Living the Lush Life (K'sel)

[Ember]

She'd snuck out. How could she not, with the rediculously oppresive secrecy at Burimyu? It had become even more unbearable since Meira's death. She'd left Riaren asleep in her weyr with Sweetheart to watch him. How the boy had fallen to her care, she wasn't entirely sure. Something to do with the fact that she'd watched over the boy for Meira during Jingth's flight and E'rro was too busy to properly look after a child, maybe. He should rightfully be with M'ta, in her opinion...but she didn't mind the boy's company.

With no gold she no longer had a reason to Search so she had nothing to occupy her time with besides her shifts in the infirmary. Nephele sighed quietly as she watched the moon-brushed waves roll in. The coast was so open and the sea seemed endless - the perfect place for someone too cooped up to go and relax. She was smart enough not to go too close to Selenitas areas. She'd never heard of anyone coming out this far from the weyr just to swim or stare at the water. Knowing her luck, though, some freak would pass her by and try and make conversation.

Southerners were weird like that. Mother rubbed up against her cheek and she smiled. "You'll always stick with me, huh? Charming got so weird on me when we went to Buri. I can swear he could tell...tell that Ellie was gone before I even knew." Not that Charming had ever stuck close to her when there were far more interesting things elsewhere. She knew he much preferred getting attention than watching her learn in the infirmary. Mother and Sweetheart always stuck by her though. Well, when she wasn't having them do other things anyways.

"Nuoth?' She called into the darkness of the trees just behind her as she rummaged in the little sack she'd brought with her. Yes, NepheleMine? "Remind me not to drink too much...and to repay Sel'n somehow." Of course, the green responded, a hint of amusement in her tone along with a healthy mix of dragon disapproval. She didn't mind her rider drinking...but 'borrowing' from Sel'n's stash? Bit of a different story there.

By the time she heard a rustling among the trees she was already a fair bit into the bottle. She felt Nuoth tense and then all of a sudden relax. Apparently a non-threat then. Her light buzz wouldn't be a hindrance in sending some night jungle wandering fool on his way. Well, if they even bothered to bother her...heh, amusing. Twirling part of a pearl necklace between her fingers idly she turned her gaze towards the noisy intruder only for her fingers to freeze as they were. "...Kasella?"

[Lotty]

Kasella. Ah that name. He hadn't heard it spoken in such a long time that for a heartbeat it seemed foreign and intangible as if the moniker had never once even belonged to him. The nagging feeling of vague missed familiarity did not last long however, and the exotic syllables ignited some kind of warmth within the intruder. It was with a smile then - a glint of his teeth peeking out in the moonlight - that he replied, "In the flesh..." Reassuring her and himself in kind, that no, he was no sort of ghost or apparition here to haunt her, nor was he mere hallucination, or a shadow formed of light's play on the trees. He was every bit the living, breathing, man she knew despite his uncanny arrival here and in the midst of indulging in the late night libations. Yes, among other things he noticed the bottle in hand, and waggled a finger at it, "It's never a problem until you do it alone... guess I should ask you how you're doing. If you are feeling okay... I prefer to always start with hello though," the growing grin was hidden by a glance shot out to the ocean.

Who are you speaking to? The pale brown dragon had his guesses, guesses that inspired him to take the cautious steps out of his wallow and stalk his way along those lines where sea and forest met. Erring to the safety of the trees, he pinned his wings against him like a protective cloak, borrowing mental cues from K'sel to step closer until from a healthy distance he saw the humans as insignificant dots on the beach and sensed with that great draconic notion of oneness, the presence of an old acquaintance. K'sel need not fill him in or answer the still hanging question. He knew, Nuoth...

It had really been too long since their last meeting, but then, he hadn't a clue as to a real number to assign the distance between them. Months he had figured... maybe near a turn has passed since their run in at the Hyphen Gather, as a mere nip of the cold on the sea breeze spoke of winter again, but even the change of seasons was a poor scale by which the follow. His so called pack and himself had been far too migratory, following the weather to whatever land proved most abundant, and all the while keeping an eye out for their missing exiled fellows. He couldn't be lying then, no matter how uncharacteristically sentimental it seemed, when he said the words, "I've been looking for you... for some time," he had agreed to search for Burimyu with the others, but it was not a place or destination that he had been scouting for all these days. It was for people. It was always about certain people, though he knew not how to express the notion. He didn't really know how to tell her anything, and to regain his report with her fell back onto small talk.

