Let's Play!

Darryn was in happy land. Seriously. When he went to his 'happy place', it looked a lot like this.

Ashleigh was soon eating ( mind you, nothing compared to Darryn's mound of food), rather adorably, perfectly content as she looked off, thinking to herself. This place wasn't so bad, really... The thing that amazed her about it? they really did have a drive-through wedding service.

Darryn's hand shot over out of nowhere, playfully snatching something off of her plate and cramming it into his mouth.



"MWAHAHAHA! I stole your eggroll!"

Ashleigh pouted.



" I've never had one of those before."



Yep, she was pouting over an eggroll.

Darryn's eyes widened.



"WHAT?!" He immediately rushed over and grabbed another plate, filling it with egg rolls and spring rolls (and a couple crab rangoon, because he liked those). The man brought it over, along with several little sauce dishes.



"Eat them! Dip them in the sauces!" He shoved the plate towards her.

ashleigh looked at the over loaded plate, not sure which to try first, hesitantly grabbing one. Epic fail. After a few moments she braved another, and was much happier, soon trying and dipping curiously.

Darryn clapped his hands together with glee... and then began to scarf a HUGE plate of hot wings.

as they finished their meal, ashleigh glanced up just in time to pull Darryn out of the way of a rouge drunkard waiving a sword. Where he'd gotten a sword in a casino she wasn't trying to think about as she watched him weave about, shaking her head and tugging Darryn out, having already paid the tab plus tip.



" Your bad luck, love."

Darryn shrugged rather casually.



"I never used to have these problems." He was eying the high rollers table. Well, not so much the table as the people standing at it.

" What?"



Asheligh asked, looking over Darryn a moment, thne the table, tugging Darryn away.



" What?"

"The bad luck thing." Darryn looked at her with a sulky expression. She had sounded like she was interested in a little... fine dining too. Why was she pulling him away? The high rollers always had the most adrenaline, whether or not they showed it.

ashleigh looked to the table, and caught on to what Darryn was thinking, shaking her head.



" Different casino for that......... I get a bad feeling about those guys."

"Alright, alright... But you're forking out the cover charge." Why? Well, because of his state in things, Darryn was kind of poor.

" Like I'm oh so worried about it."



she replied, moving to kiss Darryn, laughing to herself at the situation.

" Like I'm oh so worried about it."



she replied, moving to kiss Darryn, laughing to herself at the situation.

Darryn grinned lightly and tugged her after him.



"I just didn't want you to think I was taking advantage of you."

" You are, but i take advantage of you, so that makes us even."



Ashleigh replied with a rather adorable grin as she kissed him and spared him a rather inappropriate butt grab before darting off to the next casino.

Believe it or not, Darryn was completely okay with this logic. He found himself looking at the archway to the new casino. He sighed.



"Did you HAVE to pick the pink one?"

Ashleigh grinned big and nodded emphatically, tugging him inside, paying the cover without thought, looking about and smiling as she was soon sporting cotton candy and eyeing the slot machine.

Darryn grinned lightly, leaning over slowly. The man slowly approached, closer and closer and closer... until he ate a little off the top of the cotton candy in a manner very similar to a goat.

ashleigh looked up him, smiling ever so slightly, shaking ehr head and offering him another bite as she sat down. She couldn't resist. she loved the little noisey they made as they spun. so, without thought, she was inserting nickles.



Hurray for cherries!!!

Darryn shrugged slightly, more pleased with the cotton candy than the cherries.



"You know, after meeting you, it would be my luck that if I tried that, the machine would blow up."

ashleigh looked up at darryn, shaking her head, trying not to die of giggles as she finally gave up on the game she now played, eyes growing wide as a pair of hands encircled her waist. That was all the warning there was before not only Ashleigh, but Darryn were swept into the night, and into the heart of a very agitated clan.

Gah! What did we do wrong now?!



Did they ate least grab Skye too?

Ashleigh was kicking and thrashing and soon had herself being escorted, but they were no longer foolish to hold her.



Skye was growling at anyone who came too close to him, happily following his 'mommy' and yapping at darryn cutely.

Darryn was tugging on his arm.



"Okay, come on people. Really, you don't have to..."



The man just growled as he got thunked in the head, giving it up. Meanies.

Friendly clan to my own... Sorry darryn...



she apologized, already guessing where this was going to lead. Sure enough, the pair were split before too long. Skye? He was shooed off with Darryn.



Darryn and Skye were stuffed in a room with no way out, except the door he'd come in through. And if he thought he was getting out that way... yeah, locked away in a room with only a toilet and a pillow.

Darryn simply sat around for a while. Being locked up was pretty good compared to some of the alternatives. However, after a while, he found himself talking to the pup. (He must have gone insane some time ago and missed it!)



"You know, I didn't use to have this problem."

Skye stared at him a minute or two, offering him a single bark before he went back to whining at the door. he did not do well being separated from Ashleigh.



About five hours later though, Darryn was to get the much worse, as it become obvious what was going on as Ashleigh was standing, well above the crowd, looking less then pleased with not one, but five men chained to her wrist. whether they were her 'property' or to keep her from running, who knew. What was happening nwo was as it was hollered out that the infidel who bedded their heir would be burned for his treason. Well crap.

Darryn's head was sharply inclined as he was shuffled out. Yeah, there were things that you could do to keep a vamp from teleporting - even if it was someone like Darryn who hated it in the first place. Dear Ashleigh, your buoyant man was completely subdued, and it was obvious once again that he knew very much how to act his station. You had seen it twice before.



