We Could Use Each Other (K'sel)

[Ember]

Why wouldn't anyone leave her alone about him? Erilena, Charming, Mother, her own sub-conscious...all of them were trying to change her mind. She had finally decided to give up on K'sel. He wanted her to hate him so why couldn't she just...listen to him for once? Wouldn't that make everything simpler for everyone? Mother hoped onto her stomach and offered a single scolding chirp, wings flicking open anxiously. "Tch, like it makes a difference to you, silly." She reached to pet him but he hopped away and pressed a few images into her mind. Together they asked why she sent Sweetheart to spy on his weyr if she didn't care.

Hmph. "Becaaaaause, at the very least, I have to pay him back for some of the things he's gotten me. Otherwise he'll hold it over my head forever." And why did he get her that stuff? "To throw me off, obviosuly," she replied, though her tone betrayed that she didn't think that was entirely true. Maybe some odd desire to try and get closer to her? Knowing what she was she didn't know why he'd want anything to do with her at all. Oh well, not her problem if he thought he saw something else about her. She had never - liar; almost never - tried to pass herself off as anything but what she was.

Mother shook his head and hopped off her and onto the bed. He approached the sleeping form of Diva above Nephele's head and rubbed his nose on hers. She was well and truly asleep. No surprise. The green only slept after passing out from exhaustion. Paranoid greedy flit was paranoid. Charming was busy checking himself out in the mirror. He was wearing a more masculine outfit that day for once. He really did like all his outfits but the dresses were his favourite by far. The brown was rather unconcerned with His' predicament. She'd gotten herself into it and he had enough faith in her that she'd get out of it similarily.

The greenrider sighed and played with the necklace she'd made with one hand. It was a rather unique necklace, unlikely to actually be sold many places. Who would hunt down one of the highly dangerous wild felines in the jungle just for it's teeth? Evidently most of the Legatus Wing. After Erilena suggested she get K'sel a nameday present - it was just convenient, she hadn't actually meant to give him anything on his nameday - she had come up with the idea to make a feline tooth necklace. It seemed to suit him well enough. She wasn't about to go out and buy him wine (he probably had enough of the stuff anyways) so the idea ended up sticking.

Nephele had asked about it in passing to M'ta and had been told to get others to help before he'd agree to. It had been kind of unexpected - that he'd offer help, she meant - but she'd rolled with it...mostly. Problem was that the only others she actually saw often were her other wingmates and Erilena. The latter was definitely not allowed to come so she resorted to asking her weyrmates. To her surprise she managed to convince E'rro, Iskierka, and Elysia to join her and the five of them ended up going hunting. In then end she got her teeth, Iskierka got her pelt, and the others got...whatever it is they wanted in the first place.

The teeth had been turned into a necklace with four or five simple, small black beads spacing them out. The tooth in the center was one of the forward fangs of the feline and the others got smaller from there. She hadn't used too many teeth all told; three on each side of the fang. The 'string' was actually a strip a suede that had been completely covered in feline teeth and black beads, except for a small metal clasp at the back. To avoid having the beads fall off the last ones had been carefully sewn to the suede on the underside of the necklace. It was a mini masterpiece as far as she was concerned. So why was she so worried about giving it to him? Nevermind, she knew why.

Suddenly Nephele and all her mindmates (except Diva) were on alert. Well, it had been Sweetheart who had triggered Nephele and then the woman had set off all the others. "Shard it," she muttered under her breath. She wasn't even there yet! Her younger green had just warned her while doing a fly by of the weyr she had been sent to watch that the occupant was now in. She landed on a nearby glowbasket to wait for further instruction. See, see! She was very helpful! Loved Hers so much! Both her male firelizards perched on her shoulders as she sat up and she snorted at them. "Want to watch your owner make a fool of herself, huh?" Mother answered with reassuring thoughts and Charming licked her neck.

With the support of her firelizards and her dragon she left her weyr after checking her appearance. A corset was again hidden under a simple beige, loose long sleeve shirt with frills. That was further hidden by her large sweater that was too big for her but she liked anyways. She wore tight black pants that managed not to be rediculously restricting. She set out for K'sel's weyr and managed to arrive without losing all her confidence. She'd never live it down if she arrived a stuttering, shy mess, now would she? Sweetheart joined her trio of firelizards on her shoulders with a quiet chirp only for Hers. As the green half burried herself in her hair the woman knocked on the door to K'sel's weyr, necklace hidden inside the heavy sweater. When he saw her she was sorely tempted to say 'boo.'