He turned his head back at her with the statement, having casually hung his hands on spots around his dwindling waist. Having already picked out the necklace that was still twirled around rigid, shocked fingers, he finally chose to comment on them, "Nice pearls, don't have too many places to wear them around your place do you?" It was a pity too, though he supposed that he should be happy enough that the thing survived the big escape from Selenitas and that she wore them at all. He couldn't say the same for most of his belongings. The hat he made off with was already given back to Erilena - whether she knew it or not - for safe keeping in the meantime, and really all he held onto still was his knife. That would just have to be pried out of his dead hands.

[Ember]

It was just a moment. Funny thing about moments, though, was that they could seemingly stretch on forever or be gone in the blink of an eye. The moment - the heartbeat - that K'sel took before responding to her made Nephele wonder if somehow she had managed to drink too much. Spirit spirits? Hah! But no, he assured her that he really was there. Just how weird was that? Mother placed a gentle paw against her cheek encouragingly, wings briefly flaring open. The mental urging to speak, to do something other than stare at him grew until she finally gave in and smiled faintly.

"I suppose it would be polite to say hello back to my favourite hobo but I'll settle for offering him a drink," she responded wryly, that faint hint of a bantering spirit worming its way into her voice as she offered him the bottle. She pointedly did not answer his questions, though hopefully her mischievious grin his way revealed that her intention were not to avoid answering but to corner him into asking if he truly wanted to. She wouldn't beat herself up if he didn't get the message though. She had all night assuming neither of them chose to walk away early.

Nephele blinked in alarmed surprise when K'sel mentioned that he'd been searching for her. It was almsot instinctive to be wary at that point, what with Burimyu the way it was. She scrunched her brows together in almost-frustration before merely sighing. "Is that so? Fortunately or unfortunately, I seem to have been difficult to find...until now." And then the other meaning of his words set in, her reactions skewed and slowed mildly by the drink. "For me?" she added in a surprised murmur.

She twirled the pearls for a moment as they were brought up, glancing down at them before letting the necklace fall flat around her neck. "Indeed. Not a terribly large number of people worth dressing up for at my place." Nephele didn't mention that she hadn't quite escaped with them either. Late, late at night a couple days after her escape from Selenitas she'd sent one of her firelizards back to search for important objects to her. Not that she had much that a firelizard could carry, but she'd been hopeful. A tiny piece of her old life was all she'd really wanted. That it had been K'sel's gift was...not unwelcome but certainly a little ironic. Couldn't have him. Could never have him...but she could have something of him, apparently.

In a bout of honesty, Nephele started speaking, "Once upon a Gather, an annoying brat told me girls like me don't have actual relationships." She glanced at K'sel with a rueful half-smile then. "Sometimes I wish he wasn't right." Sometimes she wondered if her own unwillingness to simply accept her feelings for K'sel (and people in general) had hampered her dragon's relationship with her brown friend. Pettahth... Nuoth all but mentally sighed his name. I have missed your company, dear friend. It was a shame that Pettahth was both too distant to see and that even if he was close she still wouldn't be able to see him properly with only the moon and stars to shed light.

[Lotty]

An offered drink. How could he resist? It wasn't like he ran into the stuff all that often on his travels, and personal stashes were always too little in the long run. Those uncorked bottles of his only held water anymore, and so he reached out to take the vessel and indulge in a long swig, before gratefully handing it back to her, "Favorite hobo huh? A strange thing to say but," considering the kinds of things they usually throw at each other, he really shouldn't be looking a gift horse in the mouth, so he took it gratefully, "but I'm taking it as a compliment. Despite the fact that the word sort of suggests that I am smelly, toothless, and have fashioned myself a shank out of a corn cob, I'm sure you meant it as a term of endearment," he winked at her. He called himself a hobo more than enough anyway, hell, he went as far as crowning himself the "king of the hobos", so he had not a thing to complain about really. Sometimes faux griping was just relieving.

