RP:Pool Party in a Treehouse

Treehouse D'Chath

Lita has a key to the magic treehouse. It's in one of the pockets of her overcoat. They're bigger on the inside so she doesn't bother to look for it, just breezes through the front door without introduction. Knocking might have been polite though, and she pauses and backtrack a step, listening for any sounds of other people around. Greeted with an appropriate lack of noise, she heads inside. At least she could leave a note and a couple gifts she'd picked up recently. The term is used loosely. Maybe she could snag a drink and snuggle a pet or two. Explore a bit. It still freaks her out a bit just how entirely huge the place is on the inside. It's like being inside of one of her coat pockets. Meta.

Rumiko had spent entirely too much time in the Unseelie District of Enchantment, and decided it was a good time to make herself known to the world once more. And by the world, she meant her brother and whomever may be lingering inside the treehouse. The nymph had gotten halfway to her destination before she realized she'd forgotten to replace the glamor that was her every-day face, and with an uncharacteristic giggle, she stepped into the wood line to ready herself for any friends or acquaintances she happened to run into. With the clip if two hoops, raven curls brightened to her signature crimson, and ruby irises shifted to that glowing harlequin green. Her entrance to the Tree house came with a similar fanfare to that of the woman before her- which was none- though she did stop short at finding the other there. "Oh hi!" Was Rumi always this chipper? Absolutely not.

Quintessa might have already been lingering at the Treehouse for some time, Kelay being the center of her diplomatic endeavors across Lithyrdel. Instead of staying at the camp, Karasu and Quintessa had been here most of the time, haunting the residence like a pair of specters. When Lita and Rumiko arrive in succession of one another, one of these ghosts takes notice of the commotion, the dark-haired changeling with mismatched eyes drifting silently from her room into the hall as quiet as Death. She is underdressed, wearing naught but a loose spider silk sleeping gown as her bare feet take her closer to the entrance of the treehouse. Spotting them both, a curious grin grows upon her face, pale lips parting to greet them. “Good evening,” Quintessa’s voice coos like a dark dove, her lithe form drifting from the shadows as she holds her robe closed, “It is nearly the Hour of the Wolf… An odd time for a visit, but I’m not complaining.” The fae woman giggles as she turns toward the bar, finding a seat for herself before she rotates to face them again. “The Guardians are indisposed at the moment, but don’t hesitate to indulge in their hospitality. I only ask that you do not disturb them.” Were they really asleep at the moment? Maybe, maybe not, but wherever they were Quintessa didn’t seem to want to discuss. “Did you need anything or were you just stopping by?” This question is more aimed towards Lita. Quintessa already knew Rumi had a room here.

Lita turns at the sound of another person but continues backwards a few steps on bare feet until her hip bumps into the bar. Presumably the person would have to have a key to get in. She imagines a house like this, with all its magic and charm, would eat any trespassers anyway. "Preferably without me in it..." she mumbles to herself under her breath as she sets about pouring herself a drink. Just helping herself to the assortment of whiskey on hand. "Hm? What?" She says glancing up at the stranger again as she takes a drink from her glass. Nothing to see here, Lita totally hadn't planned on snooping. Where was that chubby little ball of cuteness?? Dark eyes are glancing around the floor but no luck. She takes another drink and brings her attentions back to the redhead girl. She'd assume human but knowing the home's owners and penchant for adopting strays, who knows really. "You look lost. And not. And found." Before she can offer more sage words of profound wisdom, a familiar face is joining their impromptu party and she offers a wide grin. "Ah, so this is where you've been hiding?" She says in lieu of a proper greeting. "Mahri will be glad to know she can stop worrying so much." They had enough to worry over these days. "Just stopping by." Probably not at all true, but her acquaintance with the changeling was still a relatively new thing. "Do you think the pool's heated?"