The man just stood, looking down at the ground. The man was all too aware of the people staring at him, of the words pressed on the air. He simply gave an internal sigh. Well... it wasn't like this could get much worse, and if did it wasn't like he could do anything more about that than he could about this.



"Oh, fancy seeing you here, sweet lady."



Damian casually walked up beside Ashleigh, sitting down in the chair, looking down below. Two points to be made about this. First, he was a clan leader, full of allure and charisma that no one would even want to deny him entry - even to watch the burning of someone from his own clan. Second, no one had noticed him so it didn't really matter either way.



Yes, it just got worse.

Ashleigh glanced to the man that spoke to her, glaring at the man who had the nerve to touch her, having no issue embracing what they were trying to summon up from her, but not in the way they were after it. The man's head was promptly removed and tossed over, eyes considering the man, absently breaking the chain. It was all show. Those things never worked, well.. they could, but it was more effort then worth while.





Arms crossing, she considered Damien. she could order the issue happening to stop, but that would put darryn in a dreadfully sticky spot, not that his current issues weren't important.... But, first thing first... She had a small amount of time to kill before they lit up...



Why are you here? He is no threat to you, condoning his death benefits you nothing.



Not that she was interjecting he should speak up, she wasn't a fool. However, she was feeling out logic in this man at the moment. Yeah, she was seriously thinking about using him.

I tend to agree. He isn't the type to kill his flesh and blood for a throne.



The man spoke this rather casually about his brother. Damian's eyes slowly edged to her, grinning in that make-you-weak-at-the-knees way.



Perhaps I did not come for him.



However, in that cool way, he did not explain his motive at the moment. He left it to that vague flattery as he temporarily deflected the question, watching what was going on.

Ashleigh continued to think about things, ignoring the charm. She was use to it, did he not see those that were currently trying their damnest to get to her? In every single way possible. She was a powerful playing card, and honestly held more rank then those in charge.. Hence why she could stop what was going on, but like was stated, in order to do it... what would need to be done.



You know, you really should not be here. It's not like your worried about him.



Even as she commented this, she turned her right hand absently, not even having to utter words. Yeah, he was freed of the death penalty, but he was now being ferried off to go be washed and changed. Oh, when he'd see others again, his fate wasn't going to be much better.





He would emerge about fifteen minutes later, dress in clean, crisp black denim jeans and leather jacket, plain black tee. Honestly, the modern stereotype. But the way he was sit down by her feet. Yeah, darryn, don't ask. Your alive right now. she'd deal with the details later.

Damian shrugged slightly.



No, not really.



At least he was honest.



He has you.



What game was Damian playing? Oh, that was hard to figure out, for sure. However, he was now watching the others milling about.



Darryn didn't ask. In fact, he didn't utter a single syllable. The man didn't look up, knowing that it was not his place to do so. It was almost scary, actually. Where was that smile that he always seemed to have? How was it that he fell so easily and completely into this role when he had otherwise been so much the other? The answer was simple. In the presence of others, of what he had run away from, Darryn very much knew what he was. So, he sat on the ground, arms draped across his knees and eyes gazing off at the floor to the side.

Ashleigh looked at Damien, shrugging.



He showed up at my doorstep. Sort of like a lost puppy. You tend to either kill those or take them in.



she pointed out absently, glancing to the way the group slowly started dispersing.



Do not look up, but are you alright?



She asked him gently of Darryn, motioning for Damien to follow. It was more a casual invite more then anything else. He could stay, he could go. He could do nothing. she didn't care too much as she wondered off, darryn only spared one light touch to let him know to follow.

Darryn dipped his chin ever so slightly in what was generally considered a tiny nod. He slipped from his position on the floor up to his feet, following Ashleigh at a perfect distance, entirely respectful and such.



I know how to behave.



He offered this to her, seeming a little dampened. However, after a moment, he did say one more thing.



Thank you.



Yeah, living in your brother's shadow... Next in line didn't necessarily mean something good. Vampires weren't exactly known for their kindness or even forethought. Speaking of dear Damian, however, it should be noted that he did not follow. Whatever his motive was, it did not require that.

Ashleigh didn't care, as long as she was present, they'd not rock her happy little boat, which meant all the smiling, charm and black mail would not get him where, or what, he wanted. Once a bit more alone, well, actually, they were left completely alone for a moment, Ashleigh moved to darryn, looking him over, kissing him lightly.



" They did not harm you, did they?"



She asked lightly, brushing his hair back.



" ... And I know you know how to behave, I am sorry, my choices were limited."



She stated gently.



" I'm expected to wed to power, whether a clan head, or simply an elder...."



She explained gently on why her choices were so limited.

"I know. It's okay, I understand."



Darryn gave her a weak smile. It had been a nice little illusion to live in for a while, though, hadn't it? For that brief break away from reality... it had been pleasant.

" They do not expect me to only have one... but..."



How to explain she thought of that idea as immoral? How to explain she didn't want to put him in that position. She merely kissed him again, snuggling close to him. She had a minute or two to be herself with him before she was back to pretend and power. they'd likely invite Damian to stay the evening cause they were fools... this evening...



" It will be difficult to leave."



She stated simply, intending to do it anyway.

Darryn just nodded again, letting himself touch her face for a brief second.



"I know," he reasserted.



"Don't worry about it. I've lived with it."



It wasn't like it was new. It wasn't like... well... obviously he didn't want to handle it as he had run away.