RP:In The Name Of Love
Summary: The Landons, while trying to rush Alvina off to Gualon (to hide her from the Cenril Authorities in case Meri decides to turn her in), run across Meri and Khitti. Khitti confronts them, demanding an apology for the torment Meri's had to endure, and Hudson re-routes the discussion to The Office. Once there, tempers and harsh words flare. Meri's frustrations with the couple wanes, in part, to their explanation. That they didn't abandon Meri because she didn't matter, but to protect their family. Khitti denounces the Landon's method of leaving Meri to fend for herself as a newly turned wolf. Alvina tries to explain that they tried to find the woman she bit for a long time. It was only when they met at the Yule Ball that her suspicions were confirmed. Hudson, ripe with wolf rage, suggests an end to the seemingly unproductive meeting when Meri's water breaks. Meri and Khitti rush out, leaving the Landons to their family matters.
Cenril
Alvina is not on board with this plan. After finding out that Meri had reasonable suspicions that Alvina was the werewolf who turned her, Hudson fleshed out a fast track plan of action. One – Get Alvina out of Cenril so it would be harder to arrest her if Meri or anyone she told tried to turn Alvina in. Two- Deal with Meri, in no uncertain terms, to protect his family. He’d entertained several ideas that he did not share with his wife. Alvina was already fit to be tied about being sent away. What if Meri changed her mind and wanted HELP? Hudson shut that down immediately. All he’s really told her is that he’s going to ‘take care of it’. Alvina’d begged him not to kill her progeny. She was pregnant, for Sven’s sake. You can’t just go around murdering pregnant women. Hudson, who was used to doing what he damn well pleased despite his wife’s naïve opinion, didn’t bother arguing with her. He’d do what he had to, bottom line. For now, he was dealing with part one. Shuttling Alvina away from their estate on foot. His men should have a carriage waiting nearby. She’s wear overly large sunglasses and a scarf wrapped around her head to tame her crazy red hair. Hudson is carrying her bag (pink with white polka dots) because he’s the Ringleader of the Cenril Mob but still a considerate husband. She is the mother of his children. There’s leeway. What Alvina -doesn’t- know is that Hudson had gotten word from Khitti and Meri. They wanted to meet up, no doubt discuss terms or accusations. He wasn’t sure which was more likely, but he’d be prepared when the time came. It’s all the more reason to hustle Alvina out now, just in case the meeting took a wrong turn. Alvina would insist on being there. She’d want to have a girl’s pow - wow of good feelings and apologies. Tears, probably. Always tears. He’d be distracted if she was there. Knowing she’s safe elsewhere will give him more wiggle room. He could handle himself, he can’t always handle her. So now, Alvina is rushing along side Hudson but she’s struggling to see with her sunglasses. It’s overcast, so she’s basically blind. The toe of her boot catches the road just so and she trips. They have to stop and reset; he’d caught her before she had a chance to really ‘fall’.
“Sorry,” she whispers before he tells her it’s all right. Even in her get up she looks sick with worry.
“It should be just around the corner here,” He tells her after making sure she’s firmly back on her feet.
“What if we just wait a little bit longer…” Her voice is an unmistakable whine.
Hudson sighs. “It won’t be for long.” He tries, patiently, for the fifth time since they’d left the house.
“The kids…” She sniffs dramatically.
Hudson sighs again. “Alvina, we have to go.” He gives her a minute to catch her breath before adding a kind “Emily’s meeting us, babe” to hurry her along. Time waits for no woman.
