she said baby

[cawky]

WHO: Davesprite (and company) + Nill
WHERE: Outside...somewhere
WHEN: LAST MONTH because I suck
WARNINGS: This is gonna get confusing fast
SUMMARY: Davesprite is having trouble keeping his multiselves under control...still
FORMAT: Quicklog

[It had definitely been a long couple of days for Davesprite.

His aspect made him no stranger to the concept of multiple selves, though he found that the matter was entirely different when your selves...were nothing like you. Or when those same selves had an annoying habit of doing their own thing, because you mutually annoyed one another. The result is a scene that doesn't seem too out of the ordinary -- Davesprite cloud surfing in the streets to blow off some steam as night begins to fall...that is, unless someone took a moment to observe the sprite's flight pattern.

Davesprite doesn't fly straight, but almost lazily. He dips downward and then slowly angles himself back upward, making him look more serpentine than usually with how his tail follows him. He sways back and forth, far too airheaded for typical coolkid Strider. Is he sick? High?

Nill is about to find out, as it seems she's been spotted. Davesprite's glasses are purposefully slipped down his nose so he can get a better look before he proceeded to waft downwards on the nearest air current in order to land in her path smoothly.

Well, almost. It had looked to be a pretty smooth landing until it actually happened. Davesprite ends up on his stomach just a bit too far away from her, chin propped up on a clawed hand.]

How you doin'?

Comments

[culver]

[Walking home from work seems to be when Nill runs in to most of her friends and acquaintances. It seemed to be some sort of mechanism of fate recently, especially since so many of them had disappeared. She was a little reluctant to see them on her own, worrying that she would miss them even more once they left. Not if--she had come to realize that nothing in the City was permanent, not even herself. She could leave any time, and hurt people in the same way that she had. So distancing herself, even if only for a little while, seemed to be the right choice.

Unfortunately (or was it fortunately?), nothing ever went quite as planned. Her thoughts of going back to her and Kate's apartment, showering, and settling in with a book were ruined by the sound of wings that were both not her own and far too large to be a regular bird.

Nill jumps a bit and comes to a halt in the middle of the sidewalk, staring at a familiar (yet somehow... off) face. Maybe it was because she could see more of that face than she was used to, with his glasses slid down so much. Her brows raise in surprise as she shrugs and nods at the same time. That is a legitimate answer. After just a second she steps forward, wings flicking behind her, one hand outstretched to help him to his... tail.]

[cawky]

[Expectedly, he reaches up to grasp her hand, but ends up coiling on his tail without much assistance from her. His wings flap to help the process along, creating a gust of wind that's likely a bit stronger than he meant for it to be while righting his shades -- not enough to hide his red eyes, but enough to make him look just a bit less ridiculous.

He doesn't let go of her hand and, instead, flashes her a far-too-happy grin as his wings fold neatly behind him. Looks like he doesn't plan on moving soon.]

Think fast, rate the landing.

[culver]

[Nill squints a little at the unexpected wind, raising her free arm a bit to block part of her face. When she lets her arm fall, she is greeted by the sight of Davesprite... smiling. Not smirking, smiling. Strange, but not unwelcome. Nill automatically smiles in return.

The request isn't entirely weird. But he's still got a hold of one of her hands, so she uses her free one to hold up five fingers before squeezing it into a fist and then flashing four more. You get a nine and a grin.]

[cawky]

[He seems to forget they are in the middle of the sidewalk, as he insistantly begins tugging on her arm to invite her to join him. Rose had enjoyed the company of feathery cuddling earlier in the week, surely Nill wouldn't mind a dose before his ornery doppelganger decided to ruin his fun.]

What're you doing bouncin' around by yourself this late, huh?

[Dave the sun isn't even down yet. He squints suspiciously.]

You join a gang?

[culver]

[She's so surprised by the tugging that she actually steps towards him. Since when did Dave initiate physical contact out of anything but necessity? Maybe that means he's alright with her "talking" right now. This is a little more than the usual hardly-touching-hands, but Nill hasn't lately been one to complain about contact.]

I just got off work. [She smiles, laughing.] What gang would want me?

[cawky]

[Davesprite sits a little straighter on his tail so they end up being the same height, his head tilting to the side.]

Right...jobs. Still gotta get me one of those before Kanaya bites my head off again.