[Lotty]

K'sel was dressed in just a towel that was slung and tied around his waist and desperately clinging to pelvic bones that were poking from under his skin. Acceptable attire considering he had just returned from the baths, and he was currently poking around at his skin in front of a vanity mirror, debating on whether or not his facial hair was beyond mere scruff point and at risk of succumbing a razor's edge or appropriate enough to pass Erilena's strict rules regarding his supposed clean cut appearance. Moments like this disgusted and reminded him that with the love of friends comes the absence of independence; a facet of life that he once cherished.

As his hands ran up and felt the lightest pricks and his eyes assessed the grayish cast of an impending date with a good shave before he was so rudely interrupted by the knocking against his door. His head was on a swivel, throwing blackish locks into untamed floofs around his head, and his eyes were narrowed on the entry way with a scowl to match. Who dared come to him now? It was suspected that it could be Erilena...perhaps to return his tear soaked handkerchief? Or perhaps a more mundane sort of visitor, like a wingmate there to deliver forgotten supplies or even a drudge to pick up some laundry from the man - bless their souls, he didn't have a shirt at the moment that wasn't covered in firestone dust and sweat stains.

So it was with a soften expression that he stepped over to the door, not at all expecting what he saw on the other side. Nephele!? Nephele... He was definitely caught surprised, and for a moment he stood, mouth slightly ajar and eyes glassy, as he stayed frozen in time and completely bewildered. What could possibly bring the woman to his weyr? Was this some kind of trick? Was she going in for the kill and doing away for him once and for all? If so, he'd welcome the death with a warm embrace, and right on his birthday too! Oh wasn't fate a cheeky fellow, picking now to finally take him, "Where is your scythe and your hood?"

He grinned noting her layered look. Cold? It was April and still only early spring yes, but even a Southerner like he had learned and adjusted to the frost. Whatever, women were weird things, and susceptible to concepts such as "fashion". Maybe this was just a new look. K'sel stepped aside to allow the woman in if she so pleased, not that his weyr was anymore homey or hospitable than the hallway. It was without a doubt a bachelor's pad and it showed in the scarce decoration and minimal possessions. What was there was obviously beaten and used by the previous occupants like the big brown couch that hung off to the side of the room. He had every intent on sitting in it as opposed to even trying to find clothes, "I warn you, legend says you have to play me in a game of my choice before you have me in your grasps and I play a wicked game of mancala....or ah no! Trivia, I am a most definitely a vessel of useless information."

[Ember]

Nephele let out a snicker at K'sel's expression. She could hardly blame him for being surprised. She'd be equally shocked if he had come to her weyr unannounced. His question had her blinking in confusion before she snorted. "Sorry, I forgot the scythe at the last guy I killed's weyr. Got a hood though." And playing along as she was she put the hood of her sweater up, Sweetheart tucked comfortably inside of it. She managed a fairly dirty grin before saying, "I'll just have to find some other way to kill you." Exhaustion, for example?

Was she flirting? Yes. She didn't care if he noticed or not either. Treating him coldly certainly didn't help her at all. She'd push herself to be a little bit nice. She stepped into his weyr curiously only for her face to fall minutely. Hah. Boring. Then again, what did she expect from a guy? Heads mounted on the walls and pelts draped all over the place? No it was just like most guys' weyrs. Somehow that was more disappointing than a tamed jungle or anything else. K'sel being just like other guys was an unusual concept for her.

"Game?" She repeated questioningly. Why...oh right. Their little game. Hn. Well she had some time to spare so why not? "Trivia sounds fine." It was also probably a game she would lose. Trivia wasn't her strong point. Since it was his nameday she'd let him have his win that day. Besides she had a rather good win that time when he was playing his silly trumpet thing. That also happened to be the last time she saw him until now....

[Lotty]

Good show. He'd be a liar if he said he was expecting Nephele to play right along. Typically it seemed she would scoff or snark back at him for making such claims and calling her a killer demon, but all in all this was a nice change of pace. She didn't lose all of her fire this way either, so the challenge of the greenrider was still there, just with a tone that didn't suggest he might have an eye, or his tongue, or any other important body part torn out in the process. A very real threat considering he was wearing very little other than a precariously fastened towel - which he should honestly do something about, but considering this was K'sel, he'd probably do nothing. Apathy was just a curse.

He caught her giving his room a look see and quirked an eyebrow, half tempted to ask if his decorating skills did not please her. Really what did she expect from a man who wasn't in his weyr half the time anyway? Being truly catty was not appropriate now though, and he let the observation slide in favor of offering the woman a seat. Arm stretched forward and hand opened he gestured towards an empty desk chair before suggesting the only other option: a spot right next to him. Pick your poison, physical discomfort or emotional....now that was a true test of champions. Only after giving her the lose/lose decision, did he open his mouth and begin the "game" so to speak.