Hudson and Alvina definitely received a letter from Khitti a request to meet, but meeting with the two of them was not actually something that Meri was keen on doing. Especially not before the agreed upon meeting time. She was still trying to puzzle out just what she wanted to say to them when and if they did show up to this meeting and she could use all the time she can get. Which is why when she and Khitti encounter Hudson and Alvina on the streets of Cenril, Meri is not happy. There is irritation and hesitation written all over Meri's face, who is now grumbling to Khitti in a low volume, "I knew we shoulda just gone a different direction and avoided this street all together. This is the house that the fancy Landon house is on..." Lowkey Meri wants to spit at the name Landon, but she manages to keep her anger in check. "And look who it is not too much further ahead..." Meri was half tempted to just turn heel and walk away, with no care if they've seen her just as she has noticed them. Hudson and Alvina will probably observe that Meri has holding a couple of bags clutched within one hand. They're all moderately sized and given the way that Meri is holding them, none of the contents are easily accessible. Which suits Meri just fine, there was nothing in any of things bags that she needed right away. They were full of baby things, as the woman has only gotten bigger since the last time Hudson has since her. Alvina? Well, they have had a more recent meeting. The blonde pauses in her advance down this particular Cenril street, paying particular attention to the woman she was confident was Alvina. Link or not, her nose would not lie. What was with those glasses? It was overcast out. And the scarf? Honestly, Alvina looked like she was trying to hide, which struck Meri as odd. Meri would only keep moving forward toward the Landon's if Khitti insisted upon it, her stance currently was, "Come on, let's just turn around. I don't feel like dealing with their crap today." Apologies, this statement is not Meri's normal opinion of Hudson and Alvina. She's just super salty right now, okay?
Khitti sighed. She loved her sister dearly, but Khitti too was still struggling with her own trauma from Venturil and keeping ninety percent or more of it to herself--it was an unfortunate coping mechanism she’d always had, and was made worse by the fact that Brand had the same tendencies. “Meri, you’re going to run into them at some point if you live in Cenril, whether you live on their street or not. I’m well aware of where we are and if I didn’t think it was fine, I would’ve said something.” Khitti tried to be as gentle as possible, but it was also getting to the point of frustration at both parties: this situation needed the final nail hammered into the coffin so they could all move the frak on. Crimson brows knitted together when Meri brought up “they”, her line of sight shifting in Alvina and Hudson’s direction. “What the actual f---,” is all Khitti could manage at the moment before finally she yelled at them, as the puzzle pieces clicked into place, “Alvina! Hudson! Stop. NOW.” The former-vampire-turned-mama-bear stared at them from afar, pale features scrunched up in the unmistakable motherly glare. Alvina likely knew what it was, and Meri was sure to use it in the future. And Hudson? Well, he’d just see her as another upset woman he’s got to “deal” with and this one’s quite a bit deadlier at this point than her sister. “We need to have a nice little talk because this needs to end now.” Even if Hudson thought otherwise, she really did mean she wanted to talk. It doesn’t even appear that she’s armed today either, so the gods might be in their favor today!
Truth be told, a meeting request had been a decently good sign, but Hudson is taking no chances and had kept the information from Alvina because she'd have immediately transformed into a pain in the ass. His wife was already the soft one between them but fact of Meri's pregnancy has been clouding her judgment considerably. Far more preferable that he meet and negotiate with Meri alone after Alvina is safely poolside on her non-optional vacation.
To be clear, Hudson's bought Alvina beautiful leather luggage fit for your average rich lady but for some reason she likes to use this canvas bag that looks like it's from her teenage years. Allegedly she's afraid people will steal her stuff if she uses the nice luggage. Right, because stealing the wife of a mobster's weekender is a good idea. But OK. Here we are. He's carrying the dumb thing for her. The carriage is parked a little ways away because they just had the cobblestones in their driveway redone and apparently it is Forbidden to drive on them for a few days. And in an effort to be a good sport and acquiesce to his wife on something, Hudson agreed they wouldn't mess up the blessed redone driveway, which did look very nice actually.
It's instinctive to turn at the sound of one's name. He does, polka dot bag nearly clotheslining a small street dog. Hudson recognizes Khitti first, out of some cosmic law that requires him to quickly differentiate between all redheads after being married to one. Then Meri. Khitti is shouting that they have to meet now, and Hudson holds out an arm and says quietly, for Alvina's benefit alone, "Behind me." He appraises both Khitti and Meri, the former seemingly unarmed and the latter obviously holding shopping bags. Of course he's not armed either, though himself, Meri, and Alvina didn't need weapons to get deadly. Small perk to a forever lifetime of crippling rage. Despite everyone's unassuming appearance right now, Hudson is aware of their surroundings. He can sense, without seeing her do it, that Alvina is looking at their house because Bryce is awake and home with their nanny.
