[Kiel]

Kiel was 478. 478, man. Like, four hundred and seventy eight. Wahahahahaha!

To most 'Vari, being just one year older was nothing. Many didn't even celebrate birthdays annually, if at all, and instead only did something for the big ones - 20, 70, 120, 500, 2000 and, if they were lucky enough to live that long, 3000. His dad hadn't celebrated a birthday the whole time Kiel was alive, and even RayRay only bothered with the kids'. His mom, on the other hand, liked to have a family dinner for hers, just 'cause it was such a great excuse for having them home.

Kiel, on the other hand, insisted on celebrating every single one. Like, why not, you know? Party, party, food, food!

“Niccyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! Wahahahahaha! Where are you, man?” Hopping out of the way of some hulking guy who looked like he'd made one pub visit too many, Kiel scanned the pub for sign of his friend. Shane, in her monkey form, petted his hat absently, also looking for her pal. He'd brought her along 'cause, like, how could he not, you know? Her life was tied to his now, apparently, and in his book that meant she had to celebrate their birthday too. But, like, he figured she'd cause a stir in her normal form and at least this way she could be tucked up a corner out of everyone else's path. She hated being stomped on.

He hadn't brought Zeph, though, and for a second he pouted. The dude had just barely agreed to go home with him again, crazy nervous about their reactions after what happened the last time, but the Xanthmas rush meant he was too busy now after taking a week off. Still, probably a good thing, since, like, the dude was crazy antagonistic toward most of Kiel's friends...

“I'm so hungry, man, I'm gonna faint dead away here.”

[Nicolay]

If Kiel had not been Kiel, Nicolay would probably accuse him as a blind man.

Although he couldn't fault him at the same time as he was not easily seen for he was already on a reserved table in the middle of the busy pub, a round one fit for four plates and two mugs and he was not dressed extravagantly. He had on a plain white tee and his gray blazer with golden buttons with the sleeves folded up to his elbows. His jeans, shaded silver and blue, were straight-cut with only enough room for movement and he finished everything up by a pair of brown work boots, Thomas Windsor's present for him when he learned his first form.

He was watching the beer mugs passed around in the counter to his right, cheek on his left palm when Kiel's announcement rang loud and true and he turned to see the taller man appearing behind a huge man and he smiled and called his name, “Kiel!” and lifted his left hand up for him to see...hopefully.

The smile was still on his face by the time Kiel would have seen him -- and without further ado, he asked for him to sit down with him while he slapped the bright red box beside him lightly with his right hand then slid it towards his friend's direction. “Happy birthday! Hope you still don't have that.” Nicolay had a feeling he didn't, though, it was a very distinct hat, after all.

And it was expensive. Nicolay felt the starvation of his wallet almost immediately after he received the package from the store.

[Kiel]

Yep, Kiel had been so busy looking for Niccy, he'd totally missed seeing the dude. But, like, it was the Therian's fault for, like, totally hiding behind a bunch of other people, you know?

The second he heard his name and saw the arm go up, Kiel raced to the table and threw himself in a seat opposite the dude, a goofy grin on his face. “Hahahahaha, there you are.” They'd barely said hello before the guy was giving him his present, but the lack of manners didn't bother Kiel. He grabbed up the prize and tore the paper off like it was the end of the world and the only thing that could save the day was inside the little red box. As bits of red paper confetti fluttered around his feet and Shane dove after them, Kiel whipped up the hat triumphantly and crowed over how awesome it was. “Dude, that's so cool, man, it's a hat, it's a hat!” His voice was loud enough to disturb their neighbours, so Kiel waved the hat in the nearest woman's face and grinned. “It's a hat, it's a hat!”

Not nearly as impressed as she should be, she tutted at his behaviour and turned her back on him, but Kiel was already whipping off the hat he was already wearing to replace it with the "so cool, so cool!" hat Niccy had given him. “Dude, thanks, man, it's awesome, it's awesome! Hahahaha, they're griffin feathers, right? I'm totally gonna take off flying any second, like, right?” He waggled his eyebrows comically and flapped his arms, knowing full well they weren't but still getting a kick out of the thought.

