Perfect [Saige]

[Velia]

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

Velia: She had barely been into Razzle Dazzle since handing it over to Saige. Saige had been the whole reason she’d bought the store and started the business in the first place. Velia had been quite content with her one shop and being surrounded by skates and people enthusiastic about being on the ice all day. If RD Threads had have been left up to her, it would have failed miserably. She had nothing against figure skating or other forms of skating where one might want a costume, but it wasn’t something that she would ever get excited over. For V, the lure of skating was all about the connection of her blades on the ice and anything beyond that would never be anything but a distraction.

She had thought of simply asking Saige what kind of a business she might be interested in running, but that would have taken away from the surprise of it. She wasn’t putting Saige to work, she had been giving her a gift. A place for Saige to spend her time and put her work into that didn’t involve killing or putting herself in danger. The logical conclusion was that it had to be something that was at least somewhat related to her original shop… and V could easily see Saige in a store full of pretty pieces, selling them off with that radiant smile of hers. It had seemed like the perfect idea. It was the perfect fit.

Saige had access to all of the systems and all of the accounts, so while the store was V’s in name that was pretty much where it ended. V hadn’t overseen anything to do with it. She didn't drop in to make sure Saige was okay. She didn’t call in to check up. If Saige needed or wanted her help, she’d ask for it. If Saige wanted to hire or fire someone, then she could do so without the need to request permission. It worked.

V kept brochures for the other store on the counter of I.D.F.K. and whenever she caught a glimpse of them it brought a strange feeling of content over her and made her suddenly wish it was time to head home. Tonight was no different, except the longing to go home was a bit more than usual. She glanced up at the clock, realizing that there was far too much time before she would normally leave. The sun would be down though and the store was having a quiet day…

The sales girl who was working that shift asked her something and she realized just how unable to pay attention that she was. Shaking her head she eyed the clock one more time before grabbing her keys out of her pocket to lock up her office. “Actually… I’m going to head out and let you close up tonight. I’m sure everything will be in order for opening tomorrow.” She didn’t really give the girl much time to reply, quickly closing up and walking out the door without even grabbing her trench coat from out back. The nights were still fairly chilly, so it wasn’t like it was common place for someone to be walking around in a t-shirt, but V wasn’t focused on that. She was only focused on her walk to the 8D Mall - the walk to RD Threads and Saige.

Saige: The day had gone by so fast, whisking the hours past the shop front as Saige had been diligent in her duties for the day. Unpacking and restocking the back room, telling the stocker which boxes to unpack and showcase, and which to shuffle to the other side of the back room for the next week’s sales. Heading to the office and completing paperwork, she finished the stocks and distribution lists with just enough time to go through the promotional paperwork before the store would be closing for the night. Being what she was offered the store a bit of extra hours, and sometimes it was their busiest time of the day because most of the skating competitions at the arena were held at night and RD Threads was their one stop shop for that sort of stuff.

Unfolding a life sized cardboard cutout of Gabrielle Daleman in one of her Olympic costumes and skates, Saige gave it a once over before nodding with her signature smile and propping it up properly at the door. The woman looked elegant, and Saige found she was admiring of that in the other. She knew she herself never looked like that on the ice, and she couldn't help but absentmindedly rub at her elbow while staring off into the cardboard cutout lost in deep memory of the first night that she had shared with Velia. Her smile only grew, the way a Cheshire cats would, bright white pearls shining under the multi-colored lights that lit up the mannequins in the front showcases that were wearing sequined outfits and such.

Saige giggled and turned, nearly running right into the craftsperson who worked on the skates in the back. Sure, the store itself didn’t deal with the stuff that I.D.F.K. did, but that didn't mean they didn't offer the skate sharpening too. “Oh gosh, I’m sorry Victoria.” She said, reaching out to steady the other who looked like she was about to tip over with a box in her arms. Saige peered into the box, and gave a nod. “Oh yes, those will work quite nicely.” She nodded, taking the box from the other, and heading to the outside of the store, into the mall. It was busy, but not too busy she couldn't get done what she was set to do. Setting the box down, she pulled out the dirty old skates and hung them securely in the doorway, making sure to tie triple knots in the twine holding them up so that they couldn't fall down, potentially injuring someone. Shifting and pulling out the banner that she had screen printed up the week before, she plucked the tape out as well and started to hang it on the display glass to the side.

