“Um…” The witch seemed to see a place for her to slip back into the conversation, now that Herbert had been silenced. “Actually, there was something I was kinda wondering about, sir…”
Unfurling his fingers in a gesture to speak, von Krolock gazed at her. She had power, of that there was no doubt, but there was such fearful restraint, a shadow overlying her, a stain that cut deep into her soul.
“You have every book ever, right?” She looked so earnest and eager that he suppressed a slight smile. “I mean, I looked up some of the more obscure codexes that… well, you know you hear of them, but you don’t know if they exist because demons aren’t exactly good with the keeping-of-records and you kinda have them all here and I was… I mean, would you mind a whole lot if we could refer to you?”
“I see no reason why not,” he murmured. He could see Herbert shifting from the corner of his eye, could sense an impending outburst, and directed his gaze fully at his son, who was glaring across the table. “Herbert.”
Grey eyes darted towards him then back to the Immortal, who had lifted his lover’s hand to his lips and was kissing her fingertips. Ah, his one desire that he had never succeeded in attaining or even intriguing. Alas, that his son could not understand that Vittorio’s interest lay in only women.
And one exception.
“I was merely wondering if that was the Slayer’s natural hair colour,” Herbert’s expression was bland, but his eyes were flashing. Beside him, Dawn groaned and sank down in her chair.
“Could ask you the same, goldielocks,” the Slayer said with mock-sweetness, not even looking at him. She leaned closer and kissed Vittorio lightly and, von Krolock sensed, deliberately.
Herbert scowled, nails scratching against the surface of the table.
On his other side, William leaned closer and touched his arm, but was shrugged off with a glare. “Herbie, mate, she’s not worth the fuss…”
“Not what you used to say,” Buffy finally turned away from Vittorio and looked across the table at him.
Closing his eyes wearily, von Krolock tried to stave off the sudden flare of ire from the second vampire. Pushing his chair back, he rose from the table with such smooth swiftness that all eyes leapt to him.
Unspeaking, he crossed the floor to the fireplace, staring down at the flames.
It would not do to turn his ire upon his son now, not with the presence of his new guest so recently agreed upon. Still, his teeth ground together, his hands folded behind his back, the stifling silence from the table only adding to the building frustration.
A second chair scraped on the stone floor and he felt the approach of the younger Miss Summers.
And yet, he could not deny his shock when her small, warm hand reached out and touched his arm in a wordless gesture that was still full of meaning. Glancing down at her, he could see the concern on her face, the genuine worry, for him of all people.
“I know what’s going on,” she said softly, little more than a whisper then gave him a small smile that he was sure only he saw. “Lemme take care of it.”
Barely nodding, he felt her hand slide against his arm as she pulled away as if she had scorched him with flame.
Re: Snipplet of 'dinner'.
Unfurling his fingers in a gesture to speak, von Krolock gazed at her. She had power, of that there was no doubt, but there was such fearful restraint, a shadow overlying her, a stain that cut deep into her soul.
“You have every book ever, right?” She looked so earnest and eager that he suppressed a slight smile. “I mean, I looked up some of the more obscure codexes that… well, you know you hear of them, but you don’t know if they exist because demons aren’t exactly good with the keeping-of-records and you kinda have them all here and I was… I mean, would you mind a whole lot if we could refer to you?”
“I see no reason why not,” he murmured. He could see Herbert shifting from the corner of his eye, could sense an impending outburst, and directed his gaze fully at his son, who was glaring across the table. “Herbert.”
Grey eyes darted towards him then back to the Immortal, who had lifted his lover’s hand to his lips and was kissing her fingertips. Ah, his one desire that he had never succeeded in attaining or even intriguing. Alas, that his son could not understand that Vittorio’s interest lay in only women.
And one exception.
“I was merely wondering if that was the Slayer’s natural hair colour,” Herbert’s expression was bland, but his eyes were flashing. Beside him, Dawn groaned and sank down in her chair.
“Could ask you the same, goldielocks,” the Slayer said with mock-sweetness, not even looking at him. She leaned closer and kissed Vittorio lightly and, von Krolock sensed, deliberately.
Herbert scowled, nails scratching against the surface of the table.
On his other side, William leaned closer and touched his arm, but was shrugged off with a glare. “Herbie, mate, she’s not worth the fuss…”
“Not what you used to say,” Buffy finally turned away from Vittorio and looked across the table at him.
Closing his eyes wearily, von Krolock tried to stave off the sudden flare of ire from the second vampire. Pushing his chair back, he rose from the table with such smooth swiftness that all eyes leapt to him.
Unspeaking, he crossed the floor to the fireplace, staring down at the flames.
It would not do to turn his ire upon his son now, not with the presence of his new guest so recently agreed upon. Still, his teeth ground together, his hands folded behind his back, the stifling silence from the table only adding to the building frustration.
A second chair scraped on the stone floor and he felt the approach of the younger Miss Summers.
And yet, he could not deny his shock when her small, warm hand reached out and touched his arm in a wordless gesture that was still full of meaning. Glancing down at her, he could see the concern on her face, the genuine worry, for him of all people.
“I know what’s going on,” she said softly, little more than a whisper then gave him a small smile that he was sure only he saw. “Lemme take care of it.”
Barely nodding, he felt her hand slide against his arm as she pulled away as if she had scorched him with flame.