Behind The Veil

[Sashenka Rozhdestvenskaya]

"It's been since Or...no wait Orfeo never took me on an actual date. We would just meet at his place. Then it had to be Micha." She nodded, "And I can't remember that one. Leyna could fill that one in, all I remember is I woke up a week later and I was told Micha had died." Her dates are normally doomed, she has date entropy. But she clammed up when they walked inside looking around. "It looks quiet at least."

As soon as they were seated and handed menus she hid behind her looking at the vegetarian dishes, "So, why a date with me? You know I comes with a steam trunk and a lot of baggage." Peeking up over the top of the menu, yeah, he was just as nervous as she was. "I hardly know you, I know your name and now what you do. You know I come from a troubled family and I have a very jealous hetero-life-mate." Putting the menu down looking at it. She spoke softly, "I'm 20, I come from a place that has left Leyna and I very broken."

Grabbing some water drinking it. She then looked at him, "Michael, I like you I do. But, I'm afraid you might not understand everything. All our lives we were told we were second class because we were just kinfolk. I spent my entire life isolated from the world and raised to be married off to the one my grandfather chose. I was never really taught how to take care of myself, Leyna has to take care of me most of the time. You know all I ever wanted was a family. A real family. I love my grandfather and I don't doubt he loves me, it's just he's so cold."

"I would give anything to have someone show me they love me, not just throw money at me hoping I'll comply."

[Michael Freeman]

“It’s definitely quiet. And no signs of hiding Jack’s and Leyna’s spying on us. So it’s off to a great start.” He looked around the place, just to be certain of it. Unless Leyna had the foresight to know which restaurant they were going to and to hide behind that big vase, she wasn’t here. “So I’m cautiously optimistic that this date will go a lot better than your other ones.”

He listened to her questions and her explanation, staring into her eyes as she talked. He agreed with her that there was a lot he didn’t understand, he really had no frame of reference for what her childhood was like. Whatever he pictured wouldn’t come close to it, a fact which troubled him somewhat. He poured himself a glass and continued listening, considering taking a sip before focusing his full attention on Sashie again.

“I don’t care about your baggage Sashie, I care about you.” He did take a small drink of water before continuing. “Really there’s not much to me. I became a fire fighter because I wanted to save lives, that carried on to when I became what I am. I don’t have a lot of friends outside my old ones at the firehouse, and never really stopped to look at my life.”

“You’re right, I don’t understand what it’s like to be kinfolk. To be isolated from the world and to have someone else control my life. But I want to understand, because I care about you. And I’ll do what I can to help you.”

“And you don’t have to worry about me throwing money at you, I’m pretty much broke.”

[Sashenka Rozhdestvenskaya]

She was completely serious when he spoke until the very end then she started laughing. "Well don't worry, I have money to cover us Michael." Taking a sip of water, her family has more money than God. "You hardly know me though, you have no idea what I'm like really. So you even know I'm on medication because I'm, to quote Leyna-" Mocking her German accent; Badly. "Bat shit crazy." Shaking her head laughing. "Seriously, I have some issues I admit this. Leyna calls it inbreeding."

Looking up at him, "Do you even know my last name? I don't expect you to pronounce it, I've known Leyna since we were teenagers and she still can't say it. So she just introduces me as 'Sashenka Word-vomit'." Chuckling a bit waving her hands, "You know what it doesn't matter. The fact is you're a nice person, at least to me. And I do like you. I mean I haven't poisoned your drink yet, so that's a good sign." Taking a sip of her water, was she kidding? Even Leyna sometimes wondered.

Shrugging a bit then as the waiter came by she placed her order.

[Michael Freeman]

He joined in her laughter, enjoying the small moment as she offered to pay for the meal. “That’s okay, I have some money. And maybe a lot more once we start getting some rent for the properties we got recently I’ll be able to save up all the money I won’t be throwing at you.” He smiled as she continued, deciding on what he wanted before nodding along with her.

“Well if you’re crazy I haven’t noticed. Then again I hang around Jack so by comparison the rest of us are sane.” He though back, did he know her last name? “I think you introduced yourself with it, but you’re right, I can’t pronounce it at all.” Well at least Leyna couldn’t pronounce it either despite all their time knowing each other. Then again, that was Leyna.

He grinned and took a sip of his water, not at all concerned that she might not have been joking. “And you’re the nicest woman I have ever met. And the most beautiful.” He let her place the first order before placing his, and watched as the waiter left.

[Sashenka Rozhdestvenskaya]

Turning a bright red when he told her she was beautiful, really what girl doesn't like hearing that? "Keep talking like that and I might agree to a second date." Chuckling a bit before quickly drinking to hide her face. Taking a moment before she regained herself and looked up to him once more. "I find it funny, Leyna is always saying I am a flirt. I bring over people for Christmas and she ends up kissing one of them while I did not even think of doing such a thing. Then again I'm a flirt in her mind because well, really men pay attention to me."