There are people around them. He feels a prickle of anger line his forearms, suddenly aware of how public this unplanned confrontation is. This could turn ugly in the street. Three werewolves are involved, and then even if it doesn't escalate to violence, there's the threat, if they don't comply, of his wife's dirty laundry being aired for all to see. He feels anger at himself: should have made her leave last night. Hudson licks his lips, jabs a hand toward their house. "Our son's home," he says, which he hopes is understood by Meri and Khitti as a polite request that they not have this altercation here. "We can meet you," he suggests. "In the Office." His territory. "Talk there."
Alvina couldn’t see Meri or Khitti at first because she’d worn giant sunglasses, dramatically. That’s what all the famous people in the newspaper do. FLAWLESS DISGUISE. To be fair, she didn’t know a meeting was supposed to take place so this seemed a good strategy. Running into Khitti and Meri wasn’t far-fetched so better safe than sorry. Someone is shouting their names and in Alvina’s mind, it’s a reporter. She grabs Hudson’s arm and tries to hurry him away with no success. Instead, he’s pushing her behind him. Oh gods, he’s going to kill this person. Drag them into an alley and beat them to death with her cute bag!! Why Hudson hates this bag, she'll never know. As the voice gets closer, she realizes it’s Khitti and she isn’t sure if that’s better or worse. She sounds...enlightened...Meri must have told her. “Nonononono-” She whispers, tilting up her glasses to see a charging Khitti. Meri’s behind her, holding all the bags™, and looking in their direction. The chorus of ‘no’s’ intensifies internally, her attention swivels back to the house. To be clear Alvina isn’t angry; she’s scared. Scared Hudson will do to them. Scared they might threaten to report her bad dog behavior and get her arrested. She’d be 'put down' as Hudson had so tamely informed her. That’s what they do with bad dogs, even a mobster wife dog with little baby dogs to think about. ‘’Bryce…” she whispers into his sleeve.
Hudson’s proved himself to be a valuable barrier and does the talking for them. Still, Alvina isn’t sure she likes what he’s saying. They needed to go somewhere safe, secret but also enough on the level that Meri and Khitti would feel safe. It wasn’t a secret that Hudson owned the strip club ironically named ‘The Office’. If they all went in together, it should stay on the level. Surely, he wouldn’t kill anyone in front of Alvina. Right? Except that one time with Val’s brother but that was...Oh and that guy he’d beat to death literally in front of her. Alvina swallows the lump in her throat audibly. She feels a little sick now, to be honest. Maybe, she should get involved.
“Please,” Her head peeks out from behind his shoulder. He’s a decent shade taller than she is. Ideal shield / husband height. “We want to talk!” Frantically, her eyes flicker from Khitti to Meri, trying to read their thoughts. “Just talk!” Khitti, she could guess. The bakery owner’s mom face game was on point. #Represent. It’s Meri she ends up focusing on, telepathically transmitting a thousand apologies. Most of which were just ‘I’m sorry’ on repeat. Like 'sorry' was a universal balm and Meri would eventually forgive her for stealing away her humanity without any consent.
Try as Khitti might to hide her frustrations with both parties by attempting to take on a gentle-as-possible voice, Meri knew better. It gives Meri further pause in her advance forward forward Alvina and Hudson, but Khitti is already blazing that path, and hollering their names.The tone to the word 'NOW' and the mom-glare that Khitti has adopted is enough to make even Meri cringe. Yes, Khitti has gotten this mom thing down. With a frown and a sigh, Meri starts to close the gap between herself/Khitti and Alvina/Hudson. That start finds a quick end when Hudson practically pushes Alvina behind him, an eyebrow is lifted out of suspicion. Just what are Alvina and Hudson thinking would happen with this encounter?
