RP:A Lyastri Reunion

Summary: Rumiko reconnects with Magik and meets a couple of a new faces in the process.

The Hanging Corpse Tavern

Meri’s visits to Vailkrin have become more frequent since she and Quintessa have grown closer and that is precisely where she was headed today, her adopted niece’s home. As she trudges along the Vailkrin city streets, she passes by the Hanging Corpse and an all too familiar craving begins to burn in the back of her throat. How long ago had she drained her flask? Okay, fine. It really had not been that long but that lask swig really just did not hit the spot the way the lycan woman was hoping. She -could- continue on to Quintessa’s home and drink her niece out of house and home, as if the changeling would really mind, but she instead takes a brief detour. Into the tavern she goes, lingering in the doorway long enough for her gaze to land on the grand piano that was the focal point of the decor. A smile creeps across Meri’s red lips as memories flood back, fond ones based on her expression. The tattooed woman does not block the entrance for long. Her priorities are in order and a quick approach of the bar is made. No one who actually knows Meri should be surprised by the lycan’s drink of choice. “Whiskey. Skip the glass, just give me the bottle.” It’s not a hard order to fill, it would not take the bartender long, but while she waits Meri finally takes a more in depth look around the room. Who else was present? Where were they sitting? With what company? There were all details of note to the tattooed woman who was clad predominantly in black.

Karasu is seated at the bar in a stool far too tall for her barely five foot stature, as evidenced by how her legs idly swing beneath the metal legs as she wolfs down a plate of smoked meats as if she has never eaten in her life. A strange change from her usual attire, the demifeline's hair has been pinned up into two buns that sit squarely behind her deep violet cat ears, presumably to keep the hair from becoming tangled in the bandages around her neck. She stops when she hears a familiar order and glances over at Meri while unceremoniously wiping her mouth with the back of her sleeve. "Shadow?"

Rumiko released a puff of air that sent newly shortened hair up and out of her face. It was the strong need for change that had given the nymph the bright idea, and she was starting to remember just why she'd grown it out in the first place. Slender fingers reached for the stem of her glass as the door opened and verdant eyes were quick in their glance to the black clad female that joined the taverns crowd. Habit had pointed ears listening to those around her; a caught breath, a shift towards the door, anything that might hint that Meri was someone- or something- to be wary of. The call of a name- real or moniker- drew her attention towards the feline further down the bar, and her flute was pulled to her lips for a sip of wine that did little to calm her nerves. How was a place so familiar also so foreign? She had spent many night here when she was younger. Now? Rumi only recognized a single face in the crowd, and he was ready to refill her glass. "Still nothing from either of them?" Her question was met with a silent shake of the head. "They can't all be gone, can they?" Another silent response by way of a shrug was offered as she huffed once more, this time coming to rest her chin upon her open palm. "At least I have Mahri."

Meri didn’t recognize Kara the first time her gaze swept about the room. It’s not until the petite woman speaks to her that realization settles in, followed quickly by a frown. Meri and her bottle of whiskey move a bit closer, reaching out to lightly let her fingers trail the edges of Kara’s bandage. It’s a silent question, but Meri doesn’t actually expect an answer. Not in this public setting, especially when the crowd seemed to be increasing in number. A redhead enters the bar and Meri’s attention is quick to swivel toward the latest arrival, giving Kara a very gentle nudge with an elbow. “Hey, do we know her?” the tattooed asks of Kara, evidently the question is rhetorical because Meri goes on to declare, “We’re going to know her.” This is said at full volume, mind you. The lycan often finds herself to be completely lacking in shame and thus she does not really care if Rumiko can hear Meri openly speaking of her. It’s not like anything the tattooed woman said was bad but she is obviously very forward, a detail that Meri is going to keep trying to prove to both Kara and Rumi, “Mahri. That’s a name that I know. What I don’t know is what your name is.” A smile slides smoothly across the werewolf’s red lips. “Why don’t you come on over here and introduce yourself. I’ll buy you a drink. We’ll be friends before you know it.”

Magik did his very best to walk in unnoticed minus the fact that his heavy footsteps carried in an unusually tall elf with fiery eyes and such. He was dressed in all black too. The Lyastri removes his shadowed hood as he takes a seat at the bar. Steadmen is quickly dismissed with a polite wave of the hand. He pays no mind to the other patrons as he starts writing in a small journal.

