RP:A Rewarding Reconciliation

Part of the Sharknado Arc

Summary: After the attack onboard from the elemental humanoids, Lanara awakens before dawn and heads on deck to watch the sunrise. Surprisingly, she's not the only one up at this hour, and she finds that Tiber is seated on the barrel she had earlier allocated for watching the sun come up. After having a major fallout months before, the lycan and the witch finally break the ice, and agree to begin anew and work on their friendship.

Tiber is sitting on the deck of the ship on a barrel. The sea air is thick and the man is almost nauseous, however, he had a stash of essentials from a helpful herbalist before he got on the ship – ginger and mint were his friends for this trip. The man was gnawing on some mint leaves while earlier pouring ice water on the back of his neck to re-shock his nervous system. Now, there he sat hunched over with a book in foreign scripture in his hands. Under his breath, the Catalian was muttering the language in a soft whisper. The linguist was slow, but he was able to pronounce most things correctly. The man is actually dressed in casual attire for once, and not the button-up and tie people always saw. The lycan wore, instead, a plain navy blue quilted jacket, a casual wool sweater under that, and brown fitted pants. Tiberius was also wearing… reading glasses? The dirty blonde was certainly out of his normal element. On the ship, he did not talk really to anyone unless they had something to say or ask him. Besides, his job was a lot different than the others. He was just the translator, after all.

Lanara exits her cabin, trying to be as silent as possible, as the tracking dog and Khitti were sharing her quarters, as well. She didn’t want to wake anyone, as she was intent on watching the sunrise, in peaceful solitude. The witch is limping a little, as she had taken an injury to her thigh, though it was stitched and bandaged hours ago, and she’s able to walk without assistance. Donning a pair of denim shorts, a white tank top, and an opened flannel shirt, she carefully maneuvers along the deck, praying that her sneakers won’t slide from the moisture and cause an injury to her other thigh. For a professional dancer, one would wonder how she was so clumsy, when during a show she was undeniably graceful. Fingers brush her long locks away from her face as she walks over to the perfect spot that she had chosen earlier, only to see another already occupying that particular barrel. “Oh!” Surprised that another was up at this hour, she barely recognizes Tiber out of his semi-formal attire, and wearing a pair of reading glasses. Of course her stammering draws his attention and she awkwardly fidgets with the hem of her shirt, while her gaze drops to the laces on her shoes. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to disturb you.” They hadn’t spoken in depth since she had thrown a fit and stormed out of his apartment, after returning his gold, and buying back her freedom.

The wolf had laid low for a while after Lanara had entered in and out of his life. Many had targeted the man due to the incident, but things were slowly getting back together again. The man lifts his spectacled gaze on the woman stammering on the quiet deck. The hue of the sky is grey while a slow orange hue begins to glow in the distance for the sunrise. Tiber sticks one of his last mint leaves that were in his hand into his mouth. He chews ever-so-slowly while taking her in for the first time in months. His mouth then opens and a smoother accent flows out of his mouth rather than the heavy accent of Catal. He gives her a nod, and says something in the language that sort of sounded like a Hollowian Russian--whatever that may be called in Hollow terms. It was a simple “hello, no worries”, but she may not understand since no one knew the language. Either way, he offers a sly smile. Tiberius was about to play nice for once considering Lanara was no longer in his life due to the jerk that he was. He then translates for himself. “Don’t worry,” he says simply. “You’re up early…” His eyes trail over her frame and he takes note of the limp in her thigh. Tiber closes the book with a snap and gives Lanara his full attention for the first time in... a long time.