She hummed a little song to herself as she did this, not minding the people who were watching her and walking by. Once she was finished, she moved to set the tape back into the box and took a couple steps back, mindful this time that no one was behind her that she could run into again. Surveying her finished job, she grinned. The banner read: “I.D.F.K. - Specializing in your old skates!” and across the bottom in smaller print, “Razzle-Dazzle Threads is a sister store to I.D.F.K.” The banner itself was full of bright colors on a black background, and had neat looking designs on it like someone had taken a rainbow of spray paint to it. Nodding, she picked up the box on her way back into the store.

Heading to the back of the store she set the box away and found a marker, labeling it before closing it up. With I.D.F.K. Promotional written neatly across the side in nice big bold black sharpie, Saige smiled and capped the marker before heading back out onto the sales floor. There were only a few more people in the store, so Saige decided to get started on counting the till for the day. Once they had reached five hundred dollars in the register (which wasn't hard to do these days) they bound it up and Saige locked it up in the safe in the office - and today she was starting her till count at three thousand. She was so glad the store was doing so well, mostly because it was all money in Velia’s pockets - and no one could tell her she wasn't working for her very ludicrous paycheck. Pulling the twenties from the drawer, she started flipping through them and counting them one by one in her head - though her lips could be seen moving in count.

Velia: She had gotten several strange looks, which she figured was mostly due to her lack of coat or at least a light sweater. She didn’t care. The closer she got to the mall, which wasn’t all that far away from IDFK to begin with, the bigger her smile grew. By the time she walked into the mall she was positively beaming. It wasn’t all that common of an occurrence - not that she didn’t smile at all, but beaming was definitely limited to special occasions.

Pushing through the door to RD, she was surprised to not be met with a chime similar to the one she had over I.D.F.K., but instead there was silence. Coupled with the fact that Velia made virtually no noise of her own would make it nearly impossible for anyone to hear her - anyone with human hearing anyway. She let the door close, holding it as it did so it made as little noise as possible while her eyes stayed locked on the woman behind the counter. She wasn’t sure how long she would get to just stand there and stare, but she was going to take every second of it.

Saige: The cash flew through her fingers as she counted, twenty, forty, sixty, eighty, a hundred at a time. After two count throughs, she picked up the stack and put it back in the drawer, only to pull the tens out next. There were more ten's than twenties - they had a promotion going on for skate covers under ten dollars that seemed to be doing well for the store. She smiled to herself as she bobbed her head ever so gently to the side and back in beat to the song she had in her head, not at all to the beat of the song that played ever so softly through the two speakers behind the counter to give the store at least some sort of noise.

Shifting on her feet to adjust her stance, she heard the door open and close, but that was it. She didn't hear anyone and Saige almost frowned, but then there was the scent. The smell of someone she knew, a person she knew so well she could have picked her scent out of a crowd of a thousand people she was sure of it. Velia had come to see her, or the store - or even both! Saige grinned, counting through the tens quickly, noting the amount and stuffing them back in the drawer before looking up at Velia with her giant grin. Just then the sales person on the floor went to greet Velia and Saige almost laughed - clearly they didn't know that Velia was the one who technically signed their checks - not Saige.

She moved to intercept, patting the woman on the shoulder and sending her off to go do some rearranging and then vacuum the floors for the next day so they could all go home on time. “My love, what on earth could bring you to this little store of yours?” Saige giggled gently, wrapping Velia in a hug and squeezing tightly.

Velia: She chuckled, the sound warm and inviting, before sliding her hand into Saige’s and tugging the other woman towards her office. “My store? I don’t think so Cherie.” She shook her head, closing the door to Saige’s office behind them and quickly leaning down to kiss her. It wasn’t a horridly inappropriate kiss that wouldn’t have been okay for the sales floor, but V’s tolerance for PDAs was even more limited than her beaming. Plus, it was Saige’s store and she wasn’t sure how she would feel about her staff seeing her lip locked with another woman.

The kiss was more sweet contentment. It wasn’t that she hadn’t missed Saige, but that even when away from the other woman she was still a part of her. She still felt her. So coming home to her was like there’d been no time away at all.

