RP:A Fractured Friendship

Summary: Kyori wanders around Sage Forest in hopes of finding Lanara, so that he can ask for her assistance in magically grounding oneself and seeking out a replacement sword until his is located. Lana is delighted to help Kyori, but she worries that he’s keeping serious secrets and that he will fall into another coma. The two have an intense argument that leaves their future uncertain. Can they still be friends after the things that were said?

Part of the Waxing Crescent, Wayward Course Arc

Part of the Until It Sleeps Arc

Kyori still felt like the walking dead when he set out to find the witch Lanara. Her grounding lesson was turning into a requirement to survive life without a sword. Survive and stay awake. Fearing Enchantment's debilitating noise, he stalks along the roads in Kelay in a languid fashion. He tries to see if she's at that animal sanctuary and thinks, mid afternoon, that maybe he should have written to her before trying to find her. He stops on Kelay's main road and lights a cigarette, sitting down on a large boulder near a fence line where the grass is overgrown. The wound on his side was healed enough to remove the binding but the anxiety that it would split or the creature would reappear fuels his erratic search for Lana. While sitting, lungs heated with smoke, the spellblade sees a strange black cat on the other side of the road. It's sitting still, staring across at him with eyes too intelligent to belong to a normal animal. It feels that way anyway. Not a soul on the road in any direction. "Are you trying to bum a cig? At least ask." Kyori tells the cat, feeling silly. Maybe he should try the sanctuary again. The cat could be a sign. Or a stalker. Or both?

Lanara rides through the forest atop a magnificent black mare, the rush of the wind causing her cloak to billow in the breeze, as she periodically casts a glance over her left shoulder. She’s being followed by a handsome gentleman on a silver steed, who seems to be gaining ground. Lana’s horse leaps over a fallen tree and gracefully lands on the forest floor, both the rider and the horse pausing to see if the other horse makes the jump. “Yah!” The man encourages his horse up and over, but the horse isn’t having it and at the last minute, abruptly stops and nearly throws the man from his back. Lana applauds the male, “Well done, Greyson! You are getting better each day, but I don’t think that you will ever best Sansa and I in a race!” The man laughs and dismounts, tugging his horse by the reins, “I shall return him to the stables and be back in a jiffy to escort you home.” The witch nods as her packmate departs, heading north towards the animal sanctuary, and leaving Lana to wait at the small forest path. Sansa neighs and Lana pats her on the neck, though she swears she hears the voice of another over the braying of the horse, “Who’s there?” Steering Sansa towards the fenceline and nearer to the main road, dark eyes scan their surroundings, before Lana spies a familiar face amongst the overgrown foliage. “Kyori?! What are you doing out here?” The black cat scrams upon feeling the vibrations of the horse and Lana tightens her grip on the reins as the feline crosses her path, as old superstitions come to mind.

Kyori looks up the path at the sound of hoof beats. The cat scrams, escaping the road instead of harassing the spellblade for cigarettes and Lanara appears like magic. He gives her a lazy smile before standing. "Funny as it sounds, looking for you." A beat. "Nice horse." Standing makes him feel winded. "I needed your help, take you up on that offer to learn about grounding." He kills his smoke and shoves his hands into his pockets. "Penelope reminded me but I wasn't sure where to find you. Looked at the sanctuary. Thought about Enchantment but, you know." He points to his ears. Did she even like Enchantment after being trapped there during her trial? "You, uh, busy?"

(Post 1 of 2) The horse snorts derisively at Kyori’s compliment, turning her head to the side to show off just how beautiful she truly is, as though she feels that she deserves much more admiration. Feathering on her fetlocks, an expertly braided mane, and a body that’s both lean and muscular, it’s obvious that Sana is some type of thoroughbred and that she cost some serious coin. “Thanks. She was a wedding gift from Tiber! Her name is Sansa, but don’t get too close, she’s feisty.” Much like her rider, at times! Lanara rolls her eyes when Kyori states that he’s been ‘looking’ for her, because it seems that the only time he truly seeks her out is when he needs a favor. The witch is still miffed about the fact that he’s been courting her best friend to the point that he took such liberties and impregnated her, and they had kept her in the dark. Lana hasn’t spoken to Penelope or Kyori since that day back at Vivi’s house, and it seems like she still bears a grudge. “It just so happens that I’m-”

