A Pair of First Impressions

[Biran Everard]

It was a quiet evening that the mighty Ironside didn't exactly know how to handle. Quiet often meant danger where he came from and through the experiences he had in his life. Many a time the darkest of days for him were ones that were spent in silence. Horrible nights out in the wilderness, days just out in town, on his deployments, and whenever death came. They were quiet and harder days. Even today's quiet nature gave the warrior moments to reflect, for better or for worse.

Biran got the call at roughly 2100 from his adopted mother of sorts. Trever's wife, Willow. They both helped him out in a hard time. They were his great grandparents too no less. Despite being Valentine's they were good people. Even then, Valentine's weren't the problem. Travis was. It wasn't really a wonder he ended up in this city after everything he had been through. Biran had joined the United States Marines and served for a time of 8 years until he decided he was overstaying his welcome. With a service record like that behind him and showing no real signs of aging, he had to go. He had to come here. Luckily Trever and Willow were right here when he did. "Hey, mom." He answered his phone.

Willow was a woman of few words and he knew she was hardly calling to check up on him. She had a job for him. An attractive job, to say the least. The male grinned wildly and he told her that he'd be right on his way to take care of it before hanging up the phone. Getting his typical clothing on, Biran was out the door to his suite, down the stairs, and then through the doors of the headquarters he maintained. From there he was down to the Underworld as some called it here in the city. No, it wasn't quite Hell though. Just their underground, where some shady deals could go on. No normal civilian would be brave enough to enter on a normal day and the TCPD were ordered to just not bother with it, as they lost more men than people they could save down here.

It simply wasn't a place for the faint of heart. His destination within this underground hell on earth? The brothel, of course. Willow had banned Biran from ever coming to her establishment after fucking a woman so good he more or less ripped her apart. It wasn't as gruesome as the tale sounded but there was definitely some stitches involved and a fear like no other afterward. The man stepped into the establishment and allowed the door whore to sensually take off his coat, exposing a white long sleeve that he had the decency to wear before the lady in charge. "You called for an exterminator?" Biran asked Willow upon finding her, a big grin on his face.

"She isn't a pest, Biran. She's as dangerous as you are. Just get her to calm down and leave work for the night."

"Challenge accepted." Biran turned away then to go find this wild animal that was roughing up her good honest customers.

[Rune Tyche]

It was just like any other day at the brothel, or so one would think aside from the sound of the shattering of the mirror that did little to calm her anger, nor did the sound of a scream from the room beside hers at the crashing of the glass which reflected her broken reflection. Crimson eyes stared back from a pale face, her lips painted a pale pink with no other make-up to mar her perfect complexion. Long ebony hair was left loose to frame her face as her body was covered in little more than her lacy undergarments and a short white silk robe. Her bare feet were surrounded by the broken pieces of mirror, but the barghest growled at her reflection, an irritated look glinting in her sharp eyes before she turned and stepped around the broken pieces of mirror to continue her rampage through her room.

”Marry someone? Ha.” The dog growled to the now mirrorless wall as she ran her fingers through her hair. ”Especially someone that they chose? Over my dead body… No. Over their dead body.” She snorted in her anger as she tore clothes from her drawers and her closest, as if they were at fault for all of this as she discarded them onto the floor.

How long had passed since she began stewing over the fact that her parents were once again trying to run her life, a life she designed in the very best way to piss them off. The only thing she didn’t do, was tattoo and pierce herself up, only because she didn’t like them on herself. Piercings made great things to use against people, to rip out, and make them writhe in pain when fighting. But this… How was she going to get out of this? They were literally using her weak point against her and she had little choice in the matter. However… If he backed out, then they’d have no choice but to pack it up. And if she scared away enough suitors, they’d have to submit to the fact that she would just never get married.

The sound of a few women outside leaving their room, something about someone named ‘Biran’ or something, Rune didn’t really listen as she tore up her room, but the sound of giggling made her even more irate. These women at times really pissed her off, the barghest whirled around at the sound of footsteps stopping at her door. Her crimson gaze met the amber gaze of the man standing in her open doorway.

