RP:One Of The Drunks

Part of the The Whisperer In Darkness Arc

Summary: Meri seeks out Khitti to try to get info about a necklace she was given by Nazaria. They eventually find out what it does, but not before Meri has to take a teleport from the Tranquility all the way to Venturil and gets planted smack dab in the middle of a drunken fight between Khitti and some Venturilians.

The Fallen Star Inn, Venturil

Should anyone try to seek out Khitti at the Tranquility, they’d be referred to the inn in Venturil. Luckily for anyone that just so happened to be close to the redhead or her family there, they’d get the usage of a portal that Khitti had installed into a room on the ship. Much like the enchantment she’d placed on a ring of her father’s she’d given Brand and the seashell bracelet that she’d coveted for so long, this too brought the user to Khitti’s side, seeing as how she was the one that was off the ship the most as of late. There was only a pedestal in the portal room, and atop it a potion bottle with a tag that said ‘drink me’. The purple liquid swirled and sparkled within, looking somewhat reminiscent of the stars at night. The person that wished to find Khitti would be urged to drink it by one of Brand’s crew, muttering something about Khitti having insisted on the portal being this way, because of one of her silly fairy tales. Something about a rabbit and beheading and talking caterpillars. Who knows. Some of the people on the ship still think she’s a little crazy.

When it’s finally drank, the imbiber would feel a little… odd… It was almost as if that swirling were going on inside their stomachs, though not quite in a queasy-feeling sort of way. But, no sooner would they notice this would the ship around them melt away and then the inside of Venturil’s inn would come into view. And soon Khitti came into view. And so did the person throwing a punch at her. Anyone looking for Khitti would be teleported right into the middle of the fray that she’d gotten herself into, unfortunately. Thankfully, however, whomever might find themselves there would get pushed out of the way because Khitti knew full well what that flare of magical energy meant--she created the spell after all--in the few brief seconds the drunken brawl allowed for. Unfortunately (again), that meant that Khitti was taking that punch to the face with full force, a spurt of blood leaving her nose and her now busted lip. And what was that smell? Oh. That was the scent of whiskey coming from the redhead, radiating from her like a fog at the Cenril wharf in the early morning hours. Yeah… this was probably not a good time. Khitti wobbled a bit, and nearly fell over, but wasn’t down for the count yet. She spat out a bit of blood as it pooled in her mouth, in quite an unladylike fashion, and then went back to fighting, her own fists raised and swinging in an attempt to knock out her equally drunken opponent.

Venturil was not a place that Meri would have thought to look for Khitti off hand, not that Meri had forgotten there were certain matters out there that might call Khitti's attention out that way....Just. It had been awhile. It's definitely the Tranquility that Meri tries to find Khitti, and when she learns where the red head is at...there is some moaning and groaning, at least until she is reminded of the portal. Admittedly the thought of using a portal alone made Meri slightly uneasy, perhaps irrationally so. What if something weird happened? What if she was portal'd to some place that she was not intending to go? Not that she did not trust Khitti's magic. Shadow plane hangups. Her mind is put more at ease when she comes to realize she is not actually stepping through a portal, as once Meri finds her way to the appropriate room in the ship she is instead greeted with a pedestal and a little potion that says 'drink me'. The apprehension melts away, the bottle is picked up and emptied, and soon Meri's world was feeling a little odd. It too would melt away as quickly as her apprehension did, only for her view to be replaced with Venturil's inn.

It was good Khitti managed to push Meri out of the way just as she came into view. Well. Sort of. It was good because Meri needed a moment to gain some sort of bearing of her surroundings after the whole world-melting moment. It was also sort of not good, Meri had no appreciation for being pushed and because she could not fully process who was pushing her and why? It just serves to anger Meri. And that anger only intensifies when she whirls around and realizes that Khitti appears to be in some sort of fight and is bleeding? What the heck. So Meri does what any sane and rational sister would do in this situation. She hauls off and punches the guy nearest to Khitti, because surely that must be who the redhead is in a brawl with, right? Maybe. Maybe not. He's still getting punched.

