Girl Talk (Chelsea/Selibas)

[Chelsea Dagger]

Chelsea had finally stepped away from catching up with her clan. It had been years since she had seen most of them, so it was nice to catch up. But, there was only so much she could take before she needed a break. Besides that, there had been something that she had been meaning to do since she had arrived to this crazy meeting that had been going on. Making her way through the crowds of various clans, some keeping to themselves and some intermingling, Chelsea made her way towards Selibas' tent. The two hadn't known each other very long, but it was good to see a friendly face. Plus, the last time she had seen him, he was with Kelvin.

When she found herself outside the tent, she paused for a minute. She wanted to make sure that the Little Wolf wasn't busy. As the only sounds she heard coming from inside were clearly from one person, she felt confident about making her way inside. Pushing her way inside, she spotted Selibas. As she had only seen him at a distance during the great meeting, she now saw just how much older he looked. Last time she had seen him, he almost seemed like a small child. Now, he looked like a warrior. He'd clearly been through a lot in that time. A smile grew over her face. "Nice to see you again, Selibas. First the Rebellion, now trying to unite Sacae. You do like to dream big, don't you?"

[Selibas]

It was a long day, as a commander. Selibas was weary, and he would still have to be present later in the evening. He wanted to curl up against the post in the center of his ger and cascade into the dream world. His short legs had gone miles that day, he'd spoken nonestop, and he'd have to do more of both. Still, he couldn't. The wolf had never been good at cat naps, he'd sleep until midnight if he dozed off now. So,instead of resting, Selibas poured himself some black aragh in a small clay cup, and drank it in one pull. Then Selibas took Curtana from his sword belt, and unsheathed Caladbolg his iron sword. He began to work through some of his steps with the sword. He did the earliest three techniques he'd ever learned. A downward slash followed by swinging the sowrd back up only to bring it back in a diagonal downward strike towards the dominant hand, in his case his right.

It was like walking at this point, he didn't have to think about it anymore. With his mind free, his thoughts turned to the friend he'd lost, the soldiers and allies he'd left behind in Bern, the responsibility on his shoulders and the battles ahead. So lost he was, that he didn't notice when someone entered his tent. He heard a familiar voice speak on his large dreams, and he spun around his sword aiming at her, just above her chest. Quickly realizing what he was doing, he lowered his sword, and said, "How the hell did you get past Dale?" Then he recognized her, and his eyes widened, "Oh, sky father, I'm sorry. You're Chelsea. I met you with Kelvin, and with Valcrist I think."

He hurried over to his cot and sheathed his sword, then set his bags and weapon to the floor, providing her room to sit if she wished. Then he quickly poured another cup of airag and extended it to her, "Would you like a drink?" After that, he sat on his small chest, and for the first time in a long time, felt a slight bit of pain across his back. When he moved too much without rest, his back began to feel his scars in more than memory. He considered using that, green thing, that he could do sometimes that healed his wounds but decided against it. He laughed, finally considering her statement. "Yeah, well, something about me has to be big right?" he extended his arms to show his short for a Sacaen wing span and gave the orange haired woman a wide grin.

[Chelsea Dagger]

Chelsea's eyes widened as Selibas responded by point a sword at her. She could honestly say that was not the reaction that she expected. He quickly realized his mistake and put the sword down, but she was still slightly in shock. She calmed down when he recognized her and apologized. "That's me. And I'm sorry for just walking in, but there was no Dale standing guard outside." She watched as Selibas hurried around the tent, seemingly cleaning thing up before offering her a drink. She didn't want to be rude, so she accepted the cup with a small nod. "Thank you very much." Taking his actions as an invitation, she sat lightly on the cot that she assumed was his bed and took a small sip of the drink.

The redhead laughed at Selibas' joke. At least he could make light of what some would see as only a negative. She had noticed a flash of pain flash across his face just after he had sat down. Setting her cup down lightly, Chelsea address him again. "Are you ok? You looked like you were in pain for a second there." She felt kinda awkward side tracking the conversation before it even began, but she couldn't ignore that. She might not be a healer, but she didn't like the idea of someone being in pain. There were other questions that Chelsea wanted to ask, mostly about Kelvin, but she also didn't want to be rude. Besides, she had gotten to know Selibas a little bit when she had spent her limited time with the Rebellion and she wanted to know how he was doing.

