Old Acquaintances (Murdoch + Nel)

[Murdoch]

He caught her with a roll of his eyes, as if he were simply plagued by whiny teenagers all the time - but when she threw his words back in his face, he actually laughed, dark and deep.

"Anything? You want the money from my pockets, little swan? How do you know the price is too high, did you count the coin I earned? Because I seem to remember you asking how much it was," he said, one eyebrow cocking artfully.

"Fine, you want another reason?" he said, hands twisting to lightly encircle her wrists; not to hold her, but so they both knew where the other's hands were. He bent to press his lips to her ear, some spiced scent following him so close. "Because you're carrying around more gold than I've got in my stash at home, little swan, and I haven't nicked so much as a potato from your plate. Consider that my kindness," he whispered - and the word kindness twisted his voice, made it something more dangerous. Something she should be grateful for, because that truly was a gift from this man.

"You're alone in the world, little swan," he murmured, brushing a kiss to her cheek as he straightened. Had to be, the way she hesitated on her brother's name, argued over money, and more damingly - that she'd actually turned down a silver's worth of pudding. Nel had a finite amount and no way to make more, that was his guess, and that only meant one thing: poor Sy was feeding the fishes. Which wouldn't make him sad at all if it were true, but he doubted the same could be said for Nel. "Don't go ruining what little you've got with me over a bit of scratch."

Gentle fingers released her wrists, and she just shoved his hands in his trouser pockets, head ducked down and muddy eyes watching her through a fringe of dark lashes as he stood patiently in the middle of the street, waiting for her to choose money or directions.

[Nel Sayo]

She stiffened when he caught her wrists, and actually gave a jerk backwards when he leaned in, though her strength wasn't a match for his and she was too surprised to bring much weight to bear behind it, never mind that it was true -- at least if he held her, she knew where both his hands were.

When his lips brushed her ear, her eyes widened, and a blush crept into the high planes of her cheeks, betraying what it was he already knew: that she had absolutely no one, and nowhere to go. She'd pushed too hard, she knew it immediately; she'd overestimated herself, underestimated him, and it was as though she stood naked -- a willing, eager idiot. Her skin burned hot beneath his mouth when he kissed her.

The minute he released her wrist, she took a step backward. Her face was still flushed, that lily-pale countenance unable to hide the lush brightening of pink that accompanied her embarrassment, fear -- and, likewise, anger. She should not have been angry; she should have been cowed. But Nel had done with being cowed a long time ago.

"Don't you threaten me," she warned him, and the fact that there was a true, genuine threat in her voice may have been a thing on its own. "I don't have anything with you, and I may be alone but that doesn't mean I couldn't take you for a ride, Doc."

She made the nickname sound as belittling as his little swan.

[Murdoch]

Eyebrows shot up at her sudden anger, and amusement twisted his lips into a smirk - but his hands stayed where they were, no trouble to her.

"Threaten?" he laughed, shaking his head, his voice as casual as if they really were just old friends having a conversation. "When exactly did I threaten you, dearest? I simply illustrated the faults in your current series of actions. I do not so abase myself as to threaten people," he scoffed, shrugging a little.

No, he didn't bother with threats. Threats let them know you were serious, gave them time to prepare. He was the type to strike before you even knew he was angry, while a smile still sat easily on his lips.

"Now," he said, clearing his throat, "while I have absolutely no doubt that you could, as you say, give me a ride," he drawled, his smirk twisting into something more lascivious as his eyes rose to meet hers, "my plan was simply to walk you over to the inn, introduce you to Jazmin, and be on my way. You're the one who started bringing money into it, my girl. So if you're happy taking money out of the conversation between the thief and the pirate," he murmured, snorting a laugh - because that conversation between those two people almost inevitibly ended with stabbings and running from guards - "I seem to remember you wanting a good night's sleep."

[Nel Sayo]

"Fine," she said curtly, crossing her arms.

But he'd spiked her warning radar, now. The vivid blue of her eyes had shifted into something icy, and there were no more smiles forthcoming. Which was truly a shame, really, because they were the best thing she had to barter with.

"Show me where the bloody inn is."