"Ugh, does that mean I have to ask first? I've never been good at coming up with the questions..." but he smirked knowing exactly what he was going to inquire about. It wasn't exactly a trivia question either, but since it was his name day he figured that gave him carte blanche, "What ever could it be that actually brings you to my humble abode? All jokes aside I don't really think you are here to kill me, but if you are..." he almost laughed and lost his too cool demeanor, "please make it long, slow, and painful. I think that is the only suitable death for a vagabond like me."

[Ember]

The raised brow at her expense went unnoticed by the greenrider though she noticed the outstretched arm. She eyed the chair with obvious distaste before flopping rather gracelessly on the couch. She was no stranger to emotional discomfort so why make her even more miserable by sitting on a chair like that? The little green in her hood gave her cheek a little lick before settling in to watch. Nephele's little green spy, she was. The proximity to K'sel was a little...distracting but when he started speaking it didn't matter much.

Nephele smirked at his complaint. The sight of his own smirk made her a little wary but surely it couldn't be too bad...nevermind. It could have been worse but she'd been lured into a sense of security and hadn't expected that question. At least not at that point. Tch. "Just for joking about it I should kill you," she responded, though there certainly wasn't any threat in her voice. Her eyes drifted downwards and she snorted softly at her nervousness. She really was an idiot. From underneath her sweater she pulled the feline tooth necklace out and tossed it towards him.

"That," she started, gesturing towards the gift, "is why I'm here. A little bird told me it was your nameday. It seems like a good way to pay you back." Her tone was dry. Which 'little bird' did they both know? She also deliberately didn't say what she was paying him back for. He should know well enough what she referring to. If he played dumb then she'd just play dumb too. "My turn? Here's a question for you: how many people does it take to hunt a feline?" He'd be realyl lucky if he guessed right. Or knowledgeable.

[Lotty]

He was distracted immediately from trivia games. Pay him back? He growled in the back of his head. As much as he kvetched about unappreciated presents and unnoticed symbols of affinity that he put forth to the girl, he never truly wanted to be paid back in any way other than some sort of positive attention, and maybe even. No. The L word was much too strong of a concept... he didn't deserve love, and mentally stutter stepped over the thought resulting in something of a unavoidable and unintended grimace even as he tried ever so genuinely to look over the necklace and just admire the gift. Payback. What did that even really mean? Maybe he shouldn't even question it, maybe he should just be happy for a change.

But this was K'sel and misery followed him in the form of his own personal black cloud hanging over him. In a slightly disappointed tone he fiddled with the necklace for another moment before offering his own version of a thanks, "I guess we're even then..." which came with much more finality than he ever cared to acknowledge, "ummm thats very sweet of you, thanks..." and after running the tips of his fingers over the pointy ends of the teeth one more time he took the leather strap and reached behind his neck to put it all together. Now with the piece on he was at least that much closer to being dressed. Peering down at his chest he remarked, "Looks good?" A statement that was halfway affirmation and an equal part question.

At least he didn't have too much time to fall down and bask in a state of self impressed squalor. Nephele reminded him of their fake little game ad he put on the best of his fake smiles and play along, smartly retorting back with his own bit of Kasella-wisdom, "I don't know, it depends on who all was on the hunt...I take it you were, so thats one," and the rest were probably new friends, that whole gang from Ka'rys' little elitist hot shot club...yes the brownrider's inner anarchist was having a field day and so the conversation was de-railed into sunnier territories.

"Is that new?" he gestured to the green firelizard that was hiding in the hood. He would have paid no mind to it...maybe even mistaken it for her other green thing she owned had it not been the observation skills of his own brood of flitters. Eyesore at least had the sharpest of minds and quick to point something out that was not routine or ordinary, and zoomed down to perch on the back of the couch to get a better look. Regardless, he had better just answer the original question and so he replied with a shug, a guess, and an eyeroll for good measure, "Four..."

[Ember]

Sweet of her? It was entirely a selfish act on her part, but he didn't need to know that. After a life of being treated as an object to men, an existance below them, she was trying to keep things relatively even with the men she met at the weyr. Well, if they meant anything at all to her that is. Ones she didn't care for she used as she liked without caring about their opinions. In giving K'sel something in return for the things she'd received from him she felt that she was on his level again.

At his question she smirked slightly and nodded. "You look like a real wild man," she commented, "though the towel doesn't quite fit with the image." Amusement coupled with flirting. It was faint but there. If her eyes lingered a little longer on K'sel's bare skin than was prudent oh well. Actively going after him or choosing to abandon all interest meant her actions would be much the same either way. Such was the way she interacted with guys in general.

