My Neglected Candidate (ZC ^^)

[Anonymous]

Llyn found it terminally amusing that Nika was so fascinated by his teeth, especially considering the extent of their use (that is, biting and ripping)... it blended with that other train of thought, the one only one of them was currently actually on, and he figured he didn't mind it at all when Nika stared, and he might as well put those teeth to good use—

—Intram, you satyr. I can't get how you're able to concentrate while thinking about sex every six seconds.

The Pilot would have blushed, but... he didn't blush. I'm sorry, Azrael. It's a natural urge, and I fear if I subdue this one, the other will take over for it. The Dragon gave a mental roll of the eyes. Stay on task. You don't want to fuck this up like you did with the other one.

I didn't like the other one at all, much less think about...

Azrael did this all the time, derailed him in the middle of something. He took a deep breath and turned his attention to Nika, listening to the boy's thoughts more than to his mouth. "Understandable. In that case, I want you to work on something for me... whenever you begin to feel angry, recognize that it is happening, and keep the memory, so I can review them later. Maybe the recognition will help it keep from getting out of hand."

He watched Nika watch the knife, and decided right then that this Candidate would be his masterwork; they were so similar... it would be like having a son. Except for a few details, of course. "For the record," Llyn said calmly, "it doesn't hurt me. Besides, I wouldn't report you for doing something I brought upon myself. Go ahead, just don't kill me."

[Anonymous]

Nika would probably have been even more fascinated by Llyn's teeth if he knew how Llyn liked to use them. As it was, he just enjoyed the imperfectness of them. He had seen aliens and strange creatures before, but Llyn was very much human, so the jagged teeth were far more interesting then fangs in an aliens mouth would be.

The candidate tilted his head to the side, looking up at the older man. He couldn't tell what Llyn was thinking but he could tell his new mentor was slightly distracted. But he didn't say anything, choosing the watch Llyn instead. Nika liked to watch people, and he found Llyn pleasant to look at, his pale eyes staring up at Llyn through his thick black hair, tossing his head slightly to get the hair out of his face.

He nodded as Llyn spoke, chewing lightly on his lip. It already felt easier to deal with things. Just knowing that he wasn't the only one broken the way he was. That he wasn't broken, he was just different, "I think I can do that." He smiled up at Llyn, "Does that mean I should find you after I've become angry?"

The knife made it hard to concentrate, to think right. He just wanted to slice deep into Llyn's arm and watch the blood spill out. The bright mental image of Nika licking the blood out of Llyn's wound flashed across his mind before he could stop it. He licked his lips, shivering lightly at the thought of what the pilots blood must taste like.

He reached out and took the knife from Llyn, his eyes never leaving his face, "Can I try now?" Nika wasn't sure if he could control himself much longer. Not with the promise of getting to see and feel the pilots blood. His power was already reacting, tugging at Llyn's blood wanting to bring it closer to the boy, cover him in it.

((Oh my God. I miss you like crazy! But it seems that the only free time I have, I'm at Austin's and he has a Mac, so I can't get on MSN ;___; I miss talking to you like crazy!))

[Anonymous]

((That's a silly excuse. I'm on a mac, dear... You can thank me later.))


Llyn smiled, glad his teachings were getting through to the delightful little boy. Wonderful; this means my esteemed colleague Latona has no excuse to take him from me. "That might not be wise. I might not be about. I could ask dear Azrael to keep an ear out for you, and he could tell me." He realized he quite liked seeing Nika smile, especially after seeing hardly anything but anguished expressions and the blank look of one who didn't know what to feel. "Just as long as I see you, which I'm certain I will."

Tch, rely on me so you can keep your long lunch breaks, Azrael chided. Llyn sighed. With all due respect, I do not believe you have any obligations that prevent you from watching over Nika. You don't even have to move... just the occasional sweep, to check for power flare-ups.

The Pilot watched the image flicker in the mind of the (Latona's? My) Candidate, and grinned inscrutably... or it would have been inscrutable, if Nika didn't know what he was grinning about. Apparently he did, given the subsequent shiver. An interesting thought, Nika. I quite like it.