On a normal day, he would have been like any other man that Rune met, seduced him, fought him and then bedded him if he was man enough to win. Today, he was just another irritation on her ever growing list. Half-naked and livid, the dog approached him with a vicious growl in her throat, her painted lips pulled back to reveal her lengthened canines. ”And just who the fuck are you? Did Mama call you because of the mirror?” The woman growled as she carefully avoided stepping on the glass while closing in on the man, her posture more aggressive in an attack manner rather than her usual provocative sway. ”Tell her that it’s my bad luck and get fuck out of my hair. I have no patience today to deal with a man that thinks he can handle me.”

[Biran Everard]

Wow, what a warm welcome. She was thinking he was just the petty police over a mirror? And which Mama? Willow, who was his mom of sorts or Mama Heart who was her mom. It made no difference then again, Biran wouldn't indulge her on who put in  the trouble call. The male made an aggravated "tch" sound toward her. This woman was severely agitated and aggressive over seemingly just his presence alone. "That's cute. So like, what are you? A literal Tasmanian Devil? I hear them fucks have some wild sex." Any of the older girls still lingering around on scene that knew him all attempted to giggle at hushed volumes behind him. Though annoying, it at least assisted in egging on this unpredictable female even more.

It wasn't the brightest idea in the world, but breaking her self control would probably be the best way to escalate and then deescalate the situation. After all, he couldn't clock out such a fine woman without a good reason and she hadn't given him enough of one yet. "I'm gonna need a muzzle and a leash for this one. She's mine tonight." It was a request to one of the many nosy women within earshot. It wasn't even an odd request in a place such as this, as they all lived to please no matter the fantasy. Whether his demands were going to be met or not, Biran began stepping into the room, chest to chest with this rambunctious female now. He took another step, pushing her back as his solid form gave way for no one. The large tower of a man was bold enough to take even just one more, giving him ample room to shut the door behind him.

Taking prying ears out of the equation now, he first attempted to solve matters peacefully by speaking calmly. "I am not here for the mirror." Such a way with words. But that's all he could muster for right now. He spoke enough as it was and it was her turn to express how she felt about this man who challenged her and came through her doors. Or maybe what she had to say for herself regarding all of this.

[Rune Tyche]

Cute? Who was this nut case and why was he at her door? The man then caught her off guard by talking about the very last thing on her mind at a time like this. ”How the fuck should I know the sexual habits of animals?” She hissed an answer to his statement, though Rune was no Tasmanian devil, nor did she think she looked like one, though she supposed one could never tell what they were.

Her gaze flickered to the women who lingered behind the man, a sharp glare sent their way as she continued to give a probably unattractive snarl to the man at her door. And not only was their hushed giggling making her want to rip their throats out as well, it seemed to push the man at her door forward. His words, however, made her swiftly turn her attention back to him with a disgusted look. A muzzle and a leash? What was she? Some bitch to be dragged around and paraded like some bondage bunny? Plus claiming her for the night? Such a brute, this one and while that normally had more sway over her intentions, this time it only served to shake her up a bit more. At this point, she was more likely to punch him than fuck him.

What was worse was he way he stepped into the room until they stood chest to chest, to which she didn’t back down until he more or less pushed her with his own chest, her being unable to stand her ground and more or less afraid to be forced backward onto the shattered remnants of the mirror around her feet. Instead, she chose to take a calculated step back as he took a step forward, but hardly moved back any further than necessary, showing him her unwillingness to back down from whatever fight he was presenting her with. That is, until he shut the door behind himself.

The dog didn’t know when to be afraid, her instincts telling her only to bite this person in front of her if he made any move for her, and bite was a loose term that could have meant any number of things, but all of them ended in sheer violence rather than anything provocative. As the man began to speak, she could feel the rumble of his voice from where their chests continued to touch, her eyes glaring daggers up at him though he was almost a solid foot taller than she was. Such a feeling would normally make her hungry in a different kind of why, but those feelings had no place in her current state of mind and were quickly shut down before they could even begin to surface.

”Then why the fuck are you here, in my territory, without my permission? What the hell do you want?” Rune moved her hand to her hip as she adjusted her posture to one that seemed like it was more of impatient tolerance than actual aggression, though she wouldn’t hesitate to beat the living hell out of him if he so much as tried anything. One way or another, this dog wasn’t going down without a fight.