Saige: She was being tugged away, and the moment they were in her office V had leaned down and planted a kiss to her lips, Saige was unable to contain her smile under the kiss. The moment was perfect. It was a couple seconds of pure happiness, and Saige couldn't help but giggle the moment she pulled away. “Well hello to you too.” She laughed lightly, it carrying only a soft bit as she reached up and touched her hand to Velia’s face. She had missed the woman since they had both gotten up and out of bed for the day - though that was at sundown and not rise like most human couples. She stared her warm blue hues into Velia’s grey ones, transfixed for the moment on the sheer beauty of the other, then taking a deep settling breath before raising her brows.

“You’ve never seen Razzle have you?” She inquired, though she was sure the answer was no - she figured the last time V had seen it was when she bought the empty space and then had left to go hand Saige the keys to the place. She grinned then, yes, it was perfect. Though the way Velia had tugged Saige off into her office had made her feel like V wasn't particularly there to see the store, but rather her - and she was completely okay with that.

Velia: “Sure I have…” It wasn’t really a lie. She’d checked in with the security feed for the first little bit just to make sure Saige wasn’t hating it and just not telling her. It wouldn’t be much of a gift if Saige had hated it - then it would just be work. She turned her head and pressed a kiss against the hand that Saige had put against her cheek and then she was grabbing onto that hand again and pulling her off towards the couch.

It was natural to pull Saige down onto her lap as she sat down, keeping her as close to her as she could. She hadn’t come for the store. She had come for this and nothing about the store could pull her away from it.

Saige: Fingertips curled as the hands palm was kissed, nails gently raking against the soft smooth skin of Velia’s cheek as she simply grinned at the woman. Idly wondering when Velia had seen the shop, Saige didn't have the chance to ask before Velia was pulling her to the couch and into her lap - Saige not putting up an ounce of fight in the insistent actions of her woman. She knew deep down that she had immense feelings for Velia, and even if the other didn't see it yet, Saige could feel it. She could feel the future they were going to have together. And it nearly made her undead heart beat out of her chest in excitement.

She curled up against Velia, both hands curling fingertips into the front of the others shirt and giving it soft tugs, letting the weight of her hands pull on the shirt gently while she leaned in and stole more kisses. Pausing between to give light giggles here and there, she couldn’t help the way that Velia made her feel. She made her feel loved, the way a relationship should. “I-” She broke her own sentence off to steal another kiss pressed against Velia’s supple lips, “-really am yours.” She admitted, tilting her head to the side and nuzzling her nose along Velia’s jawline.

Velia: She relaxed into the couch, chuckling softly at Saige’s antics. “Mmhmm…” Tilting her head to the side, she placed a soft kiss against Saige’s cheek as her hand found its mate. “Would you like to go out tonight? Do something special?” They didn’t often. But tonight Velia wanted to do something special. She wanted to force herself out of her shell and do something that Saige wanted to do. Saige was such a social butterfly - it made her worry that she was keeping her too cooped up in her anti-social jar. Butterflies were meant to fly out in the open.

Saige: The kiss to her cheek only made her snug into Velia a bit tighter (as much as possible actually) and reach up to tuck a bunch of pink hair back behind the woman's ear for her safely out of her beautiful grey hues. Saige was all smiles. She couldn't not smile, having Velia here with her, all to herself. She still had a few things to do in Razzle, but she just couldn't tear herself from Velia (or even fathom the thought) long enough to. Her warm blue hues lit up and she nodded before leaning up and into plant her lips firmly against Velia’s as her response.

Velia: She responded by instinct, unable to resist even if she wanted to. After a moment she chuckled against the other’s lips before leaning back, gray eyes gleaming. “What would you like to do Angel?” They would be lucky if they didn’t get completely distracted by each other. Or maybe they would be lucky if they did? Still, her mission had been to come sweep Saige off to do something fun for the night. Perhaps the fault was in her for thinking it wise to snuggle on the couch first? Still, there was nothing wrong with a little bit of fun before the fun? Velia could spend all day rationalizing if she let herself, but tonight wasn’t about that.

Saige: She had called her angel, and her heart melted in her chest as she swooned at Velia. She was just so kind to her, so incredibly perfect. Saige knew she couldn’t be more blessed with having ran into the woman that fateful night in the I.D.F.K. Skate Shop. She let her tongue swipe out over her bottom lip and tug it in to pin it between her teeth for a moment, teasing it there as her warm blues locked with sultry greys. Saige could sit there for forever in Velia’s arms. And she couldn’t help but giggle, giving a soft shake of her head at the thought of the fact that they did have forever together. It was perfect. She nipped ever so lightly at Velia’s tip of her nose, then shifting and sliding to stand up off the woman’s lap and holding her dainty hand out to Velia to take if she wanted. Saige knew she would take it. “Let’s take a walk tonight to the park.”