In the meantime though, he figured since she wasn't running away, and he wasn't exactly in a rush to go anywhere - he'd catch up with F'ur and F'lix quickly enough should they leave camp again before morning - that he could plant himself right there in the sand. With a tiny little groan, he eased himself down onto his behind and looked up at the woman, trying to read her face in the dark and pick out some reassuring trademarks that he knew amongst all the changes that touched all the aspects of both of their lives. So it was, that when she gasped an astonished sort of, "For me?" he couldn't help but immediately quirk an eyebrow. Surprise to match her surprise for sure, "Yes, for you. I don't know anybody else at your place that I particularly want to see," in fact the only other he could think of was Elysia. Mr. Popularity didn't have a whole lot of friends either way, but he was willing to bet more of them were back at Selenitas than were amongst the exiles.

He patted the sand next to himself in the hope that she would join him in sitting, but didn't waste any time with anymore pleas or requests... his interests were clearly piqued by the tale of the annoying 'brat at the gather. His immediate reply was a gentle hum, and a hand reached up to thoughtfully rub at the stubble of his chin before he so intelligently gave his retort of, "You don't say? Hmmm correct me if I am wrong, but in the version of the story I heard, you got that annoying brat back didn't you?" With a slurping sound he stuck out his tongue for a moment before adding, "Licked him right?" Of course she did. K'sel would never forget the first time someone very literally gave him a good tongue lashing in retaliation for his own smart mouth, "But I wonder if the annoying brat is only right because you are playing into a self-fulfilling prophecy? Maybe you should prove him wrong, and wipe the smug look off of his face."

And he shrugged in a loose goofy manner, his eyes dancing with good humor.

I have missed yours too... he nearly crooned out the words, as he determined then that he simply must see the green, however shrouded in darkness she would be. Furthermore he resolved, he needed to touch Nuoth, if only for a moment, for nuzzles were not something that were offered by his current draconic company now that Kyrahth had left their posse. Worming his way through the gaps and paths of the unruly forest, he called out to her for clues, Do I sound close? He very purposely let a fern crunch under his weight and then allowed a branch to snap after that, I long to see you. There are few dragons to speak to where I am at. Prickly blues make for poor playmates.

[Ember]

The corner's of Nephele's mouth curved upwards in surprisingly open amusement when K'sel took the offered bottle. At least that was always a constant, him and his alcohol. As long as he still liked the damn stuff (she still didn't much care for the taste, but the happy buzz? Totally worth it) then she knew it was good old Kasella. His complaints earned a small titter from her and she stifled with a small swig. "What makes you so certain it was an endearment?" She asked in a teasing voice.

The greenrider idly watched the man sit but before she could decide whether or not she wanted to join him on the sand he was answering her question. Her reaction was a non-comittal hum before she sat where he indicated, almost but not quite close enough to touch without conscious effort on one of their parts. "What did you have in mind for when you did find me?" Not satisfying her curiosity was far too difficult a task in normal situations. When it burned at her like it did at that moment she gave up on the hope that she could restrain it at all.

Nephele grinned dangerously when he reminded her that she had indeed licked him. It threatened to fall off her face the next moment when she remembered, vaguely, the events after that. She shook her head to scatter those thoughts. "Maybe so. You, Sir Hobo, give mighty good advice. Ever consider charging for it? Although...I do wonder how many guys of the type I like could handle a girl like me." She wasn't entirely sure how she smoothly transitioned from playful to almost challenging but she smiled at him all the same.

Nuoth was quite...ecstatic to hear that Pettahth had missed her as well. She held onto memories of him more through her rider than by her own power, but such was the memory of a green. She remembered he was kind and one of the first few outside her clutch that she'd become friendly with and that was the most important thing. In a decidedly playful tone, the green commented, You are a little chilly still. Perhaps if you move a bit to your left and forward you might begin to get warm.

