RP:A Beautiful Time for Relaxing in a Hammock

Summary: Lita returns to the Beachside Villa to find Mahri in her hammock. The pair are catching up on recent events when Nortengaal joins the party. The trio make some plans moving forward regarding Vailkrin and Kasyr. Lita and Nort close out the night with some heartfelt truths and Nort has a new nickname to add to his repertoire.

Mahri can be found lounging in the hammock, uninvited, here at the villa. In her hand and resting next to her hip is a bottle of whiskey snagged from the Jolly Roger on way to this place she found to be rather peaceful at the moment. Eyes closed, the wolf raises the bottle lazily and puts the opening to her lips for a long drink. The gentle breeze sets the hammock to swinging and the wolf might have started to doze a bit.

The beach house a bit less cozy tonight. Newly absent the belongings and usual cheer of one very new inhabitant. Lita, for her part and transgressions that had led to such a downfall, has been reluctant to return. Once again the place is quiet, filled with more ghosts. Maybe that's how it was supposed to remain. As such, she's more than a little surprised to see Mahri lounging in the hammock when she rounds the back of the house and she stops some few feet away, staring at the woman. Part of her wants to run up and hug her. Most of her is too exhausted anymore. Leo had dragged her back into a place of caring about people and now she just wanted to be done. "I told him about Arien." She says quietly, the words cracking with apology, and the tears come suddenly as she turns her gaze out to the ocean. "I kissed Leo. Yes, again." She says before Mahri can ask. "It was stupid, I was drunk, it was the night before the duel. Pretty sure I accidentally ended up in a blood pact of some sort, Xiem is gone, moved out, Xalious is a stone's throw away from huntin' us down." She makes herself take a breath, vaguely aware of the fact that her fingers have squeezed into fists at her sides and her shoulders are trembling. "And I missed you." She says finally.

Mahri wasn’t dozing, not when she caught Lita’s scent on the next breeze heading out over the water. While the wolf didn’t seem to move much, the hammock came to a stop. She’s not quite sure how she feels about this confession, so to stall for a bit more time, and possibly making the vampire feel worse than she does, Mahri takes another drink before slowly sitting up, her legs swinging over the edge of fabric she rested in. “He would find out anyway, somehow,” she acknowledges that part at least. “We do dumb things sometimes,” about the kiss, “I don’t think you wanted it to work with Xiem anyway.” Rather clinical, in her response, the wolf pauses to offer the bottle to Lita. “Not sure why you’d miss me, but same.” Mahri isn’t sure why, but she had missed the other woman as well. As a friend, sure, but it didn’t feel like that was entirely it.

Lita isn't sure Mahri's wrong. Maybe that's the problem. She pauses a beat when Mahri offers that bottle, as if considering her options. As if there were options. And then she pads barefoot towards her and takes it with an almost relieved sigh. She lifts it to her lips for a drink and then nudges her knee against Mahri's until the she-wolf scooches over on that hammock and she can sit next to her, leaning back. She'll have to hope Mahri can steady it as she moves. The bottle propped against her hip in her hand. "I wanted to be someone who could make it work. Is it so bad to want to be someone worth stayin' for?" She lifts her free hand to wipe her forearm across her cheeks with a sigh. "Dangit Mah, I feel like I got more notches on my bed post than the pirate anymore and without even tryin'!" She laughs, ridiculously, because it feels good to be crass, and tilts the bottle to her lips for another drink. Her free hand reaches out to Mahri's lower back and scratches idly. "I need a distraction. Tell me you've been up to no good at least."

Mahri scooched and steadied so Lita could settle in. “No,” she answers shortly, “It’s not wrong to want that.” She would have gone down a rabbit hole of her own inner thoughts if Lita hadn’t said something notches on bed posts. She snorted and reached for the bottle the same time nails touched her back for light scratches. As soon as the whiskey leaves Lita’s lips, Mahri is snagging it back and taking a drink herself. “Have you considered that you’re afraid of what happens when someone does want to stay and so you push them away? Xiem seemed to want to stay very much.” She wasn’t, apparently, going to offer that distraction, although the burning question she wants to ask doesn’t have anything to do with Lita’s love life. She’ll let the woman ruminate on the question she did ask and offer the whiskey back.