Velia: It still hit her sometimes. The chaos of emotions inside of her that this woman caused. Before meeting Saige she would have thought it would be something unpleasant, something to rid herself of… but now she couldn’t imagine being without it. The world wasn’t the same as it had been and that wasn’t a bad thing. Her mother would be grateful to Saige for that possibly. Her mother would still expect Velia to be bringing home grandchildren that were now impossible, not to mention the fact that V had never planned on doing so. It was a truth that continually broke her mother’s heart.

She had expected Saige to want to go to a club or a movie or something like that. A walk was definitely something that V could give her. Her hand made its way back into Saige’s as she stood up and curled her fingers with Saige’s. “That sounds lovely… Do you need to finish up here or can that girl manage on her own?” It probably sounded rude to say that girl instead of using a name, but V didn’t know a name to use. And, again, it was not on her priority list tonight.

Saige: The second Velia had stood Saige was tugging her in close to her and inhaling deeply the scent of her love. She shifted gently on her flats, giving it a thought before her eyebrows raised again in memory of something important. “Oh! I’m sure she could… but there is a girl I’m pretty positive I’m going to hire. What was her name again…” Saige couldn't quite remember at the moment, she was too caught up in the fact that she had Velia there, standing there with her. Besides, they were about to leave. “I don’t remember, but I have faith in Claire and Kris.” She beamed, moving to drag Velia to the other side of the desk before slipping her jacket off the back of the office chair and then looking Velia up and down with a frown.

“Where is your jacket? We can’t go on a walk with you in just a t-shirt love.” She giggled, as if it were a joke; the fact that they were vampires and the cold not effecting them lingering at the end of the sentence unspoken. Saige smiled then - she had an extra pleated coat hanging on one of the hooks on the back of her office door as she handed her jacket over and moved to pull the black one off the hook.

Velia: She rolled her eyes. Saige was adorable - she’d made the walk here without a jacket so obviously it wasn’t a problem. Still, Velia took the offered jacket and put it on. It wasn’t as nice a fit as her jacket was, or at least it didn’t feel like it, seeing as how she was used to the feeling of her trench coat. “Well, it’s good that you have faith in them. It means I can steal you away whenever I want to.” She grinned as she waited for Saige to put on the other coat and return over to her side.

She held her hand out to Saige, wanting at least the connection of the other woman’s hand in hers as they walked through the night. “Maybe they’ll even need to get by tomorrow without you in to watch over them?”

Saige: As she shrugged into her jacket, she looked over at Velia and couldn't help the smile that curved her lips at the woman. She was beautiful, with her pink hair and grey hues that seemed the never end. She stepped back over to the other woman’s side, taking the offered hand she never wanted to let go. It was like she could never get enough of Velia, the way the woman made her feel, the way Velia made her constantly hope that there was still love for those like them. That it wasn't all about death, killing, and violence.

She walked along and the two exited the shop, making their way into the cool night air. It didn't bother her, the way it would a normal human, and the way the air hit her skin made her think about the ice rink. She smiled to herself, tugging herself in close to Velia’s side as she looked up and over at the other with her warm blue hues filled with moonlight. It was perfect. “What’s happening tomorrow?”

Velia: She just grinned, shaking her head and squeezing Saige close to her. “Maybe I’ve rented us a private jet that’ll take us somewhere exotic?” She waggled her brows, even though she wasn’t entirely sure that Saige could see it, as she said that. “Or maybe I just feel like snuggling on the couch and watching a movie?” She shook her head again as they made their way out onto the main floor. “Maybe I have no plans at all and it was just an offhand comment?”

She let Saige go momentarily, long enough to step ahead and open the outside door for her. “Let’s just go enjoy this beautiful night and see what happens?”

[Saige]

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

Saige: She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her when Velia mentioned a private jet, and then waggled her brows. Saige loved when she did that. She herself couldn't, the action of moving her eyebrows a foreign action as she remembered standing in the mirror time after time trying to replicate the motions but couldn't. She could flare her nostrils though, and that much she figured was a feat so she took it as it was. She let out another giggle as Velia mentioned watching a movie with her snuggled up - the only time they had done that was after she had incurred a horrible sunburn but Saige didn't care. That would be nothing short of perfect, spending nothing but time with the woman she loved. She loved Velia, and that’s what mattered.

