The Rules of Engagement

[Phoenix]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

March 3rd 2014

<Axel Rosen> After the death of twenty some hunters and paladins in the sewers beneath the streets of the city, the male makes his way to the apartment that the two of them share with one another. As he opens the door, he fumbles around the box in his pocket. It can't just be something simple, like getting on a knee. It needs to be something a bit more romantic than that. Romance, how to romance a Phoenix. A sigh leaves his lips as he moves to the bedroom. He hopes that the woman isn't home. Looking around the room, he makes sure that she's not in there at least, then ties the ring from a string on the ceiling. It's just out of vision so that she can't see it as she walks in. She'd have to lay down to see it.


‹Phoenix› She wasn't home, but she wasn't long after him arriving. When she stepped inside and immediately spotted Axel, she blinked rapidly. This was unexpected - he was usually off in the sewers or with Ty, doing owl things. Once over the initial surprise, she greeted him with a smile as she set down her bag and kicked off her heels. "What are you doing home so early?" she asked as she slipped over to his side, arms snaking around his chest.


<Axel Rosen> She steps against his side and wraps her arms around him and he doesn't look up, though he wants to make sure that the string isn't coming loose. His eyes close and he takes a backwards dive, with her in his arms against the bed. He makes sure that the woman's face is toward him, he doesn't want to ruin the surprise just yet. It makes more fun if he hints around for a bit and makes things a bit more interesting. "I got bored of chasing paladins around. They don't put up the fight they used to." He states this and then looks into her eyes for a moment. Those brown eyes, he peers into them. "And I wanted to see you."


‹Phoenix› She squeaked as he dragged her down against his chest, landing with a soft bounce and absolutely without complaint. She nestled in against him for a moment, simply enjoying the proximity and the way her cheek just seemed to fit perfectly against the hollow of his shoulder. This was happiness. She smiled up at him, trying to look skeptical as she ran a hand over his bicep, "They're getting easier for you to dispatch? You're getting stronger, then. I'm proud of you, my love." Inching up, she pressed a light, chaste kiss to his chin with her eyes locked onto his. "I'm glad - it's nice seeing you all unexpected-like."


<Axel Rosen> "Well you should expect to see me more often." This is his first hint, and it will be the one that he decides to play off of from this moment on. His fingers move down her side. Once his hand gets down to her leg, he pulls it over his so that she's at an 'L' shape over his form and he leans his head back. A breath comes into his lungs and he waits for her to ask what he means, because he knows that's the question that should logically come next. Her being proud of him isn't lost at all, his appreciation shows on his face.


‹Phoenix› She was perfectly content to let him manipulate her slender form and mold her body against his. Her brow arched in silent question at the statement, but for a moment she didn't verbalize. Then again, she was Phoenix and the woman could hardly stay silent for very long. "Whatchu mean I should expect to see you more often?" she blurted out, crawling up to press a kiss to his lips, clearly very happy to hear as much.


<Axel Rosen> "I mean that I'm going to be making this apartment more than a 'love nest' for me." He states for a moment then looks at her, "Might make it my permanent place of stay." He had to pause so that her kiss could brush his lip and now his lips move down to press against her forehead. His hand is against her cheek, holding her face toward him, his thumb up and down her skin.


‹Phoenix› She gave him a playfully stern look as he began to elaborated, but then the look was lost as her grin broadened. She pushed herself up until her nose hovered just over his, happiness radiating from her every pore. "Permanent is good!" she cooed, nuzzling her face into his palm. "Why the change of heart? I mean... I'm not complaining. At all. Ever. Just curious."


<Axel Rosen> "Just something I've been thinking about, and I've been up to." He says, and puts emphasis on that word as he makes his eyes look up at the ring and lets go of her face for the first time in a while. His hand moves back down along her sides and holds her hips gently. His fingers curl around her hip bones and he waits for her to see it before actually asking.

[Axel Rosen]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

‹Phoenix› That playfully stern look was back, noting the emphasis on the direction, as well as his eye flicking to the ceiling. What the hell...? She turned to follow his gaze, squinting up at the thing hanging from the ceiling. It looked like a ring, glinting darkly in the room's soft light, but what would a ring be doing tied to the ceiling? "That's funny looking mistletoe..." she muttered before going very still as she took a second look at the ring dangling there. An engagement ring. "No..." she whipped her head back to eye him, those honey brown eyes meeting blue. "That's not what I think it is, is it?"