[Selibas]

"No Dale? Huh." Selibas had noticed that Dale had been unable to keep from staring at one of the Lorca Khan's guards each time he passed her by, and perhaps, perhaps, Dale had gone to speak with her. Just yesterday Selibas would have mocked him. Now however, he believed he understood. He adjusted the way he was sitting just as Chelsea asked him about the flicker that had crossed his face to show his pain. He'd need to do a better job of either ignoring his pain, or hiding it.

He closed his eyes for a moment, then said, "Just an old wound, gets irritated if I sleep on my back. Or if I just don't sleep enough. It's not actually all that painful, I just don't like thinking about it." He doubted many young men enjoyed looking back on a half a year spent as a prisoner. It was a reminder of a time he'd been blinded from reason and been captured out of weakness. The little wolf had burned down one piece of evidence that he'd been tricked. He wore the other.

"Sorry, that's not a very uplifting topic." Selibas laughed, a little because he considered it laughable to be so serious for only a moment, and a little bit to show Chelsea that he was fine. He quickly changed the subject, "So, what about you Chelsea? What have you been doing since last I saw you? What brought you to Sacae again?" He had his guesses, but did not want to assume too much.

[Chelsea Dagger]

Clearly Selibas had been through more than she could ever imagine. That was part of being in the Rebellion. Chelsea wondered if Kelvin had been through similar injuries. Or worse. A pit grew in her stomach as she even thought about it. Thankfully, Selibas changed the subject which helped to push those thoughts from her mind.

"Hiding, mostly. After Kelvin and I broke up, we agreed that there was a chance that your enemies could try to find and kidnap me as leverage over him. So I hid, for over a year. But I finally decided it was time to keep on living my life, so I decided to get back into the world. And then I ran into the Crimson Demon, who told me about everything going on here. And I wasn't about to let my homeland fall without a fight. So here I am." She smiled at Selibas. It was pretty impressive that he had been able to arrange this whole thing.

Digging at the ground with her toe, she turned over in her head if she should ask the question that had been on her mind since the start. Her eyes slowly wandered around the tent as she thought, before finally coming to a decision. "I have a question for you as well, if you don't mind. Do you..." She pause, still unsure if she'd want to hear the answer. "Is he..." She took a breath and looked Selibas in the eye. "Is Kelvin ok? Is he still alive?"

[Selibas]

Two things stuck out to Selibas as he listened to the redhead. One, she and Kelvin weren't involved anymore, and two she had met the Crimson Demon. She just said it. Like you met the Crimson Demon everyday. You could walk into any inn or tavern in the land, and f*****g GOD would be sitting at a table gossiping about the local millers wife. Maybe the Demon simply wasn't viewed the same in Chelsea's tribe as with Selibas' people. He didn't have long to stew on her lax attitude to a man Selibas had heard of as the greatest to set feet on the ground since Hanon, as she askedd him a question. A very important question.

"Kelvin was fine last I saw him. We'd taken one of the heaviest military bases the Ilians had in Bern, and the army was about to begin preparations to march on castle Bern. But he was fine, in good health, like a bull." Selibas smiled. He'd been so caught up with what was going on here, he hadn't gotten the chance to think of the glory he'd fought so hard for in some time. He had been simply a mercenary, free to speak his mind and drink with his friends, as long as he could win. It was good to remember those days, even if they hadn't been too long ago.

A thought popped into his head, of his own question he wasn't too sure of. "Chelsea... you're a woman. What do women like?" His voice was without irony. He didn't truly understand that his question was both a tall order, and a bit ridiculous.