She shifted against Velia comfortably as the two of them walked, wrapping fingertips around Velia’s arm that was held with her own. “Oohh, I do like that idea. Leads mystery as to what's to come.” She smiled, yes, this was just right. She couldn't change it, and even if she could, she wouldn’t.

Velia: She waited for Saige to exit the shop into the mall before retaking her place next to the woman and steering them towards the outside world. She wasn’t exactly sure where the park was, but she would be content just to walk the city streets with Saige with no end in mind. Tonight was one of the few times when she felt a tinge of sadness for what she was. Most could take their significant others out to a diner at this point and have a meal, or even grab some sleeping bags and go somewhere to watch the sunrise. These had never been things she’d thought of before, but since meeting Saige it had become hard not to realize these things. Not to think of ways to make sure they had at least every experience available to them.

“Mystery is my middle name, so I guess we’re golden there.” She let out a breath as the chilled night air surrounded them. Her eyes scanned the area, taking in their surroundings and the people who were out and about at the same time. She doubted the instinct to do this would ever fully go away, even though she was no longer in the business of tailing people and needing to make sure she wasn’t found out. Then again, she was a vampire now and needed to know about her surroundings maybe even more so than she did as a human.

Saige: She giggled a bit at Velia’s joke of a middle name, though she knew it was true. There was still so much Saige didn’t know about the woman, so much that she felt the two had to talk about - and yet every time she looked over and into Velia’s eyes none of that mattered. What mattered melted away as if nothing did; as if the simple fact that she was there able to look Velia in her eyes was all that existed, was all that proved real. That moment, like so many others with Velia had stolen her breath, her thoughts, and her actions. The woman owned her, and she the other, so nothing else mattered.

She knew where the park was, and was leading them in the general direction of it, though not expediently. Their casual stroll was accompanied by a casual hum from her throat as she smiled gently and leaned lightly against Velia as they walked. She was so glad to have Velia, to have a person such as herself, for herself. It was selfish that she didn't want to share, but she knew at the same time that there weren't many people that Velia had either - so it all worked out okay in the end for the two. Saige had Nix and the other Altaires, and Rice, her sire’s pet bird the woman had left behind before leaving for Mexico. “I wonder what it’s like in Mexico…” Saige thought out loud, giving a soft sigh. She missed Juliet, with all her heart. Or at least, what part of it Velia didn't already have - which wasn't much.

Velia: “Hot. It’s probably really hot, or at least that’s how I picture it. I’ve never been there.” She’d never really wanted to either. She had never been much for vacations, or at least not ones that lasted overly long or took her too far from home. She’d been a workaholic as a human and even now she spent a fair amount of her days doing just that. She did her best to make sure that there was at least a good portion of her day saved for Saige, though. Even if it was just to make sure she was there before Saige’s torpor set in.

Saige: Her lips twisted as she set to a scowl. Gross. Who would want to go to a hot climate? Saige had grown up in Canada, lived her whole life there. She couldn't imagine living in a place without snow. She wondered if Juliet would ever get sick of it and come home. Sick of the weather, sick of the people, sick of not seeing Saige. She shrugged at her own thoughts as if to say ‘who knew?’ and strolled more towards the park as it came into view. She led them to a bench, the wood on it looking rather frosty as she reached down and daintily brushed it off for them to sit.

Velia: God that woman was adorable. If she had it in her power she would have summoned a blanket or something to lay down on the bench. Unfortunately, that wasn’t a power she possessed (as far as she knew anyway). She sat down in the centerish part of the bench, her arm across the back of the bench. “I quite like it here. I have a feeling Mexico doesn’t have much in the way of ice rinks… such a shame.” She shook her head, the sadness clearly evident in her eyes at just the thought of not being able to skate.

Saige: Saige took her spot next to Velia all snuggled into the woman’s side, sliding her arm behind Velia’s lower back and resting her head on the woman’s shoulder in front. She giggled a bit at the thought of Mexico having an ice rink outside. It was purely imaginative, and she knew it was a ridiculous notion, but she imagined it anyways. That way, she could be with Juliet, and Velia could be happy too… She sighed lightly, nuzzling herself into Velia’s shoulder a bit more heavily. “I miss Juliet. You don't really ever talk about your sire… O?” She asked, looking up and over at Velia with her warm blue hues.

