07.28.3013: About The Man-Slut
Summary: Kassandra and Nikomachos discuss recent events.
Date: 28 July, 2013
Related: Immediately follows Early Discharge, references Nobles Gone Wild Part Two and Social Indigestion.
Nikomachos Kassandra 


The Cindravale Embassy, Embassy Tower, Landing
Stepping off the elevator into the Cindravale Embassy, one experiences a definite shift of decor compared to the other regions of Landing. The walls are fashioned with a stone facade accented with dark stained wood. The floors are smooth granite inlaid with a series of flame-like whorls with a large spiral circling out from the center of the sitting room. The windows are large, bringing in plenty of natural light, and there is an east-facing terrace that overlooks the Tournament grounds. Seating in both the sitting room and out on the terrace are predominantly winged back chairs and chaise lounges, upholstered in dark blue velvet. There is a large hearth on the northern wall that provides a crackling fire during the night hours. A large tapestry of the House Cindravale's heraldry is hung above the hearth with smaller representations for their vassal Houses surrounding it.

The sitting room itself dominates about a third of the embassy's floor with a corridor branching off on the south side of the main room to the sleeping wing. The bedchambers are fairly standard with the expected comforts of a noble house.

28 July, 3013

Nikomachos leads the way through town, or is led, considering that he moves a bit more slowly than is his usual wont. He heads up to the Embassy Towers, making light small-talk along the way. When he lowers himself carefully into one of the wing-backed chairs on the terrace, he looks over at his sister, and those stormclouds roll back in over his gaze, "So. What happened with the Khourni man-slut? I only heard about the damages from the club owner, not what caused them."

The sense of doom weighs heavily on Kassandra's shoulders with every step they take closer to the embassy. So once the small-talk is waived and the topic rises, it's almost a relief to have it out in the open. Kassandra flops onto her chair in what could be considered a mini-tantrum, slouching down in a posture that would give her mother a conniption. She takes a deep breath and attempts to sum up the story as quickly as possible.

"What happened is that we were messing around, throwing balloons, and someone pointed to the mans—to Lord Nitrim, and I doused him as was appropriate. He attempted to touch my backside, but I caught him before he could and told him no but it was a nice try. Later, when I was already getting tired of the party and I just wanted more of a shirt on - I was not NAKED no matter how many times that tarty bitch of sister of his said - and I was trying to get a shirt, when I feel something slap my butt. I knew it was him, and it pissed me off because I already told him not to. I stormed over and pushed him, which was probably mistake number one, and demanded an apology."

Kassie pauses, glancing up to gauge Nikomachos' reaction thus far. "Instead of apologizing, he started being an asshole about it. It pissed me off, so I took a swing, and it went downhill from there. A lot of swearing and name-calling, insults back and forth, and I think we broke a table. I had my hands on his throat and was going to pull him over to punch him, but then his sister butted in and tried to man-handle me. Then it descended into her and several others basically attempting to slut-shame me, which was laughable considering the purpose of the gathering. Who willingly shakes their ass at that guy, anyway? I know I sure as hell didn't. Then Soleil threw her weight around a little bit, but I ignored her. The end."

Kassandra is finished until she recalls a minor detail: "Oh, he sent an apology. I decided not to reply."

Nikomachos shifts his swordbelt up to hang on one of the wings of the chair, then settles back into his chair to listen. He is, however, both a Valen knight and a big brother, and so his sympathies are all on the side of the woman involved, in case his descriptor for Nitrim didn't show that. In fact, his eyes darken even further, and he sits up in his chair slowly as the story progresses, his fingers tightening on the leather-sheathed arms. "Fuck them and fuck his apology." However many 'damns' Niko might throw around, he isn't the type to drop F-bombs willy-nilly. "The Khourni had Father removed from his post for doing what everyone could see needed doing, and now they're trying to throw their weight around. If they keep trying it, they'll see just how little weight they have. "If the man-slut is too much of a boor to recognize refusal, or too used to women throwing themselves at him because of his chin-pubes, then I'm glad that you taught him a lesson."