[Lotty]

He pondered on the answer. He wasn't totally sure why he thought it an endearment, but it was definitely something encoded deep in the meta-language. Still he had to play off some sort of self-confidence, and so the replied by saying, "Oh well you see... you called me your favorite, and despite being just a phrase, you can't truly dislike anything that is your favorite and you can't really favor anything that sucks. How often have your heard someone say, 'this was my favorite headache' or 'that was my favorite kick to the groin'. It just wouldn't make any sense," he paused then with his mouth still slightly agape before canting his head with the weight of a new thought in his head. It was then that he added, "I doubt that I am making any sense actually and I haven't had all that much to drink..." he reached out to borrow the bottle for another gulp, an easier task thanks to the woman taking a seat next to him.

"You're asking the eternal cynic what his plans were when he succeeded at something? Oh Nephele," a tisking sound was what she was rewarded with as the vessel was brought up to his lips. A slight tilt of the hand and it was bottoms up, though he was kind enough to leave plenty for the greenrider when he handed the booze right back, "To be honest I didn't think all too far beyond just finding you, I guess I thought that I trusted the rest would just," he opened his hands the to illustrate the point, "present itself." Sure, before the idea was that he would just somehow convince Nephele to show him the rest of the way to their top secret mountain hide out, but now that he was in the situation it seemed... oddly presumptuous? At very least he couldn't expect any such requests to materialize over night. Besides, at very least, he had a few articles of hobo-dom to attend to before returning to a more institutionalized life.

"Charge for my advice? I would never do such a thing! How morally corrupt would it be to deny the emotional and psychological needs of a fellow human being for their lack of monetary compensation?" Taking a moment to chuckle at the thought he added, "But if I did I would charge more than the 1/32nd mark that I - er that I have seen charged in the past," not to be one to miss a challenge though, his silty eyes slid over to meet Nephele's for a moment, his lips screwing themselves into a false frustration that spoke more of his delight than of annoyance, "I do believe that is a rare type of guy. Most likely it would have to be someone with quite the history with you, since you are...such a complex woman. Not the type to understand overnight you know... but this is all just conjecture."

Chilly? I suppose I am a little, it was much warmer where I was up the...oh Pettahth had quite the habit of taking things in quite a clinical and straight way. He had learned to adjust for K'sel's peculiar witticisms, as his bonded very rarely said anything in the most forward of manners, but not expecting it from a fellow dragon rather caught him off guard. Nonetheless when he deciphered that they were in fact playing a hot/cold game, he wagged his tail favorably and followed the directions towards his friend. A bit to the left and forward... ah I feel so close! He said this as he ducked his head down and crawled out from under a low lying branch and saw what he thought may have been the outline of a dragon, I spy, with my eye, a dragon I believe is Nuoth...

[Ember]

Nephele grinned and shook her head. "You were making sense, for the most part. But if I say...you're my favourite pain in the ass, doesn't that ruin all your little theories? Or maybe not, since 'favourite' is still there," she trailed off thoughtfully. After a clear moment of trying to think it through she shrugged (her shoulder ever so lightly brushing K'sel's). She gestured to the bottle in his hand. "Perhaps you ought to hold onto that for a bit." Cue and amused little titter at K'sel's comment.

The greenrider frowned, then, fainly. It was unspoken but she could sense the request. Take him back, show him Burimyu. She could hardly offer that without permission first. She didn't want to get his hopes up but..."I do wonder what would be said if I asked to take a hobo home with me. And his giant mother-hen. And perhaps other pets?" Nephele asked lightly. Just him, or were there others tagging along too? K'sel...was safe, as far as Nephele was concerned. He'd been a Selenitas weyrborn, for crying out loud. And if they needed someone to watch him she had three firelizards plus herself. Others were not so safe to risk. Then again, maybe she was overthinking or underthinking things because of the wine.

She tried to hide a true grin with a tilt of her head though she didn't really care whether he saw or not. Force of habit, more than anything else. "Morally corrupt," she parrot-muttered in amusement. His almost slip up went ignored and she pretended to listen intently to his words of wisdom. "Is that so? It seems tonight is my lucky night then, since there is indeed quite a rare type of guy present who has, as you say, history with me." Her lips twitched then into an ironic smile and she threw caution to the wind as she leaned up against her favourite hobo.