Lita had, of course. She didn't need to visit Cenril's therapist to judge the repetition of her own history. "I'm very aware of how badly--" except she pauses, because the fact that Hanan wasn't actually dead wasn't exactly public knowledge. It was one of so few secrets she'd kept under lock and key anymore from these people she now loved. "The only people who seem able to put up with my bull- are you an' Leo. Gods know why you both do, but I'm grateful for it. I know how to handle people when they're angry and pissed off or when there's a reason I can understand behind their actions. Something that makes sense." She takes the whiskey back but doesn't take another drink yet. "Love doesn't have that kind of reason or lines you can draw and it gets all messed up in my head." She takes another drink then. "I think if Xiem wanted to stay, he would have. I've pissed off you an' Leo enough that you both should have turned your back by now, I'm sure. And yet, here you are, stealing my hammock and what- pilfering the good stuff?" She lifts the bottle some to inspect the label a bit closer, lifting her hand up Mahri's back to tug playfully at the ends of her hair.

Mahri couldn’t disagree with any of what Lita said. “It’s a reason all its own, Ace. Because it doesn’t turn its back on the ones it’s chosen.” Mahri reached back, sending the hammock swinging, to pull her hair out of Lita’s grasp while she inspected that label. “Nothing but the best,” she confirms. Going back – “Maybe he would have if he felt it would do any good.” This sort of talk generally had Mahri uncomfortable – talking about feelings and such that is. “Look. I’ve known love of all kinds. Family, friends and lovers. I’ve had a mate and children. I lost them all. Does that mean I’ll never have that again? I don’t know. What I do know is that loving someone isn’t a weakness. I’m stronger for having had it and giving it when I did. Even when it nearly broke me it made me stronger. I don’t abandon the ones I care about easily, even when they betray me.” Silver eyes fix on Lita’s if she looks at the wolf and she asks the question, “Why did you tell him and what did he say?” She had to know if the knowledge had brought any recollection of the memories Leo couldn’t access. The entire reason she’d wanted to keep it secret had been an unwillingness to cause him pain – the closest to a brother she had.

Lita is mulling over the woman's words. Maybe he would have stayed if he thought it would do any good. Does that mean it really wouldn't have done any good? "I'm sorry if I haven't been good to you, Mahri." She says softly as she meets familiar silver eyes. "I hope you know you mean somethin' to me. That if you ever needed somethin'..." She doesn't finish the thought. Like the she-wolf, the big heavy emotional stuff tended to make her shut down. The whiskey helped. She lifts the bottle for another drink and for a moment, she wonders if that remark about people betraying her wasn't aimed at her a bit. "It was killin' me keepin' it from him. I didn't tell him at first. At first I just told him there was something we'd found that you were protecting him from. And he said I should trust you. But then after that duel, after seeing what was in that arena..." she looks away from the woman again. "I was a mess. Lashed out, said some things I didn't mean. He offered me a place here and I realized if I want it, if I want to make it work, I can't keep those things from him, even if it might hurt." She draws a deep breath. "So I told him about Arien bein' a ghost and he said," she furrows her brow, trying to remember. "He said 'they tried to kill me'. And that they failed."

Mahri closed her eyes and bowed her head, shoulders slumping as she listened. She really couldn’t blame Lita, in all honesty, it had been unfair to ask that she keep the information from the captain. He did have a right to decide if it was something he wanted to know. But to hear that – they had tried to kill him – she had to wonder if he knew he had died – or as close to dead as he could have gotten but it had been Mahri to bring him from that door while others had healed his body. Mahri had gone for the soul. Was that what he had spoken about, or was there something else? “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have put you in that position.” Had she felt betrayed? Yes, but the reasoning was sound. She couldn’t blame Lita. “I should have talked to him myself and told him what we would find, what I already knew we would find.”

Lita still had no idea what the heck had happened with this part of Leo's past. Only that Mahri had traded some part of herself for him and had worked hard to keep it safe for all this time. Maybe to some detriment. She feels a little forgiven though and it feels good somehow, after everything. She'd lost someone important but made pretty large strides in making things right with Leo, and with Mahri. She hands the bottle of whiskey back to the she-wolf and slips an arm beneath the woman's head, tugging her into a loose hug as they lounge on the hammock. "Do the thing." She says with a nod towards Mahri's foot, meaning for her to make the hammock sway again. "Listen, Leo made me promise some type o' way that I was stickin' around for this. Whatever's coming, can't none of us get through this alone. And he's got a lot of people but," she didn't. "I don't want to make you promise to stay, I don't think that's fair. I know he means something to you, same he does to me. But I hope you know I need you 'round too."