No… no that person was not a part of the brawl… But he is now! That poor dwarf. You made him spill his beer, Meri! Oi. Well, once Khitti threw her punch at the dude that knocked a wee bit of blood out of her face, she’d stop and blink a few times at that blonde sister of hers. “Meri? What the seven hells are you doing here?” Except, Khitti’s accent was a little heavier than usual thanks to the alcohol she drank, making Khitti sound quite a bit like she used to before her rebirth. Thanks, alcohol. Khitti didn’t get much more said for the time being because that guy that she was fighting came back with another punch. Unfortunately for him, after he got his hit in, Khitti amped up that patented right hook of hers--backed with just a dash of holy fire--and knocked her opponent right the frak out. If Brand were here, it’d be enough to send chills down his spine, as those punches had been reserved for him (and sometimes still were when he deserved it) once upon a time. Facial hairs were singed, a tooth or two was missing, and on Khitti’s end her hand hurt a whole hell of a lot. And now? It was two against one, with the two sisters taking on the dwarf who lost his drink. But… he didn’t particularly want to take them both on at once. So, he promptly excused himself, got a new drink to-go, and exited stage right.

Now that that was over and done with, Khitti slumped into the nearest chair, which thankfully had been her own originally, and drank the remainder of her whiskey. She’d long since realized what she’d been missing during her vampire days. If she hadn’t been one, when she first met Brand, the pair would’ve likely been blacked out daily. Dominic 1.0 sure would’ve hated her, much like he had towards the end of his days. “Brand didn’t send you, did he?,” she said after spitting out a bit more blood on the floor beside her. No, he likely wouldn’t have. She’d been keeping much from him lately, to save him the stress--and this was one of those things--but she’d felt like it’d be a decent conversation starter anyway.

Whoops. Well Meri was trying to help, at least it is the thought that counts, she tried to come to the defense of her sister but made it temporarily worse. Temporary because in the end the dwarf that Meri accidentally drew into the fight ultimately decided fighting a blonde and a redhead in a bar was not his idea of a good time. He’d rather just replace his spilled drink and skirt out of sight, which Meri cannot blame him for. Meri was relieved, not because she was afraid of the fight but because she was not actually looking for one. The blonde plants her rear in a seat across from Khitti and lifts a brow in response to the greeting she gets. Did Brand send Meri? Heck no. Meri talked to Brand even less than Khitti did. It has been months upon months really. And if Brand did try and send Meri for such a task? He’d be met with nothing but sass from Meri in response to such a request, told to nut up and collect his own woman. Meri does not vocalize this. All Khitti gets is that lifted brow to answer that question. “I came out here because I got a thing and I thought my nerdy bookworm of a sister might be able to help me figure out if this thing is a useful thing or not.” Meri smirks. “Except I find her out in a place I don’t expect fighting with midgets in a bar. What’s up? What brings you all the way out here this time?” Whatever thing Meri has acquired could wait.

Khitti shrugged, “The same thing that always brings me out here.” Death. Destruction. Mayhem. Except… none of those things had been going on out here in some time. Gabriel seemed to have vanished entirely--much like Kahran had--and now she wondered if her only chance at even becoming partially one with the darkness again had left her. “What thing?” Khitti casually changed the subject as a cloth napkin was brought to her nose. Was it… broken? There was a sigh of relief as she realized that it was decidedly -not- broken. She waved a waitress down and asked for a glass of water, and in the meantime--while she waited for Meri to tell her what was up--she used a bit of what was left of her whiskey to treat her split lip. It hurt. A lot.

Meri gives a slight tilt of her head at the response given, that knowing feeling that not all was right in Khitti's world was surfacing again. I mean, things were usually not right in Khitti's world. There was usually something. A sister. A curse. A priest. But all of those things seemed easier to weather with Brand present, Meri speculated inwardly. Some days Aunt Meri really wanted to box Brand's ears in. The psion vs the assassin -- that would probably be a wreck of a fight. Anyway, this would probably never happen. Only in Meri's mind. And only because in the grand scheme of things she understands that there is no fixing things for Khitti, all she can do is be there for her sister, through thick and thin. Khitti is the closest thing to blood she has. All of these thoughts and concerns are eventually pushed to the back of Meri's mind. "Well hell, I feel bad. Like I at least ought to wait for your nose to stop bleeding or something." Meri smirks, trying to find a bit of humor to further chase away those darker thoughts she was just mulling over. A trinket is revealed and set on the table in between Khitti and Meri. Whenever Khitti deems fit, she is welcome to pick the object up by the chain to study the little fox amulet. "Guess this fox girl gave it to Cal to pass on to me? Said something about how it might be handy one day. Both Cal and I think that is kind of an odd statement." Silence. She was waiting to hear what Khitti had to say. Oh and that waitress came to bring Khitti that glass of water the redhead had asked for too.

