Teriyaki Stir Crazy

Exhausting most of her other options, Ella has chosen to release her ever-present nervous energy by stalking a tight circuit in the middle of the lobby's floor. Lucky for her, there aren't any other pedestrians around for the distracted paparazzo to bump into. Her top is a grey 'wifebeater', a little less blue than the color of her eyes which stay focused on the ground. Her feet are bare at the moment, displaying her artful toenails done in a chipped indigo blue. She's left her pants behind in her tent and has opted for the khaki cargo shorts instead, something much more suited to Cairo's incessant heat.

As he watches Ella pace around in silence, Phelan smirks and says nothing for a few brief moments. Suddenly, out of nowhere as if to test the girl's alertness the Pup blurts out a short but resounding "Boo!"

Without even lifting her head, Ella's large mouth quirks into a half-smile. Her fingers, the nails matching those of her toes in color, tap lightly on her arms where they're crossed in front of her as she asks rather calmly, "Isn't the punchline supposed to be 'who'? Or wait, no.. I'm thinking of the knock-knock joke." It's only then that she inclines her chin, now facing the young werewolf with a single ebon eyebrow arched. "What's up? Anything interesting going on? -Anywhere-? This place is sorta freaking me out.. so many small buildings and people that look at me funny." After a moment's pause, the girl chuckles and adds, "Well they look at me funny lots of places but here it seems especially hostile. Even when I wear my burka!"

Phelan chuckles at her, shaking his head slowly and sighing. "Nothing terribly epic at the moment. Just us and our fleas hanging out." With a slightly more hungry expression, he adds "And I can see why people would look at you no matter where you go if I can say so. But forget I even said that. Wouldn't wanna disrespect your mate."

Ella shakes her head as her arms uncross, waving one in the general direction of the door. "No, no, it's not that at all. They'd have to be at least halfway certifiable to think that of someone like me," she gives a teasing wink towards Phelan at her last comment before trundling onward with her barrage of words, "They look at me because I'm a girl who wears pants and also happens to have really pale skin. I'm obviously an outsider. They're kinda xenophobic. And when I wear the burka, the looks turn a bit hostile because I'm a lone woman carousing the streets of Cairo without a male escort.." her voice trails off this time with a thoughtful hum. Reaching behind her, she tightens her shirt by gripping it in her fist at her back and wrinkles her nose. A couple of fleas jump to and fro at her movement as she crinkles her nose and mutters thoughtfully, "I hadn't thought to try to pass myself off as a guy though…"

Phelan shrugs and chuckles softly, almost to himself. "So, while we're the only ones around, what should we discuss? Or maybe we could transform and mess around a little." He rocks back and forth a little, waiting for her answer as his actions take on that of a caged animal trying to sit still.

Releasing the bank of her shirt, and the train of thought that went with it, Ella points an accusing finger at Phelan. "You mean -you- could transform and mess around a little. You're the werewolf here." Her hand then drops back to her side as she marches closer to him, her head canted oddly to one side as she inspects the young Garou. "But really, what is it you could get into on four legs that you couldn't get into on two? Besides that, -what- is there to get in to?"

With an apologetic nod to the first comment, Phelan then smirks all the more broadly and winks in Ella's direction as she approaches him and tilts her head. "Are you sure you wanna be asking that to a hormone-driven teen who's all alone with you?"

Ella nods matter-of-factly as if it were just a knee-jerk response to that sort of question. "Of course, of course, how can people ever learn anything if they don't ask questions? I guess I get that from my dad. He's always asking shitloads of questions, too. But he actually gets paid to do it," she explains while nodding her head a time or two, still peering oddly at Phelan. "Besides, if you started getting furry and trotting around looking for territory to mark, I think that might cross some sort of intimacy line wouldn't it? I mean -really-, just because my.." she pauses a moment as a look of distaste colors her features, "mate is one of you guys doesn't mean that I'm all into that whole bestiality thing." Her eyebrows sink over her eyes as she outright frowns now, "And really, what is up with that archaic terminology? It's just so vulgar. Why not just simply call them a significant other?"