Nika was obviously very eager to feel the blade bite into Llyn's flesh, and honestly, so was Llyn. The Pilot's eyelids lowered a bit, his heart speeding up by the barest increment. "Yes, you may. Be careful... hopefully this will also help teach you to keep your power in check... nothing like dire consequences as a motivator, right?" Of course, Llyn knew quite well he could incapacitate Nika if the need arose. He just hoped the boy would be able to keep himself back. That would be very productive for him, and Llyn would have an excuse to let him do this more often...

[Anonymous]

((I love you and want your babies))

The boy's eyes brightened and he visibly at the mention of Azrael, "A dragon will be watching me? Would I get to meet him?" Nika smiled again, though his smiles never fully reached his eyes, no matter how pleased he was by something.

The fact that Llyn had seen the thought didn't really bother Nika, his pretty smile just got bigger. He leaned back a little to better watch the pilot, "That is alright?" His pretty blue eyes never leaving Llyn's face, Nika started to lightly trace the point of the blade over Llyn's arm, not breaking the skin yet, "If I am very good, can I do it? Taste all that pretty blood that runs through your vanes?"

Nika lightly bit down on his lip, eyes locked with Llyn's as he first pressed harder on the knife, the sharp blade easily sliding into the pilots flesh. As soon as the blood appeared his eyes flicked away from Llyn's face to his arm, eagerly watching to blood.

It did make him calmer to see the blood, to know it was closer to him, easier to control now that there was a hole there. The knife never stopped moving as he traced delicate patterns along Llyn's arm, careful to avoid major arteries.

[Anonymous]

((As well you should.))

That smiling face is just so cute! Llyn looked off to one side. "Not... physically watching you. Azrael often prefers to stay where he wants to be." That, of course, was Llyn's respectful way of saying Azrael was lazy. "You may meet him, of course. He may even like you, considering."

Llyn watched Nika's smile grow wider when he condoned the thought, again thinking how grateful he was that he managed to pull this off. "Quite alright." He bit back an "I'd love it" or similar expression of interest, knowing it wouldn't do to freely offer such a valuable reward... just yet. "Yes, if you are good, you may."

He felt he blade press into his arm and gasped a bit, then relaxed, eyelids lowering, a small noise escaping his lips that sounded far from pained. He was sure Nika didn't have too much experience with a knife, but part of him (a good-sized part) hoped he had. He watched Nika move the blade, trying to keep his breathing steady. This would certainly look interesting if anyone walked in. "Does this... ah... make you feel better, Nika?"

[Anonymous]

"That's still exciting." Nika flushed slightly at the idea the dragon might like him. He was rather in awe of the massive creatures. So beautiful in their own ways.

The boy was familiar with blades, easy in his handling of it, but he didn't have the skill of a true master. He knew how to keep from cutting too deep or tearing the pilots skin and muscle. He took his time, moving slowly, carefully. He was going to turn Llyn's pale forearm into a pretty work of art.

So focused on his work and the blood dripping from the pilots arm he didn't notice Llyn's question at first. He slowly blinked, lifting his head to look at the older man. He chewed his lip, the blade no longer moving as he thought about it.

"Yes. I feel calmer. Well....less angry." The slender kid gave Llyn an angelic smile before lowering his head to one of the delicate lines on Llyn's arm and started to lick the blood up, sucking lightly. He just couldn't resist anymore. He had to taste all that lovely blood.

[Anonymous]

"Azrael is happy to help," Llyn said, taking liberties.

I am no such thing, Azrael replied irritatedly.

Please, humor him. He's been through a lot, Llyn beseeched.

Llyn watched Nika's hand move, talented indeed. His eyelids lowered and he sighed as the knife traced along his skin. It felt good, very good, and it was a testament to his years of training as a Pilot that Llyn could keep his composure at all with an attractive young man in his lap, cutting his arm up. In any other context, it would be perfectly alright for him to get a bit unprofessional, but Nika technically wasn't even his Candidate.