Kassie's relief is practically palpable. She is not entirely blameless in the scuffle. Still, she does shift in her chair until her legs dangle over one arm and she is looking more directly at her brother. His vehemence catches her off-guard and causes her to laugh loudly. "Heel, big brother, heel. I already beat up the bad man enough. But on a more serious note - I cannot say as he learned much of anything at all. He was rescued by his sister who I'm guessing did so more out of duty and anger, but I was still even more pissed at her than I was at him. I mean, a guy touches my butt and I can break a finger to teach him a lesson. A guy touches my butt and gets rescued from his punishment by his big, mean sister who then turns around and tries to heap all the blame on the woman - what does he really learn? I think the apology was a forced one, and I doubt he has a sincere bone in his body."

Kassandra's grin disappears for a moment and then returns. "So you're right, fuck them and fuck his apology. I think the Khourni are buying their way up the ranks, and they're not being very graceful about it. I don't know why the Valens are still even listening to the Crown Council at this rate. All I know is I think Erik marrying into their vassal is a bad move, and I will slit my own throat before I ever consent to marrying a Khourni. Not that I think Father would ever be so cruel."

Nikomachos shakes his head, "I think we learn that the Khourni are a pit of muscle-brained idiots who fancy themselves clever, but who will defend their family no matter how right or wrong they are." Pot, kettle, black. He nods as she shifts into discussion of the greater situation at hand, "Which means there's no point in us going to the Hand of the King for anything about the Khourni. I'm tempted to try to knock some sense into Sir Anabethe, she seems less… meat-brained… than the rest of them." One eyebrow lifts, "Unless you would rather just leave the whole situation to wither and die on the vine." The mention of marriage causes a tiny smile to touch one corner of his lips, "Well, marrying a half-Khourni hasn't turned out bad. Outside blood must reintroduce the gene for intelligence and reason. Perhaps we can hope the same is true for Sir Johana."

"No, just leave it to die," Kassie mutters to Nikomachos, flicking her fingers as if tossing away the subject in dismissal. "She may be less meat-brained, but she made her opinion of me very clear. I think she thought I was going to kill him or something. They have no sense of honor if they really believe I'm going to murder someone in a brothel brawl. For fuck's sake, I was in a corset. It was a miracle I gained any ground at all. He is very wiry, and his bones were digging into me."

Moving on to the bigger subject, Kassandra considers the implications of marriage. "I believe the same must be true of Sir Johana, if Erik's attitude is any indication. I think he stayed behind out of some sense of familial guilt, but even in the midst of a fight I could tell all he wanted to do was go hang with his li'l woman." No, no bitterness in her tone at all. "Ah, well, fuck if I know what to do about all of this. It's way bigger than me, Niky, and the main reason why I try not to have any free time these days. I'd rather be on duty when I'm not sleeping. Less drama."

Nikomachos nods an acceptance of the decision to leave the matter be, although he leans forward when Kassandra grouses about Erik, reaching out to touch her forearm again, "I'm sorry I wasn't there, Kassie. If I knew anything like this would happen, I would have stayed and kept Sir Anabethe the hell out of it. I should have been there." He sighs a bit, even as the expansion of his rib-cage causes him to wince a little, and he sits back in his chosen chair, "It is so much the easier to just worry about the Hostiles around you, isn't it? But if the Khourni really are making a move to… some end… then we are going to have to be wary. As Father's dismissal shows, we're going to be their natural targets, although the Devil take them if they continue to strike out against other Havenites in the face of the Hostiles."

"Thank you, Niky, and I know, but I would not have asked you to leave Ellie that night or any other night to save me from myself," Kassie answers her brother, reaching out to touch his hand for a moment before he leans away. "And it is easier to worry about the present moment and not the entire future, but you are right. We are going to have to be wary. In the face of this, in the face of father's dimissal, in the face of this Khourni who is magically betrothed to Princess Janelle - it all adds up to something fishy. No, no, calling it 'fishy' would be alluding to some kind of mystery, and this is not mysterious. It's serious and disturbing, and it needs to be squelched. You are right that now is not the time to be making such a brazen and stupid move. I have no idea what to do, though."

Nikomachos shrugs a little helplessly, "Make friends with Arborenin, Orelles, and Khourni vassals? Point out what the Khourni are doing?" He laughs a little, even if it has him pressing a hand to his ribs, "How should I know? I'm just supposed to sit on my pretty horse with my pretty lance, and look pretty while I try to knock other pretty knights off their pretty horses." A faint smile tugs at one corner of his lips, "I figure I'll be knocking down any Khourni I can along the way though. If they want to make a push for power now, they can see what it's like to get in a Valen's way."