Nortengaal was spending another night wandering more or less aimlessly, this time along one of Rynvale’s many beaches. Tonight’s excursion has lead him south of the Jolly Roger, following some yellow flowers that eventually lead him to a path lined with them that leads straight up to a delightful beachside villa. The building itself doesn't appear to have anybody currently in it, but the pleasant sea breeze carries a couple familiar scents, and being in the sort of mood to follow them, Nort heads ‘round the building to the back. It takes him a moment to spot the two women in the hammock, and he as he makes his way closer he catches a snippet of conversation that makes him pause a step, afraid he’s interrupting something important. “...means something to you, same he does to me. But I hope you know I need you 'round too." After a second of consideration he moves closer, figuring he’s already likely been detected at this point anyways, and gives a little wave as he gets within eyesight. “Evenin! Fancy seeing you folks out this way.”

Mahri found herself swinging her foot, which in turn set the hammock swinging. She was about to tell Lita she wasn’t going anywhere when she became aware of the bear’s scent, confirmed by his greeting. With the vampire’s arm pulling her in for that loose hug, she sort of tilts her head a bit to indicate the company though Lita probably already knew anyway. Well – it makes sense, doesn’t it? The three of them somehow seemed to manage to end up in the same place. “Rug. Out for a stroll?” The wolf didn’t seem in any hurry to end the lounging around she’d started with or without Lita. Now, where had that bottle gone? Did Lita still have it?

Lita can smell the bearman before he rounds the house and she's not even surprised for it. He's a knack for wanderin' these days. "Heya, Smoke." She grins at the man, referencing their previous conversation with the callback. She glances up at the back deck of the house, as if to double check they were at the right place. "Out this way?" She asks Nort with a grin. "I do live here." Sometimes. She catches Mahri searching for the bottle of whiskey they'd been sharing and she nods towards the woman's hand where she'd passed it over last. "I was s'posed to be draggin' Nort up to Vailkrin but uh," well, the whole world didn't need to know about her love life or the tragedy of it, did they? "Mahri had other plans." She shrugs bare shoulders briefly, hoping the woman would be willing to at least play along.

Nortengaal nods at Mahri. “Yep! I don't often come out this way, but tonight I guess it was just meant to be.” he says with a chuckle. An eyebrow is raised in surprise, though he supposes it shouldn't be too surprising - she’s gotta live somewhere right? “Oh yeah? I didn't know you lived here. Didn't know anybody lived here actually, haven't seen anybody ‘round here the couple times I've wandered out this way.” Seeing the bottle of whiskey being shared, he figures he’ll join in the libations and slips his flask out of it’s holster, unscrewing the cap and taking a drink of the whiskey mixture within. “Seems like a solid change of plans, it’s a beautiful time for relaxing in a hammock.”

Mahri ’s in no hurry to sit up, except enough to have herself a drink of the bottle ~she~ pilfered fair and square. Settling back comfortably next to Lita, the wolf keeps the rhythmic sway of her foot going to keep up the soothing sway of the hammock. “Honestly, I’m glad you’re here. Now that I think about it.” She hadn’t thought about it. Mahri offers Ace the whiskey bottle if she wanted it. There’s another, somewhere. Probably in a deep pocket of the discarded duster laying on the ground beneath their resting place. “Ran into Kasyr at the Hanging Corpse a few weeks ago. Could use both your help on an assignment, pro bono.” Leave it to the wolf to bring business into the conversation. “Don’t need to talk about it now, but soon.”

Lita probably doesn't have anything good to comment about the lack of people at that beach house. Especially not tonight. "Every night is." She says in agreement to Nort's comment about lounging in the hammock. "I'd offer to share but this witch's butt takes up so much room." She's teasing, probably side-eyeing that very butt with unabashed appreciation as Mahri sits up for a proper drink before handing back the whiskey. She's already scheming to steal that duster later. It looks warm. She lifts the bottle for another sip, the familiar burn of it warm and grounding. This was not a couch. She's okay with that. "Kasyr? He's kickin' rocks for me already. I hope. That's who me an' Smoke here were s'pose to be goin' to meet with again. Just as much sense to make one trip of all our business at once." She shrugs. Mahri could decide whether or not she'd want to bring it up. She did want a distraction, after all.