"While I can respect the concern for your son, Bryce...On the opposite side of the coin...It's very telling to me how you think this conversation play out, if you are concerned with what your child might oversee or overhear." Even more telling to Meri was the flashes that she could see of Alvina. Disguise or not, she could not mask the worry in her demeanor. Meri shrugs lazily, but despite her point she still turns part way in the direction of the Office. She was not exactly keen on having this meeting in Hudson's territory, but squabbling over where to talk seems to be pointless right now. Khitti has expressed that she wants this to be done. At least Meri was familiar enough with the layout of The Office. Unless Hudson has recently renovated the entire thing. "But let's go then. It'll be like old frakkin' times." Meri rolls her eyes hard at her own words, there was definitely a bitterly annoyed tone to them. If she was picking up on any those telepathic apologies Alvina was sending her, she was not showing it. Meri's demeanor did not currently read soft, the vibe she is getting from Hudson is influencing that.
The Office
Baring any objection from Khitti, Meri would finally fully turn and begin the trek to The Office. Whether or not they were traveling as a group, or as individual duos, Meri did not care. She was comfortable enough with both the route and the location that even if Hudson and Alvina decided to travel alone -- she'd Khitti into the establishment and to that office within the Office that she has conversed with Hudson and Eleanor numerous times in. Meri's not keen on making herself too comfortable, couch and chairs are foregone in favor or standing somewhere near the door.
Khitti would certainly give Hudson a roll of her eyes if she knew what he was thinking. If he truly thought that someone that ran a guild of devout folk and two well-known businesses in the city (that of course being the bakery and her band), then perhaps he should come to know Cenril’s citizens just a little bit better, if he was going to be hanging out with Cenril’s current mayor as much as he clearly did. Of course, she didn’t know what his thoughts on the matter, however, so none of this was voiced. Hudson had his alpha male demeanor on full blast, Alvina looked like she was going to die of worry on the spot, Meri likely just wanted to go home and curl up in a very pregnant ball somewhere, and Khitti… well… despite the fact that Hudson was a great deal taller than her, she managed her own sort of fierce presence--an attitude leftover from her vampire days. “Fine,” she said eventually, unpainted lips twisting into an irritated frown. Meri would lead her off to the Office and Khitti finally did roll her eyes, this time at the establishment they were forced to talk in. Seriously? The music and all manner of nearly-naked dancing was ignored, the redhead’s mind on the task at hand. When they get into the building’s management office and Meri took her place standing where she wanted, Khitti would eye Alvina and Hudson once they made their arrival, barely giving them time to catch their breath before she lays into them, “Look, I don’t know what kind of game you two are playing here, but you owe Meri not only an explanation, but an apology. Biting her aside, you don’t just leave a goddamned fledgling to fend for themselves.” Olive-green eyes focused first on Alvina, and then shifted to Hudson as she continued to speak, “Alvina, I’m assuming you’ve not been doing this whole thing for too long, so you likely don’t know any better, but -you-,” she jutted a finger out towards Hudson, “I’ve been fully aware of your lycanthropy for a hell of a long time now. -You- should frakking know better. That’s how people get bit--” she forced a smile, as if to say ‘that’s already happened’, “--or dead.”
They walk to the Office separately, by twos. Hudson and Alvina don't talk. He spends the entirety of the journey in his head, game theorying the current situation. Present circumstances are more favorable than he might have imagined, but then he's always in the business of imagining and preparing for the worst. But for now? They're meeting on his turf. And nobody seems to be packing any heat, minus the three werewolves. Meri seems angry but that had always been expected. The circumstances had been different, but Hudson hadn't been exactly grateful to have been made a werewolf either.
The Office hasn't been remodeled. It's the same seedy place Meri knows and loves (or perhaps just knows). It's morning, of course, so it's dead inside, there's just a few girls dancing for perhaps literally one guy eating breakfast and janitors trying to be unobtrusive as they go about finishing the cleaning up from the night before. Sad state of affairs. They go into the interior office, and Hudson tells one of the girls to bring food ("I don't care what, food of some kind. Thanks."). He sits Alvina sit at his desk and perches next to her on the corner. Meri and Khitti presumably are just seated on the couch when Khitti commences unloading on them.