[He looks a little unsure about that line, like he doesn't quite remember Kanaya actually biting his head off but knowing it actually happened regardless.]

Dunno. You kick some pretty serious ass when you uh. Want to.

[culver]

[Nill has mostly forgotten that they're in the middle of the sidewalk--there aren't that many people here right now anyway. Unfortunately, the mention of Kanaya immediately puts a bitter taste in her mouth. While the corners of her lips turn down slightly, she manages to keep an otherwise straight face and not let her mood change seep into her voice. She decides not to comment, instead focusing on what else he's said.]

I don't want to often. Which I guess is good.

[cawky]

[There's a telling scoff from Davesprite and the grin turns into a small smirk as he shrugs.]

Maybe. Maybe not. Girls kicking ass is kinda hot.

[The grin flickers briefly.]

Don't hit me though. Seriously. That would suck, and would be less hot. That'd just hurt. Not cool.

[culver]

[For the first time in a long time, Nill feels her cheeks warm a little bit. Girls kicking ass is kinda hot? She doesn't want to think about that too much, so instead she gives his arm a tug and gestures forward. They should walk--or well, in his case slither? She isn't entirely sure how to describe his movement on the ground.

But at least he gets her to laugh.]

Don't worry, I promise not to. I don't hit my friends.

[cawky]

[He follows obediently into his slither, which is admittedly rather slow going due to his size, but he seems to be more focused on Nill's silent laughter anyway. Laughter is a plus, it means he's going places.

One claw pushes his shades back into place smoothly -- almost. His hand slips and his talon jabs just a little too hard into his forehead, causing him to make a small discontented noise. He'll try and play it off by covering the spot he poked.]

That'd be what we call a conflict of interest.

[culver]

[Walking with him like this is a little awkward, but she doesn't break stride. She just prays that she doesn't accidentally step on his tail. And she certainly doesn't let on that she's noticed him poking himself in the face. It's the least she can do, considering the compliment and initiation of contact. Instead, she looks away as if admiring the trees that have not yet started to turn for the coming Fall.]

Which is why I try to avoid it.

[cawky]

[With how long his tail is, one of them is bound to get tangled or trip eventually. Davesprite isn't exactly paying attention to where he's going. He's pretty focused on chatting with Nill anyway.]

Actually it kinda goes both ways. Like you don't wanna hurt a friend, but a friend digs chicks who kick ass...and also doesn't want their ass kicked.

[A few hand gestures accompany his explanation.]

Or something.

[culver]

[To be honest, she isn't entirely sure where he's going with this, but she tries to follow along anyway. She's sure there's something good in there somewhere, though she can't pick it out on the fly. Oh well. He's actually trying to make conversation, which hasn't happened in a while, as far as she knows. It's nice. Her smile doesn't leave.]

That is definitely something.

[Nailed it.]

[cawky]

[He's not entirely sure where he's going with it either. Its probably better if they never reach where he is trying to go. Davesprite's wings rustle slightly as he looks suspiciously over his shoulder. The other two would come looking for him soon. Could he steal away a little extra time?]

You know what's for squares? Walking. Walking is for squares.

[He stops slithering and tugs on her hand a little insistantly.]

I got a way better idea.

[culver]

[This is the point where she almost trips over his tail, since she's kept walking and he has clearly not. But she catches herself, partly because he still hasn't let go of her hand. And at least this time she can follow his train of thought--even if she isn't entirely sure about it at first.

But then, she does like flying and she hasn't done it since John left. Maybe it would be nice.]

I think I know what it is. And I think I don't want to be square.

[cawky]

[He feels her start to trip and instantly further entwines his tail around her to make a barrier, looking awkwardly concerned the way he straightens and fluffs up. He could chew his talons off with how embarrassed he is.

But then she agrees to flying and he seems to relax a little. He could let her ride on his back, but then she'd have to hang on. It'd be better for him to carry her, surely.

She only gets the brief warning of him leaning down to pluck her bridal style out of his tail coil.]

Uh. Yeah. My bad.

[He bounces skyward without much hesitation after that. Davesprite takes the liberty of holding her a bit closer than necessary to protect against whatever wind might be rushing past them as he gains altitude.]

[culver]

[There aren't really any words to describe how it feels to be wrapped up in a ghost-tail. Davesprite's.... sprite form has never really bothered her, but it's still unexpected. And she's definitely steady now, so that's a plus.