Nortengaal laughs good naturedly. “Yeah, it’d probably be a little cramped with the three of us. I appreciate the thought though.” He takes another drink from his flask, totally not also sneaking a glance at the aforementioned butt. Yep, crush still confirmed, even if it has been some time since he’s run into the she-wolf. And the last time he was not in top form shall we say. At least he’s cut back the drinking considerably, of the binge variety specifically, though of course he still indulges. “Kasyr eh? The name is vaguely familiar, but I cant put a face to it currently. I’m always down for some work though, so consider me happy to help Mah.”

Mahri ignored the look Lita was giving her behind because she’s too busy narrowing her eyes at being called a witch. She didn’t have anything against witches, per say, just that she’d never been called that before. Mahri hmphed before settling back in. “Why were you going to meet Kas? He came and asked me to keep an ear out for any ‘movements’ among the House’s in Vailkrin. Told him I would, except I don’t think any of them will take kindly to a wolf asking questions.” Mahri glanced over at Nortengaal. The bear really was eager and quick to offer help. Mahri isn’t about to turn it down. “ ‘Preciate it, Nort.”

Lita is not happy to do anything just now unless it involves reckless stupidity or alcohol. Possibly both. But she's here. For whatever that's worth. She does appreciate the chastised look Mahri is giving her though. Worth it. And she grins against the whiskey bottle as she finishes the last of it. "Tell me you snagged another one o' these." She's saying before Mahri is asking about her business with Kasyr. Lita flickers a glance at Nort, here. Not that she didn't entirely trust him, but they were still getting to know each other. But he'd agreed to accompany her to Vailkrin so he would've found out anyway. "I've been pickin' his brain about blood pacts and rituals and the like. Specifically the side effects and long-term outcomes and such." She doesn't offer more information.

Nortengaal rubs his chin contemplatively. Seems this Kasyr has his hands in a little bit of a lot of things. Folks like that tend to be very dangerous, but also very useful. Only time will tell which of the two he’ll be for Nort and the folks in his presence currently. Nodding to Mahri he tilts his flask towards her before taking a drink. “Anytime Mahri.” The mention of blood pacts and rituals has the bearman’s attention readily enough, if only because he’s always interested in all kinds of things and those are interesting things, but he doesn't do anything more than give a little tilt of his head and an inquisitive look Lita’s way. No more information is currently forthcoming, but that's ok with him - he’s sure he’ll find out whatever it is he might need to know when the time comes.

Mahri used the heel of her palm against Lita’s shoulder to leverage herself up. The hammock gave a little jostle and a wider swing when the lycan slid off and reached for the duster Ace suddenly coveted. Reaching into that deep pocket, Mahri removes the bottle tucked away to hand it off to the vampire. Swinging it over her shoulders, the wolf looks between the two, “We can kill two birds with one stone then. Until then, I have some things to take care of. Enjoy the rest of your evening.” Before leaving, the lycan steps towards Lita laying on the hammock. Silver meets brown to hold the vampire’s eyes a beat or two. “I’m not going anywhere, Ace.” She’d know what it meant. To leave, Mahri had to go past Nortengaal so she pauses – “Keep an eye on her. Don’t let her do anything too dangerous.” With that, Mahri is heading back down that path.

Lita is not trying to be intentionally elusive here. She has limited information herself. And she's not sure what she should share yet, or what might even be useful. Her brain hurts. She slips a foot out to catch in the sand when Mahri's shifting sends the hammock swaying some. She takes the bottle and pops the cork for a quick drink to hide the brief pout as Mahri dons the duster. "G'night, wi-" Lita doesn't quite get to finish the new moniker before Mahri is leaning down to catch her gaze and that flush of color in her cheeks is probably just a quick play of the light. She can only nod before Mahri is heading off again. "I- I don't need a ruttin' minder!" She's calling out at the she-wolf's back, a few steps too late. She can practically hear the woman's smirk from the distance. She huffs, leaning back into the hammock as she regards Nort once more. "And then there were two." She muses. "You know anything about the vampire Houses, then?" She asks idly.

