakfast, but seemed to have located a bed partner. "When aren't I?" He responded back, all cockiness and boyish, eyes moving to Akira with a wicked, accomplished gleam to them.

Beyril playfully gave him a light punch to the side, and shook her head, "This is way too much... Why all the fanfare?"

Akira simply shrugged, turning a page in a book like he had no idea that anything was going on.

A shrug followed as he plopped himself on the couch, lounging lazily and staring at her upside-down with his head strewn over the arm of the furniture. "I dunno. Heard it was someone's birthday or something, I guess." His tone was teasing, but he shrugged nonetheless. "Akira, you hear anything about that?"

Akira shrugged, flipping a page, "I don't watch the news."

Beyril rolled her eyes sitting across Tony's lap, "Ass." She teased, looking up at Akira, "Where's Savannah?"

Akira shrugged again.

"Wherever she wants, I guess." Tony shrugged, as he had not been privy to the information. Should any of them have slightly more sensitive hearing, they would have notice a nearby door opening and closing near-silently nearby. Elsewise, all seemed relatively normal. Tony's hand went to her waist. "Besides, there's cake. Sugar. Maybe even some coffee. I dunno," he shrugged, kissing her ear, "Nobody tells me things anymore. Something about 'you'll tell your girlfriend' or something like that."

Beyril smirked, nuzzling his cheek, "You are a bad liar..."

Akira smirked despite himself.

Tony shrugged at her, pretending he knew nothing of which she spoke. "Either way. We invited Justice over, but xe might be held up a bit. Rogue should be heading over with xir. We thought you'd like to keep it small."

Beyril blushed smiling more despite herself, "I swear I think you read my mind sometimes. It's not fair."

Tony shrugged a bit, offering her a bit of a squeeze. "You're a friendly person, but you like intimacy. Small groups work well for important things."

Akira's phone went off: Getting antsy here, petto. Can I let her out before she sneezes on me again?

Beyril raised a brow, "It's just a birthday..."

Akira tapped quickly out with his thumb, Feel free. She's snugly right now anyways."

"No such thing when its-"

Incoming.

As if on queue, a tiny blue french bulldog puppy came bounding out, orange bow twist-tied to her bohemian collar, big, dark eyes staring as her tail wagged happily and she leapt immediately into Beyril's lap, whining and pining for attention and affection alike.

Beyril's shoulders slumped as she all but curled up around the dog with a slow, "Awwww", pressing her face into its tummy as it wriggled and snorted, "Puppyyyyyyyy!!!" She squealed, really incapable of uttering anything else.

Savannah stepped out a minute later, Mika settled onto the floor, walking as well as she could around her human's feet. Tony, meanwhile, in about as much shock as his girlfriend, stared back at Sayv with a raised eyebrow.

Akira smirked slightly, always enjoying surprises of any variety.

Beyril might as well have been mush, letting the puppy chew on her hair, pulling it out of the braid and making soft grunting sounds as she uttered soft, high pitched sounds that honestly no one could make out.

Savannah found herself laughing, ignoring her exs questioning gaze as she moved to make her fiance into a chair. "Happy there, Bey?"

Beyril kept squealing, just nodding her head.

Akira handed her a glass of wine from the table, "Don't know if you've bothered to check down there yet, but she's a little girl."

She took it gratefully, laughing as the pup found Tony's ear. "Name her what you will. She's yours."

Beyril tickled her tummy, then lifted her where Tony could see, "Look!!! She's so cute!!"

He nodded, trying to drynhis ear as he looked between the two. "She's pudgy." He nodded, tickling her belly. "I hope you know I'm not the sharing type, littel miss." He said, waggling his finger at the pup. "These are my snuggles."

Beyril made a pouty face as the puppy whimpered, "Awh, you're gonna make her sad..."

Akira gave a slight eye roll to Savnnah, but the smirk remained.

Tony snorted at it, rubbing the base of its ear gently, "Fine. But I get more kisses."

Savannah looked at Akira, brow raised, "He's negotiating with the puppy."

Akira shrugged, "Mika and I already have an arrangement."