Nuoth kept her amusement at Pettahth's expense strictly bewteen her and Hers, but it was there all the same. She lamented the fact that such small mannerisms of her good friend were beginning to become lost, though. As she sensed him getting closer she quietly broadcast, warmer, warmer, until he 'spied' her and she finally let a tendril of her amusement slip his way. So you have, dear friend. At that point Nuoth began wiggling her way through trees towards him. He was small for a brown but she was smaller still and she knew he probably couldn't get in to where she was as easily as she had.

[Lotty]

"Oh well..." if he was making sense then maybe he should drink some more and solve that problem, and so he kept a hold of the bottle as Nephele suggested, though sure to take another lengthy drink before shifting it to the other hand, as the brush of the greenrider's arm against his own reminded him of the threat of spillage. It would do no good to have the smell and stain of wine all over the both of them, "in that case I guess I shall. No promises there will be any left thoughhhh..." He gave the vessel an extra shake so that he could hear the rankle of the liquid against the glass sides. At the sound, a blue head managed to pop out from the collar of K'sel's shirt and twitch visibly. A drink for Slainte too? The firelizard scrambled out to latch himself to the arm closest to the alcohol. Between the two of them he had his doubts as to how much longer the wine could hold out...

He ignored the slight downturn of the lips in favor of the woman's words, snorting at the way she oh so artfully coded her speech. It was a distraction at least, from the haunting concept that she may deny him, thereby sealing the fate for him and his comrades. He couldn't jump to that hasty conclusion though, and left his worries unspoken even to Pettahth who would take the blow much harder than himself. "Giant mother-hen?" He was quite humored by the assessment, but continued to keep the bubbling bits of glee inside, it was after all at the expense of his poor bonded, "Ahaha, don't tell Pettahth you said that, he'll get all of his feathers in a bunch, but...." he looked down for a moment and swirled a finger in the sand, "anyway, I suppose you'll never know until you ask. I'm sure that we... would be able to uh give a show of good faith if it was required."

So maybe he couldn't totally speak for the other two he was running with, but then, this was just a conversation filled with hypothetical statements. Nothing was or could really be put in stone, and in that way the beach seemed all too appropriate of a venue for the discussion. Even the little spirals K'sel had dug into the ground had seemed to collapse upon itself with the shifting sand. This was not to say he couldn't bask in the moment, and he didn't fight the warmth of Nephele's body as she settled in next to him. In fact, he draped an arm around her shoulders loosely, "Lucky I am indeed, though this means that you have to break your promise to hate me forever....." which was followed by odd non-sequitur, "the stars are pretty tonight." He couldn't explain it, but it just felt like something he was supposed to say at a moment like this.

Thank Faranth for the small favors, he finally found his Nuoth, and he couldn't be anymore excited about the fact that she had deigned to come out and see him. How awkward and unwieldy it would have been to attempt to navigate his way through the underbrush to try and get to her, and as soon as she was within a dragon's breath away he showed his appreciation with a meeting of noses; nuzzling his own freckled snout against her own. Pettahth hadn't even stopped to think of how she would take to such affection, but the dragon was so starved for the contact of kin that normal hesitation was lost to him. I have missed my Nuothfriend... he said as he pulled his head back, Sorry if I am in your space... I am just so excited.. As evidenced by the way he nearly trilled, but he held the sound low in his throat more akin to a purr. He'd rather be mistaken for a feline, then be caught by spies in the jungle.

[Ember]

Nephele laughed as he sloshed the liquid in the bottle. "That's fine...though Sel'n might kill me for finishing a whole bottle from his stash," she commented, almost giddy about that prospect. She wondered about the look on his face when he found out. If he found out. No, wait...he would find out. Of course he would. The greenrider brushed the thought of another guy from her mind though. Especially anyone from Burimyu. She'd gone to the beach to forget about the caged feeling she got at the weyr, including the other people she felt trapped with.