[Chelsea Dagger]

Relief flooded Chelsea's face as Selibas let her know that Kelvin was fine. At least, he was fine the last time Selibas saw him, which was good enough for her. Her eyes closed as she let go of the fears that had plagued her over the past year. As she opened them again, she smiled and gave a small nod towards the Little Wolf. "Thank you, Selibas. You've taken a weight of my shoulders." She really did almost feel lighter after this news. Happier as well. Not that she was unhappy before, but now she was even more so.

Her thoughts stayed on Kelvin. She was still uncertain on what the future would hold. Would they try to get back together, or would she find someone else? Could they ever just be friends, or would they be forced to part once again. But the fact that those decisions could still be made her happy. If he was dead, there were no choices to be made. Alive, anything could happen.

Chelsea was snapped out of her head as Selibas pointed out that she was a woman. She raised an eyebrow before she answered. "That I am. Last time I checked, anyways." She listened as he asked his questions. What do women like? Was he serious? She could tell my the look on his face that he was. While it seemed that he had gotten over his fear of talking to girls, he still didn't know much about them. "Oh, Selibas..." It was almost cute how innocent he was. "Women are just like them, they all like different things. Is there a certain woman you have in mind?"

[Selibas]

The short Khan was glad to see the wave that passed over Chelsea was a happy one, that she seemed to be relieved at his word. He'd not been gone from the rebels long, but it was still a time where anything could happen, an ambush or an assassin could easily have gotten to Kelvin mere hours after Selibas had rode off to Sacae. Best not to mention that thought.

A wave of grief overtook the Little Wolf's own visage as Chelsea answered his question. He seemed to have upset her, and though he wasn't sure why it was what he had said. Women being different from each other, maybe that was it? Maybe he'd sounded like he thought every woman was frilly dresses or tomboy pants, and that they couldn't be different from each other. Selibas hadn't met many women, well, hadn't spoken to many, but he knew they were all as unique as men. He quickly blurted out, "I'm sorry I didn't mean-" "Is there a certain woman you have in mind?" Well, there it was. He'd walked into this, like a battle where he revealed his position too early, and the enemy was able to pounce on him.

And he couldn't think of a conceivable way to retreat. "Yes, I met her earlier today." He stood up, quickly, and started a slow walk around the central support of his ger. "She was, the most beautiul woman I've ever seen. The most beautiful anything really, I used to like sunsets," the wolf suddenly let out a single bark of a laugh. "Now I think of a sunset I used to see as beautiful and just wonder how she'd look in the different light. I spoke with her for a while, and she seemed incredibly kind, and we had a lot in common over our parents and..." Selibas realized all he had said and quickly looked at Chelsea, his cheeks growing red. "I'm sorry, I sound ridiculous."

[Chelsea Dagger]

A soft smile grew over Chelsea's face. It was adorable how smitten Selibas was with this mystery girl. It almost seemed like love at first sight. While she had been smitten with Kelvin, and obviously loved him, it was not love at first sight. In fact, she viewed him as annoying when they first met. He was more of an... acquired taste. She remembered him laughing when she had first told him that, though she didn't consider it much of a secret. She had slapped him across the face the first time he had kissed her, even!

Leaning over, Chelsea rested a comforting hand on Selibas' shoulder. "You don't sound ridiculous at all. It's very endearing, actually." Now that she thought about it, she wondered if that was how Kelvin viewed her when they first met. She had never thought to look at it like that before. If it was, it was certainly flattering. Add it to the list of ways that Kelvin could flatter her. Her heart ached slightly as she thought of him. But she had to shake it off. This was not the place for it.

"As a girl, I can tell you that I would be very flattered to hear someone describe me that way. In fact, I can't imagine many girls that wouldn't feel that way. Now, I wouldn't just go up to her and say that. It's the type of thing you'd need to get to know her better to say. But hold onto that feeling. Get to know her better. Let it blossom." Her smile widened. "Who is this mystery woman, if you don't mind me asking?"