It could have been a lot worse. Hudson is silent, steepling his hands until Khitti is done. He speaks quietly, with controlled menace, "You may not be a werewolf but I assume you know what happens to werewolves who can't control themselves, so you should take care with what you say." He pauses there. "Nobody here has done anything like that." That's not said with serious intent to convince them. Everybody knows Alvina did it. But the statement is posited like a public talking point that everyone needs to agree on to move forward, because he continues, "If it happened, though, you'd bet I would do whatever it took to protect my family. So would you, I imagine." Not so subtle allusion to Meri's pregnancy. He meets her gaze and holds it briefly. "So, in this hypothetical situation, you might read a little something into me leaving Meri to fend for herself. I think you're capable of imagining my knee jerk reaction." Meaning he'd have killed most other people, as he's unscrupulous and it would be far less messy. "This isn't spilling wine on someone, it's serious. Sorry doesn't cut it for most people. And I don't roll the dice on sorry when it's my family up against the wall." He nods at Meri. "She knows that, probably." He focuses on her. "You're a wolf now, what do you think? Does sorry cut it for you?"
Meri barely has a chance to get settled in the room before Khitti is giving Hudson a piece of her mind, and Meri can't exactly blame the redhead. They may not be family by blood, but they are still family. Meri is silent through her words, and Hiudon's own statements....but that does not stop from revealing her thoughts through her facial expressions, and for most the time that HUdson is speaking Meri has a brow lifted in annoyance. It's not until Hudson turns a question to Meri that the blonde finally speaks. Her first words are dripping with annoyance, "Nobody here has done anything like that."
There is brief pause but is not long enough for anyone to really get a word in edgewise, and if they try...Oh well, Meri is going to be a snot and talk on over them anyway. "Were it a total stranger to your family, I could fully understand the sentiments that you are expressing right now. Family is important, your wife and your children are your life." Meri shrugs. "And yet at the same time, it's me. Maybe I am not exactly a family best friend, but I thought we shared a pretty extensive history." No, Meri is not going to run down the list of every single shady detail she has participated in. She's keeping it clean. "Starting with the fact that I was not just at your wedding, I was in your wedding." Meri rolls her eyes and shakes her head, folding her hands across her swollen belly. "So what do I think now that I am a wolf? Sure, the whole experience does not exactly rate high on my list of favorite events that have occurred in my life. It doesn't exactly rank in my top five worst experiences either....Long story short? I. Don't. Care. About. Being. A. Werewolf."
Meri doesn't want to stay stationary anymore, and so she rises and scoops up her bags, because she's not sure how much longer she really cares to linger in the room with Hudson and Alvina. "Maybe this will blow your frakkin' minds....But Hudson was not the first werewolf I've met. Far from it. And I have met numerous otherwise outside of the crowd in this room. I don't state that because I am claiming that I understand all the nuisances of being a werewolf. I don't. But through my various conversations, I've formed some opinions and understandings." Her gaze locks to Alvina. "Accidents do happen." Those blue eyes shift back to Hudson. "And if the approach was different, sorry probably would have been enough." Meri makes a vague motion about the room, "But here we are, this is how we're doing this confrontation. And we're still denying it, aren't we? Because like you said...Nobody here ahas done anything like that, hm?" A beat. "And since that is how it seems it is going to be. I guess sorry does not cut it. I think I want about as much to do with you," she is pointing at Hudson because she is referring specifically to him, she's not entirely sure that Alvina has much appreciation for how things are playing out....but they are husband and wife, so those loyalties are deep. "As you seem to do with me."
Alvina’s relieved that Hudson isn’t trying to talk while they all settle in to the ‘cozy’ office. He wheels her to the chair and she sits, feeling like she’s just a witness in what’s to come. Indeed, time sees to it that she is the last one out of the proverbial gate. Khitti starts by staring directly at Alvina, who blinks nervously, and then silently endures the onslaught because she…isn’t being blamed by Khitti. What…? Khitti isn’t…? Flabbergasted, Alvina sets her attention on her husband, who she’ll have to use to navigate this in the most mobster way possible. She’s tense through his ‘cover up’ of ‘no one did anything’. He’s really flexing the alpha muscles, which Alvina can feel through their pack link. Presumably, she could have done similar things with her but…that’s for a different day.
