RP:A Priceless Present
Summary: Lanara invites Krice to lunch at the restaurant in Kelay, and harbors a secret item in her satchel. After a little chatting, the witch tells the warrior a tale that has been passed down for centuries in her homeland of Kelvar. A ring from the tale, which had belonged to Kuruni, is then passed across the table. Lana gives the priceless token to Krice, so that he can give it to Talyara as a Yule present. It's obvious that this gift holds great importance to the sister's, and that Lana approves of Krice as the one who holds Taly's heart.
Lanara had sent a letter to Krice a few days prior, urging him to meet her at midday, at the restaurant in Kelay. Would the warrior even show up? The hostess leads Lanara to a table at the far right of the establishment, somewhat away from the busier section reserved for lunch, as she knew the witch appreciated privacy when tending to business. Clad in a hunter green sweater dress and black knee-high boots, Lanara eyes the menu and orders an ice tea, though she doesn’t bother ordering any food until Krice arrives. She didn’t want to come across as rude, though she appears nervous and keeps patting the leather purse on her lap, as though it held something precious.
Krice arrived just a minute before noon, dressed in his usual black attire with his collar open, sleeves rolled to his elbows, and katana held by its sheath - just under the black, rectangular tsuba - in his left hand. As he entered the restaurant, his gaze first drifted to the counter where he was greeted by an exuberant 'Rebecca', one of the regular staff who had come to enjoy his visits. The feeling was one-sided. He nodded, because he was polite, before turning to follow Lanara's scent deeper into the establishment. Just a moment later he caught sight of the woman and approached her table, murmuring as he neared, "You look like a target." It wasn't judgment that spurred the comment, but rather an indirect bid to help the woman appear less vulnerable in her nervousness. She -looked- like someone who had something worth stealing.
Lanara isn’t sure if Krice is serious or merely jesting, as he often wore a rather stoic expression, so she fixes him with a small smile, “Good afternoon… I’ll try to look less… Targeting? Targety? Bullseye-worthy?” As she’s distracted with coming up with ‘terms’ that apply to standing out like a sore thumb, her hand does trail from her purse to the glass of iced tea which is placed upon the table. Rebecca is all smiles as she hands Krice a menu and waits for them both to order, “I’ll have the house salad, with grilled chicken, please.” Assuming Krice orders, Rebecca saunters off to give the cooks their order, and leaves the pair to their own devices. Lana clears her throat and tries to maintain eye contact, though she fails miserably. “So… I know that you love my sister. And I assume you want to get her something extra special for Yule… So… I have something for you to give to her, if you’ll accept.”
Krice's lips pressed into a thin line of contemplation following Lanara's attempts to find an adjective to describe herself - as follows by what he had said. He wasn't even seated when Rebecca arrived with the menus, and he glanced past a shoulder at the small waitress, who beamed up at him as she awaited their orders. The warrior's brow furrowed in response as he took a seat opposite Lanara, placing the menu down on the table without looking at it. With his katana leaned up against the side of his chair to his right, he freed up his hands to interlock them casually atop the table, and afforded his almost-stalker waitress a simple, "Nothing, thanks." Once the clingy - but not air-headed - waitress retreated, the warrior turned his attention to Lanara. He stared attentively as he awaited the statement of her reason for summoning him here, expression softening with bemusement as she diverted her gaze. The start of her words left room for concern, though as she continued, concern gave way to curiosity. At her conclusion, he mumbled a quizzical, "Is it really from me, if I get it from you?" He wasn't being intentionally argumentative, despite the nature of his query.
Lanara lowers her shoulders and shakes her head, “You have a point there, but no… It would be from you, deciding on what you do with it, and how you give it to Talyara. I suppose. It’s a gift that’s meant to come from the heart, and it can only be given as a gift from a man to a woman.” Sighing, Lana takes another sip of her iced tea and just blurts out her reason for acting so suspicious, “It’s a ring… The –only- ring of its kind, and the last piece of jewelry to ever be made in our homeland of Kelvar… You see, there was a tiny ore mine and after extracting the rock… There was enough to make one ring, one necklace, one bracelet, and a pair of earrings. The Elder’s knew that they had something special as Kelvarian platinum is the strongest and purest form of ore in all of the realm. Each piece has been etched with care, and has small leaves, which represents our homelands climate; eternally autumn. Lore was created for the jewelry that was made, and –I- happen to have the ring that was created, and the lore that goes along with it… It’s said that only a man who is deeply in love with a lady can gift this particular ring, as it promises undying devotion and forever friendship. Our step-father… He was very wealthy and he spent his entire life savings, nearly a million gold pieces, to purchase this ring! He proposed to Kuruni with this ring, our mother, and she wore it until her dying day… After the drow took over our Kelvar and murdered mother, it ended up being tossed to the side as they didn’t know our traditions and mistook it for a simple piece of silver. I took a trip there with Elioyahazer a little over a year ago and we uncovered it, and… You don’t have to propose to Taly, but I think she would really like this piece of our history. I never had someone truly love me, and it’s not fair to keep the ring for myself… Plus, Taly actually grew up in Kelvar, and I was at the Academy… You could give it as a promise ring, to always be by her side.” Rebecca returns with the salad and smiles at Krice, “Are you sure I can’t get you something? Anything to drink?”
