Wedding Bells Ring (but not for them)

Kyran scowled at the paperwork in front of him. How had this all gotten so out of hand? He checked the time on the clock. He was going to be late! Gaia was going to kill him! He'd only intended to stop into the WFTC Rose Garden Branch for a moment. Since ascending to CEO suddenly and unexpectedly, the redhead had tried to make the rounds to every office. Most were in good shape, ready for the regime change. Others, however... were like this branch. Disorganized, unprepared, riding out the curtails of the WFTC. The redhead threw the papers off the desk. He pinched his nose as several assistants scurried to clean it all up. "Galahad, I'm leaving you in charge here. Whip them into shape." Kyran ordered his aide. The blonde muscular man bowed. Galahad was a strong silent type that always dressed impeccably. Kyran still wondered at the marvel of an aide. He didn't even have just one. He had a whole staff of them now.

Kyran stepped out the door of the Rose Garden branch. Another blonde man stepped up beside him. The WFTC CEO sighed heavily. "Enough, Lancelot! I'm going to meet my wife for a date! Not stepping down some godsforsaken alley on a suicide mission! I don't need a flipping bodyguard!" The blonde man stood impassively. There wasn't a single reaction to his boss' tirade. Kyran grit his teeth. Sometimes the aides thought they were bodyguards. However... Lancelot couldn't fly. The redhead smiled mischievously, launching himself into the air. The demons cackled as Lancelot attempted to follow Kyran. The poor man was quickly lost from sight.

Kyran spotted Gaia easily. She was near a fountain - their meeting point. As he soared lower, he heard something on the wind. Gaia was singing! A familiar tune too. His lips quirked upward. The redhead was glad his wife could still surprise him. Alighting upon the fountain, Kyran continued the song. "And gladly ride the waves of life, If you would marry me. No scorching sun nor freezing cold, Will stop me on my journey, If you will promise me your heart." The redhead gently took his wife's hand. Leaning down, he kissed it and continued to sing. "And love me for eternity." Kyran smiled, bowing low to his wife. A few of the couples around them began applauding. Kyran's ears burned bright red, nearing disappearing into his hair. The other couples had vanished in his mind when he serenaded his wife.

"Can...can we get out of here now?" He asked, trying to put Gaia between him and the applause. Despite being a CEO now, Kyran was still a loner. He didn't like the attention nor did he ever want it. He put up with it for his job when he needed to. Only because it was required though. "Maybe I can throw one of the demons at them and they'll go away?" He half-joked. His hand was already in the pocket of his coat. It wasn't the worst option. The demons clamored in his mind to be released. Eae sighed, leaning against the side of his mind. Kyran could feel her disapproving stare. "You did have plans for this date, didn't you? What's up first?" The stress hit his voice, causing it to crack. The redhead grimaced. They needed to move along before things got bad.

WC: 560

Kyran chuckled softly as Gaia yanked him forward. Never underestimate the draw of good chocolate for a woman. He had a feeling he knew where they were going. There was a company they'd worked for the year before that dealt in chocolate. Gaia confirmed his suspicion seconds later. He also found some amusement in her assertion about the demons. It wasn't unwarranted. The demons had caused all sorts of grief. Come now, you enjoy it. Medea purred. She does too Kyran barely stopped from responding. It was what the cat wanted. Distract him from the date at hand.

He placed a hand on Gaia's arm. Singing brought him joy. Almost as much joy as writing and Gaia did. However, the comfort level he needed to actually sing was difficult to achieve. It made him feel like he was putting out a beacon. Many eyes turned to him once he began singing. He hated that. Still, Kyran wanted Gaia to be happy too. "I'll endeavour to sing a little more often, my love." He promised. The redhead kissed his wife's head. Aw, isn't that sweet? Makes me sick Malinda hissed, slithering about his mind. The demons surely knew how to ruin a moment. He'd be glad if his current research panned out. The demons could be pulled from his head on a whim. Perhaps even be punished for misbehaving too.