Waving her hands, "It's not an ego thing, Leyna knows I don't try to, She's told me that because of my accent and they way I look that men will trip over themselves for me. Here I thought they were just being nice. Then she pointed out how all the females we knew hated me. I never knew that. But, Leyna always was right there to make sure I was ok. Well to make sure they didn't hurt me. One fooled her though I think. He was so nice to her and me in public. In private though, he beat me. Never in the face though he didn't want visible bruises. I had to let him really, he was our superior. Him being a Silver Fang true born." She whispered the last part. "He was waiting for his rank before he could claim me. I was thrilled when he failed his challenge. To this day, Leyna doesn't know what Mikhail has done. She doesn't need to now."

In spite of that story she gave him a smile, "Though, Leyna hasn't told me to stay away from you. Yet. Like all the others, I think you're the first."

[Michael Freeman]

He chuckled with her, finding that she was cute when she was embarrassed. “I’ll do my best, don’t worry about that.” He finished off his water as she talked about the night of Christmas dinner and how Leyna ended up kissing Jack after giving Sashenka grief. “How badly did you rib her about it? I kept ribbing Jack about it the whole way home. I think he was unhappy his normal silencing glare didn’t work.”

He nodded along, seeing her logic and Leyna’s logic. He had to admit he didn’t find it hard to believe that people would fall for the Russian woman, although he had a feeling he was falling for her for different reasons. However his expression turned to a frown at the mention of this Mikhail, and how he beat her in private. That story sounded so familiar; he had run into more couples like that then he cared to remember.

“Perhaps my personality won her over. Or the fact that she’s dating my best friend, who she no doubt got to vouch for me.”

[Sashenka Rozhdestvenskaya]

Seeing his frown, "Please don't judge him, he was just...he's a Fang warrior. I guess he was under a lot of pressure over everything. I don't know, a lot of them were. Taylor was nearly as bad. He was killed for what he did to me. Well, it wasn't his first warning but the Beta finally took care of it." Keeping her gaze down, "I never said a word because well, I am kinfolk, I do know my place. Back then I was too scared to say anything, not even to Leyna. I was about sixteen I think, Leyna knew though. She always did."

Leaving the awkward silence for a long while before looking as her plate was put down before her. She smiled to him and thanks him before he left. Lifting her fork she started pushing her food around a bit. "I didn't give her much grief. We really don't do that anymore." Looking down at the plate, "We really don't talk to each other much anymore. She has her life now." The evening is taking on a more somber tone. "Do you ever feel like you're dead inside? Maybe dead isn't the right word, numb. Numb inside."

Putting her fork down, "Forgive me, I didn't sleep well." Turning her head away from him.

[Michael Freeman]

The more he learned about her past, the more determined he was to keep it from following her. It was bad enough this Mikhail beat her, but this Taylor creep….he was honestly disappointed that the man was dead, solely because he wished he could have kill him personally. Shaking those thoughts out of his head, he smiled as the waiter came around, putting on his best normal face before returning to his concerned expression once his back was turned and heading towards the back.

“I guess Jack’s taking up too much of her time.” He rationalised, noting how little he saw of the avenger compared to the week before they met the kinfolk. They really had hit it off. His thoughts were brought back to the present when Sashie asked if he felt like he was dead inside. She quickly changed the wording to numb, but it still distressed the judge all the more.

“Sometimes, I feel a little detached from things. Like I’m just going through the motions rather than really living. As much as I hate to admit it it’s only when I’m on the job that I start to feel like I’m really living. It’s kinda sad actually.”

[Sashenka Rozhdestvenskaya]

"Adrenaline." Looking up at him, "Leyna is pretty much the same way. Even when she would take me along with her to some of her crazy ideas, I still didn't feel like you all did. Leyna keeps telling me it's my Fang side, but, I don't know. She's also suggested in the past mating with a strong Fang and having strong true borns will pull me out of my daze. I would love kids, but, I don't know. I don't know if I could handle that." Chuckling a bit, "I'm probably scaring you off now. Forgive me." Looking at her plate.

"I will be honest with you Michael, you're the first date since I left Italy. Since Orfeo, yes he was a leech like what you hunt. I know he was completely bad for me but I loved him anyways. I still do I am sorry to admit." Looking up at him, "He was my first love, you know what they say about your first loves, you never get over them. I didn't believe it until it happened. We couldn't have a family, we couldn't do normal things, and we couldn't let anyone know. He begged me to run away and marry him, they would of killed him if we did. They would of killed the both of us really." Shaking her head, "She tells me I need to move on and find someone better. You're breathing and can walk in the sunlight, so this is a step in the right direction."

Reaching over putting her hand on top of his. "I won't hold it against you if you get up right now and run out of here as fast as you can." Pulling her hand back waiting for him to bolt.

[Michael Freeman]

The judge shrugged at her explanation, nodding along as she noted she didn’t feel the same way. “I think that means that you’re actually a sane, rational individual who has a normal reaction to these sorts of things. And I you’re not scaring me at all. A vampire back in DC wants to kill me meaning I can never go home without looking over my shoulder all the time. I’ve been trapped in a sewer with dozens of zombies, stared down a twisted werewolf and so many other things that give me nightmares sometimes. Trust me, talking with you is not scary at all.”