Rumiko 's attention shifted from Lita to Quintessa at her appearance, and a rapid flick of her wrist in a wave came instead of another verbal greeting. She was here for her room more than company, but if there were others up, why not converse? Especially when one was someone she'd been spending more time with over the last few months, and the other was one she needed to feel out, seeing as she was standing in one of her home away from homes and all. The mention of her siblings sleeping pulled a mischievous grin across the druid's face, and she might have clawed her nails down their door, if the sudden realization that they might not actually be sleeping hadn't crossed her mind. A shiver down her spine caused her to shake her head and send loose waves in all directions, the action cut short at the mention of the she-wolf, "You know Mahri?" Bright eyes were open a touch too wide, her pitch too excited. "Is she here? I haven't told her I was back yet."

Quintessa looks around sheepishly in response to Lita’s inquiry as to where she’d been hiding. “Here, yes, and sometimes at GingerSnap Bakery. I have my options but it is nice to stay at your place in Rynvale from time to time.” A look is given to the pool before she rises and approaches the edge, a pale hand held aloft, the air becoming tense with magical energy. “Would you like me to heat it for you? It would be a simple task for one such as I.” She pauses for a moment like this, her gaze flickering back to Rumiko with another curious grin. “Oh, yes, she’s intimately acquainted with Mahri- But I don’t reckon she’s here with her.” Her gaze becomes a bit more scrutinizing when it returns to Lita, a her grin devolving into a smirk before she adds, “Last I saw Mahri she was in Cenril.”

Lita can't help a broad grin at the redhead girl's question of whether or not she knew Mahri. She holds up her thumb and forefinger and squints at the small space between them. "A little." She muses before taking another drink. "No, she's back on the island. She stirred up some trouble in Larket and so is laying low for a couple of days. And none too happy about it, but you know." Lita shrugs. Some of what she'd said was true, sort of. Old habits die hard and she still isn't used to trusting people. But they were here, in Meri's home, and that went a long way. "She's always happy to see old friends though. You should visit the island sometime." She offers the girl a wink as she finishes the glass of whiskey in hand. She turns to put her empty glass back on the bar and slips into a vacant seat as she watches Tessa offer to heat the pool. Tempting, but, "No thanks." She sighs. "Maybe next time." She should have refilled her glass. "I was actually hoping to pick your brain." She says to Tessa. "I'll assume this one's safe if she's here?" She nods towards Rumiko then offers an apologetic, "Sorry, I don't think we've met, or if we did I don't remember. Don't hold it against me." She glances to Tessa again, "We can always chat later if need be?"

Rumiko 's nose wrinkled. The comments from both about the relationship with Mahri didn't add up, and the fact that she was thinking that deeply about it meant the fog was lifting from her mind. Which also explained the headache she felt. Fingers came to pinch the bridge of her nose before offering the same spot a slight massage, "She's always in some sort of trouble." It was offered softly, and not really in any one direction. The wink was caught, and a dip of her head came slow, "I've a few things to finish up, but I'll pop in. I haven't seen her since I told her about..." It was her turn to walk in eggshells. "Soon, I'll go soon." A glance Quintessa's way came with a lofted brow, though no further method of communication as to her train of thought before Lita was turning back with an apology. "Me? Safe?" A small smile. "Safe enough, depending. I am Rumiko Lyastri." A nod towards the master bedroom came then, "Magik is my brother, and Mahri is my sister." Adopted on both accounts, given her fae-like appearance and obvious coloring differences. Her gaze swept towards Quintessa then, and she'd nod towards her own room, "Came for the same, really. But I can wait until morning, if need be." What had she come to say exactly? She couldn't quite remember.

Quintessa lowers her hand, the built up magic fizzing away as steam across the surface of the pool. “As you say.” That doesn’t stop Quintessa from sitting on the edge of the pool however and dipping her feet to splash in the cool water. “I heard about that business in Larket… I was honestly curious to hear your thoughts on it as well.” Quintessa hangs her head backwards over her shoulders, her dark hair falling out of her face as she gazes back, upside down at the bar. “Feel free to ask me whatever questions you desire.” She allows her eyes to move back and forth between the women, like the pendulum of a clock, waiting for some sort of introduction. When it finally comes it doesn’t offer the reassurance Quintessa thought it would, instead causing her own questions to bubble up in her mind. “Yes, she’s part of our little family, you see?” Her attention finally returns to Lita. “We’re all Syndicate here. Speak freely.” And with that Quintessa slips off her robes and slowly submerges herself up to her neck in the tepid water of the pool, spinning around to gaze at both of them like a crocodile on the surface of a river.