As Gaia started to rush toward the store, Kyran laughed. He stepped forward, sweeping Gaia into his arms. A few more steps caused him to jolt forward with increased speed. He set her down near the door as someone exited the building. He looked familiar but the redhead couldn't place the face. That skill needed to improve rapidly. As the VP of WFTC, recognizing people quickly seemed like something he needed to know. The man clearly recognized them though. He spoke rapidly, already holding out a flyer. Kyran's head spun. What? He wanted them to test out services - specifically, wedding ones? Couldn't he have been around earlier for their wedding? Hindsight makes everyone jealous. Erebos giggled in his ear. The demons were determined to interrupt this date in whatever way possible.

Gaia haggled to get chocolate in return for testing the services. Kyran couldn't argue with her logic either. They'd get paid for their date. The redhead shrugged. "I see no harm. One thing. Just a precaution. My involvement in this is personal in nature. The WFTC is, in no way, required to endorse your business through my involvement. However, if you'd like to expand rapidly, get your goods to more places or perhaps have other uses for a large trading company - please don't hesitate to contact the West Fiore Trading Company." He was getting good at this jargon. A business card flipped out into his hand. The man hesitantly took it. Kyran smiled brightly then offered his arm to Gaia. "Shall we be on our way? I'm sure there are many things for us to test." Malinda chuckled in his ear. You could ask to test out a wedding bed. Ooo! Or better yet have Gaia try out some lingerie. We all know how much you love her in that. Kyran blushed at the demon's suggestions. Damn. They still knew how to get him.

WC: 547
1107/4000

Kyran blinked at Gaia's assertion. Being business-like was a turn-on? That was a head scratcher. Of course, it did seem like he was constantly learning new things about Gaia. He merely smiled mysteriously at his wife. Perhaps he'd be more official more often. As the demons and Gaia started to tease him, Kyran's face went as red as his hair. He nearly used his magic to mask his face. "I don't know who's worse" He finally whispered. "You or them."

Gaia's request came at a surprise. Kyran looked down at her. "I don't even like working. Why would you want to watch?" He asked bluntly. Most of what he did was mountains of paperwork. He'd barely had any time to write anything. "It's really mountains of paperwork. Not fun for anyone, watching or working on it." He looked around the little setup. Perhaps he could do a little work here. The WFTC held multiple resources. They could ease movement of all the goods, allow various vendors to expand their area of influence. Before he was able to step away, Gaia yanked him in another direction. "Why don't you get me a leash?" He asked sullenly.

A girl conversation went rapidly between Gaia and a stranger. He didn't follow a word of it. Clearly, the girls knew each other from something though. "Hello, Leila" He said, shaking her hand. "And perhaps take a little time with 'Mr. Right' first. Kids might be adorable but they suck away all your time." Kyran laughed softly. He waved as Leila walked away. Gaia's sudden turn and question afterward was terrifying. The expectation suffocated him. Could he give a negative answer? Would he be choked for any answer other than perfect? Better not screw this up~ Medea sang in his ear. The cat's tail was moving back and forth slowly. She was sensing weakness. Or rather Kyran's overwhelming fear of his wife's wrath. "Uh... um... she's... great?" Hopefully that was a satisfying enough answer.

Time for a distraction. "So Olga... I haven't heard much about her in the professional world. Perhaps the WFTC can help spread her product? Most of what I've seen is rather impressive. I'd love to help the world see her stuff." He suggested, gently taking Gaia's hands. Real smooth. She isn't going to see right past that one at all Erebos said sarcastically. He ignored the demon. That wasn't the end of his pitch. "We can get your face out there too. Show the world a woman can be beautiful, smart, a mom and still do it all!" Smooth save... Not. Just tell her the truth. Leila is a horrible bleep with a nice ass. Malinda hissed, slithering about his mind. Kyran could only hope Gaia didn't see through anything.