Lanara is well aware that Tiber is giving her form a lingering once over, as she was rather accustomed to being checked out by most men, and this particular male wasn’t any different in that department. Were they on friendlier terms, she’d have jested about the spectacles, maybe even tried them on and attempted to read the gibberish in the book, but she’s uncertain where they even stand, all these months later. Shifting her weight to one side, she nervously folds her arms over her chest and quirks a brow when he speaks in a foreign tongue. Lana speaks common and sylvan, so the words that roll off of Tiber’s tongue with ease sound like they are from another realm, entirely. Despite the awkwardness of their relationship and this moment, the side of her mouth twitches and she gives him a faint smile, which was nearly as lovely as the amber glow in the distance. Long, chestnut locks blow haphazardly around her face with every whip of the wind, and she’s mentally cursing herself for not tying her hair in a ponytail before coming on deck. “Uh, yeah… I actually didn’t sleep at all. Aira and Khitti stopped by my cabin for a bit, and I just couldn’t fall asleep… Not after all the lives that were lost today.” She glances over his shoulder, as though she’s envisioning the dozen rangers that had been placed to rest, after the attack on their ship. After a moment, she locks eyes with Tiber, and clears her throat, aiming to change the subject. “So. Um. My contact does speak some broken common, though the rest of the natives probably don’t speak –any- common, so that’s where you’ll really come in handy. And wow! Speaking of early… Why are you up so early, and studying? I doubt you’re the type that enjoys watching the sun rise and set. Though it –is- rather beautiful…” Lanara is babbling, as she often did when nervous, and it’s entirely obvious. Plus, she had lived with this man for two weeks, so he was familiar with her antics. Thinking it’s time to save face, she clears her throat and points to the book, “So. Uh. Yeah. That’s why I came up here, to make sure you’re brushing up your language skills!” She’s speaking far too fast and too loud to appear smooth, so she abruptly shuts her mouth, and returns to studying her shoes.

Tiberius often enjoyed watching Lanara scramble, and as she fumbles, amusement dances in amber eyes. The faint smile she offers makes him take off his glasses and fold them into his shirt beneath his coat. The awkwardness was there, but he did not let that get to him as much because she begins to ramble on which eases that she is the same Lanara she had always been for those two weeks. The wolf remains calm and eyes are softly resting on her face. They had both moved on in their separate lives, and perhaps it was time to raise his white flag for her. “It’s not easy, I know, Lanara. But think about what the end goal is,” there was a silent beat. His voice was gentle and not taunting for once. Tiber was done with the games for the time being. The dirty blonde nods along and sits up while she speaks. “You assume that I was a snoozer when you lived with me those two weeks? I’m always up in the early hour doing work. I don’t often sleep much,” he says nonchalantly. This statement was true. Being the bad guy was not always easy. “Getting up early is rather peaceful. No one stirs, really. Gives a man time to think.” The linguist then cants his head to the side as she continues on. “I assure you, I am brushed up,” his eyes flick down to the swish of the seas before looking back to her. “How have you been?” The small question comes out – a tip-toed question.

The witch appears relieved when Tiber begins to speak, because then the focus isn’t entirely on her, and she finds herself relaxing. Did he just show compassion? What happened to Tiberius, the big bad wolf? Since their time together, the brunette was very much her old self, though she hadn’t managed to find herself captured and sold into servitude again. A step nearer is taken, and she slowly lowers herself onto the barrel at Tiber’s side, wincing slightly as the pain in her thigh shoots down her leg. The sword cleanly slit through her armor, and she’d needed a good twenty or so stitches, though with her magical abilities, she’d ensure that no scar would remain. After all, she was once a bikini model for Kreekitaka, and a less than flawless figure wouldn’t do on the runway! Running her fingers through her long hair, she trails her chocolate hues from the male’s form to the rising sun, knowing that in a matter of minutes, the sky would fully welcome the golden sphere, and daylight would break. The ship would come to life as the workers adjusted their course, and these few moments of peacefulness would come to an end. This saddens the witch, though she makes no comment about Tiber’s presence. The wind caresses her cheek, the ship lazily rolls along the waves, and a new day is beginning, which would wash away the horrors of yesterday. How could she be anything but content with this moment? As he continues to speak about his sleeping habits, and how it’s not her fault that dozens perished, she gives a slow nod. She was the leader of the guild, yet it seemed she took advice from any willing to offer a word. Lana doesn’t thank him for this rare moment of softness, though she can’t help but tilt her head in his direction and smirk, “Oh? And what is Tiberius Lowell thinking about on this morning?” She waits a beat, to give him enough time to answer, before she obliges his inquiry, “I’ve been doing well. I haven’t managed to get myself enslaved again. The sanctuary keeps me busy… But you hate animals, so I won’t bore you with talk about my recent rescues.” This draws a bubble of laughter from the witch, as she’s reminded of the time she had brought a cat into Tiber’s apartment. The wolf hadn’t taken that lightly, and they had a morning full of verbal jabs. “So… How have you been?” The question is loaded, as always. Was she asking about his lycanthropy, his career, or just in general?

