RP:Communication Breakdown

Part of the The Day I Tried To Live Arc

Summary: Krice happens upon an unhappy Khitti in the Frostmaw tavern and things soon take a turn for the worst as the seed of doubt within Khitti blossoms further.

Frostmaw Tavern

Krice entered the tavern after a two-day absence from Frostmaw at large, dressed in his usual black garb with the sleeves down to his wrists, thin black robes keeping him warm--though they looked sorely inadequate for protection against the War City's unforgiving chill. The warrior approached the bar, sought a mug of apple cider from Drargon, and paid for the order before turning his gold-streaked eyes outward across the faces of the other patrons.

Khitti was seated in a booth towards the back, near the staircase that lead up to the rooms for rent, including the one she shared with Dominic and Brand. It would appear that the rest of the patrons gave her plenty of room to be by herself; one could almost be certain that they were, in fact, avoiding her. It didn’t take long for word to spread about the goings on with Miss von Schreier apparently. This hadn’t gone unnoticed by the vampiress, but she did nothing, instead taking to moping for the short amount of time she was allowed downstairs. Dressed in her short black sleeveless Kreekitaka dress and her favorite black boots, the red-haired female could be seen leaning over the table, resting her chin upon it as a hand absently stirred an otherwise untouched mug of hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon.

Krice caught a whiff of something, a familiar scent that he knew well -enough- to discern. Khitti. He glanced through the crowded tavern in search of her, but perspectives and drunkards obscured his vision. Moving away from the bar with a thanks to Drargon for the apple cider, the enigma moved mug in hand through the patrons of the establishment at a jagged diagonal, approaching Khitti's table. As he stepped clear of the crowds, he saw a distinct orb of space around the vampiress and that suited him fine; he never did like close contact with others. Opting not to avoid her as everyone else seemed to, Krice approached Khitti's table and stopped on the side opposite her positioning, a couple metres back but within sight of her - undoubtedly her vampire senses would have detected his pure blood and strong, calm heartbeat before then, anyway. If she glanced up at him, he'd offer a bow of his head in greeting before gesturing to the empty seat with his cider mug. " May I sit?"

Khitti did, in fact, glance up at the grey-haired warrior. Crimson brows furrowed as she watched him momentarily, then gave a nod to him. “Okay, “ was all he’d get for now as she sat up and finally took a drink of her cocoa. Emerald eyes glance about, taking in the large void that surrounded both her and Krice. What was it that they even actually knew? Did they know she had no choice? That she couldn’t control Amarrah? Or did they just assume she did this of her own free will and that she was a cold-blooded murderer? Khitti rolled her eyes, returning her attention to Krice as she returned the cup to its designated spot on the table in front of her, “How’s it going?” This was just an everyday thing for Khitti, right? Perfectly normal for people to avoid her like they were. Well, at least, it had been back home anyway.

Krice noted Khitti's attention on the people nearby, those avoiding her, but he was silent as he took a seat across from her. In response to her query, she'd see in his eyes a lack of well tidings for his part in the world, but he opted to speak about her, instead. His tone was gentle: " Don't worry about anyone else." A momentary pause preceded, " I want to help you and Dominic, but I need more information. I know it's hard to talk about... Are you fine here, or do you wanna go somewhere else?"

Khitti let out a brief chuckle and shook her head, “No. Here is fine. Vhat are zhey going to do...kill me? Zhey’re not stupid enough to off one of Hildegarde and Lionel’s people. Hell, Brand vould torch zhe lot of zhem before zhe Queen and her Knight-Commander got a whiff of my death.” He would...wouldn’t he? Would Brand actually do that? Shaking her head and taking another sip of hot chocolate, she sighed heavily, “Vhat exactly is it zhat you need to know and vhy? I appreciate zhe vanting to help, but if I’ve got to climb a metaphorical mountain for it, you’re looking at zhe wrong vampire. Zhe fact zhat I’ve got anyone villing to help me right now is a surprise, really.

Krice couldn't help the slightest of smiles as Khitti spoke, curling upward at the left corner of his mouth; indeed, the people at large were not foolish enough to bring down the wrath of the Queen and Knight-Commander upon themselves by attacking an ally. In response to the vampiress' query, the warrior leaned forward, resting his arms atop the table in a fleshy diamond around his mug of cider. " Dominic asked me. I'd like to know more about the Shadow Plane - about how you'll get there, how you'll get back."

Khitti waved a hand nonchalantly as she leaned forward again, folding her arms atop the table, “How else do people get to other planes? By magic, silly. Problem is zhat I need a book. I don’t know vhat book, but I know zhere’s got to be one around. I’ve read some zhings in Xalious zhat make mention of it. It’s very very old. I doubt any of zhe libraries around here have it and if zhey do, it’d be in zheir restricted section. Can’t have non-guild mages running about vith zhat sort of zhing, you know.” She took to stirring her cocoa again, letting her thoughts spill, “Ve have precautions already in place. Masks to help vith breathing over zhere. Zhere’s zhese spores in zhe air...I don’t know if it’s everywhere. I’m having an enchantress imbued zhe masks vith air magic to keep a steady supply of oxygen to zhose zhat need it.” She pauses, letting him take all of this in, “As soon as I find zhe book ~somehow~ Lionel, Dominic, Brand, and I are going on a scouting mission first.”