And then go away, said the delicate flare of her nostrils. The color in her cheeks began to recede, as her pulse slowed, and though she continued to watch him suspiciously, she didn't make a move to draw the rapier at her hip either, so perhaps they'd come to some sort of accord. For the moment.

[Murdoch]

He shrugged, hands still in his pockets, and just began his lazy stroll past her and towards the inn, planning his route differently now that they'd lost so much time to pointless bickering.

"You know," he said, quietly chuckling, "I really don't know why you're so tetchy with me all of a sudden. I haven't actually done anything. In fact, I might have helped you a bit by pointing out the chinks in your armor, as it were. Do me a favor, can you explain exactly why it is you're angry with me again? Because really, thinking back, I just can't put my finger on it," he said with another lop-sided grin.

[Nel Sayo]

"You started it," she accused, shooting a glare at him along the rise of her shoulder, as she walked beside him. Didn't unfold her arms. "Giving me part of whatever you got back there is a perfectly reasonable request. You made fun of me. It made me angry. I don't see why it's so confusing. And I know the chinks in my own armor, thank you, it's my bloody armor."

And her brother was dead. And she was alone for the first time in her life. Everything made her tetchy; everything made her angry, because angry was easier than being miserable and alone.

She let out a sigh. And dropped her arms. Because Nel's moods could turn on a miva, and most often they turned towards brightening.

"I should've gotten the pudding. I love bread pudding. Especially when it's warm. Gods. Is there bread pudding at this inn?"

[Murdoch]

"A pirate telling a thief what a reasonable request for money is, yes, I don't know where I would have gotten confused," he said, laughing again - no darkness in it now, no, this was his usual charming laugh, meant to wheedle people into smiles. "Well, let's let it rest, then, and look ahead. And I'm willing to bet that they've some sort of pudding at the White Swan. And will likely feed it to you with a silver spoon if you look especially lost and lonely," he said, waggling eyebrows at her to let her know that it was run by some very nice women who cared very much for little lost girls.

[Nel Sayo]

"I'm just so tired," she sighed, exasperated. Like Nel wasn't confusing all the bloody time, and on a good day.

She pulled a partially-gloved hand down her face. No doubt every time he'd ever laid eyes on her, she was covered as she thusly was now. From her chin to her toes, a spiked collar that revealed naught past the slope of her collar bone, and fingerless gloves. Though it may have done little to obscure her race, it made it easier not to stare, perhaps.

It had been days walking, and walking, and walking, from where she'd washed up. Time spent scavenging, finding Sy's old hiding places and pulling together what little they'd ever had off the ship. Just thinking about it made her eyelashes dip a bit lower over her eyes, exhaustedly. Which, in turn, made her look lost. And lonely. And beautiful and miserable, and everything any very nice woman would want to take care of.

But she came up short, instead of continuing on, and turned to look up at him.

"Can I stay with you?" she asked, suddenly.

[Murdoch]

He blinked down at her, boots scuffing the street as he skidded to a halt.

"What?" he said, surprise clear in his voice. He couldn't even remember the last time someone had caught him so off-guard. And then... well, of course he started laughing.

And couldn't stop, until he had to stumble a few steps over and lean against a wall while he caught his breath. "Stay... stay with me?" he finally choked out, which only set him off on another fit of laughter.

One thing could be said for it - there was nothing threatening about Murdoch Kin'rath when he was doubled over with laughter.

"Ah, gods, little swan, you're killing me," he sighed, wiping at his face as he straightened up. "How is it you go from telling me we've nothing between us and practically threatening to stick a knife in me, to 'Oh, can we have sleepovers and do each other's hair?'" The thought of which made him snort another laugh into his hand.

[Nel Sayo]

"You're not allowed to touch my hair," she said, blinking roundly at him and this bizarre display of laughter. "I just--"

She crinkled her nose, trying to put to words something she'd never thought she'd have to. And he was laughing at her. It made sense, in her head, when she'd thought about it -- for that brief, brief second before she'd just come out and said it -- it had made sense that maybe she could stay with him. She knew him. He knew her.

"I just don't want to be by myself," she blurted, still watching him double over with laughter, at her expense. "Yet. Again. For a little. Ugh, forget it."

She rolled her eyes beautifully and just pivoted, walking past him with a flap of her hand.