And then he picks her up and it's a game of Who Can Be More Embarrassed.

So far, she thinks she's winning. Or losing. Where is she supposed to put her hands? As far as she knows, the last time he'd carried her like this was when she'd been bleeding out, so obviously none of these concerns had surfaced then. But at this moment, she's incredibly aware of said concerns. So she awkwardly wraps one arm around his neck while the other rests in her lap. This is clearly the best option. She dips her head, turning her face towards his chest slightly to keep the wind out of her eyes.]

It is alright.

[cawky]

[Score one for affectionate Davesprite. He's got the girl, he's up where nobody can reach him, and she's cuddling. Even if its because she has no choice. It counts.

Davesprite continues on course, but briefly rests his head against her's as he goes. She'll never notice. Or maybe she will. He doesn't care. In fact, its almost not enough. He's gotta find a nice place to land so he can focus on cuddling instead of flying.

A voice in the back of his head is noting something about a cramped style, but he's ignoring it in favor of scaling the nearest skyscraper.]

[culver]

[Even though she doesn't really want to admit it to herself, something is definitely off about him. About all of this. She wonders if something happened to him at home, if Kanaya or Rose had said or done something to make him leave again and look for her. She really hopes not. As much as she enjoyed spending time with Davesprite, the headache (and heartache) brought on by the last time he'd run away had done a number on her. She doesn't think she's up for a round two.

She tries not to let herself enjoy it, but it's difficult. She doesn't get much physical affection these days aside from hand-holding or the occasional hug from Kate. That's by her own choice, of course--getting close hurt. Not physically, just emotionally.

Once they get close to a building she lets herself look up slightly, vision hindered by bright orange feathers in her face. She raises her free hand to press them down, trying to figure out where they're going. Definitely still up, but she isn't afraid of falling. She knows he's a fast flier. And the City looks nice from high up.]

Excited to see the view?

[cawky]

[He shrugs and looks down under his shades without moving his head.]

Are you? I practically live up here. I got real-estate on the skyline and shit.

[Davesprite goes until he hits the top of the skyscraper. At least it'd take a bit for his panicked otherselves to find him up here. He doesn't let Nill down, but instead loosely coils his tail to cushion his cargo comfortably as he settles. His wings shield them both to create a buffer against the wind and to block out the scenery.

He grins.]

So. How's the view?

[culver]

[That gets a smile out of her, even with her current doubts. This cockiness he has while in the air is one of the reasons she isn't afraid of falling. It reminds her of the way Heine was always so sure of himself when he said he'd protect her.

But she stops that thought cold before it gets too far.

Instead, she moves her arm from around his shoulder, expecting to be set on her feet, but instead finds herself still close to him and sitting on ghost-tail. This is weird. Not unwelcome, but still weird. Her wings flick, a loose feather or two falling gently to the concrete roof before they settle. She looks away from him, actually trying to see the buildings and such, but is vaguely disappointed at the sight of more orange feathers instead. Well, at least it isn't windy. She rolls her eyes a little.]

It is closer to sunset than I thought.

[cawky]

[He pouts a little, but the curtain of wings quickly disappears as his wings fold behind him. Davesprite doesn't let go of her though. He let's a whistle loose and allows his wings to droop dramatically.]

Tough crowd.

[culver]

[Wow. His taste for drama never ceases to surprise her.

The wind is an acceptable trade-off for the sight of the City laid out like building blocks below them, an almost perfect grid. It makes her smile just to see it, so organized. And in the distance she can see the bright glow that is no doubt Times Square. But she does turn that smile to him when he speaks, sitting up straighter on her tail-cushion.]

Sorry. I just like to look sometimes.

[cawky]

[He looks for a moment like he has a witty comeback, but its robbed from him once he gets a good look at how much she's enjoying the few from above. His feathers lay back down from their slightly indignant position and he offers her a tiny (and much more Davesprite-like) grin.]

I guess I can trade off the attention to the skyline just this once.

[culver]

[That worked... better than anticipated. Huh. He doesn't seem to be in a bad mood--far from it, really. That definitely rules out something bad happening at home. She settles back, wanting to think for a moment or two, but is distracted by his less sarcastic reply. Which prompts her to give him a gentle poke in his side.]

I can pay attention to both of you.