RP:A Healthy Liaison

Summary: Emilia and Lanara meet up by happenstance at the Kelay Tavern, after not having come into contact with each other for a few years. The two women, who were as close as sisters in the past, have a heartfelt reunion where they discuss the paths their lives had taken during their time apart. Both are shocked to hear that each other is leading a guild, and the two plan to bridge the Healers Guild and the Adventurers' Guild, so that both guilds can benefit from each other in the coming days. A meeting is to be scheduled in the near future so that the members can converse about their shared goals.

Lanara walks along the familiar path, entering the main stretch of Kelay, and she wears a smile on her pretty face. She had been through a lot the past year and it felt so good to have found her grin again, and she gives a curt nod to any that catch her gaze. Eventually, she comes up to the tavern and she pauses outside of the establishment, wondering if she should go in for a drink before heading home for the evening. The sun was just beginning to set in the distance and a faint breeze causes her long chestnut locks to gently flutter, as she deliberates. Bar fights were a common occurrence at the Whalers in Cenril, but Kelay was a pretty neutral environment, for the most part. The elf just didn’t want the evening to end on a bad note, not when she had such an incredible day at her sanctuary. Seven puppies were adopted! With a sigh, she shoulders her way into the tavern and makes her way to an empty stool before the bar, her knee high boots barely making any noise, though several heads turn her way to eye the newcomer. Donning tan leggings and a green sweater she wasn’t over or under dressed so she assumes the attention is merely because she’s the last person to have entered the room, and nothing more. “Hey Nancy, can I get an ale, please?” The barmaid gives her a wink and pours her drink, as Lana looks around the room her dark eyes briefly settling upon each individual in a close proximity.

Emilia found her way into the tavern not long after Lanara had seated herself at the bar. The Genasi was a sight for sore eyes in more than one way starting with her lack of presence in the land to her current appearance. The co leader of the Healer's Guild was thin as ever barely keeping the torn and tattered gown, which was covered in both blood and debris, upon her small frame. For once the blood did not belong to the woman. Those white curls wild as ever dragging across the floor as she made her way bare footed across the tavern to the bar herself. It was well past time for a drink. Hopping up into a bar stool just down from Lanara the ice woman tapped her stump of a wrist against the counter to get attention enough to order herself a drink. The missing right hand of the Genasi was not exactly lost totally, it was perched atop her head half hidden in the mess of tangled white curls. Animated by an unknown magical bond to the owner it waved a finger at all the patrons daring to stare at it as if it could see them gawking at it. “A rum!” Em said in a most soft wintery voice before leaning over the bar letting out a tired sigh, glad to be off her feet.

Lanara slowly sips her ale, shocked at how strong the flavor was, though truth be told she’d been spending most of her days in Gualon with Largakh and their ale was watered down. She would definitely be feeling a buzz tonight! A man at the edge of the bar catches her eye and gives her a suggestive wink, to which she scowls, not in the mood to be hit on, though he clearly doesn’t take the hint. Sidling over to the witch he offers to buy her a drink, despite the fact that her glass is nearly full and she only had a sip or two from the brim. Was he blind as well as a moron? Whatever the reason, she merely shakes her head, grabs her glass, and moves further down the bar, taking a seat at Emilia’s side. Sighing heavily, she discretely eyes the stump as it’s tapped against the countertop, her expression softening. Physical disabilities always pulled at her, as she had the heart of a healer, though she doesn’t want to get caught staring so she bows her head and notices that the woman with the very long hair and missing hand, was also barefoot in a tavern! Wasn’t she frightened of stepping on some broken glass, and possibly losing a foot?! Shocked, she lifts her chocolate gaze and locks eyes with the cerulean stare of none other than the Ice Genasi herself, Emilia. “Emi!” Lana is ecstatic to see her old roommate, employer, and close friend, and she glances around for the triplets, though upon not seeing them or Xersom, she assumes the little woman is here by herself. Nancy brings the drink over, and Lana pays the tab, treating her friend, as she cocks her head to the side, just now noticing the appendage atop her head. “How are you? It’s been a very long time… I see you lost your hand, sort of… Are you alright, Emi?”