The Pilot smiled at Nika's intense, concentrating demeanor. The knife twisted and turned as Nika dragged it across his skin, making various patterns and ornate designs in blood red against ivory skin. The colors together always elicited a murmur of approval from Azrael, even annoyed as he was. It tickled Llyn to see someone so intent on slicing flesh and letting blood run... "That's very good, ah, Nika. Now we know one way to calm you down."

He watched Nika smile at him—so pretty!—and dip his head to meet Llyn's arm. Llyn watched him and exhaled all at once, the slightest moan escaping with the heated air. That clinched it: he would see Nika's candidacy through to graduation by any means necessary. It would be a tragedy to let someone so like himself crash and burn the way his previous Candidate had. "Thirsty, are we?"

[Anonymous]

The comment about the dragon got Llyn another wide, pretty smile, white teeth sparkling. It was a smile that he had learned from the biggest movies stars of Haviah. He wasn't sure why he liked the dragons so much, he just knew that he did.

He had to curl rather awkwardly in Llyn's lap, twisting to fit as he bent over the pilots arm, small tongue tracing over the mans skin. He was glad that he was small for his age. If he had been much larger, he really wouldn't have been able to fit.

He was so intent on his tasting of Llyn's blood that he didn't even notice the effect it had on the pilot. The blood was so warm and rich and Nika's power danced along the pilot, barely kept in check by the boy.

Starting to feel his control slip, Nika sat back up, licking his lips, eyes half lidded with pleasure, "That was amazing. Thank you very much sir. I feel much...more relaxed."

[Anonymous]

Llyn rather liked having the Candidate in his lap. It meant he didn't hate his new counselor, which was good news for both of them. Thus, he was willing to accommodate; he leaned back a bit, unaware that he had curled so far around the boy, and raised his arm so he would have an easier time of licking the Pilot's wounds. Latona would definitely criticize my methods right about now... not that I care.

Nika didn't appear to be registering how Llyn was responding, which was just as well. To Llyn's judgment, either the Candidate would be overjoyed at his masochistic reactions (little to no chance of him not liking them, considering his previous feelings), or remain unaware (a strategic benefit). He felt Nika's power lapping against him, intrigued by its innate tendency to pull blood toward the boy, and tested it against his own telekinesis. Strong, but I could overcome it if such a thing was necessary.

He was almost disappointed when Nika lifted his head, but the look on his face was worth it. He gently stroked the Candidate's cheek with the back of his hand, gaunt face still a bit flushed, grinning more pleasantly than sadistically. "Did you like it, Nika? You are welcome." The Pilot analyzed the trail-off in his protegé's voice and figured that he didn't really want to say "more relaxed"; though it may have been true, the experience had probably gotten a different part of his brain all fired up.

"There, now," he said, getting his own brain back under control. "You look fit to rejoin the human race." He smiled, ignoring how alluring Nika looked with bloodstained lips and pleasure-hazed eyes. "Shall we call today's lesson over?"

[Anonymous]

Nika was more then content to be in Llyn's lap. Actually wanting physical contact with someone was a strange sensation for the boy, but he was taking to it rather well. Being with Llyn was oddly calming. To know that he wasn't all alone in the world of stupid sheep. That there was another like him. Dark and empty inside.

Watching Llyn as he licked the last of the blood from his lips, Nika tilted his head slightly, finally noticing the slight flush to the pilots pale cheeks. Slightly puzzled by it, still not really connecting that reaction to what he had just been doing, he nods in responce to the question, a lazy, contented smile spreading over his features, "Yes. I liked it very much."

The mention of having the lesson be over made the smile fade, though Nika nodded obediently, hands tightening around Llyn's arms for just a moment before slowly sliding off the pilots lap. He had liked being curled up in the pilots arms, digging the sharp knife blade into his arm.

Glancing back the the knife, then over to Llyn's seeping arm Nika slowly brings his gaze back to the pilots, "So.....can I find you when I am upset? And calm down with you?"