Karasu smiles crookedly at the light touch to hide a wince. "I may or may not have died for a little bit. I have to build up on energy to continue treatment for this." She dismisses the concern as if it is no more than a paper cut. "Hi Dad." She calls over to Magik with a turd-eating grin before following Meri to Rumiko. "Hm? Isn't Mahri one of Quintessa's friends too?"

Magik definitely looked up to catch that grin. He was not amused..on the outside atleast. Inside, he definitely smirked a bit. More writing.

Rumiko was surrounded by people she didn't recognize, so when she was indirectly addressed Meri would find green eyes looking her way once more. A single brow lofts in question, though the rim of her glass is pressed against her lips once more as if to drink, when really she was only biding her time. It was the repeat of the once Beta's name that really caught her curiosity, and the nymph returned her fresh glass to the wooden bar top as she pushed off the stool to land with a click of heels. "Is it now?" A name she knew. The shorter woman reached back and up for her wine as she took slow steps around the other stools and patrons to wander closer. Her gait was slow, though not predatory. Not exactly. That same path carried her closer to the door despite her gaze never shifting towards it, "I have many names." Here especially, and she was rather used to people not liking the sound of it. "I am called Rumiko." The druid's gaze moved towards the male that had entered on her crossing, though her attention was mostly claimed by the lycan seemed intent of making her acquaintance. "Mahri is..." What a complicated relationship that was to explain, "someone very close to me. And you are?" That same brow rose once more, verdant eyes sliding between both the wolf and the feline.

Meri :: While Meri had been predominantly all smiles for this encounter thus far, hearing that Kara almost died wipes that grin clean off of Meri’s face. “Said like it is nothing, I’m going to have to get the full story out of you soon,” the werewolf says to the spellblade, but Kara presses the subject matter on to other things and so Meri drops the topic. For now. If Mahri was one of Quintessa’s friends too? That is answered with a shrug. “You’d know better than I would.” Someone else enters the tavern and once that figure is settled and has his hood pulled back, Meri finds another familiar face. One that seems to be wanting to mostly mind his own and Meri will let him..Mostly. Except after a quick conversation with the bartender, a very colorful mixed drink will arrive at his spot. At the same time, Meri is also paying for that drink that she promised Rumiko, but for Rumi? Well Steadman is instructed to give her whatever drink Rumi felt like ordering for herself. Meri resumes her conversation with Kara and Rumiko. A tattooed hand is extended to the unfamiliar nymph, “Meri.” Kara is left to introduce herself. “Glad to be meeting you, Rumi. Any friend of Mahri’s is a friend of mine.” A brief pause. “Tell me. If you know Mahri, do you know that bloke further down the bar from us?” Meri’s gesturing to that stupid tall elf with a toss of her chin now. The one who is going to have a rainbow drink sitting in front of him very shortly.

Magik paused at Rumiko speaking her name. "Can't be," he thinks to himself. He jots down a few more words before closing his journal. Those dark eyes stare at the journal for a moment before slowly turning in his seat towards Rumiko, unfortunately missing the rainbow drink delivery. "Rumiko.." Magik tried his very best to contain his excitement.

Rumiko was a wellspring of mana, and had she known the pair better, she might have offered to speed up the process for Karasu. The night was still young, however. The fact that neither of the two seemed completely repulsed by the offered name had the nymph moving to settle in a chair once more. There was no need to sprint towards the door if she was unrecognized now for past transgressions. A visible relaxing of her shoulders came as she hooked her heel into the rung of the stool and climbed upon it; standing about the same height as the feline, her feet hung above the floorboards too. One hand wrapped around her flute of wine once more, her hair falling into her face again as she nods towards it for her order to Steadmen, the other is offered towards the lycan to give a firm shake. The mention of the male at the bar had those shoulders tensing once more; paranoia was a terrible plague of the mind, and the nymph's jumped straight towards a three against one scenario. At least until a familiar voice pulled her attention the rest of the way down the bar. In one moment she was ready to run towards the door, the next towards the vampire she couldn't believe she'd missed, and vaguely she had the mind to throw things at Steadmen. How many times had one of her requested entered the tavern, only for the keep to tell her he hadn't seen them? Liar. "Magik?" The break in her voice was unexpected, but it did little to slow her all but falling from her stool to rush over. Ready or not he'd find the druid wrapping her arms around him, "I can't believe you're here..." Which made prefect sense in her mind; she didn't often find what she sought.