Meri stands and collects her bags, which prompts Alvina to push back from the desk and stand as well. Not in a menacing way, just one of alarm and concern.
“We didn’t know who –“ She starts, biting her tongue so Meri can speak. Accidents happen. Guilt is dripping off her face. It isn’t until Meri points at Hudson that Alvina can find her voice again. “Meri, we didn’t know who it was.” She whispers urgently. “We didn’t know.” It’s not a good excuse. Alvina can feel the heat of Hudson’s eyes on her. “I’m sorry this happened – I’m so, so sorry this happened to you.” Maybe sorry can’t be enough but she’s said it to the air a thousand times. All the things she wants to say bubble below the surface but they skirt awfully close to ‘it was me’. “I meant what I said at the bakery, Khitti –“ She looks at the red head, eyes pleading. “-Meri, I meant what I said. I know good doctors and want to do whatever I can. WE want to do whatever we can.” She looks at Hudson, demanding nothing but asking for everything. “It can’t make up for what’s happened; I know it can’t but…it can help. It can help make things easier going forward. Please, you’re our friends –” The word sticks in her throat like old bread.
Khitti could barely hide a smirk as Hudson attempted to flex his alpha male-ness at her. “Oh, honey. You don’t scare me. I’ve seen things you’ll only ever see in your nightmares.” She paused, tilting her head somewhat to the side, the smirk still there, “And while I may not be a werewolf, I know quite well how the pack mentality works. I was a vampire not long ago--perhaps Alvina didn’t tell you. I know the feeling of wanting to protect one’s family, the dedication it takes, the blood that sometimes must be sacrificed. The want to tear those that hurt your family apart, like a cat ripping into a mouse. I assure you, that same bloodthirsty mentality has crossed over from one of my lives, to the next. But, I’m much more adept now at keeping that monster at bay for the sake of the people I love… are you?”
The templar drew in a breath and let it out into a heavy sigh. Now that it was made clear that she wasn’t the type to cower before a man, she more fully processed the things that Hudson, Meri, and Alvina had all said. “This anger on my part, however, isn’t without reason. I have seen what it’s like when someone turns another into their kind and I have seen when they are allowed to run free without being properly taught how to handle their abilities. Larewen Dragana is a prime example of this very thing that you’ve allowed to happen on your watch and is the very reason why I’m a little… sensitive on the matter.” Her attention switched between the three before settling onto Hudson again, “Meri may have come to terms with her lycanthropy, but that’s not even the point. What if she hadn’t? When you don’t -choose- to be what you are, it sends people into madness.” Now Alvina was fixed on, Khitti words still as stern as they’ve been this entire time, the smirk that had once been on the redhead’s pale features now were replaced by a frown.
“Alvina, you could have killed Meri. And honestly? I don’t even know if that would’ve been the worst thing that could’ve happened to her. If she’d wanted a cure, like I did? Do you know what sorts of things she’d have to do? Can you even fathom it? I had to sacrifice the souls of my entire family to Vakmathras. I -killed- my sister Lydia for that cure. Brought her back from the dead and sent her to the farthest reaches of the void. So don’t preach to me about being up against a wall and whatever else you think will placate me on this. It -is- serious, but it’s because you don’t give a goddamn frak about anyone but yourself, your money, and your fancy little friends--when instead, you should be giving a damn about the person you’ve hurt, whether intentionally or not.” Khitti was almost done with her little rant. Maybe. Okay not quite. We’re almost there though. “I have a duty to not only my family and friends, but to all of Lithrydel to protect it. Alvina, you -will- get help with controlling your wolf side, just as Meri will when she’s no longer pregnant. Not everyone is as kind as you’ve said I am; not everyone would allow for this second chance after someone in their family has had their lives so drastically altered in this way. After all the things we’ve talked about, after all the things we’ve been through, do not make me regret this friendship with you, Alvina.”