Krice listened to Lanara with every bit the focus and interest one would expect of such important information, especially as it pertained to the most important woman in his life. He arched a brow at the history of the ring itself, but became solemn when Lanara touched on the darker aspects of their time in Kelvar. His gaze diverted to the table roughly where the ring would be beneath it, clutched and covered by Lanara's protective grip. He shook his head and lifted crimson to chestnut, affording Lanara a sincere, "You'll find someone, Lanara. Be yourself; no pretense, no excess." His words were cut short when Rebecca returned with the older sister's salad, thereafter turning her attention to him. His focus remained fixed on the woman in front of him as he politely dismissed the other with a casual, "No thanks." He was fine; the conversation with his lover's sister was far more important than shouldering the infatuations of a little waitress. Once Rebecca had turned away, Krice nodded to Lanara and said, "I'll take it. It'll mean a lot to her, to have it."
Lanara blinks at Rebecca, as it’s obvious the waitress is harboring a crush on Krice, though she feels an iota for sympathy for the woman. She seems sweet, but she can’t hold a candle to her sister, in looks or personality. The salad is ignored, as the topic of the ring takes precedence, and she’s nervous that Krice will laugh in her face or be upset at the suggestion. It wouldn’t only mean the world to Taly, but it means so much for Lana to see another hold her sister so close to their heart, and for the jewelry to be in the hands of one so deserving. As they lock eyes, Lanara smiles warmly, touched by his words and honored that he will give the gift, “Thank you for accepting… I was worried that you’d be offended. She will recognize it right away, and I’m sure she will cherish it for the rest of her life.” A single tear spills onto her cheek, which she quickly swats away, as matters of the heart always made the witch emotional. “Here you go…” Opening her purse, she procures a small box and slides it across the table, “Thank you for the kind words, I have met someone, but we are taking things at a snail’s pace. You know me? Always jumping in! Maybe this time it will work out.”
Krice took possession of the ring as given it, though his eyes harbored a hint of uncertainty; why would he be offended by the gift? Granted, it still didn't feel like it was -from him-, per se, but the act of being the one to give it to Talyara would mean something in itself. When Lanara spoke of having met someone, he simply offered a nod in acknowledgment of the 'life event' and tucked the gift away safely, thereafter procuring coin to pay for Lanara's salad. "Where're you off to after your meal?"
Lanara slices the chicken in her salad and takes a dainty bite, her eyes widening as Krice offers to pay for her lunch. “No need, Krice! I asked you to join me, remember? Are you sure you don’t want anything to eat or drink?” The witch continues to eat her salad, and once she’s about halfway through and he asks where she’s headed, she pauses before answering. “Actually, I’m heading to Cenril to visit the market. I have to pick out a few things for Yule, and I’m going to be babysitting this weekend for Cal and Meri. Their little girl is so sweet, so I want to make sure to have some toys and such on hand… Do you have any plans today?”
Krice paused when Lanara relieved him of his self-imposed need to pay for her meal; as his lover's sister, she held enough importance in his life that he wanted to help, even in small ways. However, he nodded, accepted that she could pay for her own meal, and settled back in his seat once more. Both arms folded into a loose cross over his toned chest as he considered the witch's reply. When she echoed the question to him, he nodded westward. "Heading back up to Frostmaw. Got a few things to do around town, today."
Lanara doesn’t pry when Krice answers vaguely, as he often had business in Frostmaw, so she replies with a nod. “I will likely be dropping in to visit Taly in a day or two… I usually help her prepare for the Yule party, and I’m sure Fleur would love to play in the snow. It will be good to travel again too, since I have been cooped up for ages.” After a few more minutes pass, the witch seems to have finished her salad and she sips her iced tea and pays her tab, slowly rising to her feet. The warrior had to head to Frostmaw soon, as the trek up the mountain took quite a bit of time, and the winter brought darkness earlier than usual. “Safe journeys, Krice… And thank you for meeting me and for listening to the tale. It’s not often that I get the opportunity to discuss my homeland with others…” Lana pauses, as she knows that Krice isn’t fond of affection, but she doesn’t want to leave a sentimental lunch with just a handshake. After a moment’s hesitation, she gives him a brief one armed hug, “See you on Sunday!”
Krice stood as Lanara did, content with the knowledge that she would be up in Frostmaw soon to help her sister with the 'Yule party'. After tucking his chair in, the warrior took up his katana in his left hand, holding it once more by the sheath, and lingered by the table to hear the remainder of Lanara's words. When she thanked him for the meeting and chat, he dipped his head in a lingering nod that accepted said gratitude, though her one-armed embrace to follow caused the warrior to straighten, lifting his chin just slightly to maintain a modicum of distance through the gesture. "Take care, Lanara," he mumbled, and he'd wait for the woman to depart the restaurant before turning toward the counter. Once more silently suffering Rebecca's exuberance, he would order a handful of apple pastries, in two separate bags, before leaving as well.