[Biran Everard]

The moment the door clicked behind him was the moment this tense male seemed to relax right before her eyes. His shoulders were raised just enough to visibly see them fall as he turned off his wild and dangerous facade. Not that he wasn't either of the two on his own, but there was simply no reason to continue faking his edgy persona with doors shut. This man had a reputation to uphold in the public eye, but it was taxing to put on a show just for one person.

With the flick of his wrist, not turning his eyes from the rabid wolf before him, he locked the door to prevent the entry of anyone which included his request. This one sure was straight to the point, wasn't she? Biran snorted a bit at her statement, which sounded more like a challenge to him than anything else. "You own nothing here, don't kid yourself." He scoffed once more.

"Who does own you, has requested me here to be your salvation." The wild thunder from down under spoke, his voice boomed effortlessly. "So it is your choice whether you want to walk away from this or let it consume you." With that then, he'd offer his hand to her. He did not bother to ask what was wrong. He wasn't a damn therapist after all, but the least he could do was get her out of here since he promised Willow he would. What they did from here was a mystery but he figured an outing of sorts would help soothe the savage beast. "Biran." He'd speak his name in order to introduce himself, seeing as his hand was already outstretched to her anyway.

[Rune Tyche]

Her eyes grew wary as he locked the door, and the dog shifted away from him, but not taking a step back away from him, too stubborn to give him the satisfaction to her backing down. However, the man was relaxed, his shoulders lowering slightly which seemed to relax her as well a little bit, her anger ebbing a little, but his words… Set her off. She owned nothing? The fuck she didn’t! This was her room, the place she earned money and the place she ‘entertained’ men or fought them for their money. One way or another, she paid for this room. She was even about to argue her point until he continued.

‘Who does own her’? Ah… Willow… But how was he to offer her salvation? Rune was becoming more and more suspicious of him. Crimson eyes narrowed up at him as his voice rumbled in her chest. The dog gave huff of a growl before she shook her head. ”Consume me, huh? And what exactly will be the one doing this ‘consuming’?” She asked sarcastically before she looked down at the hand that was extending to her.

Should she take it? Rune hesitated, but she looked from his hand to his eyes once more, as if trying to calculate what he was up to, but in the end… ”Rune Tyche.” She said as she took his hand and gave him a firm handshake before releasing his hand as if it burned her skin, her anger moving to a low simmer at the back of her mind. It was likely best to calm down at least while he was in her room and while the door was locked. And not to mention the fact that he hadn’t made an aggressive move toward her… Yet.

”And how exactly do you intend to be my… ‘Salvation’, Biran?” She asked almost cynically, but it was at least less hostile than it was before.

[Biran Everard]

Biran huffed a bit as she questioned him. At least he got a name. "Rune. A fine name." Was all he would say through shut eyes as he thought hard on what exactly to do from here. "Honestly. I thought I would have to knock you out and remove you from the premises." A finger of his moved to the side of his head to rub his temple, his eyes finally opening again to look to this wild beast. It was as if the savage man he walked into the brothel as simply left and left some dope in his wake.

"But seeing as you are much more willing to comply with reason, I will ask you what you deem to be salvation?" He shrugged then. "Willow tells me you are not to return for the rest of the night until you have taken the proper time to settle your issues, whatever they may be. So shall I escort you out and we go our separate ways? Or do you want my assistance?" Biran crossed his large arms over his chest and briefly set his gaze elsewhere in the room.

He took the time to notice how trashed this love den was. Either she was a literal animal as he initially presumed, or she was that upset. Biran looked back to her, trying not to probe too harshly but also narrowed in question, searching for her type and her motives. "The choice is yours, but you must leave." He shrugged then as he decided to give up on trying to understand such a creature. Women of any breed were a complicated mess and it was best to stay out of their way. "If you do not require me, I should be going back to work." Whatever work was for him at this hour.

[Rune Tyche]

The woman frowned at his comment about her name. Really, it wasn’t a fine name to her… Her father’s poor excuse of a name based on her birthmark. How ‘original’. She was even about to explain it to this random ‘Biran’ who’d come into her room, but he made a rather… Honest confession. Surprise overtook her face before she relaxed into a bit of a laugh, shaking her head up at him. ”Knock me out. Not without a few bites taken out of you yourself if you could have managed it to begin with.” She half taunted with another laugh.