Meri frowns as Magik misses her drink. It seems Magik and Rumi are about to have a little bit of a reunion. Did they have a lot to catch upon? Should Meri leave? Meri has not quite decided on that front yet but her blue-eyed gaze moves to the front door in contemplation. “Ah, so you do know him. Another mutual friend that we have in common.” Meri lifts a brow, shifting her gaze from the door, to Magik, before they settle back on Rumi. “Not that you’d really be able to tell that Magik and I are friends, based on his behavior right now.” A wry smirk pulls at her lips, “Then again, maybe I’ve got it all wrong.” Fingers wrap themselves about the neck of her bottle of whiskey, the blonde deciding to silence herself by pressing that bottle to her lips. The break from her incessant talking will continue even after she’s done with that long drink, for Meri distracts herself with trying to find her smokes next.

Magik was more than ready for Rumiko's hug. The Lyastri was quick to stand up and slide his stool to the side before Rumiko's impact. He held her tightly as he looked over to Meri, "Meri, this is my sister..And yes, we are friends, ya goof." After giving Rumi one more tight squeeze, he slips loose to set up the barstools the Lyastris knocked over. Once settled back in, he grabs up the rainbow drink and starts to sip on it. Meri gets a quick wink between a sip of the mystery drink. Wanting to keep the conversation going he asks, "What brought you back, Rumi?" Meri then receives a quick glance. With a quick scratch of his ear near his black plug that sits in his lobe, he also quickly arches a single brow. Obviously, Magik had something on his mind already but the details could be discussed at a later time.

Rumiko decided in that moment- not that it would be noticeable- that she owed the blonde, and much. She'd had every intention of finishing that first glass of red and leaving the tavern for home; as much as a dingy Inn could be considered home. Had Meri not called out to her, she might well have missed Magik entirely. Gods knew Steadmen wasn't doing her any favors, the louse. Even after she was released it took a moment for the woman to step back, and when she finally did it was to she horror that she'd abandoned the original conversation in a very unprofessional manner. "I, um, I mean." The nymph bit into her lower lip as she tried to stop herself from fumbling over any more of her words, and it was Meri she addressed first. "I apologize, that was incredibly rude of me. Yes, as stated, we are family." It was curious how they seemed to have several relationships in common, but had not met. Towards Magik she turned then, her grin returning as she ground her toe into the floor, "Well actually, you did, brother-mine. I found myself... unable to remain where I was, and I could think of no other place to go." This was the last place she had seen any of them.

Meri :: Hugging was happening, stools were knocked over, and by the time they righted? Meri had a smoke between her red lips and had managed to light it up! Magik introduces Rumiko as his sister and Meri’s attention shifts back and forth between the stupidly tall elf and the extremely not tall druid. They were related? Really? It’s not a detail that Meri stresses over too much, not all family is blood. Meri knows this detail well. Magik’s sentiments to her are met with a smirk. Goof was not the worst thing she has been called in her years. “Your sister, eh?” The tattooed woman could not help but be curious. Both Magik and Rumi were about to field numerous questions from Meri, so there should be plenty for everyone to converse about, “Older sister? Younger sister? Same parents? How long has it been since you two have seen each other? Give me all the deets.” Meri saw the way that Magik hinted he had something he wanted to talk about and Meri meets that gesture with an impatient look. Waiting was not always Meri’s strong suit, later was such a horrible word.

Magik finished his drink and slid the empty mug back to Steadmen. Then, the sudden barrage of questions from Meri. First, a reply for Rumiko, "Well, I have plenty of room at my place in Sage if you need a place to stay. Just look up." As for Meri, he orders a whiskey for her..neat. Maybe? "Holy twenty one questions, Meri..Younger sister through adoption. Same mother. My father has been long dead. Um.." He then counts on his fingers, "And..It's been way too long since we've seen each other."

Rumiko could do little more than flutter her lashes as the questions were asked; had she ever known someone that could talk to fast? "Yes," A finger pointed up towards the taller male as he answered the questions faster than she could think of where to even begin. "All of that, and it's been... ten? Maybe fifteen years?" Her right hand came to twirl the ring on her left finger as she tried to remember how long ago she'd left. "Much too long." It was an agreement earned all gathered another grin, and the invitation might have earned more gratitude in the gentle squeezing of Magik's arm. "That would be lovely." At least there she'd feel safe. "What about you two?" Her gaze slide between the two, the corner of her lips twisting up in a small smirk, "Friends? Or...?"