Beyril flicked it's ears up and down, "Any name ideas?"

She looked over, staring at him incredulously, "You have an arrangement with my cat..?"

Tony raised a brow, "I can barely do people, babe." He tapped the pup's nose, "I might just call her Princess Wriggles."

Akira nodded, sipping his wine in silence.

Beyril played with the dog's paws, thinking to herself, "How about...." she paused, wrinkling her nose as she tried to think of a name.

Tony shrugged, "She'll be getting one of my weird pet names anyways."

Savannah rolled her eyes at both men, "Luna?"

Beyril grinned, "I like it."

Savannah smiled back i[ at her, offering a thumbs up, "You'll like the collar too. And her and Mika are fine."

Tony's eyes rolled, "Oh heavens forbid she mistreat the cat-"

"Hush."

Beyril let the dog down to run circles around the table, "What prompted this?"

Savannah merely stared at her, brow raised, "It's your birthday. You're my best friend. I have money. Do I need more reasons?"

Beyril rolled er eyes, "Just gonna keep holding that over my head, huh?"

"What else am I gonna do?!" she asked, shrugging. "Akira insists on repairing the house himself, I have enough of a college fund to get five degrees, and the cat's bills are all paid."

Beyril raised a brow, "Cats have bills?"

"Her legs, Bey." she said, gesturing to the crippled cat, "Her medical bills."

Beyril shook her head, "Sorry... It slipped my mind."

She laughed, "Point is, I have access to too many funds for my own good, and you're fun to surprise."

Beyril pouted a bit, "Yeah, but I feel bad when my presents aren't as fun."

"There's heart in them," she insisted, shrugging and bending over to pat the dog, "That's what matters."

The dog started chewing on the end of her foot, snorting to itself. Beyril looked over suspiciously at Tony, "You better not have gone crazy too..."

His face burned a fraction, but his composure held surprisingly well, "What I do is my buisness, madam."

Savannah snorted, "Hers as well."

Beyril placed a hand on her hip, "Tony..."

Akira nearly snorted his wine out his nose laughing.

He averted his gaze entirely, fingers dancing along his phone keyboard, letting Justice and Rogue know he was panicking. "Woman, don't 'Tony' me. I know where you sleep."

Beyril rolled her eyes, "Yeah, next to me 90% of the time."

He shrugged, "Sometimes one of us is working..." he seemed almost offended at the notion, saved only by the knocking at the door and Justice pushing it open.

"Is he squirming already? The party hasn't even started, Bey." Xe said, shaking xir head. "I brought soda and Rogue. He has chips." The assassin held up a couple of bags, shrugging as he slid down his mask.

Beyril grinned, cheeks pink, "You didn't have to..."

They both shrugged, Justice moving to get virgin drinks for the crowd, "Well, you didn't have to be born but you're here anyways. Let's all have our fun, shall we?"

Rogue snorted, revealing the two bags he had behind his back. "Presents." he said, sitting on the floor and setting the bags near her. "How are all we?"

Beyril turned pink again, "You guys really didn't have to bring stuff..." she grinned as the puppy chased after Justice's heels, "I think we're calling her Luna. She's precious."

Justice looked down at her, raising a brow, "You weren't kidding. She is blue."

Savannah's eyes rolled, "Why are you surprised?"

"You deal in secrets."

"I deal in secrets," Rogue amended, calling the pup over.

"I deal in food. Can we eat?" All eyes turned to Tony, who shrugged, "I forgot to eat today."

Beyril gently smacked his arm while Akira squirmed out from under Savannah to get food going without a word, "Don't do that." she scolded, almost seeming like they hadn't been doing the same to her a few months ago. Beyril looked at the gifts, "Should we wait until after cake or are you guys getting antsy?"

"I was busy!" he whined, pouting at her.

"Patience is fine for me."

"You already gave her your present."

"Point?"

"Girls, you're both pretty." Justice called to the bickering meisters, making room for Akira in the kitchen.