(Post 2 of 2) Lanara’s about to deny the male help for the first time, but naturally, this is when Greyson enters the scene. The man looks Kyori up and down and rests his hand on the hilt of his blade, preparing to defend his Luna, should a feud arise. However, as Lana motions for him to relax, Greyson realizes that the spellblade is a friend and not a foe, “My apologies.” He pauses, “Lanara, shall I escort you both back to Lowell Estate?” Lana hesitates and sighs, before she dismounts her mare and hands the reins to Greyson, “Suuuuure. Why not? You can ride Sansa and I will walk with Kyori.” She doesn’t bother to introduce the two men because she knows it will raise questions. Tiber, her husband, will not like the fact that she has a male friend. And Kyori will want to know why Lana is traveling around with a bodyguard. Instead, she links her arm through Kyori’s and they walk behind the horse and rider, “If you wish to learn grounding, you must use some magic, you know? Otherwise, there isn’t anything to ‘ground’ and it’s rather difficult to teach. You won’t slip into another coma if we do this, right?” Brown eyes rise to the male’s face to see his reaction to her words.

(1 of 2) Kyori gives Sansa a half-cocked grin. Just like a beautiful woman to fluff her hair and show off. Not all beautiful women, he thinks, but it's funny. When he turns back to Lanara he feels her hesitation. In her body language or heart rate or even this other guy's appearance. Whoa, is every single woman pissed at him right now? "Oh yeah, Tiger. The husband." He doesn't sound jealous but looks distracted. Why would Lanara be mad at him? Kyori stiffens when her body guard shows up. Some weird man assessment. Maybe Kyori should make more guy friends. This isn't Tiber clearly. "Still haven't met the guy." Obviously he can't let this encounter go. "Do you have a side piece Lana?" Who is this random dude? He looks oddly smeared at the thought.

(2 of 2) Lanara links their arms and Kyori gives her a Look. Uhhhh? His gait is slowed to accommodate their varying strides. "If the grounding works, hope not." That was the point, right? And then a thought forms, a memory he meant to clarify. "I kind of lied." The spellblade looks down at her earthy eyes and feels unspeakable vengeance about to boil over in her slight but powerful frame. "As a joke, it was supposed to be a joke." Penelope's probably already cleared this up. That's why Lanara is mad at him. "I didn't..." Awkwardly, he looks away. He's not like a purist or anything but it's not a subject he'd bring up naturally. "Penelope, I mean, she isn't. Like, we didn't...?" She's got it right? Does he have to continue? "We aren't dating, I guess that is what I mean." His expression is muddled. Not that you need titles to make out with someone or sleep together. Only one of those things occurred regardless. "Sorry."

(Post 1 of 2) Lanara’s eyes narrow as he mispronounces her husband's name, because if he does such a thing when facing Tiber, it could prove fatal. “You’ll meet him. Soon. If you could maybe dye your hair black or brown before coming over that may win you some points.” Tiber’s going to -loathe- Kyori, she’s certain of it, but even more so if he sees that the man is blonde. Lanara prefers blondes and since learning that, her husband feels jealousy towards any fair haired men. It’s illogical, but the Catalian is quick tempered and obsessed with the witch. “We’ll have you over for dinner once things calm down…” She motions to the rider atop Sansa, “That’s Greyson. He’s the Beta in our wolf pack…” She swats at Kyori’s arm as he accuses her of having an affair. She would never! “Basically, this old work associate of Tiber’s threatened us, so we are taking precautions and I’ve been assigned a bodyguard.” She doesn’t offer any more information on the matter as they step onto the Lowell property and Greyson heads over to the stables to put Sansa away. The witch leads Kyori across the lawn and up the front steps of the mansion, where she drops his arm so that she can unlock the front door.