[Selibas]

With the hand on his shoulder and the reassurance that he didn't sound like a fool the color in his cheeks faded from red to his standard tone. He still felt a bit silly, he was Khan, he was a warrior. He should not be spending his time in his ger prattling on about how a woman had turned his stomach to butterflies and his words to honey. However, she had, and he didn't really understand what to do with how he felt. So if he needed to feel silly, let it be so, it would help him be serious later. He couldn't walk into Kraft's chamber, sword in hand an death in his heart, only to have his heart turn on him and make him ask the prophet, 'Do you think she likes me?'

Chelsea seemed to think that his feelings were ones a woman would like, which he supposed was good. However, she did add on that it wouldn't be good to just say that to her. Well... that wasn't good. "I um, I did say that to her. Just not in so many words. I thought women liked it when you said pretty things to them, I guess not all the time." He looked down for a moment as he considered the truth. He knew nothing about women. Selibas could lead three hundred men he'd known for only a few hours in an ambush on a larger force on the other side of a river, but he couldn't figure out when to share his feelings. Why couldn't he just say that he wanted to know things about her, and then tell her things she wanted him to know? At least swordfighting was straightforward. Chelsea had asked her name and decided to oblige her, there was no use hiding her identity. "Midori." A smile flashed on his face in the moment he said her name. "She's from the Chaklai, and she has pink hair and green eyes."

[Chelsea Dagger]

"It's not that you shouldn't say it," Chelsea started, "but if you come out and say it too soon, it could scare her off. Now, admittedly, everyone is different and she might have taken it very well. I wasn't there, I don't know. I do know that when Kelvin kissed me out of now where, I slapped him across the face." A smile broke across her face and a laugh escaped her lips. Oh Kelvin...

She watched as Selibas spoke her name, and she noted the smile that appeared as Selibas said it. It really did seem like he was in love. She wasn't sure if she had ever seen this Midori, but she would have to keep an eye out for. The idea of playing love-maker between these two was appealing. But, that was't up to her. If Selibas wanted her to stay out of it, then she would. If he didn't mind, however...

"So," Chelsea said, removing her hand from his shoulder. "How would you like me to help? Do you just want to know things she may like? Date ideas? Want me to go out there and meet her? Gather some information and report back? Talk you up to her?" She took a breath. She had gotten a little over excited there. "Sorry, this is just so exciting! I've never actually been asked to help someone else with their relationship before. But it's up to you. I won't do anything you don't want me to do." She smiled at the Little Wolf. This was all so adorable.

[Selibas]

Scare her off. That's what Selibas was afraid of. So long having to fend for himself, always worried that he'd be kicked in the stomach or ran through if he let his guard down, the young man had built a hard exterior. He was far thicker in sinew than any Sacaen he had seen in the camp, and his visage was rather rough compared to the thin unassuming face of many Sacaen men. He was aware that he had the look of danger, of intimidation. Usually it served him well, it kept enemies off him and made people fall in line. However, in romance, he needed to be tender. He spent his whole life trying not to be soft, and now he wished he could be.

When she told him her story of Kelvin, Selibas let out a laugh like a bellow. "That sounds like Kelvin! It's good to know he was like a bull off the battlefield as well." Selibas' mouth curled and his sole dimple ripped onto his face as it only did when he didn't realize he smiled. Looking down he poured another small serving of Airag and took a quick drink. Kelvin was perhaps the third real friend he'd ever made, it was nice to think about him outside of the context of a willful cavalry commander.

Suddenly Chelsea fire off a number of roles she was willing to fulfill. Some of them sounded appealing, but not like something he was willing to accept. He thought for a moment on how to phrase his words, then made his decision, "I just... if somehow you meet her if you could see if I did scare her off. Also, this is much harder, the whole time we talked she only said my name twice. Instead she would call me Grand Khan. I am Khan, and none who hold the title hate it, but when it passed from her lips I didn't want to hear it. With her I'd like to be Selibas the man, not Selibas the Khan. If ever you meet her, if you thought there was any way to convince her that I am a man beneath the title, I would be grateful." He looked down at his empty glass for a moment. "Other than that, I just could use advice. I know very little about the feelings I got in my head and my chest, but I want to know how to express them at the right time. How do I convince her that I'm a good man for her?" Selibas was incredibly grateful he and Chelsea were the only ones who could hear him. He'd rather an Etrurian spy know his battle plans than have any of his people hear how a single woman had reduced him to a bumbling fool unsure of his every action.