Beyril rolled her eyes, picking up one of the bags while Akira brought out a tray of little rolled sandwiches, "Fine, fine..." she murmured, stacking the tissue paper playfully on Tony's head.

Tony made a face at first before working some attempt at making a bonnet, his unruly silver hair having none of it.

Rogue's gift was a series of homegrown crystals, along with a collection of smoother, varying stones in a wooden case, lined in purple cloth, a coding paper above it to explain what each were. The meister, meanwhile, was grinning like an idiot.

Beyril held each up to the light inspecting them closely. She sat them aside, embracing the meister, "Thank you, you shouldn't have."

"Too late," he teased, awkwardly hugging her back with a grin. "Some of them are designed to help channel chakras. I thought it would help with your meditations."

Beyril nodded, "I'm sure! I should be taking notes from you anyways." she teased slightly, working her way back onto the couch, eyeing Justice suspiciously, "Now I just have you and Tony to worry about..."

"I'm innocent." Xe said flatly, brow raising.

"You suggested we breed Royal and Mika and give her a kitten."

"Or two."

"Or two." Savannah shot back upon Tony's correction.

"... technically the breeding would have made them un-innocent."

Beyril raised a brow, "You're turning me into one of those crazy hippie ladies with all the animals, aren't you?"

"I didn't actually get a pet."

"Yet." Tony corrected firmly.

"... Rogue wouldn't let me near the hermit crabs."

"You had Royal!!!"

Beyril rolled her eyes, poking Tony in the side while Akira sat back down next to Savannah, "So that just leaves you and you're bad at pretending like you don't have anything planned."

Tony, to his credit, promptly shoved a sandwhich into his mouth.

"... Can we get into mine?" Justice said, laughing as xe sat on the floor, calling Mika over.

Savannah's arms went reflexively around his form as he settled, leaning against him and toying with the ends of his hair.

Beyril picked up the bag, this time letting Luna run around in circles with the paper in her mouth, the pup tripping a few times but not slowing down.

Inside, she would find a collection of various books on crystals, culture, nature, and souls, along with a smooth, family-friends themed scrapbook. "I'm boring, sorry." Justice said, hiding embarrassment behind drink.

Beyril grinned, hugging xir tightly, "No, I promise, I love it."

Justice hid xir face, smiling awkwardly, but relieved nonetheless. "I might have used a few pages..."

Beyril laughed, "You know I'd have not minded regardless."

"Well... It still happened."

"Xe wants you to look." Tony clarified between sandwiches.

Beyril let go of Justice and flipped open the scrapbook, "I'm not good at subtext; we've gone over this."

"I have to be useful for something." He teased, shrugging.

Sure enough, the first five pages were overrun with photos of the group, most of which were goof off and some were even pre- and during their own dating. There was an easy comfort to the pages, homely and relaxed.

Beyril grinned, nothing that most of the photos around her house were bittersweet pictured of her childhood, parents intact. Her mother's fiery red hair outshining Beyril's in every frame. Her eyes watered slightly and she smiled up at Justice, "Thank you. I needed this."

Justice grinned, truly proud now, "I hoped you'd like it."

Beyril nodded, hugging xir tightly again, "I love it."

Xe threaded a hand through her hair, fixing it where the dog had played, "Glad to hear it."

Tony, somehow, seemed to panic again. Rogue punched his knee, an attempted wake up call.

Beyril glanced over at him, "Tony, are you okay? Do you want some air?"

He chuckled, looking away, "Naw, I'm good." he gestured to the cake. "You're supposed to be eating though, ma'am."

Beyril stood, eyeing him suspiciously, Akira holding her back with her shoulder as he went to light candles.

(1/2) Tony merely offered her a lopsided expression, shrugging before grinning and nodding to the food. "If you complain about it making you fat, I'll have to r(2/2) emind you how much I love your hips." Rogue paled. "And you know that makes Jer uncomfortable." A wink followed, a deflection all on its own.

Beyril blushed, still a little embarrassed to have her figure complimented so publicly. Especially since her ex, also familiar with the way she looked nude, was in the room. "You're mean." She muttered to herself.