He nodded along at her explanation that this was her first date since the vampire, and how she still loved him despite the fact that it wouldn’t work out between them because of all the things she couldn’t do. “I suppose it’s perfectly reasonable. I never got to the true love stage though, so I can’t comment. But I appreciate being considered a step in the right direction. I think that’s the first time a woman’s ever said that about me” He chuckled and took a bite out of his dinner.

“I have no intention of running from you, you’re too good a friend to be scared of. Besides, I get the feeling that if I did run Leyna would be honour-bound to track me down and kick my ass.”

[Sashenka Rozhdestvenskaya]

"Really? The first woman? Well I have lived with animals, literally. You are dressed all the time, you don't growl and beat your chest, you bathe on a regular basis, and don't have fleas." Ok so the last part a joke if he ever knew some of the people from the old Caern he would of known about Satalia bitching about having fleas. Satalia didn't have fleas, everyone was certain she just had crabs. However she laughed and leaned forwards, "Compared to others I've dated, you're Prince Charming." She winked at him before sitting back pushing the food around her plate more.

"Leyna kicking your backside? Hmm, that would be the least of your worries. She makes weapons, she has no hesitation to test them. But I don't think she would do that. And never been in love? Really? You never been with someone and when they looked at you or even kiss you, you felt like someone kicked you in the stomach making you want to vomit and knees give out?" Noticing his strange look, "Leyna gives me that same look, I know I'm not the only one who feels that way when they are in love."

[Michael Freeman]

He laughed at her description of the people she grew up with, strangely not doubting it for a minute. Not even the part about fleas. “Forgive my complete lack of Disney knowledge, but who exactly does Prince Charming fall in love with again? Snow White?” He took a few bites of his meal, noting how she seemed to just be pushing the food around on her plate without eating any. “No appitite?”

His face went mock-serious as she mentioned weapons, having known from seeing her forge just what weapons she was capable of creating. Thankfully the judge shared the kinfolk’s opinion of Leyna and what she was unlikely to do.” He listened as she described how love felt, unsure as if it was just her or that’s what love felt like. “I can safely say I have never felt that way asides from the few times someone has actually hit me in the stomach so hard it made me want to vomit. I had some girls flirt with me but there was nothing deep and meaningful behind it. I guess I was too focused on saving people for girls to give me a shot. No one wants to fall in love with someone who could get crushed by a burning building any day.”

[Sashenka Rozhdestvenskaya]

Shaking her head, "I don't eat when I'm nervous. Sorry." Thinking for a moment, "I don't know who he falls in love with. I was never one for fairytales." She lied, she LOVED them. Putting her fork down looking at him and started chuckling when he said he felt that way once...when he was punched. "Well, it happens in different ways I guess, for Leyna is was after she kissed Jack. I still owe her brother twenty dollars. You think you know someone and they're not a lesbian." She snickered. "But for some it's at first site, Satalia told me her and her husband it was at first fight. I'm assuming since they're both Irish, Fight and sight are the same thing. Leyna said it was after they kissed. I had I think it was Elliot, she told me she felt it after her and her boyfriend made-" She turned a bright red and smiled sheepishly, "You know..."

Clearing her throat looking down at her plate snickering like a school girl in sec ed class. Then she looked at him with all seriousness. "I'm sure that's not true. Falling in love is unconditional. I could safely say I could fall in love with someone like that. It shouldn't matter the profession."

[Michael Freeman]

He shrugged at her apology, trying to convey a sense he wasn’t worried about it. “I guess I’ll have to live on not knowing then.” He said with a bit of a smile, before it turned into a full grin at the mention of their friends. “I’m still kicking myself for not buying a lottery ticket, maybe some of the improbability of Jack kissing someone back would have rubbed off.” He listened along as she talked about how some people she knew fell in love, suppressing at chuckle at her embarrassment. “I’ve heard some pretty strange stories from my kind. For some it was protecting them from zombies, for others it was seeing them in a vision of the future. Hell one man said he knew he was in love when he, no joke, saw the headline of a newspaper she was carrying.”

He suppressed a bit of a blush when she said she call fall in love with someone like him. Okay, she didn’t say him, more like that, but it was close enough right? “That’s very kind of you to say. And I suppose it is true, my mother fell in love with my father while he was training to be a fire fighter. I guess that gave him plenty of reason to always make it home.”

[Sashenka Rozhdestvenskaya]

"See! Your mother loved your father despite his profession. You love the person, not their profession. If it's the other way around, there are some issues. But it doesn't happen for everyone. I've had men kiss me in hope it would work in their favor, I felt more gross afterward." Chuckling a bit and noticing his blush. Clearing her throat looking at her meal there for a moment before she slid over to him looking at him. Patting his hand gently.

"Well, we can test the theory." Her fingers gently move his chin to face her feeling her mouth already dry out. Why was this always so awkward the first time? Inhaling deeply before she leans closer barely touching her lips to his holding it there for a moment to see if either one of them were going to pull away. So far nothing happened with them and proceeded press a little more. He wasn't running away so at least he wasn't offended.