The lycan keeps a steady gaze as she limps forward, and he scoots his tush over, so she could sit down. “Gotchu good there,” he comments flatly on her thigh. There is silence, but he does not mind as he also stares out at the sunrise in the distance. She asks what he is thinking about, and he lets her linger there with patience. He avoids the question at first and lets her continue to talk about herself. “I don’t hate animals. I hate piss on my floor,” he murmurs, but he keeps a cool and collected smile. As she asks about him again, there is no wait, he finally lets it out. What he has been pondering for days on the ship. “I’m thinking about how I got to this moment: sitting sea sick on a ship with a girl who hasn’t spoken one word to me for months because of some stupid tantrum I threw. I’ve been good, but I made a mistake.” He stares at her almost sick by his own word vomit. Tiber’s amber gaze stares at her leg for a moment. “I’m sorry, Lanara. I’m sorry for the way I treated you. I’m here today because you cared. You drove me absolutely insane, Lanara, but I cared. I always did.” What the hell is Tiberius Lowell doing? Was he not the sociopath everyone thought he was? “But I didn’t treat you the way you needed to be. You didn’t want to be trapped beneath me as much as I didn’t want to be trapped in with you, but you asked for none of it.” His accent is heavy with sincerity – gruff. “Listen,” he leans forward, “I want to start fresh because, for the first time in a while, I cannot stop thinking about what I have done to you. How I hurt you.” This is not normal Tiberius. Where is the cocky attitude? The hatred? The self-loathing? The smart ass comments? Instead he shows a strained and soft sense of vulnerability.

Lanara smirks as they both eye her thigh, shaking her head in amused annoyance, “I’m so accident prone, I swear! You would think that a professional dancer wouldn’t be –this- clumsy but I literally am capable of tripping over air.” She chuckles at her comment and quirks a brow at his reply about how he doesn’t dislike animals in the way he previously led her to believe. For a brief moment, things are almost the same as they were on their first morning together in his apartment, where they tried to strike up a friendship. It’s almost too easy to fall back into that old habit of thinking he was a flirtatious friend, and Lana visibly winces at her naivety. “Yeah… I’m sure you don’t miss the cat hair.” He likely didn’t miss –any- of the events that had transpired between them over that two week period. It was a living hell for the witch and the lycan, as neither was willing to bend all that much. Tiber clears his throat and gives her an honest answer, along with an apology, and it catches her so off guard that she turns her gaze from the sun and stares into his amber gaze. The copper glow in the distance highlights Lana’s features, and the male can easily see the surprise in her chocolate hues, as her lips slightly part, in awe. Tiberius Lowell was capable of remorse. Who would have thought? As he leans in and mentions he wants a fresh start, she sighs, uncertain if this was a good idea. They had tried their go at being buddies a few months ago and it ended in disaster. Lana nearly died at the hands of a group of gangsters, which she had to deal with single handedly. She had given the lycan her inheritance upon selling her childhood home in Kelvar, and it took her some time to get her gold back from Skitch. Not to mention the whole having to reverse the hex she placed upon the drug lord. Was she one to hold a grudge? It had all ended in their favor, and he had remained the translator for the guild, so perhaps he did care a little about her, after all. It takes her quite a few moments to form a reply, the gears in her head turning, as a slow nod is given to Tiber. “Hey… People make mistakes, and if we don’t learn from them, growth isn’t possible. I forgive you, Tiber. Yeah… You were pretty cruel to me, on a daily basis, and I just took it, because I had no choice but to submit, given the circumstances.” A single tear trickles onto her cheek, as the witch was never good with being vulnerable to another, least of all a man that had stomped all over her emotions in the past. “I know –what- you are…” A lycan. A creature of the night. A man who she had stayed up with on the night of a full moon, until dawn, in the thick forest on a cold night. “Let’s start over, and you can show me –who- you are.”