(1/2) "I'm amazing, thank you." He teased, tapping her freckled nose and leaning back in the seat, finally seated upright otherwise. "Besides, Justice appreciat(2/2) es the aesthetics, I'm sure."

"Why do I get dragged into this?"xe asked, heading shaking. "You look beautiful and healthy, Bey."

Beyril blushed even deeper, murmuring a thanks while Akira tugged her forward, candles lit as he eyed Savannah to start singing.

(1/2) The woman rolled her eyes, hatimg being targeted but singing nonetheless. Rogue hummed along, Justice following along easily, as did Tony,his eyes teasing(2/2) all the while.

Beyril slowly turned more and more pink, wondering if the ups and downs of the day would end up making her faint before the night was over. At the conclusion, she blew out the candles, all in one go, and smiled sheepishly as Akira asked, "Chocolate or white? It's got one kind on each side."

Tony hadn't begun to listen, plating cake slices as he cut them. Though, to his credit, he did smack Rogue's hand away when he reached for one.

Akira rolled his eyes, instinctively grabbing two and a glass of milk from the kitchen for he and Savannah. Beyril sat in the warm corner of the couch Tony had previously been occupying, raising a brow at him, "You get your seat back when you tell me why you're acting funny."

He raised a brow, casually settling on the floor. "I can't explain something I'm doing if I'm not actually doing it."

Beyril frowned, popping cake in her mouth, "I'm not dumb..."

Akira sat down with Savannah, Mika weaving in between his feet as he carried both portions, "Here you are." He offered, setting the milk on the table in front of her, Mika leaving as if miffed that he put it somewhere she'd have to jump to reach.

(1/2) Savannah laughed, dropping a crumb for the little creature but setting about eating otherwise, smiling up her fiance.

Tony shrugged, stuffing his face ac(2/2) xordingly and refusing to provide any sort of answer.

The room got uncomfortably quiet for a moment, Beyril squirming a bit to pull her knees up, staring blankly as she idly ate her cake, Luna barking as she struggled to try and jump onto the couch, but Beyril too lost in her "overthinking" face to seem to notice.

Beyril jerked her foot back instinctively, offering a weak smile, "Yeah, I'm sure." She brushed her hair back, her fingers trembling just barely enough for Savannah, Akira, and Rogue to notice. Beyril slid a hand under the dog's chest and held it up to her side, "I'm gonna take her outside for a bit. I'll be right back." She smiled, more convincingly, kissing Tony's head before she stepped out.

Akira glanced at Rogue, an unspoken, "Are you going to check on her or should I?" Exchanged between the two.

Rogue offered a nod, standing and retrieving both Mika and her leash,heading out after them.

As he stepped out, the bitter half-cold of October clung to his bones like a spirit. The fog was getting thicker as the nights came sooner, and Beyril, red hair and long dress, shrouded in smoke and fog looked like a banshee on the moores. A lit cigarette that she somehow managed to sneak past them on her way out dangled limply in between her fingers as she looked out at the roads while the dog bounded around, getting tangled on its leash. The slight tremble in her hands, like nerves buzzing just beneath the surface, was barely noticeable even to Rogue in the fog. She glanced up when she heard the door, trying to hide the cigarette behind her back, but giving a light guilty smile as she noticed who it was, "There's really no use hiding anything at all when you're around, is there?"

(1/2) "Ask my roommie," he said, setting the cat down as he moved to stand beside her, fingering the crystal necklace she'd given him just two months previously(2/2) for his own birthday. "You promised you'd quit." He said the words off-handedly, but it was obvious enough that it concerned him.

"I did." She sighed, flicking the ashes off the end, "Then the nightmares started coming back and there was Marcie..." She sighed, "Cigarettes don't judge."

(1/2) "Who said that we do?" He asked, though he knee the answer without heeding the question. "We can track her down. You do know this." More facts, gently, ca(2/2) sually stated, deadly trained. It was a stark contrast to the cat on a leash that he watched after.

