Drabble!
AHAHAHAHA... ^^ So, Remember my Darkness saga? Specifically the last one, The Lure of Darkness? Well, maderr decided that I hadn't ended it properly and stole Alexius to fix him up properly. So she wrote me a hillarious little fanfic, In Darkness Thrive.
At the very end of it, there was one little paragraph that just jumped up and begged to be drabbled. So I did. *smirk*
---
Eyes locked to eyes, gold to flaming red-orange, then abruptly the fiery orbs narrowed as their owner smirked.
"Seven," he declared confidently.
The woman who possessed the golden eyes smiled knowingly without ever backing down. "Eight," she countered.
The two sat alone at a much-abused table in the middle of a tavern, all the other patrons having cleared out long ago. The barkeep had vanished into the back some time ago and had never re-emerged. Not that anyone would blame him, given the nature of the two who stared fixedly at one another.
One was a beautiful woman with waves of luxurious strawberry gold cascading down her back. At first glance she appeared human, but every time she smiled a careful eye could catch the flash of pointed fangs. A vampire.
The other was very tall, with hair and eyes like flickering flames. Curved horns spiraled out from the sides of his head, betraying his demon blood to even the most casual of observers. Dangerous, deadly, both of them. One each of the most powerful dark creatures in the world.
Yet there was an incongruity in that they had at least five mugs of foaming ale between them, and in the middle of the table was a small, overturned wooden cup. Slowly, with the air of someone well accustomed to wearing his arrogance like a cloak, the red-haired demon turned over the cup.
The strawberry-blond vampire smirked. "Eight," she said triumphantly.
Lying on the table where the cup had been were two worn dice, one showing a five and the other a three. The demon scowled and sat back in his chair, glaring at the smirking vampire. "I am certain that you are cheating somehow," he declared loftily, snagging one of the tankards of ale off the table and downing it in one swift gulp.
"Surely a lowly vampire such as myself would not be able to do such a thing with such a powerful and magnificent demon such as yourself watching me so carefully," the vampire observed, scooping the dice back into the cup and shaking it before looking pointedly at her companion.
His eyes narrowed slightly. "... Nine."
Golden eyes crinkled with amusement as the vampire flipped the cup down onto the table. "Twelve," she declared.
They eyed one another for several tense moments, then as one reached out to grab a tankard of ale each, guzzling in a manner most unbefitting of a lady. Or lady vampire. Whatever.
Setting the heavy tankards down on the table with a dull thud, the two locked eyes again. Gold to flickering flames, they stared intently. Minutes ticked by, then finally her lips quirked up in a tiny smile and she tipped over the cup.
They both pouted, an expression that no mortal would ever believe could grace the countenances of two such formidable individuals.
"Eleven," she said with a sigh. "So close."
"Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades," the demon told her loftily, scooping the dice up into the cup and shaking them carefully.
The vampire frowned. "I know what horseshoes are," she said slowly, "But what is a hand grenade?"
The demon blinked thoughtfully, scratching beneath his hair just above his left horn. "I'm not sure," he said slowly. "I don't think they've been invented yet."
"Oh," the vampire replied cheerfully, picking up one of the remaining tankards of ale. "That's okay then."
While she downed the mug, he flipped the cup onto the table once more. His lips quirked into a sly smirk and he offered casually, "Winner takes all?"
She arched one delicate brow, then smiled, golden eyes gleaming. "Why not? Winner takes all."
Once again they stared at each other, neither willing to be the first to look away, then abruptly she declared, "Two."
The demon arched one red-orange brow. "Snake eyes? Are you certain?"
She smiled. "Two," she repeated firmly.
Grinning, the demon placed his hand atop the battered cup. "Seven," he declared confidently, flipping the cup over.
The vampire laughed in delight, eyes dancing as she held out her hand toward her incredulous opponent. "Pay up, demon," she demanded cheerfully.
Sulkily, the demon grabbed the last tankard of ale and downed it, then sighed and pulled a small gold ring off the smallest of his fingers. He tossed it offhandedly, the firelight making it gleam as it arched through the air before the vampire caught it gracefully. She admired it a moment before slipping it onto her middle finger.
"So," she said cheerfully, leaning back and propping her feet up on the table, "Might I inquire the name of my worthily beaten opponent?"
The demon considered, then leaned forward across the table, his arms supporting his weight. "Can you keep a secret?" he asked.
She snorted elegantly. "Of course."
The demon grinned. "Azragael."
One red-gold brow arched as golden eyes stared at him incredulously. "You're kidding."
The demon laughed. "I do not kid. Well, not usually. But I'm not now, at any rate."