Nephele waited patiently for K'sel's answer to the trivia as he began trying to guess. She was distracted by his sudden gesture. She blinked in confusion and went to look at whatever he'd gestured at until she realized he meant her new green. "Uh, yeah. How did you...ah." Sweetheart provided an image of Eyesore who she had noticed looking at her. Noticed everything, she did. "She's from the basket fiasco." Just about everyone knew about that incident due to the rumour mill.

Sweetheart stared back at Eyesore, wondering what it was he wanted. If it was simply to look at her then he could go right ahead. Charming fluted pleasantly at his blue friend. Nephele smirked at K'sel's wrong answer. "Five, actually. We playing for points or are you ready to face your doom?" Her tone of voice was all too pleasant to be talking about anything related to doom. Dare she think she was actually having a bit of fun?

[Lotty]

"Is this a not so subtle hint that I need to put some clothes on?"

He teased back at her before glancing down at his body again. He didn't particularly have plans to get dressed, and he was more interested in how she was planning on responding. He supposed that he could get away with throwing on well...um something, it might not be cleanest and it would probably not smell nearly as nice as he did now fresh out of the bath, but.... Who was he kidding, he caught the girl looking at him and he was going to milk the attention as long as he could before it got obnoxious. If it was possible, the brownrider sank even deeper into the couch and leveled a playful glance at her, "Or if it's the au natural jungle boy look we are going for I can just take this off too."

He grabbed at the towel around his lap as if he was ready to rip it off right then and there, but could hardly maintain the charade without wanting to break down into laughter. A smile made it no secret that he was banking on the greenrider being completely disgusted by even the mere idea of him being undressed, or at least any more undressed than he already was. Finally the broad beaming gave way to the sight of his rarely seen dimples and the whole game was waved away with a subject change.

"Oh the basket fiasco? I was there, you see," he paused for effect, "after you slapped me in the face, fate thought it wasn't an appropriate enough punishment for..." guh, he didn't deserve punishment for playing his horn in his opinion, "stuff...so I woke up with a very severe sore throat. Went to the healers and that mess was there. My typical luck. The only person who wasn't peeing their pants over firelizards was this snotty brat of a healer kid....it was just," this was a bad conversation point, "your new pet is cute." Eyesore sort of agreed, but was thrown off by the greeting from Charming. Ahh, good company finally! The blue gave one of his shorter little chirps in reply.

"Well typically trivia games are played with points but...I guess I should have specified that to begin with. My mistake will just have to result in my death," he was honestly curious as to what her version of murder would be and threw his head back leaving his neck prone and vulnerable and closed his eyes for good measure, "Lay it on me."

[Ember]

The...threat...to take off the towel was met with a slight blush and a slow, creeping smirk. Perhaps for the first time since they had encountered each other, Nephele willingly offered the control to K'sel when she said, "That's for you to decide." He should know by then that she wouldn't bat an eye at seeing a guy's junk. Well, to be more precise, she shouldn't be bothered about it. if it was K'sel though...even she wasn't sure what her reaction would be.

"Oh?" she muttered during the slight pause. The mention of her slapping him was met with a slight wince and guilty eyes which she quickly averted to watch her brown firelizard for a moment. She thought back to the basket incident, trying to remember if she had seen K'sel at all. She might have. Or she might not have. Hah, bratty Healers. And...just what? Her eyes narrowed dangerously as they returned to K'sel. She was very curious about that 'just.' She decided to respond to his comment about her new green though. "She's one of that one's get, so I should hope so," she said, gesturing to Charming.

Said brown had hopped onto the couch with Eyesore and was busy mimicking a canine. His front legs were extended in front of him, his butt was up in the air, and his tail was wagging wildly. Silly, silly Charming. He was mock growling at Eyesore in an attempt to get the blue to play with him. Not that he'd ever needed the blue's cooperation in order to have fun with him. The brown understood that Eyesore liked him - if the attitude towards others was any indication - and he was okay with amusing his friend. So long as he actually was amused, that is.

Nephele laughed softly as K'sel admitted his loss and prepared himself for death. While the exposed neck could make it easier for a blade to cut, the greenrider's devious mind could think of another thing to do with it. Her plan would be way more amusing...and also fairly nostalgic. She shifted closer on the couch. Her face was already turning a bit red with what she was about to do. No matter how much she tried to deny it she did ultimately have feelings for the brownrider. Using the back of the couch to help support her, she leaned down and licked K'sel's neck slowly before drawing away.

She withdrew hastily then. She'd given her gift, she'd adminstered his punishment, so that was all, right? Charming could stay and play if he liked. He never listened too well to her anyways. Nephele was up on her feet already and headed towards the door. Thankfully her hood was doing good to hide her blush. Shards! She was supposed to be good at putting on masks. Well, as long as he didn't stop her from leaving he'd never know....