WC: 459
TWC: 1566/4000

rolling for dance whooo boi i'm a lil scared for gaia

The member 'Gaia' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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'Monster Dice' :

For the Cake Eating

The member 'Kyran' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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'Monster Dice' :

Correction: This is for the Cake Eating

The member 'Kyran' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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'Normal Dice' :

Kyran rubbed his chin as his wife kindly reminded him of her pedigree. He didn't want to back down. Having Gaia watch would be... distracting. He could barely keep his head in his work as it was. If his wife watched, they'd be alone. Finally, after months of dealing with their twins. Malinda hissed in appreciation and approval. The demon seemed to sense exactly where Kyran's mind was going. Even if this date went off and they ended up doing what the demons had suggested earlier, Kyran wasn't sure he could keep his hands off Gaia when they were alone. They had such precious little time where it was just them in private. The redhead ran a hand through his hair. Ignoring that little snag, he truly didn't have a good reason to say no. Gaia was asking for something relatively simple. There were multiple balls and social events he now had to attend for work as well. It wouldn't hurt to bring her along. Well, assuming there weren't various mishaps that were wont to happen.

The redhead sighed heavily. There happened to be another thing he was ignoring. Provided he wasn't dealing with sensitive information - say about Onyx Moon - Gaia would be a great asset. As she had pointed out, she had a pair of Gale Force glasses. She'd be capable of skimming documents and summarizing them for him. It might cut down the massive workload he had to tackle. All the branch offices had to be brought up to date still. Given his recent experience, Gaia could help him cut down the amount of time that might take. Weeks and months would turn into days. Kyran ran his hand through his hair again. "Fine. I guess I don't really have a reason to stop you." He admitted grudgingly. "But I'm not responsible for what happens the first time we're alone. He smiled crookedly before continuing on his way.

When Gaia insisted that Kyran knew Olga in some capacity, he scratched the back of his neck. Wilson fashions rang a slight bell. However, he was suddenly in charge of a trading company. There were hundreds of small business partners. Then the major ones which constantly demanded something or another from him. Every one wanted handouts. He'd been thrust into political landscape he didn't know how to navigate. "I honestly don't know the name, hun. I don't watch LacrimaVision and I'm still struggling to memorize all of the West Fiore Trading Company's partners. Maybe if you had asked me before I was thrust into the position of CEO, I would have remembered it." He sighed rubbing his forehead. Even with all those partners, WFTC was limited in scope. They focused mainly on guard jobs and movement of goods. He hoped to increase that scope in some capacity. "I do hope she goes for it. Those dresses are amazing and should be available across Fiore. Even into other countries if we can help her well enough."

Despite being new to running a trade business, Kyran was learning fast. Mentally, the redhead already compiled a list of branch offices. Each accessed warehouses holding fabric that Olga could use. Some had access to venues that could be used for fashion shows. If he pushed to outlying countries, he could utilize the water fleet. Otherwise, they could focus on the massive caravan within Fiore. Maybe. He couldn't be sure without checking a few facts. Regardless, the wheels were already spinning in his head. In fact, they spun so fast, Kyran didn't notice Gaia going out onto the dance floor.

The CEO raised his head to impart his partial plan to his wife. Seeing her missing, Kyran whipped around. Where was she? Were rivals, cartels, gangs, mafias already coming after him? His magical pressure leaked in his panic. A few nearby employees groaned in response. The redhead struggled to get his panic under control before he knocked someone unconscious. She's gone... Erebus whispered in his ear. They took her. They challenge your dominance... Medea piped in. Ahriman howled at the back of his mind. Rip! Kill! Destroy! She is OURS! Kyran heaved, now struggling on two fronts. His eyes flashed through a myriad of colors. He could feel his facial features attempting to change. The demons hooted, laughing. They had him. Eae was sequestered against the bottom of his mind. She couldn't breathe reason into his madness.

Then he spotted her. She flowed about the dance floor. His breath was stolen by her sheer beauty. The demons howled, feeling their imminent defeat. Kyran kept his focus on Gaia. His body moved toward her without conscious thought. She drew him in, simply by being Gaia. The WFTC CEO stepped in behind his wife. His body didn't know how to dance, but it knew how to fight. People had told him it was remarkably similar. The redhead rested his hands on Gaia's hips. He let the motion of her body lead the motion of his. He lowered his head to put his cheek against hers. Then the music took over. It taught his body where to go as much as Gaia's motions did. Kyran let the scent of Gaia and the ambiance of the music calm his terror. The demons hung their heads. They couldn't defeat the effect Gaia had upon their host.