Khitti would’ve made a face, as if to say “meh it’s fine”, but uh, it kinda hurt to do so right now. So, instead she shrugged and merely said, “It’ll be fine. It doesn’t feel like it’s broken and it’ll all heal. Not quite as fast as a vampire, but it’s not the end of the world.” Khitti tilted her head at the mention of the fox amulet and let out a hm. “I don’t think I’ve heard of anything like it, but that doesn’t mean anything. For a long time I avoided magical objects, heh. Wasn’t very many at all back home and the ones here only ever seem to get people into trouble. Not all of them, mind you, but it’d always make me a bit antsy. That is certainly an odd thing to say though. ‘It’ll come in handy someday.’ What’s with people being so damned cryptic about this stuff?” You’re one to talk about being cryptic, Khitti. “Give it here,” she said finally, her hand held out to take it if Meri indeed had it with her. The water would arrive eventually and instead of drinking it, Khitti’d use it to clean the blood off of her face.

The fox amulet was already sitting on the table between the two women, but when Khitti asks Meri plucks the thing up off the table and hands it over to her sister to take at her leisure. There was a bloodied nose to deal with. Meri was not trying to be pushy, as Khitti likely was already well aware. Meri frowns as she studies the amulet that she dangles toward Khitti -- what if this was a trick? What is this got her in trouble? Or Khitti. Meri's paranoid mind almost gets the better of her, but she manages to resist the temptation to pull the trinket back so that neither could study it. "Well hell, if we end up thinking that this is some sort of cursed amulet or some crap like that, then I am just going to sell it and be done with it." Meri had no way of telling herself, Khitti knew that much. The blonde had her talents, but none of those talents rest with magic. It was all up to Khitti to determine how much of a nuisance this thing may or may not be to Meri's life. "Or maybe it won't come in handy at all? Maybe it is just a fox necklace?" Meri finds focus on her sister's hopefully soon to be less bloody face, full of a million more questions that still go unasked. Some of those questions may be answered based on what Khitti may, or may not say. Was this thing even magical? Would it come in handy some day?

Meri’s sister coughed somewhat awkwardly. Khitti’d been completely oblivious to the fact that the amulet was literally sitting on the table in front of her and now she’d made Meri do more work that she didn’t have to because of the redhead’s airheaded/drunkenness. “Sorry” was said quickly and quietly as she took hold of the necklace, olive-green eyes squinting at it carefully, “It sure is cute. And no, if it was cursed, the two of you would probably be screwed already. Not sure if that’s something I’d be able to sense now, but you don’t -seem- cursed. Then again… maybe you have to wear it for it to work.” The gears were very carefully turning in Khitti’s head, that much was easy to see. As she thought about the necklace briefly, weighing all pros and cons, she glanced around the room, then at Meri, and finally at the necklace again. “ ‘You only live nine lives’... or something like that.” She was sure that she heard that feline phrase somewhere. No sooner did she say it, did Khitti put on the necklace. “Nope. Nothin’. I don’t really feel anything different at all.” Except, for Meri, things would be very different. With those heightened wolf senses of hers, the blonde would come to find out that not only could she not smell the remnants of blood on Khitti’s face or the whiskey on her breath, but she couldn’t smell Khitti -whatsoever-.