Shane, realising the paper confetti was done for, scampered under the table to climb up Niccy's leg. As a concession to his fear of monkeys, she totally turned into, like, her normal form. She was way too big in that shape to sit on his lap like that, but unless he shoved her off or gave her something more convenient to turn into, she'd sit there forever even if it meant clawing the varnish off the table to hold herself in place.

[Nicolay]

Were they griffin's feathers? Did they have to be griffin's feathers?

There was a frozen smile on Nicolay's face when he thought of this and wondered what he could say but Shane had been a welcome distraction and he looked down to greet her with a, “Heeey,” and scratched her a little by his left fingers before he drew his hand back and returned his attention to Kiel.

“Well, I'm happy you like it,” he said as he leaned a little to a side and lifted his hand up to call on a waitress, fingers snapping a slight. “It looks very good on you!”

The buxom waitress arrived with a smile, a dip of her knee and then handed the menu to both their customers.

“You came alone?” he asked as he cracked the menu open and browsed through their offerings.

[Kiel]

“Hahahaha, that's totally 'cause everything looks good on me, hahaha.” It was totally a joke, because while Kiel liked to pretend he thought the world of himself, the truth was completely different.

His shoulders slumping when Niccy asked if he'd come alone, Kiel nevertheless shook his head emphatically and pointed at Shane. “Like, I'm not alone, man, you know? Haha, she'll bite you, she'll bite you!” She wouldn't, and Kiel suspected by now that Niccy would know that, but it was still fun to make the threat anyway. “Like, Zeph couldn't come 'cause he just took a week off to take me home, you know, and there's always, like, tons and tons and tons of crazy orders this time of year. You know, 'cause, like, people are all, like, "ooh, what to give Xanth - a weapon!" and stuff, like they think a goddess actually needs more of those lying around anyhow, but you know, it pays my wages so it's not like I'm complaining, you know? Hahahaha.”

Pausing to take a breath and grab hold of the nearest menu, his free hand fidgeting with the hat he'd taken off (as he kinda contemplated if he could wear both at the same time...), he continued. “And, like, I texted everyone -” And he really meant that. “- but, like, I dunno, Phenny's been crazy busy lately too, I guess, and my other boss was all "..." -” Which was to say, Marty'd totally ignored the text, even though Kiel had been right there when he received it. “I dunno if Lazzy can make it, either. So, like, it's just you, me and Shane, but that's okay, right, 'cause we totally don't get to spend enough time eating, man, for sers.” Even though, like, they lunched together or something at least once a week...

Pausing again to eye Niccy, wondering how he could use the guy's reaction to Lazzy not being there as a way to tease him, Kiel drummed his fingers on the table. Honestly, he was kinda disappointed that of all the friends he thought he had, only Niccy had showed up, but he was still kinda buzzing from not just being home or even having time off and Zeph to himself (kinda) for a while, but also the dragon rides there and back and the fact that his happy-happy time hadn't been disturbed by gytrash.

“Like, okay, so I'm gonna have this, that, that and this,” he told the waitress the second she showed up in his peripheral vision, jabbing at items on the menu one by one with a huge grin on his face. “Haha, we just got back, right, so I didn't stock the cupboards yet, you know, and I ate the last of the pasta for lunch. What're you having, man?” Shane would naturally pilfer from his own plate, unless Niccy let her eat off his, but since the guy had given him the hat he totally didn't think the "everything's on me" still applied so he'd brought his wallet and wouldn't worry over how much his stomach spent.

“Like, by the way, my sis says hi and send her a pic 'cause she's heard all about you and she wants to see your kitty form, okay?”

((I took liberties with how often they see each other, but I hope that's okay?))