Kyran let Gaia go when she went to get her shoes. He managed to follow her off the mat. Spotting a cake, the redhead shook off the last of his attack. Kyran hugged Gaia back. He put his mouth near her ear. "You know, our wedding cake wasn't all that appetizing. Perhaps we should try a real one? Then we can grab your chocolates and go meet Olga." This time, Kyran dragged Gaia over. The wedding cake was a nice royal blue, with yellow frosting. The topper looked like a small castle. As the redhead watched, small figures came out of the castle to dance across the top of the cake. The company had really gone all out for this. The redhead smiled, taking a piece from the table. He snatched up a fork. "Open up!" He said, aiming to put a forkful into her mouth. He didn't quite get all of it in but it was better than nothing. Kyran smiled, putting the plate down to grab a napkin. "Was it better than ours?" He asked, dabbing the frosting off her cheek.

WC: 1072
TWC: 2638/4000

"So I did..." Kyran murmured in response, still in a daze. His mind still scrambled to find a purchase in sanity. The demons weren't helping either. They pushed and pulled, scratched and whined, trying to sent him over the edge. His demon slayer lacrima pulsed with angry energy. The redhead let the scent of his wife wash over him. Yes, the world had problems. Yes, he had things he needed to deal with. Yes, he'd faced one of his greatest fears just now. All of that could wait though. What mattered right here, right now was this date. Making sure as much as he could that Gaia enjoyed herself. Eae shoved the demons behind her. Her hands gently caressed his mind, helping him calm down.

The redhead cocked his head at Gaia's idle suggestion. Renew their vows hmm? Not a bad idea except the boys would be hitting their terrible twos. Or was it horrible ones? Better not mention to Gaia he'd already forgotten how old their children were. Eae giggled softly in his mind. He willed her not to give him the answer. "Not a bad idea, my love. Would we repeat the first night too?" He teased, gently poking her in the side. The calm was starting to settle in. His body was relaxing slowly finally recognizing there was no danger. Then a plate shattered. Ahriman leapt forward turning Kyran's irises a deep red. His body tensed again. His eyes darted about. Where was the danger? Calm, master Kyran. You are safe. Gruen can't touch you here. No enemies will attack you here. Even if they did, you've become powerful. Gaia has become powerful. Do not doubt that the two of you can protect each other. The seraph's words laid soothingly against his agitated mind. He was able to pull himself back together before they reached the cake. His hand was steady enough to feed his wife a piece.

Gaia's reply about the cake had Kyran furrowing a brow. He'd have to file that information away for her birthday. He handed her the napkin, not trusting his hands. They still shook slightly. Kyran felt more likely to poke Gaia painfully then to wipe away the icing smeared on her lip. She fed him a piece in turn. He had to agree with her. "No, ours was better. Too bad I don't know who made it. Spreading cake would be an interesting application of my new powers as CEO." He spread his arms. "I feel like I can find someone I can help out everywhere I go now. Perhaps... I can eventually use this power to help kids. Kids going through what we did." Kyran clenched his fingers into a fist. It had never truly dawned on him the amount of power he held now. The amount of lives he could touch on a daily basis astounded the slayer.

The revelation was pushed aside quickly. Otherwise, Kyran would have launched into full work mode. He didn't want to take away from this date though. His head shook in response to Gaia's musings. "I could not have handled a bigger wedding. Besides, we had everyone that mattered there. Friends and family." Kyran chuckled softly when Gaia made her declaration. "Definitely. Especially since..." He wrapped his arms around her. "I got the greatest treasure, most beautiful princess and the best badass around to keep for myself that day." He kissed her nose. "I love you." The demons moaned, some retched inside his mind at the sweetness. Kyran smiled widely at their complaining. It was music to his ears. The wind slayer gently began guiding his wife back toward Fiore's Fine Chocolates.