[Anonymous]

A grin crept across Llyn's face again. For a person who wanted to rehabilitate, this kid certainly had an interesting view of humans. The Pilot was glad he could make Nika feel comfortable, though. He had learned long since that, painfully ironic as it was, it was easier for him to relax in the presence of a fellow killer.

"That's good," Llyn replied. "And bad. Good, from my point of view." That look on Nika's face was just... thoroughly suggestive. He had seen that face before, many times, after doing other things... I bet he doesn't even suspect how he looks. It's so cute, though... He smiled at the fact that he now had two ways of eliciting that reaction. That is, in case the first one didn't work out.

Llyn looked up at Nika as the boy stood up dejectedly. That expression wasn't half as good.
He lifted his arm and licked it once himself, hoping the action would make him gasp, or smile, or moan in ecstasy, or... get a hold of yourself, dear Llewellyn. He's just a Candidate. If there was one thing he hated more than suppressing certain urges whilst dealing with food-grade humans in a professional manner, it was suppressing certain other urges whilst dealing with his own kind in a professional atmosphere. It just wasn't fair.

He followed Nika's eyes as they darted from the knife to the arm and back to the Pilot's eyes, amused by the transparency of his actions. "You may. Unless I am on break, in which case you should not look for me until I return." He grinned, hoping the Candidate would hear what he was implying. "Fortunately for you, I don't go on breaks very often. I must impress upon you, however, the importance of managing your anger and panic by yourself." He stood up and stroked Nika's hair. "You understand I will not always be around, and you can't just start cutting just anyone. Unless you get really good at finding healers and erasing memories." He grinned at the last.

[Anonymous]

Nika's eyes widened slightly as he watched Llyn lick his arm. That made him shiver slightly and he felt his cheeks flush lightly. He tilted his head slightly, eyes never leaving the pilots face, "Why is it bad to like it? Because that's not normal?"

He did very much want to learn to be normal, or at least fit in. Nika didn't really like that he always felt so unconnected to other people. He didn't really understand their emotions and part of him scoffed at the strange things they did but another part envied them those feelings.

He did his best to imitate what people did by watching them and trying his best to do what they did. But Nika didn't really have much social interaction growing up. But he did want to learn and now he had someone who could actually teach him.

Llyn's speech made Nika glance down at the floor, nodding. He felt like he was letting the pilot down because he couldn't control himself well, "I-I don't tend to lose my temper often. Just when Latona....tried to erase me. And Vaughan makes things all....fuzzy. And I am not stupid. I know I can't just cut anyone up."

[Anonymous]

A flush and a shiver is as good a reaction as I'm going to get, Llyn thought, satisfied, letting his tongue flick back into his mouth. "Not so much. It's bad because you will find it more difficult to give this up in favor of calming yourself down. I don't mind at all that you like it. I do as well." He smiled at the boy with eyes like a contented shark.

"We'll start on what is normal and what isn't after you've gotten your power under some sort of control." Llyn knew how much Nika wanted to learn, and he wanted to teach, but this was important. He couldn't have a Candidate running around turning all the military personnel anemic. It just wouldn't do.

A thought occurred to him, as he took into account how awkward Nika would be if he didn't know how to comport himself properly. "If you want to impress me with your knowledge, though, you may tutor yourself in your spare time. Watch the other Candidates' reactions to various things, and imitate them when the occasion arises. Laugh if someone makes a joke, offer a compliment if someone does something well... and for your own sake, try not to look so very excited when someone is wounded." He grinned. "Unless it's me. I'll be very impressed if you do it to me, though."

Llyn stood up to stroke Nika's hair again, sensing the dip in his high spirits. "That's good, good..." he was a pillar of absolute calm, with a veneer of happiness at having such an interesting Candidate. "Latona will not try to erase you again, and Vaughan will probably want some space to himself. I know that much, I was merely joking."