(Post 2 of 2) The spellblade is now confessing that he’s made a ‘joke’ regarding Penelope and Lana is looking at him as though he has three heads. The man speaks in riddles and she’s trying to figure out what he’s saying over the happy barking of Ranger, who is now running circles around Kyori’s legs and begging for attention. The door is closed and locked and Lana leads Kyori into the kitchen and motions for him to take a seat, while she remains standing. “Do you want anything to eat or drink before we work on grounding?” After getting her guest situated, she takes a seat across the table from him and folds her hands, those dark eyes sizing him up. “I do not think that getting a woman pregnant is very funny… Regardless if you are in a relationship or not, Nel deserves to have help with raising the child.” Lana shakes her head, as though she had thought better about Kyori, “If you aren’t going to stick around or be a part of the child’s life, then maybe a clean break from Nel is best. Don’t toy with her feelings and lead her on, especially when you have nothing to offer! I don’t want to see my best friend get hurt anymore than she probably already is, and if you -do- hurt her…” Lana’s eyes now have a threatening metallic sheen to them, but she doesn’t finish her sentence because she’s still giving the male a chance to right this wrong. “Be sure to financially help out, at the minimum.” Clearly, Kyori didn’t explain himself well enough and now Lana thinks that the spellblade and healer are friends with benefits and that Nel is definitely pregnant.

Kyori doesn't always explain himself well. "What's wrong with my hair?" It's getting long, he needs to cut it, but coloring it? "For sure." He confirms about dinner, distracted by everything happening. He gives Greyson a nod, a silent hello, and turns this way and that where Lana directs him until she drops his arm and leaves him standing alone. And she's looking at him weird again too. Ranger shows up and Kyori drops down to wrestle with him. "Oh buddy, you're so big now! When did you grow up huh?" The pup Lana rescued at the fair in Enchantment had grown. A real marker of time passing, one he could see. It makes him all too aware of that pain when Lana goes on about his having a child with Penelope. He gives Ranger one last head pat before standing up again and following her into the kitchen. "Nothing for me, thanks." He hadn't expected a mansion but it's nice. A place he thinks Lana deserves to live in. At the table, Kyori feels Lana's brown eyes burn holes through him. He's forced to meet her criticism with a frankness he can't control. "If she's pregnant, it's not mine." He meets her gaze, holding it, challenging her to say otherwise. She tells him a clean break would be best and his ribs ache. "Obviously I'd want to stick around. I'm not toying with her feelings. She's the one that keeps dismissing any time we kiss!" Hot and cold. Kyori scuffs, annoyed that Lanara would think so little of him. "Do you really think I'd abandon a woman I knocked up? Am I that kind of guy?" He'd asked Penelope something like this, the memory fuzzy in his frustration. He's stopped cold when Lanara tells him he's got nothing to offer Penelope. Nothing? "Nothing?" Is that why Penelope was so weird at Halifax Roots? Did she have this talk with Lanara and come to a conclusion about him that she hadn't discussed with him? "I keep telling her how I feel about her, telling her to tell me when she's ready. Maybe that was a mistake." Grounding felt far off now. He's an idiot. Penelope and Lanara are against him now for reasons he doesn't understand. "This was a mistake." He stands, pushing his hair away from his face. His anger coils around his chest like a snake, looping and squeezing until he can't catch his breath. "What did I do to piss you guys off?"

(Post 1 of 2) The rambunctious dog follows Kyori into the kitchen and is still begging for attention when the atmosphere in the room turns icy. Rarely does Lanara’s temper flare within this home, because it’s her safe place that she scarcely lets others peek into. The fact that the spellblade is sitting at her kitchen table shows that she obviously cares for him, but things are taking a very sour turn. Her stomach feels like it’s full of lead and she’s having pains in her chest, yet she tries to maintain a confident exterior. Ranger feels the emotions of his mistress shifting and he tucks his tail between his legs and flees from the room. As Kyori pleads his case with Penelope, the witch scoffs and rolls her eyes, “I didn’t mean it in -that- way! I know that you have a big heart and you’re a nice guy. It’s just… You vanish for months at a time and when you return, you expect her to just pick up where you both left off. You are more concerned about your missing sword than you are about the fact that you have some type of sleep disorder. Nel is a person and she has feelings! She should matter more than some weapon!” Lana sighs and glances away, shaking her head, “Look. It’s not my place to interfere, but I know that it’s -very- difficult for Nel. Everytime you appear she’s on cloud nine and then you are gone and it’s not possible to have a relationship or plan events, when only one person is present. You can’t hold a job, you’re living in a tavern, and I’ve been friends with you for -years- now… Yet, I know so very little about you. I imagine you tell Nel more since you’ve kissed, but is that enough? Doesn’t she deserve more? I want you -both- to be happy, but right now I’m concerned because -she- is going to end up hurt.” Ruari has likely said something similar about Kyori to the healer, but he’s biased, whereas Lana is friends with both parties.