Honestly Meri did not mind, Khitti just got punched in the nose, which tends to make the eyes water, was trying to clean up the bleeding, was drunk. There was a lot going on. Meri still loved the redhead all the same! Meri bobbed her head in agreement, it was cute. It was also fitting in it's own way, not because Meri did any sort of work with a little fox girl but, "It reminds me of Gage, when I still had him. Did you ever meet Gage?" Meri could not remember, for the little fox was always inconsistently in her presence for he preferred the forests even when Meri sometimes took to the cities. The answer to the question did not really matter to Meri in the end, she was quickly distracted the moment that Khitti plopped the necklace around her neck. Being that Meri was still such a young werewolf, she was still adjusting to these newly heightened senses. It could be overwhelming at times, all these new smells that she was not used to experiencing in a single setting as a human. Meri was pretty certain, though, that Khitti's scent was no longer mingling with the rest of those other odors in the tavern. But just to confirm, it was Meri's turn to be weird. The woman plants her hands on the table that sets between Khitti and Meri and then leaaaaans forward, sniffing the air around Khitti to try and confirm. The blonde leans so far forward that she almost steals a page from her sister's book, very nearly slipping and face planting on the table. Sherecovers. At least one table is giving Khitti and Meri strange looks right about now, because what is Meri even doing? Eyes go wide with realization and Meri demands, "Take the necklace off."

Khitti surprisingly didn’t get too freaked out by the way that Meri was sniffing her so intently. She knew that whole song and dance after all; having enhanced senses was a blessing and a curse. She couldn’t help but laugh, however, when Meri nearly faceplanted onto their table, and did her best to stifle it. The mirth dissipated immediately once the blonde demanded that she take it off. Khitti did so, blinking a few times at Meri as she set the necklace on the table, “What? What’s wrong? What did it do?” The redhead squinted a bit, “The damn thing didn’t give me fox ears, did it? The look seems to suit Aira, but not me. I think I’m a bit more on the feline side if I was going to be anything else other than human or undead…”

Meri had the confirmation that she needed, for the second that Khitti took the necklace off and set it back on the table, Meri could pick up Khitti's scent again. How strange. Maybe that would be handy afterall. Never know when Meri might need to hide her scent. Or. More likely, when someone Meri cares about might have to hide their scent from her. Werewolves be all crazy and bitey and the like sometimes. Meri can see the way that Khitti is trying to stifle her laughter. No offense is taken. Meri has had a chuckle at a couple of Khitti's falls. After plopping back into her chair and scooping the necklace up off the table for safekeeping, Meri explains. "What? Fox ears? Cat ears? You think you're really like lucky?" Meri smirks. "Naw, you sprouted a couple of antennae there for a couple of minutes." A unlikely story, Meri. This was a fox necklace, not a grasshopper necklace. Meri tries to cover it up. "I think the only reason the trinket is a fox is because that is the sort of creature that gifted it to us. A fox girl, not Aira though." Meri smirks, then waits to see if her sister buys it or not. Regardless of it Khitti believes the story, Meri will soon offer up the correct version of what the blonde was observing. "Naw, I could not smell you there for a second. Not one little bit. Your scent was just entirely gone."

Khitti groans at the thought of having antennae, but that didn’t last long thanks to the alcohol in her system, “Oh! If it turns me into a praying mantis, that means I get to eat Brand and get away with it!” The gears in her head were definitely turning again. But then Meri ruined it inadvertantly by spilling what really happened, the gears turning in a different direction now, “No scent, eh? That could definitely come in handy, like that fox girl said. Too bad you don’t have three of them; we could use it for hunting that werewolf. But, you could always wear it. If it didn’t know you were there, it’d probably be more inclined to murder me and Aira. If she does decide to tag along, that is.” That last bit of whiskey was drank finally, since she was done using it as antiseptic for her lip, and a shrug offered to Meri, “I can definitely see the perks in having it otherwise. Lots of people around here like you, like what I used to be, that’s keen on hiding it for obvious reason.”

Note to self: for Yule Khitti wants a spell that can turn her into a praying mantis so that she can eat Brand guilt free, for that is what praying mantises do once they have mated with a male. Meri smirks and then pushes this idea aside, dismissing it as a bit of silly drunk moment. Meri understood, there was a time she used to have these moments herself. The conversation gets back to serious, no thanks to Meri. "Well I think the person I would rather have wearing it for the time being is going to be you, at least for awhile we are hunting this wolf." Meri slides the little fox trinket closer to Khitti so that her sister could safeguard it for the time being -- at least until this hunt was over. "I think it may be useful in keeping my identity secret from other werewolves, should I want to. But uh. I am not sure it will help with the wolf that we are trying to track. Sometimes...I feel like I can feel she is near? It's not a hard and focused feeling." As in, Meri is not sure she's able to track based on this 'feeling'. "But it's there. I am sure it is there for her too...Better you put it to use." They could let Aira borrow it sure, but Meri would rather it go to family. Khitti was actively tracking this potentially aggressive werewolf with the intention of trapping it, while hanging out with her werewolfy sister. Cal was second choice in this matter, if only because he was not actively trying to put himself in harms way. Meri shrugs, failing to vocalize any of those last few thoughts to Khitti. "Anyway."