Nortengaal shakes his head. “Not even a little bit, that's a bit out of my usual circles.” he says with a chuckle and a shrug. “I’d hazard you’d be in a better position to know about 'em than I would.” He pauses, considering. “Though I suppose that’d be me making some assumptions, and you know what they say about that.” The bearman takes another drink from his flask, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “ I wouldn't worry too much about her parting words. I’ve seen you fight a couple times now, and I know who you run with. I’m honestly not really sure what ‘too dangerous’ even means for you, outside of tussling with dragons blood.” a laugh and another shrug. “ ‘Sides, I'm just as likely to be in the thick of it as not myself. I didn't get all these scars playing nice.” Unceremoniously he plops to the ground, shifting a bit to move the sand around beneath him to get it comfortable, or as comfortable as its going to get at any rate. He sits quietly a moment, just listening to the sounds of the waves and the ocean birds, before he casts a long side glance Lita’s way. “So you two are close eh?” he says, tilting his head back to indicate the departed Mahri.

Lita doesn't mention that she's about as good at being a vampire as Nort probably is at being an artist. Which is to say, she tries but really has no idea what she's doing. "Eh, my sire actually uh, well, wasn't around long, let's just say. I'm still learning." Control, focus, these were still things which were hard for her to do. Pain made those things simpler, she'd learned. And it's what had led to her being at least an effective brawler, though even that was new for her. She doubts Mahri meant a fight, by those words, but she'll leave Nort his own thoughts on that. "I reckon' not." She says about Nort being a brawler himself. "I remember you springin' to action when Trix came bouncin' through. Things ever go sideways 'round here, I'll be grateful to be in whatever corner you are." She lifts the bottle to tilt it in his direction out of respect. When he asks about being close to Mahri, she sighs softly and lifts her gaze out over the water. "You know how, it's a lot easier to face demons in the darkness? You turn a light on, send 'em runnin' and you might start feelin' like you can do better, be better, like maybe you can be worth somethin' more." She lifts the bottle for another drink. "But you know that darkness is inevitable. That it doesn't really go anywhere, it's just waiting, patient, always patient. I think Mahri’s like that. Got that in her. It's familiar and that makes it feel safe. Safe enough to let her see your demons and your darkness. Safe enough to turn out the lights." She groans a bit as she sits upright finally, leaning forward to settle her elbows on her knees as she smiles softly over at the bearman. She holds the bottle of whiskey out for him to share, so he won't have to empty his flask. "I dunno man, it's been a long day." She lifts a hand to run lithe fingers through raven curls and leans her chin in her palm as she regards him. "You sweet on her, huh?" She grins a little as she asks it, no judgment.

Nortengaal listens, sipping from his flask as Lita speaks. He smiles warmly to her, unsure of how to respond but feeling honored by her words all the same. Idly, he wonders a bit how Mahri would’ve reacted to hearing such beautiful prose bandied about her. Quite possibly with violence, and the thought brings a smirk to his face. Still, while he certainly hasn't spent the time around her that Lita has, he can definitely see what she means. Leaning forward he takes the offered bottle with a word of thanks and takes a long drink from it. Perhaps too long, and he sputters and coughs a bit when she asks about his feelings. This is the third time now he’s been caught off guard by this same topic while drinking, what are the odds? Catching his breath, he smiles a bit sheepishly and nods as he looks over to her. “That obvious eh? Leo asked me about it too, the day or so before Gorehilt’s fight. Gave me the ‘ole ‘you hurt her I'll end you’ talk, along with some other, more encouraging words.” He sighs and leans back to look at the sky. “Seems like the only one around here that doesn't know is Mahri.”

Lita only smirks as he coughs a bit mid-drink. Probably wouldn't be obvious to most but they're a tight knit group, look out for each other more than most. So they read people with relative ease, especially if that means protecting their own. "Yeah, well, consider 'em words not just from Leo, huh?" She lofts a brow at Nort, or tries to. It's pretty difficult a thing to do at the moment. But she'll try to look threatening for a moment all the same. "Don't count on that." She says softly. "There's not a lot she misses these days." She glances down at the sand between them. It is not her place in any way to mention previous conversations she'd had with the she-wolf. She should not be trying to help Nort anyway, probably. Not just because her only relationship had literally just ended and not just because she'd had a girl crush on the witch for a spell now. "Don't expect her to acknowledge it and make the first move." She offers. "You want to get in good with Mahri, make her notice you some, do something for someone she loves. Something personal. Something unexpected. She'll respect you for it. And in our world, that can mean a hell of a lot more than any fleeting affection."