[Nicolay]

Find a way to tease Nicolay on Lazuli's absence? Oh ho, Kiel would have a hard time -- as Nicolay preferred to have Lazuli alone and all to himself!

Achem.

“Oh it's just that I saw you and Shane as a unified body that I hardly think of her as an other anymore,” Nicolay explained with a laugh before he peeked under the table and smiled at the cat he had scratched again with a smile that said, Izn't that right, Shaneywaneywoo? or something equivalent and probably a little less immature.

He allowed for Kiel to govern the meal plan for the night and felt his heart ache a little when he fired away immediately with four orders but he was not going to have that hamper his plans! He recently just got paid, he could do this! What kind of host would he be, after all, if he didn't allow the man his joy? He did it a lot back in Earth, he an do it again just as easily!

“Mm,” Nicolay cleared his throat as he browsed through the menu before him. “Hey, let's have some fish and chips, why don't we?” he suggested to Kiel although it was clear that this time, he was going to make the decision and he was pretty sure Kiel was not very picky on his food. “Fish and chips...and an order of your onion rings,” he said as he looked up to the waitress who smiled and nodded her head, listing down the orders. “You can probably put them all in one big plate.”

“I'll definitely tell the kitchen that.”

“Cool,” Nicolay said with a laugh. “And umm...I'll have your roast chicken special, potatoes on the side with rakeri dressing...oh, a plate of your house sausages,” he turned to Kiel, “You have got to try their sausages, they're fantastic.”

“Six pieces?”

“Yes, with pickled vegetables on the side.” Nicolay's eyes returned to the menu. “And two mugs of ale,” he looked up to the waitress with a smile. “Keep 'em coming, too.”

“A'right!” she chirped, scribbling that one down. “Anything else?”

“We'll call you again for desserts,” Nicolay said to her as he handed her her menu and watched her walk away.

Now his attention was back to Kiel. “I hope you drink ale,” he said -- because strange as it was, he had never gotten a solid clue on this man's drinking habits yet! Which is an important thing to note for him, as a friend. “Now where were we...right, orders! Goddess,” Nicolay sighed with a shake of his head, stroking his bangs off his face, “Let me tell you, we weren't spared from the demand!” Although he liked to think that glasses were more popular than weapons because seriously, not everyone can be war freaks, right? “Everyone's been extending hours, I spend half my day restocking the displays and taking down orders. I haven't seen any of our products offered to Xanth yet, though.” Or maybe that was because they hadn't started on these orders yet...

“Well, anyway,” Nicolay placed his arms on the table, “So work's good for you? How's Zephyr and everyone? Oh, and I just remembered, my kitty form is as yet non-existent,” he said with a laugh and a shake of his head. “I'm still trying to shrink myself but I'll let you know when I do achieve the form of a domesticated cat. Tell her I said hi, can you?” Because in his book? Cheetahs are hardly kitties!

[Kiel]

Kiel didn't actually drink normally, because he couldn't hold his liqueur (or, like, anything even vaguely alcoholic) but, like, since it was for his birthday he was totally up for a change of pace, man.

He was just about to regale Niccy with the tale of how his last drinking session with Lazzy had been so fun 'cause she'd fed him beer bubbles, but listened instead with a giggle as the guy made his complaints about being overworked. “Hahahaha, I love it, I love it.” He did love being busy, since he was so easily bored, but what he didn't love about this time of year was never seeing his boyfriend.

He was totally confused when Niccy said he didn't have his kitty form yet, though, since, like, he'd talked about transforming quite a bit lately. But then Kiel was all, “Like, oh!” when he realised Nic thought he meant a domestic cat. “Hahahahahaha, she wants to see your kitty form, man, your kitty form!”

As if to showcase what he meant, Shane finally managed to hop up into the Therian's lap and nuzzled under the dude's chin with a purr, paws kneading his thighs. He was totally lucky she didn't unsheathe her claws, man - she wasn't always that considerate of her Chosen, for sers!