At K'sel's snort she rolled her eyes slightly and nudged him with an elbow lightly. Hush. Coded conversation was fun...and mildly difficult given the presence of wine. Speaking of code and double meanings, the woman giggled quietly at the ruffled feathers comment, muttering a quick "Feathers indeed!" while K'sel kept talking. Nephele's amusement stopped short when it came back around to the what ifs. "Well then, I suppose I'll ask when I get back if anyone's up to a good show from some hobos. Or, y'know, you could just show up when most needed and wow them. That always seemed to work for you."

Nephele had never been much of one for cuddling. Upon reflection she figured that was because she didn't care to cuddle with any of the company she used to have. K'sel was rather comfortable to do so with. She opened her mouth to say that she didn't even remember saying she'd hate him forever when suddenly he was talking about the stars. She closed her mouth and turned her gaze to them before smiling. "Yes, they are. It's been a long time since I stopped to look at them. Should do it more often."

Nuoth wiggled out from her position and crooned quietly but pleasantly at Pettahth. The affectionate contact drew a giant draconic blink from the green in surprise before she nuzzled right back gently. She was disappointed when he drew back but she made no move to secure the contact again. I do not mind it, Pettahth, especially not from you. How have you been?

[Lotty]

"Ah... stolen loot then? I can't compliment you on your good taste then if what you got was all there was to be had," he grinned at Nephele as he caught the glimmer of delight in her eye. Naughty girl... she liked knowing that she filched the wine off of the man didn't she? Or at least that was what he assumed since a stash suggested it was a secret and one didn't usually ask to share in secrets. Much like she brushed the subject off however, he did the same, mentioning only in passing, "Sel'n will survive..." after all K'sel had made it this long despite all of those (not so) wild accusations about his trysts with alcohol.

Then there it was. It may not have been the words he had wanted to hear, but it was a step in the right direction. While it left him at the mercy of either her memory or his own impeccable timing, he was appreciative at least that the woman did not return the request with a flat out no, and he soothed himself with the reassurance that all would go smoothly, because really he didn't know much about their little outfit, but he doubted that they would turn down an extra set of hands much less an extra set that could secure its own food and had been scouting just about every inch of land between there and Selenitas for what seemed like a century now. He wasn't going to mention this or anything however, he was much too stubborn and it sounded way too desperate to be the kind of words to come out of his mouth. Instead he opted to reply much more suavely, "Yeah, I do have a manner of just showing up at the right place at the right time. Who knows, maybe I'll put those skills to the test here soon..."

Or have one of his firelizards stalk Nephele like nobody's business. Eyesore seemed the perfect candidate for the task, and with him on the job the girl's Charming probably wouldn't even mind. Why yes... it was all copacetic.

Just like this very moment right now. Enormously pleased, and growing confident with every breath - though confidence did not mean he wasn't going to take another swig of the wine - he so wisely responded, "Well there is no better time than now and with your favorite hobo at that. Besides its not like I'm going anywhere," he leaned back then, fully intending to lay on his back. Of course, with his arm hung around her as it was, she was subject to going along for the ride. Not that he intended to give her any time to protest or even notice, he was busy babbling again, pointing up at some constellation he had just then pulled out of his ass, "You see that star there... and that one to the side of it, and that other one on the complete other side of the sky?" His hand was shooting from one end of the big black canvas to the other, connecting completely unrelated specks of white, "If you tilt your head just so I believe it is a constellation they call The Blabbering Moron..."

In the process of course he only managed to catch the greenrider's eyes for a long extended moment...

How has Pettahth been? Well as good as any dragon could be. He had by now mostly forgotten about Nuoth's last flight, and how horribly hurt he had been by the loss... the nagging feeling was still there but from where it originated he didn't know, and K'sel didn't seem to willing to impart. So it was with some honesty that the brown could admit that he had been fine. Nothing to worry about from his end, Good mostly. Hungry sometimes, though Mine and Myself always seem to find food. Kyrahth left us though, and Inocenth and Saboth are well enough but hardly make for conversation as you... Because Pettahth was a picky dragon and demanded discourse that covered the finer things. Inocenth in particular sometimes seemed more intent on rabble rousing, which he supposed has its own time and place. But that is enough about me, how are you? He took that moment - since she said herself she didn't mind him in her space - to swing his tail around and lay it as well as he could over her own.