Nortengaal smiles at the woman over the mouth of the bottle as he takes a drink before passing it back. “ Consider 'em considered.” He tilts his head slightly, red eyed gaze focusing in on her body language as much as her verbal language. The therian wonders what might’ve occurred between the two of them, Lita and Mahri, that has her speaking so softly, but he doesn't press it in any fashion, simply leaving a “Duly noted.” to hang in the air between them. Her advice is greatly appreciated, and Nort nods along as she explains it to him. “You know, Leo said something similar before. Last time it came up he was asking because I had been binge drinking and he was wondering if something had soured between me and Mahri in that regard. It hadn't, I was binging for other reasons, but I told him that honestly I haven't even brought it up to her yet, not directly anyways. I’ve dropped hints here and there, but frankly I feel like I don't know her well enough yet to just drop that on her.” he shrugs a bit here, as if to break some tension building along his shoulders and neck. “Not that I feel like she couldn't handle it or some such nonsense. I’m protecting myself really. I’m slowly building a life here, and id hate to mess that up somehow.”

Lita smiles softly. It's endearing to see this side of Smoke. At the same time, it tugs at her heart some. Knowing that allowing him space to explore his feelings (and Mahri to do the same) would likely mean not allowing herself the same freedom. But it's what you did for the people you cared for. Even if they didn't know it. "The words aren't so important, I don't think." She says finally, taking the bottle back from him and settling it on her knee. "Me, Leo and Mahri, we've been through a lot together. We rile each other up and piss each other off, but we don't let it build walls between us. You can't. And in what we're trying to do here, there has to be a mutual understanding of respect that you can beat the snot of each other one night and apologize with cupcakes the next." Yes, she's hinting at Gore here. "You can't just drop hints," she warns. "Either be all in, or don't. But she's worth you bein' sure, either way." She stands, a bit wobbly for a second, and then crouches in the sand in front of him, narrowing dark eyes at him a bit. "Otherwise, my money's on Leo." She smirks a little, and she'll reach out a hand to help him to his feet if he so chooses. "I should try and sleep. There's a guest room if you want it." She offers, motioning back up towards the beck deck and the villa beyond.

Nortengaal isn't such a softie that he’s going around blubbering into his beer at the taverns he frequents, nor is he exactly iron clad in his emotional defenses. He’s somewhere in between, perhaps a touch on the softer side, though his gregarious nature serves him well in hiding his true feelings at any given point. This being the case, it’s nice to be able to take the mask off for a bit and be his true self around people he trusts, and Lita has quickly become one of those people for the bearman. He just hope one day to be able to return the favor for the vamp champ, she deserves it too. Reaching up he grasps her outstretched hand to pull himself up to his feet, brushing the sand off himself as best he can after he achieves verticality. “All or nothing eh? That’s a philosophy I can get behind.” he says with a grin. Turning to look up to the villa he takes a final drink from his flask before putting it away in it’s home. “I think I'll take you up on that Lita. It’s a bit of a hike to the JR from here and I'm just realizing how tired I am.”

Lita nods at him and for once, is grateful she can do something nice for him here. Maybe turn those proverbial lights on for a bit. Not that she'd been sleeping well at all this past week with the dragon’s absence from the property but that's what the whiskey was for. She turns and leads him up the back deck and into the kitchen of the little villa. It's not much, simple wicker furniture in the front room, a stocked bar, a few trinkets from her travels but very little in the way of personal affects. Seems she'd saved most of that for her shop. "There's maybe food in here," she says of the kitchen. Good luck. And she motions towards a room of the front room, kept done up for guests as needed. "There's a separate wash room around the corner, if you want to clean up some. I know the sand can be annoying. I don't sleep much these days, so don't worry about waking me if you slip out at some point tomorrow. And hopefully we'll be able to catch Kasyr in the coming days. And work on your tattoo." She remembers, of course. Not fire but fire. "G'night, Smoke." She calls out, heading in the opposite direction towards the master bedroom.