“Hahahaha, you should totally get, like, a spiny-tail form or something, man, they're crazy fierce, you know? Or, like, blue panther, blue panther! ChloChlo'd be soooooo jealous if I saw you like that, hahaha.” And he and Shane could totally have a contest over who was awesomer, hahaha.

“So, like, about you and Lazzy...” Waggling his eyebrows suggestively, Kiel planted his chin in a palm, his elbow resting on the table for barely a second before his hands were moving again. “When're you gonna ask her out, man, for sers?” Kiel wanted some payback for all the times Nic teased him about Zeph.

[Nicolay]

“Uncle Toto thought I might want to try them, too,” Nicolay said to him with a light note of agreement as his left hand wandered to Shane again and scratched her behind her ear before it abandoned her in favor of the golden goodness collected in a sizable plate that was placed in the middle of the table. The fish, chips and onion rings were separated by an imaginary line and two dips followed after -- sour cream and chili sauce. Nicolay was quick to take a piece of fish to dip in the chili sauce bite into half. A breath later, their mugs of ale finally appeared although he didn't bother with it for now. “He did think I was a combination of them when I first shifted, anyway. Have you seen me in my form of a “cheetah”? I forget.” He allowed Shane to finish the rest of his fish.

And just then, his phone rang a chipper tune and with the skills of a busy man, eyes still on his friend, he slipped out his COM by the sheer strength of his middle and ring fingers and brought it to the table before him. The screen -- a pictured screen, one of him and Lazuli (and Chiko, goodness) in their first picnic out in the Quadrangle during the last Spring -- glowed a pale white and the picture disappeared as a message appeared on the display and he read this. He listened to Kiel ask him about Lazuli and he laughed, smiling as he made a response to the text message by his third and fourth fingers, the tapping a march of sounds before he set his phone aside and took an onion ring for himself. “Why're you so excited of the prospect of me asking her out? Do you want to do it? Ask her out, I mean?” It was clear that he knew what Kiel was getting at, of course, but Nicolay had one too many similar questions in his life as a growing man that he'd already known various ways to respond to it. Some he was being a chicken, others he was being honest.

Now, he was just plain...plain. No blush, no frown on his face, just a look that was open to various opinions as he faced Kiel and chewed his snack.

[Kiel]

Shaking his head rapidly and talking around a mouthful of onion ring, Kiel mumbled something like “No way, man, you're selfish!”, although it kinda came out more like “Mumble mumble shellfish”. He didn't mean it, of course. As long as he'd known him, Niccy hadn't done anything selfish. Well, like, except that whole hibernation thing, but Kiel totally understood that so it didn't count, you know?

Still, not letting Kiel be the first to see his first transformation? Yeah, like, totally uncool, man, hahahaha.

“Do you want to do it? Ask her out, I mean?”

“Wahahahaha, totally, man! Like, gimme your COM, okay, I'll do it right now!” He was joking again, but reached for Niccy's COM with greasy fingers while the other hand shoved a bunch of chips in his piehole. “Hahahahaha, Zeph'd kill her, he'd kill her! And then, like, totally turn me into, like, kelpie food, man, for sers.” He didn't even dare put into words what the giant hairball would do to Lazzy, since she was one of those "Nymph kelpies" he got so mad about.

Back to being serious, and seriously eating, Kiel cocked his head at the dude so far his awesome new hat almost tumbled off. “But, like, for sers, man, why aren't you, you know? You like her, right? Like, like her, like her?” As someone who hit on pretty much any chick he met first thing, even after he started dating Zeph (although the afterwards part was entirely unconscious 'cause no way he had a death wish, man), Kiel couldn't understand why Niccy would hold back. Even if he got shot down - and, dude, Kiel got shot down sooooooooooooo many times! - he'd rather get it out there than try to keep it bottled up.

He didn't wanna explode, you know?