He lifted Nika's chin with one finger, still wearing an amused grin. "Yes, you have the potential to be a fine Pilot. This power of yours will be very useful in battle, once you learn to fully control it. I refuse to let you slip through my fingers, Candidate Nika Argan." His grin shifted almost imperceptibly into an expression of dominance, and he held Nika's gaze for a few long seconds before parting from him and pacing the classroom rather elegantly. "You are dismissed, unless you want me to walk you back to your dormitory."

[Anonymous]

Nika nodded, watching Llyn, mostly his face, but his eyes would occasionally dart down to the pilots arm, the hunger there still obvious. The blood was still calling to him and Llyn's arm tingled oddly as the boys power slid through his veins, "Yes. It will be rather hard to give that up. It was lovely."

But he knew that if he wanted to be normal, he would have too. And if he wanted Vaughan, he would have to be normal. But watching Llyn and those lovely eyes, cold and dark like a hunters, so different from all those sheep, Nika felt unsure. Which path did he want to take? To be normal and like everyone else felt like it was the path he was supposed to want. And Nika did want to make Vaughan happy, to please the redheaded singer. But he loved the blood and the feeling of skin giving way to the sharp knife. He liked being different from everyone else.

"How am I supposed to control my power well? If I can't always cut you, how do I keep it...down when I get angry?" The boy didn't actually lose his temper much, a plus side of having almost no emotions. But when he did, it was such a new experience for him he was unprepared to deal with it.

A small smile curled at the corner of the boys lips as Llyn instructed him to watch people. It was something he normally did, though as of late he had been avoiding people. He should go meet other candidates, interact with them more. So that he could see what it was they did, how the reacted to things. His mask had started to crack from the constant strain of being around people. The smile got a little wider at Llyn's comment, "Be careful. I might surprise you Pilot Intram." The pilot was stronger and more skilled then Nika was, but the boy was patient and did have a strange power. He might just get lucky. And that was an enjoyable thought, the pretty pilot all covered in blood.

He preened slightly at Llyn's praise, enjoying the contact, "I would like your company back to my room. It's nice talking with you. And I like that your eyes are like mine." Not the color or shape, but they were empty like his own. Dark and dangerous and Nika liked that.

[Anonymous]

The boy kept looking down at Llyn's arm, and he could feel the power still moving through him, twisting and pulling, and generally making coagulation difficult. He is so much closer to where I am than to where he wants to be, mused the Pilot. The poor thing may not get his man after all. "I'm not saying you'd have to give it up entirely," he said with a grin. "I won't clear my schedule for you because you're angry, though. I may let you cut me just because I want you to."

The Pilot could feel the turmoil in Nika's mind. He himself had never gone through it, at leant not to the degree Nika was. It had been a no-brainer for Llyn: the human race simply did not deserve his effort. He was too good for them. Now Nika was beginning to realize that... maybe Vaughan wasn't worth losing the wonderful being he was.

"Practice, Nika. I know you hate to hear that." Llyn smiled in a good imitation of warmness. "Analyze the situations that make you angry... pick them apart and compare them to the way other people react to them. Even I often leave situations that bring my secret urges to the surface. Job security, you understand."

Llyn was glad to see Nika smile at his advice. He gave a diabolical-looking grin at the threat, peeking into Nika's thoughts again. "I'd love to see you try." Llyn's eyelids lowered in an almost smug expression; he was quite sure of his standing as the top predator. "I will anticipate your attacks... nay, I look quite forward to them."

The Pilot understood exactly what Nika meant. "You and I think alike." He walked back, eyes locked onto Nika's like a snake to a mouse. "Very well, I will walk with you. I am certainly grateful to have someone who likes to hear me talk." He walked toward the door and held it politely for Nika.

[Anonymous]

The boy's eyes lifted from Llyn's arm and he tilted his head, eyes watching the Pilot intently. He didn't say much, just listened to what Llyn said, blue eyes never leaving his face as he absorbed it all. He was much calmer now, the burst of adrenaline and anger from Latona completely faded and the excitement from cutting Llyn's pretty pale skin had lessened enough to analyze it.