Lita might have just heard her favorite description of Mahri ever; that she was always in some sort of trouble. Her smile broadens and she offers a chuffed laugh, but she'll keep her thoughts to herself, since her nickname to a select few was Trouble. Ahem. She lofts a brow at Rumiko as the girl offers an introduction. Magik and Mahri's sister? She knew Mahri had family she hadn't seen in a long time but she didn't know all the stories. "Safe enough indeed, then." She agrees. "Mahri's my-" She rolls her eyes towards Tessa here. They hadn't really put a label on whatever they were. She glances back to Rumiko. "Mahri's my person." She lifts her hand and wriggles her fingers in an a sort of awkward wave. "I'm Lita. Go back a ways with Meri, just recently getting to know Magik and Tessa here." She looks back to Tessa at the edge of the pool and decides to join her after all. She shrugs out of her overcoat and tosses it over the bar before heading to join the changeling, and waving for Rumiko to join them as well. She sits with her left leg bent inwards and her right leg dangling over the pool's edge and in the water. "I'm honestly just glad Mahri made it home safe." She says of the events in Larket. She doesn't have any intentions of reliving the terror of finding the she-wolf bleeding out in the hammock outside the beach house, but her shoulders tremble with the memory a moment. "But it's gonna be worse when we have to go up against each other in the arena. I mean, we dueled in the Vailkrin tournament last year but that was for fun. This is..." She's not sure how to encompass the gravity of it all. "If Leo's pressed into a corner about making an alliance, he'll throw Rynvale's navy behind Cenril. Mahri will support him in that endeavor and I won't ask her not to, just like I'm not now. I couldn't care less about Larket in this war, honestly, but I can't support Cenril. Especially not as I'm trying to build some connection with Vailkrin." She's rambling a bit. Trying to draw all the threads together in her head. "Sage and the Syndicate have a luxury of being neutral, mostly. I can't help but feeling like I'm going to have to choose between Rynvale and Mahri and Vailkrin and finding out more about who I am. And I don't want to make the wrong choice."

Rumiko 's hand moved from rubbing the bridge of her nose to her left temple; where had this headache come from? She felt as if she were hungover, though she hadn't had a sip of liquor in weeks. Trying to remember exactly what she'd come to tell Quintessa only added to the discomfort, as if the very memory were locked away inside her brain. Whatever it was, it had not been Syndicate business. "Mahri's... person." Those dots she could connect. "I am happy to know she is rebuilding." In whatever capacity they had done. "Well met, Lita." The invitation to join them over at the pools gave her pause, if only because she didn't have much in the way of swim clothes here with most of her belongings still in Vailkrin- not that it seemed to stop the changeling. She didn't have to get in the water though, did she? Soft steps carry her towards the ledge, though not close enough to touch the water. "A connection to Vailkrin?" Her head felt to the side before offering a swift glance towards Quintessa before shifting her gaze back to Lita. "Not many want connections to the Dead City as of late."

Quintessa finds herself smirking in spite of the trouble the Larketian/Cenrili conflict was causing, leaning her head back slightly so her hair absorbed the water. “This is war. Things will indeed get worse before it is all said and done, and depending on who wins it might get even worse yet.” A hand raises out of the water before she flicks her wrist to give it a twirl, the somatic gesture causing the water to bubble and churn as it carries Quintessa in a light whirlpool around the pool. “If it is good will with Vailkrin you wish to foster, you need not throw your lot in with Larket. The King of the Vampires wishes to see both sides suffer in this conflict; He has suggested that should each army be burdened with attrition then the war will dwindle to a stalemate. Even now I work to map out Cenril and Larket’s supply lines- What do you think will happen if I cut them off? I am not compelled to support any side in this conflict but if I happen to get information about the Larketian armies from one pledged to fight for them…” Quintessa stops spinning in the water, her eyes locked on Lita. “Well, I would certainly tell King Kasyr who helped me.” Now her attention fixes upon Rumiko, a worried furrow of her brow. “My dear, are you feeling alright? Should I fetch you a bottle of Tessa’s Medicine? It’ll balance your humors and snap you out of any malaise you are experiencing.”