[Nicolay]

Nicolay made to protest when he saw Kiel's oiled fingers touch his COM, something he had made efforts not to do but he just pressed his lips together and forced his snarl within the confines of his mouth. Well, he might as well just...clean it! What else could he do? So instead, he just smiled, and said, although he hoped later it didn't come out as an attack, “Well before that happens, I'll bite him hard. I'm a pretty fast runner, after all.” Which is, of course, in relations to his form.

“But, like, for sers, man, why aren't you, you know? You like her, right? Like, like her, like her?”

The COM glowed another shy light and the screen read:

1 message received
Azul the Nereid

Nicolay didn't bother, though. The response could wait. Instead, he simply waved his hand to a passing waitress and asked for some napkins with which to dab his fingers on. Then facing Kiel although his eyes were on the food, he said, “Kiel, you talk like you don't even known Lazuli. Lazuli is...” he looked up, “Well, Lazuli is different. She's...there's this certain kind of lightness to her that's...as yet untouchable.” He looked at the 'varian by his eyes. “Did you get that? I'm not really sure that's the best way to put it but...I do like her. I like her a lot, I really do. But we're comfortable this way...for now. We're not ready to be broken yet...if you get what I mean.” His face remained straight.

And then two more plates arrived -- the sausages and one of Kiel's orders. “Well, more food! We'd probably choke up at this rate, though, so before that happens,” he took his mug from the side and lifted it up, “We need to cheer. For you! I drink for more years, more food, more love for you, Kiel.” He smiled. “How about you?”

[Kiel]

“Hahahahaha, I bite him all the time, man, but he still gets me!” That was probably way more information than Niccy really wanted about his, er, private relationship, but it wasn't like Kiel had ever been shy.

He was a little disappointed with the Therian's answer but, like, he totally understood it, too. Like, kinda. Like, he'd been terrified of approaching Zeph for kinda the same reason, but unlike Nic - who had, like, wayyyyy more discipline! - Kiel hadn't been able to contain himself. He was crazy lucky the hairball hadn't flattened him, fired him and refused to have anything more to do with him.

Like, but not necessarily in that order, you know?

“Nyahhh, I get it, I get it.” He didn't like it, 'cause he totally thought him and Lazzy belonged together - the lifemating romantic in him, you know? - but it was Nic's life and, like, “I totally got your back, man, no matter what. Except for if, like, we're attacked from the front, hahaha.”

Totally a good thing Niccy got them out of that crazy awkward moment, though, man. “Here here!” The overenthusiastic clash of his mug against Nic's spilled beer up his arm, and Kiel giggled as he tried to lick his elbow in vain. “Food! Yeah, man, I'll drink to that! Hahahaha. And, like, that other stuff too, and ummmmmm.” His face scrunching up as he thought probably harder than he did on anything else, Kiel slammed his fist on the table with a "Eureka!" look. “I totally drink to getting my dragon and your, like, crazy cool awesome form, okay?” 'Cause, like, as cool as Nic's form had to be right now, Kiel so couldn't wait to find out what he picked for his master form.

[Nicolay]

Yes. There was too much information right there.

Nicolay was looking pleasantly happy as Kiel narrated his cheers and he lifted his mug to that before he downed it all in a big gulp. There was a satisfied gasp that followed his drink and a good smile that marked his face as he placed his mug back down the table and made a spinning movement with his finger to the passing waitress before he indicated his empty glass.

With the fork that was provided, he took a stab on a sausage and bit into it, then scraped some pickled vegetable onto it with which to eat.

He placed his food on a personal plate that was soon provided as his mug was refilled and he sipped some of the ale to wash down the flavor. “So, how was your birthday?”

[Kiel]

Shane was getting bored because Nic had stopped petting her, so she nudged at his hands with her nose and licked at his fingers in an attempt to swipe his food. Meanwhile, Kiel's hands were keeping busy waiting for his mouth to chew and swallow by drumming the table to various tunes.