The anxiety issue weighed upon the CEO of WFTC as they walked. He knew it wasn't a recent development. It was something that had merely been aggravated by various events. Gruen reappearing, Cecelia being alive, discovering he had a daughter, his daughter dying - well, dying again, after being animated as a zombie - becoming an Ace then CEO within a short amount of time. It had all added up, increasing the pressure on Kyran with no real release to decompress. This date might have been the first real break he'd gotten. The redhead worried that his anxiety would become a problem for his family. If the pressure kept building as it had been, he'd blow up on them. Without any warning, it'd seem like it came from nowhere. How to brooch the subject though? Don't. Let it steam, boil over and make your head explode! Erebos murmured before bursting into a round of evil cackling. Malinda slid over his mind. She didn't say a word, merely dropped her coils around his brain. Kyran hissed as she started squeezing. Medea scratched the walls of his mind. Ahriman howled continuously. It wasn't hard to figure out what they were doing. He growled. "Alright, enough." The redhead said, send a pulse of demon slayer magic through his own body. The demons shrieked retreating into the recesses of his mind. Kyran looked at Gaia. His cheeks colored. He'd forgotten she was walking beside him. It happened sometimes when he retreated too deeply into his own head. "Sorry, the demons..." The explanation seemed poor. Kyran took a deep breath. "I... I need to... tell you something. Uh, I'm struggling. With uh..." He gestured to his head. "Not the demons... just... ya know... something else." It was the best he couldn't come up with. The words weren't coming. It seemed impossible to quantify his current issue. How did one explain the little jittery feeling behind his sternum with every little issue?

Hopefully, that incomplete explanation would do for now. The shop was coming into view before them. The redhead scratched the back of his head. "We'll talk about it later. Let's do the review and get your chocolate." He was forgetting something. Eae nudged his mind. Olga, Master Kyran Kyran snapped his fingers. "Right, thank you, Eae. Visiting Olga's boutique too." He used his wind magic to open the door. Bowing slightly to Gaia, he gestured her through with a smile. "After you, my lady." Kyran stepped in after his wife. The inside of the shop was noted quickly. He frowned, noting the haphazard way things were set up. While everything was in place neatly, the redhead couldn't make heads or tails of the design. He debated bringing it up with the owner. A little reorganizing would quickly increase sales. Focus. Eae prodded with a small amount of amusement. Kyran smiled, realizing that maybe being CEO had sunk in a little more than he thought. He stepped over to the cashier. She was chewing gum, on her iLac and playing with her long blue tresses. The slayer struggled to keep his face straight. It was a wonder how FFC had managed to get so big with these kinds of employees. "Excuse me." He said politely. The woman ignored him. "Excuse me, we're here to give our review of the wedding catering services." The woman gave him a bored look, popping a bubble. Crush her underfoot. Show her who the Alpha is and make her beg for mercy. Licking your boots should be a treasure when you're done. Medea hissed, sensing his rising anger. Kyran took a deep breath as the woman pointed toward a door in the back. "Just go through there. Boss should be sitting at his desk."

"Thank you." Kyran said with clipped tones. He placed a hand on Gaia's back. It was more to help calm himself rather than to guide her forward. Touching Gaia seemed to help him control his emotions. "If they partner with us, I'll be making a few changes to procedure and decorum" He whispered to the Sabertooth Ace. "This is all appalling." Kyran held the door open for Gaia once again. Stepping inside, the WFTC CEO let out a sigh. This office looked much more up to standard. Then a frown over took his features. How could the office look good but the store be such a mess? Not important right now. He could investigate misappropriation of funds if they partnered together. The boss got up to shake their hands. He was a rather excitable chap. Kyran let Gaia give their review, giving the appropriate sounds where it seemed necessary. When they were done, Kyran touched the desk with his hand. "We'd like some chocolates as a gift for our services, in addition to our payment." He smiled, business-like, without mirth. "And I do look forward to potentially expanding your business even further, should you partner with the West Fiore Trading Company. Please schedule an appointment with my assistants. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to enjoy the rest of the evening with my wife." The boss eagerly nodded his assent as the slayer knew he would. Standing, Kyran led Gaia from the shop. He paused only long enough for Gaia to grab some of the chocolate she wanted.

Once they were outside, Kyran deflated. "Sometimes, I hate being CEO." He muttered, pressing his face into Gaia's hair. "I notice things I didn't before, and I have to work with some terrible people. Not evil, or in need of locking up but people with terrible personalities or attitudes." Kyran wrapped his arms around Gaia's waist. "Now, I believe we need to visit Olga and then... you promised we could try out something the demons suggested." He kissed her neck. "Shall we run towards the end of our first problem-less date?"

WC: 1585
TWC: 4223/4000