Tiber squints as the tear trickles down her cheek. There was an unbearable silence before she finally inched her head into a small nod. “I’m sorry, Lanara. I’m so sorry,” he did not know much else to say. The man was frustrated and had a look of sorrow and confusion. He felt terrible. “I was as bad as Skitch in those days. But I had to realize you were not another pawn. You are not another game for me to play.” A hand reached to the back of his neck to wipe away the cold sweat of anxiety of this conversation. “I blame myself for what I did to you. I want to be… better for you, Lanara.” He almost freezes when she mentions the lycanthropy side of him. Eyes flash out at the sea and his face twists into an uneasy gaze. “I want –you- to know.” He pauses. The agitation sets on his back for a moment. What are you doing Tiber? Eyes close for a brief moment. “After we do this, I want you to know everything. Everything that I know. Everything that I do. I want to know more about you. I never gave you that chance when you wanted to.” Pause. The blonde man settles his gaze softly back onto her. “But for now, I need to study up on this language. I was thinking that I need you to tell me what I need to translate to the villages and the chief.”

Lanara faintly smiles at his words, lifting her hand to wipe that rogue tear from her cheek, “I’m sorry, too, Tiberius. I’m a pain in the ass, and I won’t deny it for a moment. So… I’m sorry that I inconvenienced you during that time. Neither of us asked for that sort of arrangement.” The elf falls silent as he reassures her that a new start is entirely possible, and that he wants to show her that he’s capable of opening up, and treating her as an actual friend. He also wants to know more about her, and that has tears welling in her eyes again, though they are quickly blinked away. She was leading the crew on a treacherous expedition and she didn’t want anyone to see her showing signs of weakness. This conversation makes her weary, though it also has her feeling lighter than she has in a long time. The story of the lycan and the witch was no longer unresolved, and she hesitantly reaches out and ruffles his hair, as she often did in the past. “Deal. As soon as we head back, we’ll meet up for lunch, or I’ll give you a tour of the sanctuary. We can get to know each other, and you can spend time with the animals that you –love- so much.” She’s jesting, while attempting to change the subject. Her hand falls back to her lap, as the sun casts it’s halo over the ship, the crew all assembling on deck, and the morning coming to life. Their moment of solitude had come to an end, and Lana sighs, as she was enjoying their reunion. Rising from the barrel, she eyes the book he’s studying and once more is all business, “Renata is the woman that reached out to me. I was hoping that you could translate to the villagers to get aboard the ship? There are healers on board that will tend to their injuries, and transport them to a safe place. It will take some time for them to rebuild the island… If we can even reclaim it. And depending on how much damage has been done.” Instinctively, she nips her lower lip and shakes her head, “I really appreciate that you’re with us, Tiber. I just hope we aren’t too late…”

Tiberius still frowns as a hand ruffles through his hair, but his feelings were light – hiding a smile. “Sounds like a… deal.” He smirked and continues to absorb the sun that was coming overhead. As she stands, he stands as well after their meeting. Their binding of friendship. “I’ll make sure to lead them aboard when everyone is ready.” For a long moment he breathes her in. The lycan might have stared too long if it was not for the hollering in the background. People were beginning to bustle on the ship. “I don’t think we are. We have a pretty diverse team. I wouldn’t have come if I didn’t believe in what you created, Lanara.” Pause. “You are—“ he was cut off by his surname with a cringe. “Mr. Lowell, Mr. Lowell! We need you over at the mini healer’s meeting in five!” A silent nod is given. “We aren’t too late. I’ll talk to you soon, boss,” he jokes. A hand lifts, and he gently brushes her arm in a friendly gesture before giving a faint smile. He then turns and walks away to the other side of the ship with the healer’s crew.