After a few moments of silence, the dark haired boy nodded, "Yes. I can do that. I can watch people. Interact with them. See what they do. And I can watch for when I get angry." Nika knew one thing he would lose when he slipped deeper into that icy darkness was the anger. He didn't much care for it, he disliked the rage he sometimes felt. It was messy and uncontrolled.

Then the boy blinked, something Llyn had said fully sinking in, "You would have me cut you because you like it? People like being cut?" The world of sex and fetish were mostly mysteries to Nika. He understood how sex worked and the mechanics of it, but until Vaughan he had never had much interest in it. And he knew next to nothing about the less mainstream aspects of it.

Returning Llyn's dark smile with one of his own picture perfect pretty boy grins, Nika brushed past him out the door. He was well aware that he couldn't take Llyn yet. But he would learn. He quite liked the older Pilot, but that wasn't going to stop him from wanting that top slot, "I will enjoy watching you and waiting for my chance to strike."

He would have to find out when candidates were allowed to carry weapons. If they ever were. And he was going to have to learn to master both his rage and his power. Because he was slowly starting to learn that his power was quite rare and he could use that to his advantage.

And the mental image of Llyn, bleeding and torn excited him. Not dead, but...hurt. At his mercy. He tried to quickly shield the image from the Pilot, though he couldn't quite bring himself to stop thinking about it.

[Anonymous]

It appeared that the Candidate understood. Llyn rewarded him with a pat on the head. "Good, good. That's a very good start, Nika." He grinned enigmatically, the look he wore after a successful hunting trip. Who knew I too had the urge to create more of my kind? Of course, it's easier for these breeder humans... we can't do it just by bearing children.

Llyn tilted his head briefly at Nika's question, then smiled, the expression carrying a connotation of pity for this little spoon-fed songbird of a boy. "Yes, some people do, and for varying reasons. It's only a few, though. You're lucky to have me." The last part was not a question. Llyn did that a lot. "Of course, I like to do the cutting as well. You should know. If you're interested, I'll have to teach you proper etiquette."

The Pilot ran his nails over the nape of his trainee's neck. Of course the gap in power between them precluded him from taking Nika's threats too seriously, but one day the boy might be decent competition. He made a sound that was halfway betwen a sigh and a low hum. "You are such a good student, Nika. It will be thoroughly enjoyable, to train you."

He listened quietly to Nika's thoughts. A weapon wouldn't do him much good, considering how many knives Llyn had on his person at any given time, and the fact that the Pilot had decent telekinesis, and could move all his knives at once, and still have his hands free to seek out the most convenient pressure point on Nika's fragile, pretty little body. That was how Llyn worked... physical strength was superfluous if you knew how to bring someone to his knees.

Speaking of which...

Llyn broke into a full-on diabolical crooked-toothed smile. At first he hadn't been entirely sure about Nika, but now he knew for certain. The kid had a very dominant personality. The way he asserted his position over Vaughan, his retaliation against Latona, and his fantasies about Llyn himself... it all fit. Llyn was an odd mix; naturally submissive, but also a predator. He liked finding those capable of dominating him, but also took pleasure in showing others just how incapable they were.

"Is that what you like, Nika?" His tone wasn't upset or fearful, or even surprised. "Interesting..."

[Anonymous]

Around Llyn it was easy for Nika to relax and forget to fake his emotions. The small boy walked along side him, pale blue eyes mostly watching Llyn, only occasionally flickering forward to make sure he wasn't going to run into anything. His pretty faze was a blank, expressionless mask.

The look Llyn gave Nika for his question about cutting made the candidate slightly annoyed, though he was more interested that there were people that enjoyed being cut then he was embarrassed, "Really?" Pale blue eyes glance down at his own arm, "I have never tried cutting myself before." The idea interested him. He would have to try later, "I would very much like to learn the proper etiquette. If you like cutting, does that mean you will cut me sometime?"