<Axel Rosen> Her first statement isn't nearly as crushing as the second. That single word, 'no', almost cracks him but he waits a moment to see what else she has to say. "Yes." He pauses for effect and then leans up on his elbows so that he can see her and her expression better. His fingers curl against her and then he looks up at the ring again. The single dark gem in the center glints off the light every so often. "Phoenix... I love you. Would you marry me?" He looks into her eyes, more than happy to stand up and get the ring after she answers.


‹Phoenix› For a moment, she looked like a deer caught in headlights, unable to answer. It was a ring - her ring - beautifully dark and dangling a few feet above them. Once that frozen moment passed, she nodded, biting down on her lower lip as she blinked rapidly to avoid the tears that wanted to come. "Yes. I will," she whispered, leaning in to cup Axel's cheeks before pressing a firm kiss to his lips. "I love you back."


<Axel Rosen> The waiting is the part that worries him and his heart drops into his stomach, he's sure that for a moment it almost beats. The look of her biting on her lower lip, it's obvious she's thinking, it's her thinking face. He knows it well. The well of water in her eyes, he hopes those are good tears. His arms wrap around her body, pulling her close before he leans up. As he does this, he shifts her off the top of him for a moment as he reaches up and pulls the ring down. The ring in his hand he takes her other hand and slips the ring onto her finger.


‹Phoenix› Once the ring was on her finger, she gasped. "Wow..." Even though it was only a few feet away the first time she'd seen it, it was enough distance for her to have lost the detail of its design. "This is beautiful..." she whispered, her eyes locking onto his as their fingers laced together. "You make me so happy." At his side, she settled in, content. It wasn't an elaborate, extravagant proposal, but it was perfect - perfect for them.


<Axel Rosen> "It took me weeks to find something I thought you would wear through all of eternity." He smiles at her, his hand gripping hers as their fingers make a intertwine. His hand that is holding her left hand can feel the ring between two of his fingers and it doesn't bother him, he just relaxes. "I'm glad that I make you happy. It's a daily goal that I get you to smile at least once, hopefully three times."


‹Phoenix› "You usually meet that goal," she smiled, leaning in to nip the man's lower lip before giving a tender, lingering kiss. Once satisfied that she'd thoroughly claimed him, she pulled away just enough to inspect the band of black gold encircling her finger. "You made a fabulous choice. I don't know what it's made of, but damn... It's amazing. And the black and white diamonds are perfect." Superficial as it was, she loved the ring, though she loved what it symbolized more. "I make you happy?"


<Axel Rosen> "Of course you make me happy. Have I ever given you reason to believe that I am not satisfied with our relationship?" He looks at her. He's never bedded another woman, never strayed away from home, never really looked at anyone else. His eyes look into hers and he runs his finger just above the ring.


‹Phoenix› She grinned, shaking her head before nudging the very tip of her nose to his. "No, you haven't. And I doubt you'd have went to all this trouble if you weren't completely satisfied," she laughed, eyes alight with joy. "I just figured it wouldn't be proper not to ask, since you asked me... sorta. In a roundabout way." With their fingers laced together, she raised their hands to her lips, brushing her lips over his knuckles.


<Axel Rosen> A few moments pass and then he thinks, "We should probably talk plans..." He hates to be the bringer of bad news, but it's something that should be discussed, in all honesty, he would love to be left out of most of the plans. The big ones are things that he'd like to be kept in the loop on, but as for the little things, such as seating, most invites, etc... He just.. doesn't really care. The only thing that will honestly matter to him that day is her and her presence there.


‹Phoenix› She flicked her eyes up to his, trying to suppress a grin as she settled in against him, glad she'd kicked off her shoes at the door. "Axel... We can wait on the planning. I'm not going anywhere," she teased, dropping her head to his shoulder and letting her eyes fall shut. "Small ceremony. Just a few close friends and family. I might go with a black dress this time... It'll match the ring." Content with the moment as it was, she let her eyes fall shut to simply enjoy his presence. They’d deal with the technicalities later.