Emilia swung her dirt covered bare feet much like a child in a chair too tall while waiting for their candy as she herself waited for the rum to arrive. Child sized at best it had taken the woman many visits to convince them she was even old enough to partake in the adult lifestyle of drinking. A glance up from the bar at the slight commotion next to the healer, the very one that seated Lanara right next to her, only for the Genasi to roll her eyes and snap her fingers together sending a burst of cold dismissive harmless air at the drunken man. A clear signal he should shoo before she turned him into an ice cube. There was a gentle smile over frosty blue lips as the elf remember her old time friend, “Oh, Lanara, pleasure to see you here.” Her voice was chipper. The black hand atop her head lifted a finger to wiggle at the other woman as if saying hello too before hopping much like a large spider off the white curls onto the bar between the woman. Shifting in her seat the Healer shrugged before answering as it had been sometime since the two had shared each others company, “Well, Xersom left the lands well over a year ago and has not return nor have they been spotted. I went a bit wild for a time and ran an adventures group, but then I traded in the crazy for another crazy and accepted co leader status of the Healer's guild. Funny? Most people cannot stand being too close with my chill yet I mend them up for a living now. Found myself caught and experimented on for a few months before being freed and put under the knife to have surgery in another's homeland to coat my frail ice bones in metal. And now I have returned to the lands though staying mostly out of the public wandering here and there staying between Gaulon and Frostmaw. Healing as I go….ah, what about yourself? It has been ages my friend.”

Lanara lowers her glass, her gaze not once wavering from the eyes of her old friend, even when the hand hops from Emi’s head and lands on the bar, behaving as would an exuberant spider. Did it just wave?! The elf gives the petite woman her undivided attention, grinning as her annoying suitor felt a gust of cold air, the man feels the chill and slips from the stool in pursuit of another victim for the evening. Lana’s eyes widen at the mention of Xersom leaving the lands, as this is the first she’s heard of it, not that she was particularly fond of the male or that she thought to ask others about his whereabouts. He was always cordial to her, but not overly warm and welcoming, the opposite of his lovely wife. She assumes when Emi says ‘they’ have not been spotted that he took the triplets with him, and this causes her to frown, as she was especially attached to Lynne at one time. Then she goes on to talk about guilds, and the fact that she was abducted and experimented on like some circus creature, and Lana shakes her head in disbelief. How had she endured all of that? Alone, no less?! “Oh, Emi… I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through… The years haven’t been kind to either of us, it seems… Funny how we chanced upon each other here, after, what has it been? Two, three years now? The last I saw you was at my birthday party a few years back…” Sighing, she takes a sip of her ale, and swallows, gathering her thoughts. “While you were on the mend, you were healing others… I’m so happy that the Healer’s Guild has given you a well-deserved title. It’s sometimes easier to care for others when we don’t even bother to look after ourselves… I do hope that the little ones are found, and if you ever wish to arrange a search party, look no further, I’m in, wholeheartedly…” Running a hand through her long locks, Lana fills in the genasi on her own life the past few years, “Well… Quite a bit has happened to me. I died. Twice. After making a deal with the otherside I was brought back to life, though without the use of my magic, so it was very hard to get by and I had to take some jobs that I’m not proud to admit. My sister became possessed, and during an exorcism my magic was returned to me, and I saved her life but lost my empathic abilities. I was engaged to the infamous witch killer, Eirik, but we didn’t work out… I helped the witches when I could, in Larket, by delivering healing herbs and things like that… From the sidelines, of course, as I –am- a witch. And that’s about it… Recently things began to turn around… I now lead that Adventurer’s Guild you were just talking about, oddly! And I opened an animal sanctuary in Sage. How strange that we both are into healing and adventure and we both are part of a guild! You should join the ranks here, again!” Winking, she smiles, hoping to lighten the mood, and maybe gain a new member!