Hudson's jaw tenses as Meri lights into him over his not coming clean to her on this. He holds her gaze without flinching. Sure, he follows what she's saying, they should be tighter than how he treated her, her anger is righteous, etc. But hindsight is 20/20. How Meri thinks it should have played out is not how he operates, she's mistaken in thinking it's personal. After all, he almost killed Valrae for threatening to embarrass his wife once. He doesn't take risks where his family's concerned, and maybe Meri's right: it makes him a bad friend. It sucks being made a wolf and left to fend for yourself. He knows on a personal level. It's unforgivable but it had felt necessary to them at the time. He has to live with that and is prepared to tell her so, in the careful manner he had spoken before, but before he can respond his wife is on her feet too, being her gentle self and pleading for peace between everyone. He feels a surge of love and protectiveness toward her: she is his better half. This is why he's here being yelled at. Because she must be safe.
Khitti is addressing him now, in a manner that surprises him. Not a lot of people dare to talk to him like this - meaning condescendingly - anymore. This woman is fearless. However, while Meri's anger directed at him felt fair, he feels a skittering of lupine rage across his forearms when Khitti turns hers on Alvina, accusing her of being a callous rich lady who cares only for herself. Hudson cuts in, his tone unkind: "Don't you ever speak to her that way again. She's much too kind to ever say this, but maybe it's for the best the friendship doesn't work out. She deserves a friend who thinks better of her." He rises to his feet and collects Alvina by the hand, pulling her back to him, behind the desk. "As far as I'm concerned this meeting isn't going anywhere." He looks at Meri. "Be mad, I get it. But things are what they are. If you wanna work with what we've said," because Alvina had spoken too, and what she'd said he'd stand by. Bad cop, good cop, ".. let me know. But I am thinking we don't need to involve third parties in the discussion." No question, because his eyes cut that way briefly, that he means Khitti. Alvina may put on a brave face now, but it won't last for long. What Khitti had said would have drilled right into his wife's insecurities. "I'm genuinely glad that being a wolf suits you," he says to Meri. "We both are."
Tensions were running high in this room, as every individual could have expected. Each person present seems to have their own list of concerns that they want to address, some of them overlap while many of them do not. In attempting to address the various issues that people have with this delicate situation, tempers that were already lacking in patience for this matter to begin with are starting to flare -- including Meri's own. And it really does not take much to get the woman to a state of extreme upset. Her hormones are running high thanks to her pregnancy, and the fuse to her temper has grown shorter since becoming a werewolf.
It will not be Alvina that earns an ounce of anger from Meri. Despite initially feeling like she wanted to reach across the table and throttle Alvina for keeping this a secret the day they met at the bakery, her anger for the woman has subsided significantly during this talk. That does not mean there is not the sting of feeling betrayed by a friend. Still, Alvina will see a flash of softens in Meri's expression that only lasts for a few fractions of a second as Hudson and Khitti's words are heard loud and clear. There is something concerned overheard in what Khitti said. Meri is going to get help controlling her wolf side when she is not pregnant? This was the first that Meri was hearing of this, and her surprise is evident on her features. It is not there for long, Hudson's words soon pull Meri's blue eyes toward him, and he is the man who seems to incite most of her irritation.
Alas, Meri's rage does not manifest in a way that any party would be able to predict. She does not go flying off the handle and trying to physically attack Hudson, not as a pregnant woman nor as a furious werewolf who wants to eat someone's face off. It seems like she is probably intent upon giving him a piece of her mind, not that Khitti needed the backup on any of the matters she was currently angry about. Those lips of Meri's part and the woman was looking like she was about ready to yell about something, until a pained expression crosses her features. Following this expression is a low and frustrated growl, along with all of the clear and gross signs that Meri is going into labor (you know, the sort that might involve a mop), and hopefully not early. It's not like Meri has been able to clearly establish her timeline, and has only barely just gained an understanding of how fast this pregnancy could be.
Now that an awkward situation has been made more awkward, and the pain Meri was experiencing passes long enough to find her words, Meri speaks to Hudson while simultaneously grabbing Khitti's hand. "Alvina might be your wife, but Khitti is my sister. She has every right to be as pissed off about this as she wants to be." Meri turns her gaze to Khitti now as she declares, "We're leaving." They sort of have to. This was not the place to have a baby!