(Post 2 of 2) Lanara rises when Kyori stands up and rounds on her, claiming that both women seem to have turned on him. She’s somewhat relieved to learn that her best friend isn’t pregnant but she’s a little miffed that they played a prank on her when she had gone out of her way to help them with the witch in Enchantment. “I have secrets of my own, too.” It’s why she hasn’t told him the truth about Natianara and why she’s constantly been butting heads with him since she’s returned. Kyori will -hate- Lanara when that truth unfolds. “I understand that there are things that you can’t talk to me about… Maybe there are reasons as to why this sword is so special or why you randomly fall into a coma. I’m not holding any of that against you, I genuinely feel sympathetic towards you.” There’s a long pause as she gathers her thoughts, returning her gaze to the male’s face, “I was -thrilled- when you decided to play that little game of dating and baby making with Nel. Because everyone deserves happiness and love, and I often thought you would look cute together… But, after I slept on it and mulled it over for a few days… I realized that Nel doesn’t need another man that’s here today and gone tomorrow.” The healer confided in her about Lionel and she knows a few details about Linken. “Nel needs an equal, someone to weather the storm at her side. She shouldn’t have to be your caretaker and what you’re doing is leading her on, even if you don’t see it.” A single tear spills onto Lana’s cheek, which she swats away, “I’m your friend and I want to help you figure out this sleep issue and to get your sword back. I don’t mean to upset you with all this talk, but if I don’t tell you how I feel, then I know you won’t think of these things on your own. Your actions have consequences, and I will not stand here and silently watch you break her heart. You’re better off as friends! Don’t ruin that beautiful friendship.”

Kyori grunts in frustration. “I want to find my sword so I can break the curse Lana. The sword means I can do it. It’s the sword causing it. The sword has the little souls of my entire dead family in it. The sword has a gem, connected to the ring Pen wears, that lets me know when she’s in trouble so I can get to her. Even when I’m asleep. Without that sword, I can’t fix it. If I can’t fix it, if I can’t protect anyone. If I can’t save anyone, I can’t give anyone any kind of future.” He’d told Penelope that, had he failed to tell Lanara too? Their time together was fragmented between his disappearances and her previously scheduled death. Everyone is telling him it’s a bad idea. Ruari, now Lana. Kyori’s a problem Penelope’s trying to fix, to her detriment. He’d wanted to ask about Nat today, ask why the witch brought up Lanara's daughter at their stand off. Lana loved Nat. Her own daughter. What did that witch mean? “I fall asleep when I use too much magic. That’s another reason I thought grounding would help me stay here. Be here.” Lana tells him that she barely knows him and he knows it’s true. He hates that it’s true. Originally, that had been by design. He presented himself as a different person when he came to this place, when he met these people. Aloof, funny guy. Easy to talk to, flakey. Fun. But then he cared. About Nat. She started the process. Then Lana and the list grows. He spent all that time with her during her imprisonment in Enchantment but he’d never shown a truth about himself beyond his anger. “Penelope is WHY I don’t want to be here and gone. I gave her the power to wake me up. But she can’t if I don’t have my sword.” He’s spiraling internally, trying not to let his anger win. It was Lana. He’d punched a guy for her. He’d do it again. But she’s saying back to him the things he needs to be, which are the things he’s already pledged to be to Penelope. Verbatim, the bit about being by her side. Verbatim, outside Halifax roots, years ago and weeks ago. Then Lanara says the single thing he didn’t want to hear. Worse, at this place in time, than anything he can think of. Jaw clenched, he holds his ground. “You’re wrong.” He swallows, trying not to vomit. “I’m not Linken, who left her with his two kids, a dead brother and PTSD.” He gestures wide, trying to channel his thoughts. He doesn’t know about Lionel, had only heard his name in passing from Lanara years ago. “Why am I not good enough for her, to you? -Everything- I’m trying to do is for her.”