Beyril gave a quick laugh, shaking her head, "I didn't mean it like that." She sighed, "Some stuff... It's hard to say. Like the words just don't come out." She took a long drag from her cigarette, "The baby whose bones they found with my mom and dad? They... They said it was a girl. Beats me how they knew. Something about the pelvis."

Rogue nodded, understand this. His eyes close, a rainbow pathway beginning to outline him. "Need some help?" His tone was light, easy, but concerned.

Beyril sighed her voice shaking, "She was two months old, Rogue. Probably didn't know what hurt felt like and he beat her to death. I don't even know what she looked like."

His eyes drifted to her as he held out a hand, hoping to calm her. "Like you, I would imagine. All fire and smiles."

Beyril took his hand, trying to clear out her mind, but it was all rage and hurt twisting her soul into knots. "I can't tell Tony. It's too much for him."

"Seeing you in pain and not knowing why is too much for him." He corrected, refocusing his energy and chakras to lend her aid.

Her heart rate slowed a bit, but her soul still was more fragile than an eggshell around her, "I'm just waiting for it to all be too much. Every time I think I'm gonna be nice and done, something else happens and I can't say it. All my words get choked up..."

(1/5) "And none of us are faulting you." He said, setting a hand on her shoulder, channeling more directly. His eyes followed after the animals, tugging gently (2/5) at the leash to keep Mika out of trouble. "Not everything is perfect. You /know/ this. You've lived it every day, but some things..." he shook his head, s(3/5) hrugging, snapping his fingers once and holding his hand out for a drag of the cigarette. "Some things /will/ work out. Look at Akira and Sayv. Look at Jo(4/5) hn and Justice. Hell," he said, shaking his head with a partial sigh, a silent laugh that came out his nose, "Look at me and Nik. Who is to say that you a(5/5) nd Tony don't get the same?"

"Because I don't get good things for very long." She sighed, handing him the cigarette, "It's just the way the world works for me. I can tell something's bothering him. We talked about some stuff this morning and he said it was okay then, but he's acting weird and I'm afraid that it's really setting in how fucked up I am."

(1/3) Rogue snorted, shaking his head before taking a long, slow drag, puffing out rings before handing it back. "Beyril, I have reasons for my inability to exp(2/3) lain, but know that whatever happened this morning isn't bothering him." Swirling eyes turned towards her, eyeing the shifting, wavering wavelength. "Shift to me, Bey."

Beyril closed her eyes, taking the cigarette back and letting her flexible wavelength find the crevices in his own, like the smooth gentle caress of a lover. It all came so naturally to her anymore, just the slow shift of herself into whatever she needed to be. Perhaps it was her working with so many weapons, but somehow it didn't lack any of the intimacy that came from pairing with a weapon, letting it slightly into your head. In fact, if anything the experience was more close, like an attentive bedmate, not asking you to change yourself or really even act, simply bending and touching all the familiar best places without effort.

(1/5) Rogue closed his eyes, letting out a sigh as he shifted his wavelength with her own, highlighting his throat and abdominal chakras to aid her own, trying (2/5) to calm her into clarity. "He loves you, Beyril." He said, letting his red chakra fade to a smooth dim, blue and yellow visibly dominating his outline. "I(3/5) 'd be lying to say that I'm not jealous, but he's so far in love with you that he can't think straight when he tries to put it to words." Green flickered,(4/5) and he eased it into a smooth segway beteeen the highlights, "/That's/ what's wrong. He's trying to work with words and he's better with actions and bass(5/5) strings. He's out of his element."

"And if I'm not his element?" she asked, a slight tremor in her voice.

He amplified the yellow, coaxing her to blend into it. "You /are/ his element." Rogue asserted, cocked brow meeting her words.

Beyril couldn't help but to smile slightly at the reassurance, letting a final long drag run the cigarette down to the butt, before flicking it off in the yard, tugging Luna's leash to keep her away from it. She pulled the rest of the pack out of the top of her dress, handing it to Rogue, "I should probably lose these."

(1/2) He took it from her with his free hand, sliding it into a cargo pocket. "I'll know if you need them." He clarified, searching another pocket before offeri(2/2) ng a mint. "He's not stepping away. He's not leaving. He couldn't."