But her laughter died down as he asked her what she deemed to be her ‘salvation’. It was… A very good question. One with only one answer, but an answer she didn’t want to tell this random stranger that had presented himself into her room. Her smile faded and she looked away before she turned on the ball of her foot and carefully made her way through the shards of glass until she made it to the vanity that was now missing it’s mirror.

But she was getting kicked out for the night, huh? From Willow herself… But her issues weren’t going to disappear overnight. She’d have to quit entirely and figure out a way to dispose of this… Arrangement. The dog sighed and ran her fingers over the piece of furniture, before looking over her shoulder to Biran. ”Assistance, huh? Don’t offer such a thing so lightly when you don’t even know the problem.” She gave a half smile before she stripped off her robe and grabbed a pair of pants from the floor, shaking them out before pulling them on and repeated the process with a button up shirt.

”But company would be pleasant, if you’d like an excuse to get out of work.” Her eyes looked over at him to look for any signs of a man’s ‘weakness’ that she might be able to exploit. Men were usually such easy things to manipulate.

[Biran Everard]

At least she was laughing. Biran didn't find her taunts very funny though. He even growled lowly in her direction in response to her underestimating his power. Who did this whore think she was? And if she was so capable at fighting, why was she a whore and not fighting in the underground Arena or something? It would have been a short walk from here so it wasn't like distance was an issue. He just let it pass for now. She'd find out one day for herself if she continued to make a mess.

Intense amber eyes kept on her with each movement, hardly changing even as she fully unveiled herself to him and got dressed. He wasn't interested and even scoffed as she once again managed to insult him. He was offended simply by her way of declining his assistance, throwing it back in his face and acting as if it was the worst problem the world has ever known. "I've wrestled with creatures much scarier than you. I'm pretty sure I can assist in just about any problem." Well, even if Biran didn't want to help someone, at least they could challenge him and he would become happy to oblige.

The tower of a man scoffed once more. "I suppose I can indulge you with my presence." Maybe he could get to the bottom of her problem if he hung around. Biran hardly wanted to come back to this place again over her stupid issues so the sooner he fixed everything the sooner he could go home and stay there without the annoyance of being called back. If he did though, it'd likely be the end of her and the end to everyone's issues. But that was a very harsh solution for right now. "You lead the way."

[Rune Tyche]

The growl only made her give a quiet snicker of a laugh under her breath like she was doing something she shouldn’t be, playing with fire, but not the good kind she could control. It was an addicting feeling, toying with danger, but one she would let pass for now as she got dressed, but… She was almost disappointed and a little more than surprised that he didn’t take any sort of interest in her body when she undressed and redressed. Slipping on a pair of flats, she gave him a half smile as she moved back to him.

”’Creatures’ would be easier. ‘Creatures’ I could kill just as easily as you, I’m sure. The problem… Is a bit bigger and more complicated than a simple killing mission. It’s an outmaneuvering system.” She said softly as she brushed her hand over his chest before brushing past him to unlock the door. ”And it’s my problem to figure out a solution to. I wouldn’t ask someone I don’t think can handle the task for help in such a delicate game of chess.” She smiled challengingly before giving him a playful wink and stuck her tongue out rather childishly as she opened the door and exited the room.

Rune made her way to the front door and waited for her seemingly reluctant companion, whether he needed a minute to compose himself after her challenging him once more or if he was right behind her, she paused to make sure he was close by before exiting the house with a wave to any of the woman still lingering around them. Once they were out of the brothel house and a little ways away, she sighed softly and looked up at him. ”Willow must think highly of you if she sent you to wrangle me in.” Rune looked up at him with a rather warm smile. She trusted Willow very much and her judgment was one that the dog could go with and if she thought that Biran might be able to help with whatever problem, then maybe…

But first, she had to test him herself. ”Care if I test your ability to deal with something a bit more… High class?” Rune gave yet another grin up at him, wild and totally untamed, totally different from the question she was asking of him.

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