The vampire smirked. "Your secret is safe with me, oh beaten one," she announced loftily. "No one would ever believe I won a ring of immortality from a Lord of Darkness in a dice game even if I told them."
Azragael laughed. "You have a point."
At the very end of it, there was one little paragraph that just jumped up and begged to be drabbled. So I did. *smirk*
---
Eyes locked to eyes, gold to flaming red-orange, then abruptly the fiery orbs narrowed as their owner smirked.
"Seven," he declared confidently.
The woman who possessed the golden eyes smiled knowingly without ever backing down. "Eight," she countered.
The two sat alone at a much-abused table in the middle of a tavern, all the other patrons having cleared out long ago. The barkeep had vanished into the back some time ago and had never re-emerged. Not that anyone would blame him, given the nature of the two who stared fixedly at one another.
One was a beautiful woman with waves of luxurious strawberry gold cascading down her back. At first glance she appeared human, but every time she smiled a careful eye could catch the flash of pointed fangs. A vampire.
The other was very tall, with hair and eyes like flickering flames. Curved horns spiraled out from the sides of his head, betraying his demon blood to even the most casual of observers. Dangerous, deadly, both of them. One each of the most powerful dark creatures in the world.
Yet there was an incongruity in that they had at least five mugs of foaming ale between them, and in the middle of the table was a small, overturned wooden cup. Slowly, with the air of someone well accustomed to wearing his arrogance like a cloak, the red-haired demon turned over the cup.
The strawberry-blond vampire smirked. "Eight," she said triumphantly.
Lying on the table where the cup had been were two worn dice, one showing a five and the other a three. The demon scowled and sat back in his chair, glaring at the smirking vampire. "I am certain that you are cheating somehow," he declared loftily, snagging one of the tankards of ale off the table and downing it in one swift gulp.
"Surely a lowly vampire such as myself would not be able to do such a thing with such a powerful and magnificent demon such as yourself watching me so carefully," the vampire observed, scooping the dice back into the cup and shaking it before looking pointedly at her companion.
His eyes narrowed slightly. "... Nine."
Golden eyes crinkled with amusement as the vampire flipped the cup down onto the table. "Twelve," she declared.
They eyed one another for several tense moments, then as one reached out to grab a tankard of ale each, guzzling in a manner most unbefitting of a lady. Or lady vampire. Whatever.
Setting the heavy tankards down on the table with a dull thud, the two locked eyes again. Gold to flickering flames, they stared intently. Minutes ticked by, then finally her lips quirked up in a tiny smile and she tipped over the cup.
They both pouted, an expression that no mortal would ever believe could grace the countenances of two such formidable individuals.
"Eleven," she said with a sigh. "So close."
"Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades," the demon told her loftily, scooping the dice up into the cup and shaking them carefully.
The vampire frowned. "I know what horseshoes are," she said slowly, "But what is a hand grenade?"
The demon blinked thoughtfully, scratching beneath his hair just above his left horn. "I'm not sure," he said slowly. "I don't think they've been invented yet."
"Oh," the vampire replied cheerfully, picking up one of the remaining tankards of ale. "That's okay then."
While she downed the mug, he flipped the cup onto the table once more. His lips quirked into a sly smirk and he offered casually, "Winner takes all?"
She arched one delicate brow, then smiled, golden eyes gleaming. "Why not? Winner takes all."
Once again they stared at each other, neither willing to be the first to look away, then abruptly she declared, "Two."
The demon arched one red-orange brow. "Snake eyes? Are you certain?"
She smiled. "Two," she repeated firmly.
Grinning, the demon placed his hand atop the battered cup. "Seven," he declared confidently, flipping the cup over.
The vampire laughed in delight, eyes dancing as she held out her hand toward her incredulous opponent. "Pay up, demon," she demanded cheerfully.
Sulkily, the demon grabbed the last tankard of ale and downed it, then sighed and pulled a small gold ring off the smallest of his fingers. He tossed it offhandedly, the firelight making it gleam as it arched through the air before the vampire caught it gracefully. She admired it a moment before slipping it onto her middle finger.
"So," she said cheerfully, leaning back and propping her feet up on the table, "Might I inquire the name of my worthily beaten opponent?"
The demon considered, then leaned forward across the table, his arms supporting his weight. "Can you keep a secret?" he asked.
She snorted elegantly. "Of course."
The demon grinned. "Azragael."
One red-gold brow arched as golden eyes stared at him incredulously. "You're kidding."
The demon laughed. "I do not kid. Well, not usually. But I'm not now, at any rate."
The vampire smirked. "Your secret is safe with me, oh beaten one," she announced loftily. "No one would ever believe I won a ring of immortality from a Lord of Darkness in a dice game even if I told them."
Azragael laughed. "You have a point."