Emilia grasped her glass with her left hand and lifted it up to her lips for a slow drink before setting it down again as she listened to Lanara now share her tale. Seems she too had quite the adventures these past years. The black ice hand did not sit idle as either woman talked. Much like a kitten wanting attention it walked the space between the women trying to gain attention from either one of them. At one point while Lana was taking a moment to breathe Em slammed her fist down on the bar before the hand, “Enough Righty, settle down darnit.” The hand seemed to sulk as it slumped down and crawled ita way back to the top of the Genasi's head, curling up in the mess of curls. Dear goodness the Genasi was overdue for a bath, what adventure had she last underwent. Once the other lady had finishes speaking the Healer spoke again, “I never likeed Eirik when he was with Sabrina, yet he did save my life once so I suppose I owe him that much. I am sorry to hear of your death twice, but I am very glad that you are sitting next to me alive. I can say that you sound a bit like my dear friend Not Lost and Sabrina there telling me I should spend time mending myself. I fear that the world is always after what it cannot understand and thus I will never have time to mend fully. I am getting through life with a focus on helping others instead of myself….works well for me. I do believe that there could be some room for wiggle with us both having a say in our Guild worlds. Frankly I find that I would feel most pleased to find an alliance of sorts I suppose to call it between Adventure's and Healer's, perhaps a liaison position could be filled by me? Ah, well yes I know your Guild well or used to know it well when I ran it. Glad to hear it is on the rise again. Nothing wrong with good adventure. Never mind finding the kiddos Xersom is long gone with them beyond these lands. He knows how to hide well…I am sure they are safer with him than with me. He loves them that he does….” A sad pause as the woman realized not only was she rambling, but that this was the first time in over a year or so she had spoken aloud about her kids. The rum was then downed without a second thought, empty glass slid down the bar with a waggle of pale fingers for another. Whilst waiting for the next glass, “Sorry to have rambled. So much to catch up on and yet never enough time. I have missed you my friend and I am sorry I have not been around for you these last years like a good friend should have been.”

Lanara watches the hand wandering across the bar, like a puppy craving for a pet, and her eyes slightly widen as Emilia scolds it, and it actually sulks! An animated hand pet?! It had quite a personality! She would be amused if it weren’t also a little creepy, and she feels terrible that her friend is missing the use of her right appendage. It would be like Lana losing one of her legs… How would she ever dance again or walk the treetops?! And she heard rumors that when someone lost a limb they often had terrible phantom pains. She feels pity for the little woman, though she knows that Emi wouldn’t want her sympathy that she was strong enough to deal with whatever life through her way. Losing a husband, three children, and a hand, somehow seems more terrifying than dying twice, and Lana shakes her head, reaching out to gently tuck one of those platinum locks behind the Genasi’s ear. She doesn’t touch her flesh, for she knows the chill that will coat her fingertips, though she wants to offer affection, all the same. “You have been with me all these years, Emi. I never forgot one that has shown me such kindness, and one who I consider a family member. Living with you and your family were some of the best days of my life. I learned what hard labor was, but I also learned kinship and I was honored to share some of my high holidays with you. When I was going through tough times, I would focus on the things that once made me smile, and that’s what brought me back and gave me a reason to live.” She pauses, nipping her lower lip, “I’m sorry that I wasn’t present when you needed me most. I’ve lived a little bit of everywhere the past few years, but that’s no excuse. And it’s odd how we –always- end up at the Kelay Tavern.” She chuckles and takes another sip of her ale, as she was rarely one to down a drink and often nursed the same glass the whole night. “Eirik had his good and bad qualities… At the start we have amazing chemistry and then things just went so far south we couldn’t regain what had been lost… I’m seeing another man, now, and things are going great. His name is Largakh, and he lives over in Gualon.” As the barmaid returns with a refill for Emi and gawks at the hand atop her head, she arches a brow at Lana, to which the elf shakes her head. One drink was enough, though if they kept rehashing their pasts, she just may need another! The discussions about their guilds forming an alliance of sorts has her nodding her head in agreement, and she lowers her glass, and traces the rim with her pointer finger. “That’s a pretty good idea. I have a feeling there will be times we will have need of each other… For example, if the Healer’s Guild is in need of a particular herb or item… The Adventurer’s Guild could gather supplies on our many journeys, as we travel near and far, all over the realm. And if any adventurer’s are injured on their quests, well, they’d have to see a healer, obviously!” Smiling, Lana nods, thinking this union of sorts would be a wonderful idea, as she wanted the best for her guild, and for Emi and her healer’s, too! “What do you think? Perhaps, we can arrange a guild meeting in a few weeks, with members from both sides, so we can all meet and go over things?”

Emilia had grown custom to people staring at her wandering hand that appeared life like as if a pet as long as it stayed within a bubble of space distance from the woman it was once attached to. With her hand curled up in her locks the Genasi listened to the other woman with a gentle smile on her face. There was so many things to catch up with this lady, yet this was not the time or place for all such things. Reaching over the Genasi gave a quick pat to the hand of the elf, so brief she only would feel a tint of cold but nothing more, "I look forward to this meeting and the connecting of two guilds near and dear to my heart. Perhaps there still is adventure left in these frozen bones. Please never hesitate to reach out to me...I am never far." Before standing the Healer downed her second glass for the night and was gone.