Khitti raised a brow as the necklace is slid across the table again to her, but she didn’t protest much, “Alright. If you’re sure.” She nodded in acknowledgement of Meri’s “feeling”. “Yeah, I understand. There’s something similar with fledgling vampires and their sires too.” Anyway. “Anyway, you should head on back. If you’re not going to give Cal this necklace, then you at least need to be there to protect him.” The redhead reached into her satchel on the chair beside her and withdrew a small cloth napkin bundle. On it, it had a label that said ‘eat me’ and within in was a small bit of cake. “Works the same way as the drink on the ship. I make sure to keep some with me just in case someone -actually- comes looking for me.” This was the first time actual family used the portal spell; normally, it was just random Tranquility crew members that showed up, letting Khitti know that they’d be on the move again to deliver cargo outside of Cenril.

Meri gives a slight wrinkle of her nose as this pang of guilt washes over her. Part of her wanted to stay because she felt like her sister was still off. Plus Khitti was family? So why would she not want to hang out a little bit longer? Yet Khitti was right, Cal might need protecting. Even still, he had been on a kick of not really wanting to be left alone, not that Meri blames him with the witch hunters. Meri accepts the small bit of cake and pulls it closer to her, but she is not so quick to follow the instructions and disappear from the scene. "Are you sure? I think Cal will be okay for a little while and well, your my sister. So....I kind of like hanging out with you, you know? I don't want to just ask you about this amulet and then run...." Meri frowns.

The redhead shrugged, “I mean, you can if you want to? I’m not forcing you to leave. I just figured...” Khitti let that thought trail off, another shrug given before she’s shifting her attention elsewhere. “I’ve not exactly been a “peach” to be around lately.” Brand would probably lol at that, if only because she used his nickname for her as a pun. Khitti fell quiet for a bit, unpainted and pale lips twisting into a slight frown. “You know, I think I got less grief from people when I tried to do good things as a vampire and a necromancer,” she said at length. “Might’ve been because they were too shocked to believe that someone like that was even doing anything good at all. All of those stereotypes and such, you know.” She signalled the barkeep finally for another bottle of whiskey and it was soon sent over and set in front of Khitti, “I guess when you finally declare that you’re working for the greater good, though, they don’t forget that and they expect every ounce of your energy and time always. And I’ve been trying, splitting my time between home, and the bakery, and the band, and the guild hall and here. I’ve been trying to do good anywhere that I can, even little things, but I don’t think it really matters. It feels like a never-ending cycle of hell and exhaustion.” Khitti smirked bitterly at her own thought that was soon to be voiced, “They really need to advertise this whole “being good” thing differently.”

Meri herself could not even begin to claim to relate -- she herself has never considered herself 'good', she just might sometimes influenced to do somewhat good deeds. She can empathize though. In her nearing close-to-thirty years she has witnessed this phenomenon that Khitti speaks of. Her sister and Lionel were only two examples. This prompts Meri to take a long look around the establishment that they are sitting at, her gaze does not return to Khitti until the woman has her newest bottle of whiskey. "I wish that I was better with sort of thing. I feel like there is some wise piece of advice that I should be giving, or maybe I wish that I had something wise to say about this. Part of me feels like I should be encouraging you? Keep on going. Keep doing the thing. Keep trying to save lives and do good. Part of....wants to tell you to do you. You're my sister and as long as you don't turn into a complete psycho-murderer-serial-killer." Meri pauses for a moment, "I guess...If you want to go around saving the world? I'm going to do my best to support you. And if you want to say screw it....and just do you...? Well I am going to support you there too....Don't drive yourself mad for the greater good if they're going to be ungrateful."

