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[Stupid fat fingers working at the stupid tiny knot, Nikos snorts. The raven ruffles his feathers.]

You'll have to be more specific.

[ Eyeroll. ]

Forget it.

[Also with an eyeroll--]

Come on. I liked you better when you were being bitchy.

[At last, he succeeds in untying the knot--somewhat clumsily, jarring the raven's leg and earning an indignant squark for the effort. Scowling, Nikos pops open the tube and shakes the scroll into his hand. The wax seal is heavy enough to influence its fall.]

In case you haven't noticed, the Averesches don't do apologies.

Yeah well, in case you haven't noticed, the Averesches are none of my business.

[ Her Kostos impression is...actually pretty damn good. ]

I'd rather be bitchy at you for better reasons than that stupid party.

He's such a cunt.

[Kos. He got that impression of hers--cracked a smile at it, even, as he shoves the letter into his pocket and seals the tube back up again.]

You have my permission to be bitchy at me for better reasons. We do not have to talk about it.

[ Athessa snorts. Yeah. He is a cunt. ]

Dunno why I even like him.

[ More fruit fed to Batty, more leaning away from his mouth and even some affectionate shoving of that snoot to point somewhere else, beyond her arm. ]

Well I gotta find out some better reasons, then. Unless you'd like to supply a few.

Sleeps around. Maybe that's it?

[Is this why she likes Kostos or is this a better reason to dislike Nikos? Why not both.]

Sleeping around isn't a reason for or against anyone.

[ It's something they all have in common. ]

[Speak for YOURSELF, thanks.]

Then you'd like him just the same if he were under a strict vow of chastity? [In a snotty tone--] You're different.

[ She shrugs. So what? ]

I should make fun of you for taking this long to notice that. But yeah, I would, 'cos he's one of the few fuckers around here who isn't too chicken-shit to spar with me.

[Oh, come on. And it's not even the fun way Marisol would refuse to engage with him. And then Nikos hates himself for thinking of Marisol, and he scowls.]

That's nice. [His tone suggests anything but.] Next time, shove a pine needle under one of his fingernails. For me.

Do it yourself, he's your brother.

Yes, but we don't spar, and we aren't friends, so how do I get the opportunity.

Maybe you can take the glass out of a mirror and pretend to be his reflection.

[ Apparently approaching sated, Batty stops snuffling for the fruit and turns his attention towards Nikos. He tries to climb more onto Athessa's side to stretch closer, but alas. He's not a stretchy bat, he's round and snub-nosed and can't come close to reaching. The most he's managing is making Athessa take stumbling steps to keep from falling with the shift in weight. ]

Batty. Batty? Batty, no.

[He would have offered her the very constructive critique of what a stupid suggestion, except then there is a gigantic bat looking at him. Nikos' eyes narrow suspiciously.]

Why don't you sit down.

He'll stop when he realizes you're not Kostos. Probably.

[ Her expression is long-suffering as the bat manages to change his hold on her enough to reach one leathery wing in Nikos' direction, wanting to climb on him. Athessa sighs and gently pulls that wing back in check, moving close enough for Batty to sniff at Nikos without climbing on him. ]

Either that or he can already smell that and thinks you're better than he is.

I don't need a fucking bat to tell me that.

[Nikos leans away instinctively from the questing snout of the bat, but doesn't actually move. Uncomfortable, on him, looks like disgust. Probably there is a little genuine disgust in there too.]

You can't tell me he submits to this.

Of course he does. I might even go so far as to say he likes Batty Batkins.

[ Batty doesn't seem satisfied with just snuffling, continuing to try and wriggle his way into changing steeds. ]

Which I guess can't be said of you. Not an animal person?

Good for him. While my brother was practicing kissing on pigs and getting all friendly with animals, I was living a different life. We are actually different.

Keep it to yourself.

[Batty. Honestly.]

No, really?

[ Well there's some bitchiness back, anyway. ]

And here I thought the only distinction was the taste.

[ Take that as you will, Nikos, but since Batty is still being a pill, Athessa is inclined to just let him accost another Averesch at will. ]

[If only he could appreciate the bitchiness but there's a fucking bat in his face. Nikos holds his ground while trying to curve himself away from his tormentors. His scowl darkens.]

Please don't tell me about my brother's taste. Is this supposed to change my mind about this creature?

[Is he above slapping a bat in the face?]

I might've been referring to his taste in fashion, but no. If you'll stop being a baby about it, maybe holding him would change your mind.

[ She can't really shrug per se, with all the bat-wrangling she's doing, but she raises her eyebrows at him. ]

If not, your loss.

[A baby? He snorts.]

I doubt it. And I will drop it if you try to force this on me.

Good thing he hangs on tight, then.

[ And then she really does just let Batty do what Batty wants, which is to grab onto one of Nikos' shoulders and monkey-bar his way from elf to Averesch. Without any assistance from Nikos (because really, would Nikos even), Batty ends up hanging on him like a babybjorn. Chittering and snuffling and making a soft little rumble that's almost like purring. ]

One thing, if you will: feel how soft his fur is. Then I'll take him back.

[Oh, for fuck's sake--

Nikos--usually slumped in the shoulders and habitually found leaning against something--straightens. Better posture makes him look even more like Kostos, but he wears it more stiffly, like a frame from which you might hang the wash. The giant bat hangs off of his shoulders.

He does not look down at it. He stays perfectly still. He looks pissed.

Flatly:]

I'm not going to feel how soft his fur is.

[The bat rubs its weird nose against him. For fuck's sake.]

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