Velia: “I don’t, do I? You’ll have to meet her some time, she really is lovely.” It was the truth. Velia didn't talk much about anything really and it wasn’t anything intentional that had the topic of Oria not being brought up. The fact that it was brought up tonight was interesting though, but luckily she was capable of hiding any of this amusement from Saige. “Would you like that?”

Saige: She smiled broadly and nodded. “Of course I would. Silly.” She giggled, reaching with her free hand to bop the tip of Velia’s nose with a pointer finger. She wanted to meet Oria, because she knew the woman was important to Velia, at least she figured she was. Velia had never talked about her, but Knyte had - and he had spoken very nicely of her. Not so much of Velia… breaking his fingers or something… Saige cringed ever so slightly at the thought and shook her head with another shrug.

It was dark out, the way the starts lit up in the sky made her think of the meteor shower she once saw a while ago. The way the shooting object lit up the sky had made her eyes grow wide and she enjoyed every second of it. She looked up, pointing. “There’s the big dipper… like last time.” She smiled. The last time she had pointed out the constellations to Velia, the two were sitting on the front porch swing admiring the stars just the same as they were now.

Velia: Perfect. This was absolutely perfect. She looked up at the constellation before leaning back down and pressing a kiss to Saige’s cheek. “Can you close your eyes for me? I have a surprise.” It was hard to keep the smile off of her face. She was sure Saige would go along with it, but there was still that twinge of unease in her stomach that she wouldn’t. She was all nerves now.

Saige: Her eyebrows furrowed for a second, then she smiled and nodded against Velia, eyelids sliding closed slowly as she giggled and her grip on the woman tightened for a moment. It loosened shortly after, but she couldn't help but feel like she wanted to cling to Velia, to hold onto her and never let her go. She always felt like that with her, but with her eyes closed and no long able to see the woman, she wanted to do it more so. “Okay… they’re closed.” She informed, squeezing them shut tighter.

Velia: “Oh good…” She’d planned to do this at home and had a moment of worry about doing it there, but she wouldn’t be gone for long. Slowly, she stood up from the bench and leaned down to kiss both of Saige’s closed eyes. “Keep them closed, Angel. Okay?” She waited for Saige to give any kind of agreement before taking a reluctant step back and picturing her sire’s place. She didn’t teleport much, preferring to save her mental energy for when it was most needed, but she wasn’t going to leave Saige alone with her eyes closed while she walked there.

When she opened her eyes she was outside O’s crypt. She still came by every once in a while, though not as much now that she had her own place. Stepping through the threshold she smiled at the security cameras and gave a wave for her sire before making her way into her old room, doing the best to try and ease her nerves.

Saige: She felt the woman’s soft lips against her even softer eyelids, and she giggled again before curling her hands into balls of nervous fists as she felt Velia leave her side. “Okay…” She gave a short nod, still unsure of the situation Velia was putting her in. What on earth could the woman want from her that had her eyes closed? Surely it was a surprise… maybe it was a puppy! Saige wanted a puppy for a while now, just never really had the time for it. Considering she tried and tried and tried to stay up past sunrise and just never could, she wasn't sure she would be able to take care of a puppy.

Maybe it was a kitten then? Saige shifted against the bench and muttered softly to herself under her breath. “What could this be about…” She felt like a child of Christmas, the way they round the corner and see a tree full of presents under it, all wrapped perfectly and stacked gorgeously - almost to the point you didn't want to touch them. But then you dove right in! The anticipation built up inside of her, and made an odd noise that emitted from her throat. “eeaarruuurgh!” Clearly her nerves and curiosity were getting the best of her.

Velia: She didn’t waste any time in gathering up what she’d gone to O’s place for, not wanting to leave Saige alone for too long. Nerves and excitement bubbled up inside of her, even as she felt the squirmy bundle of puppy kisses in her arms. “Shhhh. Gotta be quiet.” The puppy didn't understand of course, but there wasn’t much Velia could do about that. She pet the puppy’s head for a moment before letting her finger slide down to the temporary collar she’d gotten for her, complete with the addition she’d added to it.

Velia had never heard of a Schipperke before Saige had mentioned how much she liked them. It had taken her a few tries even to find a breeder that had them, especially one with puppies. Then she had to wait for them to be ready to leave and it had nearly killed her not to let Saige know. Oria hadn’t minded a bit when she’d asked if she could leave the puppy there for a little while and if she could watch her. It was all coming together perfectly.