Beyril nodded, pushing the mint out of the clear plastic and tossing it in her mouth, letting it switch from cheek to cheek before she turned back to Rogue and hugged him tightly, the faintest traces of menthol clinging to her clothes, "Thank you."

(1/3) The stiffening upon contact with her was long gone, now, but the awkwardness remained. A moment of hesitation, and his arms embraced her, one hand wrapped(2/3) in the cat's leash. "Get yourself inside," he murmured, looking up and turning his head about his neck. "Mika seems interested in that bush and you have (3/3) cake to eat."

Beyril nodded, letting him go while she gave Luna a tug, coaxing her back inside the apartment.

Savannah had taken to updating Tony on her siblings' antics, a concept almost entirely foreign to the other meister in the room.

Beyril smirked, "Careful, get Tony started on his brood and we'll be here all night."

The weapon's eyes narrowed playfully, but his usual, easy smile had returned in full, relaxed, if not wholly complacent.

Beryil shrugged, "It's true, lover boy."
Akira snorted, "Siblings aren't my favorite topic."

(1/2) "Your sisters are marginally normal." Savannah stated, skiding through pictures of her own miniatures.
"Hey, I only have talking space on cousins." He ass(2/2) erted, patting his leg for her to return to her previously abandoned seat.

Beyril sat down next to him, worried he'd notice the menthol smell, but pretending like she didn't notice it herself just in case.
Akira snorted, "Marginally."

(1/3) No mention of it escaped his lips; whether he knew or not, he wasn't saying. Still, his lios met her cheek with a fluid instinct that was comfortable far (2/3) beyond natural.

"You don't mention them much," she returned, handing him a napkin for stray frosting, "I don't have too terribly much to go on."

Beyril blushed, pressing herself against him in a snuggle, Luna chewing on her leash.
Akira shrugged, letting one arm fall around Savannah's shoulder, "You ever wanna see them, be my guest. We'll take the plane over to Yokohama, and you can see what I mean. But don't say I didn't warn you."

(1/2) A sigh escaped him the released nearly undetectable tension, his hand movibg yo rub at her arm.

Savannah shrugged it off, though her eyes were conflicte(2/2) d "family," she murmured for clarity.

Akira shrugged, "I don't know if I'd call them that..."

Beyril smiled, looking at the picked apart cake, "Justice, I hope you don't feel like a 5th wheel..."

Savannah rolled her eyes, dismissing the topic rather than explaining.

Justice offered a shrug even as Tony started to nuzzle into Beyril's neck, Rogue returning inside and unclipping the cat from her leash. The assassin glanced around before rolling his eyes and moving beside Justice once more.

"Not a lot of difference it would make," Xe teased, nipping idly at a sandwich, "Neither couple is prone to not making physical contact with their S/O."

Beyril blushed, remembering the awkward many past instances where Beyril couldn't help being very physical even if non-sexually, reaching her hand up behind her to weave into Tony's hair, gently scratching the back of his head.

Akira glanced over at the two, then back to Savannah. "Should we break out board games before everyone goes into a cake-coma?"

"Cake coma would save me the trouble of chloroform," Rogue said, almost of-handedly, picking around at the icing he was chasing around his plate. "Makes the hits easier."

Beyril rolled her eyes, "That takes the fun out of it."

Rogue shot her a look, mocking a pout for a brief moment before shrugging, "Makes me feel better after the punching bag is broken."

Beyril couldn't help but giggle as Akira sat a tall red plastic cup on the table.

"Yahtzee."

Rogue took the cup from them, shaking it a few times before letting them roll out onto the table's surface --- accompanied by a d20 and a d3.

Beyril puckered her lips, looking closely at the table, "I don't remember those..."

Rogue just shrugged, smirking a bit to himself and pretending to be distracted by his nails or something. Tony groaned, snatching the stray dice and settling beside Beyril. "He's playing slight-of-hand."

Beyril grinned, "Your hands always that nimble, hotshot?" She winked, laughing a bit and leaning into Tony's shoulder.