(Post 1 of 2) Lanara blinks when Kyori tells her that his dead relatives are somehow contained in the metal of the sword, because she’s never heard of a soul trapping weapon that causes one to slip into a comatose state. It’s a bit far-fetched in her magical mind, but she doesn’t voice this opinion. She’s already hurt his feelings enough for one day, but she does wonder if perhaps he suffers from some sort of psychosis. The spellblade is now focusing on his sword and trying to discount all of her viewpoints, and all Lana can do is stare at him with sympathetic eyes. The more he speaks, the more that anger boils in her gut, until it coils and prepares to strike. He had kept this huge secret from her since the day they met, and she doubts that Nat knew about it, either. The witch clenches her hands into fists and lashes out, “You should have -told- me, Kyori. I blamed myself every fracking day after you punched that guy in Enchantment and slipped into a coma! I thought you were going to die and it would have been -MY- fault! You vanished right after my brother died and before my trial. Fast forward a few months and you wake up days before I faced my death and became what I am now! Only to go back to bed and have me face everything while missing a close friend!” The transition from elf to lycan hadn’t been pleasant and she had initially rejected the curse. “You bailed on Nat. You bailed on me. And I get that it’s not in your control when you slip in and out of consciousness… But you never told me -why- it happened. You never showed remorse for abandoning me! Our friendship should have mattered! Yet, you tell Nel all your secrets and you are willing to stick around because you care about -her- but to hell with everyone else? I guess a crush trumps a years-long friendship in your eyes, and I’m not jealous, but I am greatly offended at having been kept in the dark all this time. I never once lied to you or kept a secret from you… Until recently.” She pauses to catch her breath and nearly comes clean about what happened in Kelvar, the memory of the death of her daughter causing tears to well in her eyes.

(Post 2 of 2) The front door slams and Lana stands up straighter when Greyson enters the kitchen and looks from the witch to the spellblade and back again, “Sansa has been fed, watered, and returned to the stables.” He leans against the counter and noisily bites into an apple, trying not to eavesdrop too much, but refusing to leave the side of his Luna. He can sense her distress and knows Tiber will kill him if anything happens, so Greyson remains rooted in the kitchen. Lana’s expression is one of pain as she takes a step back from Kyori, “You aren’t good enough for Penelope because you are a boy, Kyori. You have a long way to go, even if this curse can be broken and your sword reclaimed. You need to get a job, a home, grow up some more! I’m not saying any of this to hurt you. It’s not vengeance for the pain you’ve inflicted on me. But… Nel needs a -man- that is more established and mature, a Mr. Right, not a Mr. Right Now. I only see heartache for you both if you continue on this path. I won’t speak of this any further, but now you know where I stand.” Lana’s cheeks flood with color as she remembers their reason for this meeting, “I’m too upset to use magic today, but maybe we can meet up later in the week.” She will still help him, despite their fractured friendship. “I’m asking you to leave now, Kyori… I think we said all that needs to be said and if Tiber comes home and sees me upset… Well… It’s your funeral.” Greyson takes another bite of his apple, his gaze focused on Kyori for a long moment. If the spellblade refuses to exit the home, he will forcefully remove him from the premises.

Kyori stands stiffly on his side of the table and sighs. “Lana, seriously, why would I have told you all that in Enchantment? You were on trial, your sister thought you were in a mental institution and then your brother died. I didn’t want to be who I am, that’s why I came here. I wasn’t going to dump my trauma and problems on you. You had enough going on.” He huffs, wasn’t that obvious? “I didn’t fall into a coma because I punched that guy…” He’d been so focused on protecting Nat and then being mostly solid ground for Lanara when they’d first met, when he was awake, that he’d neglected to say much about himself. That wasn’t a crime. “I used a lot of magic to help make that amulet when you were near death, I wasn’t trying to dip and not support you. I wanted to do everything I could to give you what you wanted. The amulet seemed more important. I thought the amulet could save you!” They didn’t tell him it was for her husband. Then comes the slap in the face. He bailed on them? Never showed remorse? Was she kidding? “Our friendship does matter!” He barks, blood boiling that she’d think otherwise. He didn’t want to fight Lanara. This argument doesn’t make sense. He’d done his best to protect her but apparently his best was laughable in her eyes. She jabs him further, tearing him down in all the right places. He had a job. He was trying to make a home. Trust people. Rebuild. Angry as he is, he has no intention of hanging around being berated. When she threatens him with her husband, he scuffs and digs into his pocket and plops an envelope on the table. It’s wrinkled and thin. “Glad to know where we stand.” His mirthless expression lingers on her face. “Later.” He lifts a hand so the lycans know he isn’t resisting and sees himself out.