Kassandra laughs quietly. "Well then I already took out one along the way, or I tried to. He's marrying into the Sauveur, though, so I can't really say what I did made much of a difference…or any at all." She presses her lips together and shakes her head at Niko. "I will keep my distance from them, and I will not hesitate to defend myself should they seek to make some kind of point with me. Although — if we're in a fight against Hostiles, I don't think I could make a distinction between them and the rest of my brothers-at-arms. See, where in the fuck do you find that stupid balance? Fuck, I hate politics."

Throwing herself back in her seat, Kassandra exhales a sound of utter frustration. But her thoughts take her elsewhere almost immediately, and she relaxes again with a smile. "Hey, I met someone today who seems like a fairly good egg. A Larent, no less, which surprised me. I thought all of them had their heads in the clouds literally and figuratively."

Nikomachos shakes his head, "They're all Khourni. Whether they marry the Crown Princess or her lady-in-waiting, they're all Khourni." He leaves it at that, however, following her on the divergent path, "Of course he's a good egg, Aunt 'Lina's provided a good example." Granted, she's not actually an aunt, but second-cousin-once-removed 'Lina just doesn't have the same ring to it. "So are you going to stop smiling and hit me if I ask if he's pretty?" There's a teasing lilt to his voice, and his grin spreads wider, "Just remember, I'm still injured."

"I won't hit you," Kassie replies, her smile disappearing for a moment. She does have the gift of mastery over her facial expressions, so in one moment she can look quite happy and in another quite menacing. It lasts for about three seconds before she flashes a toothy grin at Nikomachos. "He's okay, I guess. I hadn't really considered it. It was just nice to talk to someone who isn't so marriage- and baby-crazy right now. With this recent wave of betrothals, the rest of us who are desperate to stay single are starting to feel that noose slooooowly tightening about our necks. He gets that, and I appreciate someone else who feels the same way. That is the extent of our acquaintance, although he did invite me out to have a drink with him and a friend later."

Nikomachos shakes his head, "Of course, you'd find one of the few noblemen out there who is fighting his parents as hard as you are in order to stay single." He laughs lightly, then admits, "Okay, maybe not. Sage knows I counted myself in that number until recently." Still, he nods, "Sounds like fun. I would tell you to make sure that the friend does show up, but I don't want to take the only string from his bow." Waving off his teasing, he leans back in the cushions of the chair, "Don't worry, I won't be a pest. Good to see you taking some time out from patrols to relax a little, anyhow. It wouldn't do to run yourself ragged."

Laughing quietly, Kassandra uncurls from her seat and rises up to stretch. "As if a break from patrol is truly relaxing when I have to come back to squabbling, eh? Still, you're right. It was nice to just sit and talk to someone, and to you too, Niky. I'm off until tomorrow morning, so I might go find something to eat other than field rations and maybe take in a 'vid. Or maybe I'll just get some really good sleep. I don't want to keep you away from Ellie for long, and I'm sure she's concerned about you. I will forward on your med list to, well, you. I was really only teasing, but I think Lady Elodie sent it to me anyway."

Nikomachos nods, gesturing in the vague direction of the Grand Esplanade, "There's a great little noodle cart down there, about six blocks south of the Towers on the right." He pushes himself up out of his chair with only a little grimace, reaching back to collect his sword again and slip it around his waist, "You should come have dinner with us one of these times. Tonight if you're interested, but I think you two would get along like a house on fire." His grin turns a little rueful then, "I don't know, are you sure you don't want to skip me entirely and send the med list on to Ellie?" Shaking his head, he quickly adds, "Sending it to me will be just fine. I'm not twelve anymore, I take my medicine when I'm told to." He just doesn't stay in hospital beds.

"Oh, you are too much," Kassie mutters to Niky, rising up on her tiptoes to peck him on the cheek in a sisterly fashion. "I'm going to visit that noodle cart and spend some time by myself. Because, you know, patrols are so chatty, ahaha. I will have dinner with you and Ellie another night, and I think we will get along rather well. I can behave when it counts, and your wife counts more than most people." She nudges Niky playfully before running her fingers through her hair. "Be a good boy and take your medicine, and tell Ellie I said hello and I will see her around soon. It's a promise. G'night, Niky."

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