“Man, it was awesome, hahaha. Like, Slythe totally pulled this, like, loop-the-loop, right, and it was awesome. Except, like, I don't think Zeph liked it. I totally thought he was gonna puke in my hat or something, man, hahahahaha! But, like, I think that's why Slythe did it, you know? He's mean, he's mean.” They were mean to each other, actually, so he didn't really stop to sympathise with either party.

“Mom totally baked, like, dozens of cookies, haha. And cake! And, like, these weird potato things that smelled like they'd been there since my 477th but tasted sooooooooooooooo good.” To prove his point, he shoved a chip in his mouth and “Mmmmm'd” at it.

“Get up to anything awesome while I was away?”

[Nicolay]

The incident in the shop with the burglar flashed in his mind.

Nicolay smiled and shook his head. “No, nothing as interesting as your birthday bash but it sounded really awesome!” He looked genuinely happy. “I wish you'd brought pictures. I'm not really sure I've seen Slythe just yet.” Or maybe he has, he just wasn't sure if the Slythe he remembered was really the real Slythe.

He drew his hand away from Shane at first instinct, though. He was eating, after all, his hand could not be dirty! To appease her, he just placed his left hand on her back and made it a point to finish his meal solely with his right. He'd done it a lot of times, he should be able to do it again.

The roast chicken finally came and he smiled appreciatively at his food as he took up his fork and began to scratch a little at the meat. It was a little late when he looked up to ask Kiel, “Did you invite anyone else?”

[Kiel]

Noticing that Shane was making a pest of herself, Kiel totally saved the day by shoving a chunk of meat at her. She wolfed it down, her tongue swiping his hand. He was so used to sharing with her that he didn't even blink at the germs she'd passed on. Like, he had a cast iron stomach anyway, you know?

“Hahahaha, I tried to take pics of Slythe once, man, he totally tried to eat my COM!” He didn't know if Slythe was just camera-shy, which was odd since he seemed to like when Kiel told him how awesome he looked, or if Kiel had just annoyed him. Taking pictures of dragons was probably, like, a huge favour they granted, you know? Either way, he hadn't tried it again any time since. Maybe since Niccy asked, he would, though. Hahaha, and bribe the puke-coloured beast with a cow or something.

Shoving another piece of meat at Shane, where she lapped up the food and the attention while still hogging Niccy's lap, Kiel tilted his head again. The other way this time. “Like, I tried inviting Phenny, you know, 'cause, like, she showed me hers, you know? Home, I mean. When I found Shane, you know? But, like, she's been crazy busy or something lately.” He'd already said that, but shrugged anyway. “I don't think Zeph woulda gone with me though if I asked Phenny, you know? He has it in for Nymphs, for sers!”

Kiel felt kinda bad, actually. He totally would have dragged Niccy and, like, all his friends south for the week but he'd kinda wanted Zeph all to himself 'cause he'd kinda figured things would repeat themselves with that whole not seeing him during the Xanthmas rush again. He was right, you know, but he still wished he'd invited Niccy at least.

“Haha, at least this time I didn't run into any gytrash, you know? I hate 'em, I hate 'em! You ever seen 'em, man, they're, like, crazy ugly dogs or something, you know? They're mean, they're mean!”

[Nicolay]

With all due respect to Kiel, Nicolay never really understood what a gytrash was. He knew it was a bad thing -- but how bad it was, he couldn't really comprehend.

“What does that guy have against nymphs?” Nicolay asked with a laugh as he shook his head and chewed his chicken. “Nymphs are nice, I think. And it's not even that I've only seen a few of them but the things Adie tell me about them seem pretty nice.” He looked up to Kiel from his food, setting his fork aside to pick up his mug and sip from it. “Do 'varians have a historical war against nymphs?”