“I still don’t really -feel- “good”. Like, I just feel that that’s what expected of me. Because the god I chose to follow--or he chose me, rather--is considered “good” in Lithrydel. I’ve wanted to talk to some of the others about it, like Zahrani or Kelovath, but they’re all just gone again. Ulah can really only provide so much insight because she’s been following Arkhen for longer than any of us have been around and I’m really only just now opening her mind to see that those they deem “evil” aren’t always that way. And Camina’s newer at this than I am.” Khitti sighed and shrugged, “And as luck would have it, my family isn’t exactly the religious type.” There was a slight smirk, indicating the family she spoke of was her Lithrydel one. “This whole thing with Gabriel isn’t helping. Is it bad that I wish he were actually still around? Running around cleaning up his messes made me feel useful, for the most part. But, I know I don’t have to be good to do that. But the things he was telling me, the things he was promising… I think I missed my chance there… and now everything is just upside-down.” Sigh. The templar shook her head a bit and muttered an apology. “I’m rambling. Sorry. And, I do appreciate you listening to me about this, even if you can’t really understand it entirely.” She paused briefly, then continued, “I guess after I’m done here, I should take a break from Venturil for a little while.”

Meri nods. Khitti was right, Meri did not fully understand but she was doing her best to be a nonjudgmental ear no matter what. "It would be nice if you could have the guidance of support of your fellow guild mates, like Zahrani and Kelovath..." Meri gives pause, for she personally does not feel like she has ever really even met this Kelovath. Maybe there were whispers of his presence as a certain wedding but she has never met him. That smirk of Khitti is caught and Meri bobs her head of agreement. It was no secret that Khitti's family was not religious, even the sister currently sharing a table with her. I mean, she believes that the Gods and Goddesses existed, that they were definitely a thing...she just had a cynical view of all of them. Like they were not to be trusted, and that people were just their pawns. It was no secret, but Meri also did not like bringing it up herself. She did not want her opinion to put a downer on Khitti's current efforts. Meri would like to smile to show her appreciation for her sister's appreciation and agree with the redhead about taking a break from Venturil...but there is something Khitti mentions to Meri for the first time that is somewhat alarming to Meri, a brow is lifted as she urges gently, "What sort of things was he promising you...?"

Khitti just shook her head and offered her sister a wry smile, “It doesn’t matter. I’m pretty sure he’s long gone at this point anyway. And I'm sure the mindlink has faded too now. There’s not been anything from him at all. I can’t even sense his presence in my head or around here anymore.” Another swig of whiskey was taken and soon after, Khitti was standing up out of her chair, her legs tired and a bit shaky beneath her, “You go home. I’m going to go for a walk and try not to get into anymore fights. I’ll head back to the ship in a couple days. I’d head home now, with you, but Camina is on her way and I’d rather not leave her to the wolves, so to speak.” She tried to muster a smile at her pun, but her lip was throbbing from those few punches, and her mouth soon resumed that somewhat neutral-somewhat morose state it's been in mostly for awhile now.

Meri frowns out of concern. Did it really not matter anymore? Meri was not so confident in that answer, but there were times were she knew she could press for answers and times where it was better to let Khitti have her space on the issue. She'll speak of things when she is ready. "Okay..." Meri says with some amount of hesitance, still unsure if she should really be leaving Khitti alone. "Alright. I'll head on out and let you do your thing." Up and out of the chair Meri goes, scooping up the little cake that said 'eat me', breaking the label and getting ready to pop the piece of cake into her mouth. "I'll see you soon, yeah? Try and stay out of trouble." And without further adieu, that cake is devoured, causing Meri to disappear from the bar and leaving Khitti to her own mischief once again.

Khitti mustered a smile for Meri and nodded as the blonde at the cake, “I will.” Once her sister was gone, Khitti sighed heavily and lifted up the side of her shirt. Bruises covered her side and likely within as well, on her ribs. Khitti really had not wanted Meri to know that she’d been fighting for a lot longer than it seemed. The redhead grimaced a bit, but said nothing of the pain--it’s not like anyone present would care anyway--and tried to not focus on her aching body. This would definitely be the last day for a while that Khitti would stay here and make her rounds; she wouldn’t send anyone to replace her either. If she did, Venturil’s denizens may very well just take out their anger on whomever Khitti would’ve sent. With another sigh and wince, she pushed herself up out of her chair carefully, grabbed her satchel and what remained of her whiskey, and headed out the door to wander a bit, with the intent on returning to the Tranquility a couple days later.