Meri :: A bit of mischief begins to form in Meri’s eyes, the werewolf starting to mentally gear up for another round of obnoxiously harassing her present company. What was she going to go on about next? Who was her poor target? Magik? Rumiko? It was going to wait until after Meri emptied that shot of whiskey that Magik ordered for her. Or. More accurately, that shot that Meri ends up choking down instead of swallowing smoothly like the alcoholic that she is. The redheaded druid manages to hit Meri with a question that derails whatever poor behavior she was intent on displaying. Friends. Or. It was the ‘or’ that had the recently divorced woman lifting a brow. “Friends. No or. Don’t wish that evil on your poor brother,” Meri teases as she slides out of her stool and moves closer to the grand piano that caught her attention when she initially entered. A finger trails along the keys, but the woman doesn’t apply enough pressure that any notes are actually played. It’s for the best. She’s not a musician, just taking a small trip down memory lane. “Just look up. What horrible directions,” she teases Magik before commenting to Rumiko. “I could show you sometime if you’d like.” This will be when Meri and Rumi drink all of Magik’s booze, right?

Magik simply smirks at Meri. She can interpret that how she would like. Or. Heh. Anyways. Magik's frame starts smoking, "I'd love to keep chatting but I have to check in on Mirshann and Ohtar." He warmly smiles at the other Lyastri. It's weird typing that. "I'm glad you're back, Rumiko. I'll talk to you soon." Meri..Over at the piano and such. She gets a simple tongue stuck out at her before he completely dissipates into his black smoke and flies out of the tavern doors.

Rumiko caught more of that 'no' than she might have been meant to. Having lost a marriage of her own, though not likely in the same manner, she was hit with a sudden pang that had her abandoning the ring on her hand to massage gently the flesh over her heart. "Apologies." It was offered quietly, though she wasn't completely sure just why she was sorry. Green eyes fell to the floor for lack of something to focus on whilst she had her moment, though she continued to track the lycan as she made her way towards the piano. "That would be nice." Directions, she'd meant. Her lips parted to say something more, but then Magik was saying his goodbyes. "Ah, yes. Goodnight." Then he was gone. Manicured nails tapped along the edge of the bar as she turned back to find Meri at the piano. "That was... unexpected." Another smiled gently curved her lips, "Thank you." Even if it didn't make sense.

Meri’s blue eyes lock briefly with Rumiko’s own green eyes, the druid’s reaction and apologies revealing to the lycan that maybe her ‘no’ let on more than Meri would care to. Meri adds on, once she’s sure Magik is out of earshot. “Don’t get me wrong though. No offense to your brother is meant.” Rumi might have stumbled into one of the few subject matters that Meri was actually sensitive about, but….! The blonde isn’t about to let it bring the mood down. Rumi just had a pleasant night reuniting with her brother and maybe making a couple of new friends. Meri would continue that. “Ah, hell. It’s like. In the middle of the Kelay forest up a tree. Directions are...We’ll just meet up and I will show you, yeah?” Meri plops down onto the piano bench so that she can retrieve a book from her satchel. It’s a sketchbook, so no one needs to be too alarmed when Meri just rips out part of page from it. It’s half the point. A piece of charcoal is also taken out of her bag. “So most of the time I am out in Cenril, yeah? At this shop called the Rebel Room.” She’s jotting that name down for Rumi. “You can send word there. We’ll make plans. Sometimes though, I come down to pay my niece Quintessa visit.” She writes that name down. “She lives in Vailkrin. I am sure you could ask Mahri about her. They might know each other.” That paper is then offered toward Rumiko for later reference. “Speaking of my niece...I was going to drop in and say hello to her. And then I got distracted.” Cue a sheepish smirk from Meri. “I should probably also be on my way. But...I hope you’ll take me up on my offer soon, yeah?”

Rumiko understood sensitive subjects. It was one of the reasons she was sipping her wine tonight, and not gulping down tequila as she wanted to be. Some things were meant to be done in private, and she hadn't yet felt comfortable enough since her return to release the pent up anguish she was trying her hardest to hide. The smile that came then was honest, though didn't quite meet her eyes this time, "Lanky elf would live in a tree." She missed the manor, which was why she'd come to Vailkrin in the first place. The whole place had changed; all save this tavern it would seem. The paper was taken without hesitation; the nymph knew how valuable life lines could be when you hardly knew anyone. "I'll be sure to do that." Ask Mahri. Any friend of the wolf was a welcome one. "It was good to meet you, Meri. I will be sure to come and find you soon." There was only so much she could take at the Inn, after all. Her wine was finished, an additional coin left for clean-up and the druid was heading towards the door and out into the night.