[Kiel]

“Nah, man, Zeph's just got, like, something in for pretty much everyone, you know? Even me! Hahahahaha.” Waving a hand lazily so that the chip he was holding flopped around and splashed salsa everywhere, just to show he was joking (although, like, he wasn't completely 'cause Zeph had tried to kill him that one time), Kiel shook his head. “Like, 'Vari never really do that whole war thing, you know? Except for, like, humans. They hate humans. Like, I kinda don't see the big deal, you know, but there's tons of bad blood between 'Vari and humans. And dragons. They'd eat you if they thought you were human, just 'cause they're all, like, "RAWR" at them and stuff, you know?”

The chip was long gone by now, accompanied by a few of its brothers, and Kiel started in on the chicken again. “Like, do humans do that? War, I mean? 'cause, like, my gramps said they're all, like, self-destructive and stuff but the humans I've met haven't been so bad.” And he figured Nic would know, 'cause hadn't he lived with them all his life?

Or maybe, “That's bad, that's bad!” He hadn't meant to dredge up something that might hurt the guy, so he flapped both hands to wave away the bad thoughts and focused on something else. Like “What's your next form gonna be? Hahaha, you should totally do a nagrim, man, for sers! They're supposed to be way cool but nobody ever sees 'em down here. It sucks, it sucks. You wanna go look for one?”

[Nicolay]

Nicolay liked to think that Kiel did a good job asking him about humans, though. He smiled a little at this, remembering his old life as one, albeit a fake one, and he put aside his mug as he gave his inquiry some thought.

“I think,” he began, “I think it's not only humans who are self-destructive. It's true that there's...so many wars going on back home...I mean on Earth. People are fighting each other for a piece of land or freedom -- but I think it's not because they're humans.” Looking up to Kiel, he shrugged, “I think it's because...people are people. You don't have to be human to be self-destructive, I think. People in general are just self-destructive -- that's what I think.”

For a while there, Nicolay worried that this jubilant, late celebration was about to take a turn to the thoughtful and the serious so he was happy that Kiel changed the topic. His smile said it all -- a flat one that encouraged Kiel's curiosity until he mentioned this...foreign word of sorts to him and his brows arched and he fought to keep his cheer on his face as he asked, “W, w...what's a nagrim?” Was it a good animal?
"

[Kiel]

Kiel would have gotten bored with the conversation before it turned too serious, but he was glad Nic let him change the subject.

“Hahahaha, a nagrim's, like, awesome, man, for sers! Poor man's dragon, you know? Like, they're called the Sage Ones, right, 'cause they're meant to be all patient and Nymphy, you know, but they're basically just giant lions, hahahaha. I never saw one.” He pouted, but then, totally randomly, grabbed up his beer and clinked their glasses together so hard beer sloshed over his hand.

“Dude. Like, no offence 'cause you're awesome and all, but I wish Lazzy were here. She could totally feed me beer globs, hahaha.” He kinda figured Niccy wished she were here too, but like, Kiel figured he hadn't given her enough time between inviting her and, like, showing up, you know? “But, like - hey, hey, don't lick that, don't lick it!” Shoving a fistful of food at Shane so she wouldn't swipe Nic's chicken, Kiel totally forgot what he'd been about to say and giggled at Nic instead. “We should totally go by the smithy later, okay, and, like, take the hairball a doggy bag, okay?”

[Nicolay]

“Well, if you've never seen one, then that doesn't say much about my luck,” Nicolay said with a chuckle as he slid his phone towards him, wiped it clean, then began to compose a response for his friend. He took up his fork after and began to scratch at his chicken to eat again. “I guess it would be good for me to see one, but I think I'd like to focus on a smaller form, first. I'm thinking a cat,” he smiled at Shane. “You know, like Shane.” Except probably not like Shane per se.

He laughed a little when Kiel mentioned Zephyr and he shook his head as he took the last chip on the plate and consumed it in a single bite, highly satisfied. “I find it funny that you really call that guy names like...hairball and you'd take a doggy bag to him -- not a takeaway. Is that the way you call each other? Hairball and goofball?” It was clear who the goofball was but Nicolay hoped he didn't take it too harshly.