Her grin nearly split her face as she buried her face into the soft black fur, which led to even more puppy kisses. “Here goes nothing…” She took one last look at the ring she’d hooked onto the puppy’s collar. She’d spent so long trying to find the perfect one and she hoped Saige liked it. It reminded her of Saige. The band itself went up and down like those sine and cosine graphs she’d had to learn back in high school the way it went up, down and then back again in this cute little wave. There were three pairs of little leaves that alternated top and bottom all the way around the ring. The center diamond was brilliant all on its own, but all around it there were little petals. The band and petals were lined with smaller diamonds making the entire ring shine. It really was beautiful.

She closed her eyes again and thought about Saige and the park, opening them back up to be in the exact spot she’d been when she had left her. A quick look around confirmed that they were still alone, which was good seeing as how she had completely forgotten about humans in her excitement. She debated what to do for a second before kneeling down and putting the puppy down, figuring the playful little thing would go right for the angel in front of them.

Saige: She didn't hear Velia anymore. Of course the woman was always light on her feet and normally snuck up on Saige all the time, but Saige couldn't even hear her there anymore. She was almost positive the woman have left her there, but she didn’t dare peek through one of her closed lids. If Velia was still standing there, she’d feel horrible that she told the woman she would keep them closed and then peeked. So she didn't, she just sat there, hands clasped in front of her in her lap, moving to cross her legs at the ankles and tuck then gently back and under the bench.

She sat there, wondering what Velia could be doing, silent, making sure to give a little sigh here and there in case there was a human near. She hadn't bothered to look before she had closed her eyes, and now she felt super silly just sitting there by herself with her eyes closed. Silently hoping for Velia to return with a pet. It wasn't until she felt the wet nose and the sniffing against her ankle that she instinctively peeked through, looking down at a black furry animal, she opened her eyes fully and then spotted Velia. A light gasp escaped her lips and she shut her eyes again, but then let out another gasp as she couldn't keep her eyes closed a moment longer once knowing it was a pet at her feet.

“Oh gosh! Oh my gosh!” She squealed, her words coming out in an almost high pitched tone as her excitement shone in her warm blue eyes when she scooped up the black schipperke, snuggling it close to her upper chest as she simply beamed, the excitement boiling over as she kicked her legs and then pulled it back again to get a good look at it, wondering if it was a boy or girl. Then she figured it might have already had a name, and she saw it. The beautiful ring attached to the collar shone in the moonlight, and her eyes instantly went back to Velia - who she saw was kneeling.

Her breath caught in her throat, what was she doing?! Saige struggled to say something, anything, but only more tears came as she felt her hands start to shake and her chin/neck was covered in puppy kisses as she pulled it to sit on her lap. She tried to get a better look at the ring, but between her shaking hands and the excited puppy not holding still in her lap, she just couldn’t manage it.

Velia: “I was thinking… she would make an amazing ring bearer at our wedding.” She couldn’t help but bite into her bottom lip as Saige had yet to actually say anything besides Oh gosh. She wasn’t even entirely sure that Saige had seen the ring. She was pretty sure, but there was always a chance that the squirming puppy that she’d been waiting for had captured all of her attention. “I…” She realized then that she hadn’t actually asked. She’d let the new puppy give Saige the ring and had made a statement… but there was no actually question. She hadn’t wanted to be cliché and just get down on her knee and blurt it out.

“I know forever is a long time… especially for us. Would…” She took in a breath before standing up long enough to go kneel directly in front of Saige and the puppy, so she could place her hand on Saige’s knee… even if that meant her hand immediately became the target of the puppy’s kisses. “Would you spend forever with me? I would be honoured to share that time with you.”

Saige: The moment Velia started talking about ring bearers and weddings, Saige’s face erupted into tears. They streamed down her face as she instantly became a blubbering mess, unable to control the floor gate of emotions that had swelled from deep inside her. All at once they had come forth, and she just couldn't even breathe if she had wanted to. She found she was glad she didn't have to… she was sure if she were still a human, she would have passed right out on Velia. Now that would have been a story!