Phelan shrugs his shoulders, smiling more gently as if to let her know he's only been playing all up until this point. "Any special order you want those questions answered in?" Shaking his head he shifts in his seat a little. "Just joking. Anyway. One, I wouldn't mark territory. At best I feel like finding my inner wolf has only heightened the desires I felt all along. Secondly, I wouldn't accuse you of being into bestiality just because your man happens to be a Garou. Lastly, I'm just too damn polite not to call him by any other title without permission."

Ella lowers her head to peer down at Phelan, keeping her mouth shut long enough to listen to all that he has to say as if it's important to her. She nods once as his voice trails off, "Ah, well, if the rest of you knew exactly who he was I don't think you'd be so nice to me, or want to call him anything repeatable. He's not exactly in good standing with the rest of your society, but since I'm outside of it anyhow it doesn't bother me in the slightest," she mentions with a roll of her slender shoulders. "I just don't like the whole idea of calling someone your 'mate'. It seems to imply ownership and slavery was abolished a long time ago."

Phelan blinks for a moment, then tilts his head in confusion. "Not in good standing? Why, what did he do to deserve that?" He asks his question in a tone which he hopes will show he doesn't mean to pry.

A faint smile touches Ella's lips as she turns her head to one side, ostensibly to stare at the closed door leading out to the bazaar. "It's a long story and sort of complicated, but the bottom line is that it was his choice," she nearly whispers before swinging her full attention back to Phelan. "Don't go thinking that he's not doing his Gaia-given duty, because really he does it in spades. He makes up for the many wolfies that would rather fight among themselves over stupid shit than keep the innocent bystanders safe. Not everyone can stomach what the Garou do to themselves and others," she mentions the last without any anger in her voice, just a certain note of sadness that she's failed to completely cover.

Phelan nods slowly, then smiles softly once again and puts his hands in his lap. "From the sound of it he and I would see eye to eye on that. To some degree, anyway."

A sudden, burst of laughter flies from Ella's mouth. "Yeah, maybe, though he can be kind of abrasive. I see it as part of his charm, but not everyone would," she mentions with a playful wink. "The only bullshit he feeds is to himself, never to anyone else. He's a straight shooter and completely honest to the people around him. That's a big thing for me, oddly enough. Honesty." The smile she'd been harboring so easily until now fades as she again looks away, something darkening her demeanor. "I think maybe I'll go looking through the bazaar or something. Maybe take a little detour to to the temple of Ra. I hear it's magnificent."

At the mention of the bazaar, Phelan blinks again and reaches out almost instantly to put a hand on Ella's shoulder as if he's ready to drag her back at the first sign of her leaving. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, Charlie doesn't want us leaving this place alone."

Ella stiffens in the grasp of the young blonde man beside her, her head jerking up and around to narrow her grey eyes at him. "I do what I will. I'm not part of your little pack. I'm here of my own volition and for my own reasons. I'll do exactly what I need to do or what I feel is necessary," she explains, trying to use a more calm voice than the one that's screaming in her head to be free.

Phelan stops for a moment, looking Ella deeply in the eyes before loosening his grip on her shoulder a little but not letting go entirely. "Pardon me for just being worried for the safety of a friend. Pack member or no it'd be a shame if something happened to you. I doubt Riley would've invited you on this excursion if he didn't trust you to be capable of helping us." Staying quiet for a second to let his words sink into her mind he lets go at last. "But it's not my place to stop you. I just don't want you to get hurt. Or worse."

Ella's stature relaxes almost immediately once the restraining limb is pulled away, her feet not pausing a moment in their steps towards the door. "I've been on my own for longer than I've been with any particular group or whatever you want to call it. I can look after myself better than you give me credit for. You're right, Riley invited me here for a reason I guess so let me do my thing," she states without turning around, her arms wrapping around her as she catches some of the sun's shadow in the doorway, exiting the building without any sort of noise or fanfare.

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