Krice nodded intermittently through Khitti's explanatory reply, one eye slightly narrowed as he contemplated the location of the book she required. Well, everything seemed so contingent on magic use. He opted to speak to one thing in particular: " The magic masks, yeah. Alvina told me that she had made some." He was quiet for a moment, but ultimately had another question to ask. " You and the others will go into the Shadow Plane to investigate first? Is there a possibility of something escaping from there, coming this way?"

Khitti shook her head as she finished off her cocoa and set the now empty cup off to the side, “Yes to your first question. I don’t know how many of us are going on zhe actual trip to zhere. Ve’re going to have to go a pretty long vay once ve’re zhere. See, zhe Shadow Plane is like a mirror of our vorld. I need to take Amarrah back to my home, in Dhavislaav, but on zhe Shadow Plane side of zhings. I don’t know vhat’ll happen zhere, because I don’t vant to go zhat far until ve’re absolutely ready to finish zhings once and for all, but ve at least need to scope zhings out here at home, but on zhe other side and I vant to keep zhe party small to minimize being seen or risking everyone getting hurt.” A pause, “As for your second question, I’d be shutting zhe portal once ve’re zhere and creating another vhen it’s time to leave again. Nothing should come through and if anything tries, ve’d stop it. Brand, Lionel, and I are more than adept at handling zhings zhat may come our vay.” There’s another pause as she looks off towards the rest of the tavern absently, “I’m sorry, I know zhis is a lot to take in, but you -did- ask for it, heh.”

Krice had always found Khitti's accent intriguing, perhaps because there were hints of it in his own, watered down now after so many years away from his own homeland. When she mentioned hers as 'Dhavislaav', the very sound of it piqued his curiosity but he followed the natural flow of the conversation, listening attentively to her explanation of the plan she and the others were to put in place. By her concluding apology, he shook his head and adopted an accepting light in his eyes. " Not at all - this is more information than either Dominic -or- Alvina were able to give me." A momentary pause was followed by, " Sounds like you don't need more help, then." And following -that-, a wry, " Dominic made the situation sound a little more dire than you do. He's worried, of course."

Khitti frowned a little as the warrior spoke of Dominic, her line of sight settling on him again, “I know he is. He doesn’t understand, zhough, Krice. Or he doesn’t vant to. I-I don’t know. It’s...difficult. Zhings have been--” She sighs heavily, searching for the right word but comes up short “--difficult. Zhe vorry vill pass in time vhen he sees zhat I’ve got everything handled. Brand’s been helping me plan everything out to a ‘t’ and it’ll all be perfectly fine. I vould not say no to your help, zhough, if you vanted to go. I’ve been a bit over-confident vith zhings lately. Dominic is right to vorry and I zhink if you came along during zhe final trip zhere, it vould put zhat anxiety to rest.”

Krice was respectful of the sensitive topic Khitti delved into, her worries with Dominic - and his concerns for her. He nodded, understanding the issues mentioned, and had nothing further to say on them. When the vampiress reiterated that his help would be good, if only to put Dominic's heightened woes to rest, the warrior lifted his chin and inhaled quietly in consideration. At length, he said, " It seems like I won't be able to go with you to the Shadow Plane - reasons are my own, but if you need anything before then, or after, I'll do my best to provide it." He bowed his head to the woman, offering an earnest, " Good luck with it, Khitti. I hope it goes as smoothly as possible."

Khitti raised a brow suspiciously at Krice as he denied her his aid. Why would he want to know so much only to just suddenly decide to not go? Pale lips twisted into a frown as she slid from her seat, “I see.” That was all she could manage at the moment as she tried to quell that bit of irritation that’d surfaced. “I shall keep your offer in mind zhen. I must return upstairs. I’ve been down here for far too long and it’s a vonder zhat neither of zhem have come to check on me. Can’t be left to my own devices for too long, you know. Might kill someone again.” She did her best to direct that brief flare of anger elsewhere before offering a sigh and a half-hearted wave, “Goodbye, Krice.”

Krice knew that Khitti was irritated with him, perceptive and non-naive as he was. He took a moment, listened to her farewell, and then stood from his seat. Before leaving her to her peace, he opted to clear the air - or at least attempted to. " I wanted more information so that I could decide whether or not I'd be able to go. Turns out I can't. Likewise, I can't tell you the reasons. If this causes your irritation to persist, I'm sorry for that." He bowed his head respectfully to the vampiress and stepped away from her table.

Khitti shook her head as Krice stepped away, “It takes more information for you to decide vhether or not your ‘friends’ are vorth your time? Vhether or not you’d like to assist zhem in possibly -not- dying? You may not like Brand...and you may not know me very vell, but vhat about Dominic and Lionel? Especially Dominic. He -trusts- you and you can’t even pardon yourself from vhatever vandering you’ll likely be doing to at least try to temper his vorry? I don’t know vhere you come from, but from vhere I did friends don’t act like zhat. -I’m- sorry zhat ve’re not vorth your effort and time.” He seemed to have only made things worse with his explanation and an attempt at an apology. The redhead turned on booted heels and headed back upstairs without another word to the warrior.

Krice visibly frowned as Khitti spoke and he halted, just on the fringe of the ring of people who were avoiding Khitti. He pivoted to regard her past the hilt of his back-mounted katana, her words hitting a spot of ire within him. Little did she know... As she turned to venture upstairs, the warrior took one step closer to offer her a parting warning: " Mind your tone, Khitti. My reasons are immovable." He lingered, allowed her a chance to see the error in her accusations.