[Chelsea Dagger]

Chelsea's heart was melting. She had never imagined Selibas to be this adorable deep down. That was probably be design, as someone in his position needed to have a strong exterior. It made sense to hide things like this. But this might be the most adorable thing she had ever seen, let alone ever been a part of. She wanted to hug him and squeeze his cheeks and tell him just how adorable he was being, but she also knew that he probably wouldn't appreciate that. She couldn't help letting out an excited little squeal, though. It was all just too much to keep down.

"Selibas, I'm sorry, but you're adorable. It just warms my heart so much to see someone so struck by love! The last person I saw like this was Kelvin, but you're definitely going about it better." Oh Kelvin. She wondered what he would be like if he had met someone else. It would hurt, obviously, but she could be nothing but happy for him. She was the one who left him after all. Would he had done things as bluntly as he did with her? Or had he smartened up a bit?

Leaning over, she rested her hand on Selibas'. "I promise, if I do meet her, I'll do my best to do just that. I'll find out for you, one way or another. As for advice, all I can really tell you to do is follow your heart. It's the little things that really stick with a girl. Be nice to her. Treat her like a person, not just an object of your affection. I love Kelvin, but he was always a little headstrong. Think before you act. I have faith you'll do just fine." Chelsea gave him another smile.

[Selibas]

Selibas balked, and puffed himself up, throwing his shoulders back to make himself look more broad. "I am not adorable, I am a Khan." He tried to keep his face set, and to not show any emotion whatsoever, but when she put her hand on his he softened a bit. She didn't mean it as an insult, or a sign of weakness. She just meant it as a fact. Maybe that was a good thing? If he needed to be more tender, perhaps adorable was a good start. He had no clue if adorable was a good quality for a man to have in a woman's eyes, but Chelsea wasn't treating it like a bad one.

"Okay, just try being me, that'll be easy, I've had a lot of practice." Selibas looked at Chelsea and gave her a small smile. He didn't really know how to thank her. He thought of a small joke, "If little things stick with women, then I must be perfect." He smirked a bit, Zacharia had liked puns now and then, he was sure that his magical friend would appreciate that little musing. Something near the end of Chelsea's speech warranted discussion he thought however. Perhaps it would even make her feel better.

"You know, Kelvin never really seemed the same after you were gone. He was still the same man I became friends with, brash, bullheaded, and kind, but somehow he seemed less outward about it all. Like there was a part of him he was reserving. You just said you love him. Is that still true if you don't mind me asking?" They had talked about his romantic trouble, it was best to give her the chance if she wanted.

[Chelsea Dagger]

"You men and your masculinity. I promise, being adorable in this capacity is a good thing." Oh Selibas. He knew so much about warfare and strategy, but so little about women. It was actually endearing, in a way. Granted, for any hope of him moving forward with Midori, he would need to expand upon that knowledge a little more. Or maybe he'd luck out and not have to worry about. Time would tell. For now, anyways, she would do her best to help him out. She gave a little smile at his joke, deciding it best not to mention the other implication of what he could have been referring to. If being called adorable got to him so quickly, she didn't even want to think how he would react to that.

Chelsea's face hardened slightly as Selibas began to talk about how Kelvin had dealt with her leaving. She knew it would effect him in some way, but it was strange to actually hear it from someone else. That being said, it was still partially his fault for it all happening. If he hadn't run off to join that rebellion, maybe they'd still be together. She gave a little sigh before answering. "There will always be a part of me that loves Kelvin. If we ever meet back up, who knows what might happen. But, even if he didn't intend it that way, he still chose the Rebellion over me. I know it's a shallow thing to say, as obviously it's noble to worry about the fate of many versus that of one, but it still stung. So, for now, I'm focused on me." She gave a shrug. "As for the future, who knows?"