Alvina can’t remember if she’d told Hudson about Khitti’s vampirism but she feels Khitti is just as dangerous now as she could be before. Not that Alvina knew, at the time. They’d never quarrelled to a dangerous extent. “We searched everywhere after it happened. I didn’t -want- to leave whoever I hurt alone. You know I’m not malicious…I watched Hudson struggle for years with his lycanthropy because he didn’t get a choice either…” Khitti’s eyes fix firmly on her and Alvina freezes. Khitti’s words hit Alvina like a ten horse carriage. She exhales repetitiously; long breathes as if she’d just had the wind knocked out of her. The details of Khitti’s cure were never fully revealed, though they’d touched on it in the bakery. Passionate protests coat Alvina’s tongue but none of them make it past her lips. There isn’t enough air in her lungs to facilitate speech. When Hudson speaks, his wife doesn’t look his way. Her eyes waver on Khitti. He pulls her back behind the desk while her mind reels. “I do care…” She whispers at Khitti’s remark that she should be giving a damn about who she hurts. How could she think Alvina didn’t care?
“Hudson’s been helping, I am working, I’m trying-” To control Little Miss. It’s an ongoing process.Hudson’s talking again but she isn’t focused in on what he’s saying. Whatever it is, she can tell it’s about her. There’s a level of emotion to his voice. She blinks away from Khitt and looks to Meri. All this mess because of Alvina. She sees Meri’s face soften briefly and her own face threatens to crack. All hope is not lost. This is the thought being telegraphed through her body when Meri’s water breaks. “Meri-!” She cries out, just before Meri defends Khitti’s right to her anger as her sister.
The woman Hudson had sent for food picks this moment to return with what ‘lunch’ options the strip club had to offer. She stands, holding the door open behind her and staring at the floor. That woman just went into labor. “Evan!! Call a carriage right now!” She screams back into the club. Whoever Evan is (most likely a bouncer) calls back gibberish and presumably does what she’d asked. “Go to Dr. Killigan. She’s just around the corner at the clinic. She delivered Bryce and knows a lot about werewolf births. Please-” Alvina can only see the back of Meri’s head as she turns to grab Khitti. Her eyes flick back to Khitti, pleading. “Please, she’ll take care of everything. I swear it-” The man’s voice calls, interrupting her, to say the carriage is outside.
Khitti narrowed her eyes at Hudson, a smirk finding home to her lips again, “Oh, I was speaking to you. I know what kind of person Alvina is. I know she cares. But you, I know what kind of person you are too now, Hudson, and it’s disgusting. I don’t even know what Alvina sees in you. And this ‘third party’ has more knowledge on this particular subject than you have an ounce of compassion in your little finger. Perhaps your wife can help you take care of that problem before it gets you into more trouble.” There would’ve been more to say, of course--oh Khitti had plenty more words for that husband of Alvina’s. But… Meri just went into labor and Khitti was sure as frak not helping the blonde deliver her kid in a place like this. “No,” she said flatly to Alvina, on the insistence that Khitti take Meri to the Silver Bard’s doctor. “The Tranquility’s healer will suffice. He’s someone I know and more importantly, someone I trust with my life.” Lennier had not only delivered her child, but pulled Khitti back from death’s grasp after Emrith’s attack at House Dragana, after all.
The redheaded templar would then follow after Meri, intent on at least taking the carriage that’d been called for. Once the whole deed was done and Meri and her kid her safe, Khitti’d eventually elaborate on what she’d meant when she said both Alvina and Meri needed to learn how to control their wolf side. That motherly instinct that was soon to kick in for the psion was only going to make things worse for a still young werewolf. If Khitti, the human that she was now, was capable of going into full-on Mama Bear mode for not only her child, but her family and friends as well, there’s no telling what someone with a somewhat unchecked and untrained wolf mind might do if threatened…
And as for Alvina? Well, maybe they’d meet up sometime and discuss things without the bard’s husband. It would sure as frak make for an easier conversation if he wasn’t there.