The nail over his neck caused Nika to stumble slightly, a shiver of pleasure running down his spine and a dark flush rose up his neck. That had made him feel quite tingly in a way he wasn't really used too. He quickly turned his focus to the Pilot, smiling up at him, "I am quite looking forward to learning from you. And I look forward to one day beating you."

There was no doubt in Nika's mind that one day he would win. That he would beat Llyn. He had no interest in killing him, that would be no fun. But beating him excited Nika. He liked control, to be on charge. And he did like that Llyn really could dominate him, if he so wanted. It made Nika feel....rather strange. In a good way.

Nika's face stayed blank as they walked, going over what he was feeling, trying to sort it all out. It was similar to what he had felt with Vaughan, but also very different. Llyn's question turned his attention back to his new mentor, confused for a moment about what he was talking about. Then he realized Llyn had read his thoughts. He didn't anwser right away, then slowly nodded and smiled, "Yes. I think so. It's a new thought. But yes. The idea pleases me."

[Anonymous]

"Yes, really." This Candidate was more and more interesting. Part of him wondered if Latona would formally relinquish control of him... but then again, Latona was never the diplomatic type, nor was she the type to ever think herself superfluous or wrong for a situation. So Llyn would have to content himself with training him like this.

He gave Nika an interested, amused look. "Just don't cut yourself too deep. You are no use to me dead, Nika." He laughed lightly when Nika asked him to cut him. Llyn wanted little else at this point. He knew Nika would be as beautiful inside as he was outside. "Aren't you getting a bit ahead of yourself?" He ran a finger just slightly under Nika's collar, little gestures of affection and a bit of possessiveness. "Of course I will, but you will have to be patient with me. We've only just met..."

Llyn grinned as Nika tripped, slowing down slightly to let him regain his footing. He listened to the boy's thoughts for a bit before answering. "You will not have truly passed, at least to me, until you can beat me. And to get to that point..." he twirled a finger in Nika's hair as he spoke, and leaned down close to him, "you'll need to stay out of trouble."

"You are such an interesting boy, Nika." Llyn stopped walking when he reached the Candidate's room. "Just my type." He leaned in close again, one hand twisted into Nika's hair, and just... looked at him. He memorized Nika's face, right down to the precise shade of his skin, the angle of his eyelids in that pure tabula rasa expression of his, how his hair fell around his pretty cheekbones.

Then, all at once, he moved back. "I'll return for you tomorrow, after Latona's through with you." He turned on his heel, head lingering a split second longer in place than the rest of him, disrupting his precise about-face. Good day, Nika Argan, he said as he walked away, directly to the young man's mind.

[Anonymous]

Nika was going to have to get used to people being able to read his thoughts. He looked slightly startled when the Pilot replied to his thinking about cutting himself, "I am pretty good with a knife. I wont kill myself. That would be rather pointless, wouldn't it?"

The touch of Llyn's finger on his skin made the boy flush slightly, pale blue eyes dropping down to Llyn's arm before going back to the Pilots face, "I was just asking if that was what was going to happen. I was curious." He liked when Llyn touched him, which was rare. Normally the boy disliked physical contact with other people, though he did his best to fake it as his mother was fond of hugs and it had upset her when he used to try and squirm away.

But with Llyn, the sensation was pleasant. He liked it and wouldn't mind more of the contact. Llyn's hand in his hair was even nicer and he leaned into the touch, "I have told you, I will do my best to not cause problems. I will watch and learn and mimic."

As Llyn studied Nika's face, the boy stared back up at him, doing the same. Learning each curve and angle, memorizing how his dark, emotionless eyes looked, how pale his skin was, "It makes me glad I'm your type."

The mention of Latona made Nika wrinkle his nose in distaste. He was not pleased with his mentor currently. If he had his way, he would rip out her wings and drain the blood from her body. But he wasn't going to get his way and he wasn't stupid enough to try and fight her. He would behave. Then his expression turned startled as Llyn spoke into his mind and he smiled at the retreating Pilot, "Good day Llewellyn Intram."