She giggled through her blubbering tear filled exhale of the stale air in her lungs, and drew in a deep breath as she clung to the puppy. The poor thing started to whine a little as it realized that Saige wasn't giving it the attention it wanted, and she looked down to it, then back up at Velia, then back down to the puppy as she watched her tears splash against it perfectly shiny fur. She sniffled, still unable to say anything, she just nodded her head heavily, and looking back to Velia as finally a whisper left her lips. “Yes… yes!” She hadn't seen this coming, and that was clear as day.

Velia: She grinned, leaning up to steal a kiss from Saige’s lips while careful not to squish the puppy. Shaky fingers moved to undo the collar so she could slip the ring off and into her hand. She reached out for Saige’s hand. “May I?” She couldn’t wait to see how it looked on Saige’s delicate finger. She had said yes. Velia wanted to jump up and dance but pushed down that urge. She wanted to push Saige down right on that park bench and celebrate, but that wouldn’t have been appropriate. She would settle for being able to place the ring of this commitment on Saige’s finger… for now.

Saige: Saige was already doing a good enough job of squishing the puppy all on her own, so when Velia leaned she blinked and loosened her grip, allowing still for the kiss to be stolen as she giggle afterwards and watched Velia move to get the ring. Saige blinked. Velia was shaking just as much as she was. Saige swallowed though her grin immediately returned as she nodded once more and allowed for Velia to place the shiny beautiful ring on her finger, then looking down to the puppy. She frowned. “Wait… do I get to keep the pup?” She wasn't sure if the animal was someone else’s, and had just been used for the proposal, or if the little girl was hers to keep. He steel grip returned to it as its head dipped and tried to lick all over her hands.

Velia: She didn’t move her hands from Saige’s after putting the ring on her finger, but she did snicker. “Do you take back your answer if you don’t get to keep her?” She arched an eyebrow at Saige and then leaned down to place a kiss just above where the ring was. “She’s yours my love. You just have to give her a name and then we can take her home where I’m sure you’ll spoil her rotten.” With that, Velia stood back up so she could sit back down on the bench next to her fiancé.

Saige: She blinked at Velia’s first question, her head shaking a bit as she went to say no but Velia didn't give her the chance. Saige giggled out of excitement, it was still coursing through her veins, and she couldn't contain it as her legs swung back and forth slightly. “Yes!” It was all she could say, struggling to come up with more formulated responses was proving much more difficult than she could have imagined. She looked down at the puppy which yapped at her, and she giggled again with a grin. “Princess Cara. And we can call her Care Bear for short.” Of course, it wasn't much shorter of a nickname than her actual name, but it was perfect for the little black pooch who yapped again in agreement.

Velia: The name should have been surprising, but it really wasn’t. It was oddly fitting. Velia moved her hand to pet the princess. “We’ll have to look online for a fitting collar for her.” She had a feeling that Saige would want one that was nearly as decked out as the ring Velia had just put on her finger, but that was okay. Whatever made her happy. “I was thinking we could maybe build something in the backyard… a sort of building with no floor where she can go while we sleep?” She doubted Saige would be okay with just leaving the princess outside, but a puppy shouldn’t be cooped up inside all day either. Unless of course she turned nocturnal like them… but that would still be an awfully long time to hold it.

Saige: Her nose scrunched as she nodded, tucking Care Bear into her and finally admiring the ring. It was a beautiful rose like ring, and Saige stared in awe at it. It wasn’t just gorgeous, it was big. The diamond in it was huge! “You must have spent a fortune on this…” She muttered, letting her hand fall to Velia’s cheek and gently rubbing her thumb against the woman’s smooth skin there. “It’s perfect. It’s all so perfect. I’ll never forget this night.”

Velia: “I’ll never forget any of the night’s we have together, Angel.” It was the complete truth. The woman in front of her had created something completely new in Velia the moment she’d walked into I.D.F.K. “I’ll have an eternity of nights to remember for always with you…” With that, she leaned in and pressed her lips to Saige’s. It wasn’t with the hunger that she had kissed her with after Saige had said yes, but a deeper contentedness. The slow burn that would keep them warm for the long term.

Saige: She returned the kiss, allowing the lingering lips against hers, and even letting out a soft ‘mmm’ with every intent to let the kiss lengthen. She never wanted Velia to stop kissing her like that. She only wanted to be with her for forever, and now they had their own little family to share in the process. Perfect. It was all so perfect, and Saige never wanted it to change. She finally pulled back and kissed the tip of Velia’s nose with a giggle. “Let’s go home love.”