[Ember]

Nephele winked at K'sel's correct guess. How he could've gotten it wrong she had no idea, not with the obvious clue she'd given. She realized with amusement that she really was drunk or something when she was pondering such trivial things. "Hmm, there was probably better stuff he had but I was stealing as it was. Besides, I didn't really care how it tasted." She waved a hand dismissively. She still didn't really want to talk about why she'd stolen it in the first place. She focused her attention on the flowing conversation instead.

The greenrider smiled at her companion at his smooth response. She would have liked to mention they were planning a tithe theft again and warn him to keep his eyes out for it but...she couldn't. It was not information she figured she could share. Besides, they weren't even sure who they'd acquire their supplies from this time anyways. Or if they did know the information hadn't passed its way down from the Council yet. "We can only hope it'll be soon," was all she said, though her tone was light.

Oh, he was sly. Make her lie down and then not even giving her a moment to complain about it. Not like she was going to anyways. Her only acknowledgement of the change of position was a muffled hum of surprise. She reveled in essentially being snuggled up against his side, eyes darting from one star to the next in confusion even as she slipped a hand to rest against his chest tentatively. When K'sel finished explaining his made up constellation she snickered at him. "Oh really? How fitting."

But then their eyes were meeting and she wanted to look away. If she could just look away she could keep on laughing and ignore that one little moment. As it was, her eyes were fixed to his and she even clenched the fabric of his shirt in her hand. "Kasella..."

Nuoth, ever the good listener, listened intently to her green friend. She offered a couple brushes of sympathy as well as a spike of appreciation for rhe compliment but let the brown talk without interrupting. When he indicated she ought to talk she said, I am well. I was occupied Searching for candidates for a while but...well. Now I help Mine look after a hatchling that has lost its parents. There are few dragons where I am that I talk with, though most of them are pleasant. She felt a tinge of guilt admitting that not all of the dragons were nice to talk with but...if anyone would understand it would be Pettahth.

[Lotty]

He only knew that his little bit about the stars was working thanks to the hand that found it's way to his chest. In fact, he almost paused in surprise... a little trip that the woman surely noticed if not the sudden skipping of his heart. For his part he tried to ignore the thump, thump, thump, against his ribs, and finish his mindless spiel with a smile, pulling his finger back from where it was pointing, and letting it fall to a hover over her body where it stayed for a breath before it settled for a spot right below the shoulder. He had effectively found himself in an embrace with a woman who so many turns before he considered an enemy, though he didn't allow himself to think of this fact; the only way for him to progress and be a better man was to just let his ego go and submit to the feeling that lingered within him this whole time.

Catching her eyes and seeing right past her carefully constructed masks did little to extinguish any amorous flames that were alight and already consuming his every organ. There was a bite of his own lip as he felt himself fight for the possession of his body. It was a futile attempt ultimately, and as he felt his clothing suddenly cling to his skin and wrench into Nephele's hand he couldn't help but react to the sensation of being wanted. A wholly unusual and almost macabre tingling it was, but nonetheless deserving of his attention, and so when beckoned by the sound of his name he leaned into her yearning for every square inch of himself to be in contact with her warmth. Drawing his lips together he attempted in sincerity what he only ever tried halfheartedly before and kissed those very lips that uttered Kasella.

Pettahth pondered Nuoth's words for a moment, distracted only by the rebel thoughts that crossed the bond between human and dragon. Emotion usually came in such erratic spikes to the brown from his rider, but instead of the irritating Pettahth in the manner of buzzing bugs in his sleep, they were sweetly lulling him into a state of ease. It was more obvious than ever how good it was that they had all met here, Well a few good dragons to speak too is better than nothing. I suppose we should be both be thankful we have anyone at all... then after a moment, A hatchling you say? Like a little cousin hatchling? Mine has found one of them.. Almost as if beckoned Slainte flashed between to land on Pettaht's head. The blue firelizard apparently needed some kind of comfort from another thing attached to His' head... because he couldn't very well stay latched onto K'sel when he was doing whatever it was he was doing with that girl.