Lita leans back on her palms a bit as she looks up at Rumiko when she joins them. She shrugs a bit at the comment about the Dead City. "My sire wasn't around long after I turned. I lived on an island and the world I knew was all wolves and bards." The two are unrelated, but amusing nonetheless. And it seems a moot point to mention that her sire was her ex-wife and dead now, so far as anyone knew. "It took me a lot of years to learn what it meant to be a vampire, and a lot more years to learn not to hate that part of myself. But I want to know more, to feel connected to it, the way Mahri is to her wolf and her pack." It sounded less cheesy in her head and she looks down at the water as she sways her foot back and forth beneath its surface. She rolls her eyes at Tessa, pouting at the comment about this being war. Pretty much what Mahri had said. "I've no alignment with Larket, darlin'." She assures Tessa. "Just dislike Macon less than Val and like to punch things." She shrugs and reaches up to take a loose hold of Rumiko's wrist. Tessa is asking her if she's alright or needs medicine. Lita stands to her feet and lifts Rumiko's arm. If permitted, she'll nudge the girl into a little twirl under their arms. "Swim." She says then, with a grin, and a step backwards to the edge of the pool has her tipping backwards, tugging the girl with her into the water.

Rumiko frowned, "I think I may just need to sleep in a bed for the night." The longer she stood there, the more off she felt. It had been a few weeks since she'd started staying in Enchantment, and the cot she was supplied seemed a suitable thing to blame. Lita's wanting to learn more about what she had been turned into was a subject the nymph knew all too well. It was an interesting thing, to have a home and yet yearn to find a place where you belonged. To find just how your piece fit in the whole puzzle, so to speak. However cheesy it might have sounded, it drew a slow nod of her head, "I wish you luck, then." It was a sentence she would immediately regret as slowed reactions allowed for her to be twirled off-guard. Had she been more grounded and in the right mind, the nymph might have pulled a trick and dematerialized just before hitting the water, leaving Lita to swim alone with the Changeling. Slowed as she was by whatever affliction, the woman squealed just before vanishing under the surface of the water. Quick as she could, Rumiko thrashed and clawed her way towards the edge of the pool, looking every bit the drowned cat she felt like. "That was uncalled for and highly unprofessional." There's the old Rumi.

Quintessa grins when Lita says she’s not aligned with Larket, her pointed teeth making her look more like a crocodile now. “Oh, I know. I wouldn’t have told you my plans otherwise.” The comment about disliking Valrae is noted, but she doesn’t speak on it just yet, instead watching the interaction between her and Rumiko. Predicting what was about to take place, Quintessa waves her hand to dispel the magical whirlpool seconds before they both hit the water, slowly bobbing over to her own separate side of the pool as she continues to watch, a mischievous smirk on her face. “Well, at least you seem more lucid now,” Quintessa cannot help but tease Rumiko a little as she pulls herself to the edge of the pool. “There are some towels over there,” She points to a small table not far from the pool, stifling her laughter, “Definitely get some rest- I’ll have questions for you tomorrow.” Obviously Quintessa wanted to know all about her foray into Enchantment.

Lita is entirely unapologetic of Rumiko's drowned state as she surfaces herself, floating a bit, uncaring of the fact that her sundress was now drenched and she'd likely be making the hike back home a wet mess. Wouldn't be the first time or the last. "Well, I've certainly never been accused of being professional." She agrees, mimicking the girl's suddenly proper cadence. Lita wades her way back towards the edge of the pool and leans her elbows up on it to look up at Rumiko. "If it's any consolation, I'm sure Mahri will give me some kind of scolding for that." She can already imagine The Look. "But it was nice to meet you. And you should stop by the island. Mahri would love it." She glances over her shoulder at the Tessa-dile in the water and narrows dark eyes a bit, playfully suspicious. "What've you got up your sleeves for this war then, hm?"

Rumiko 's climb out of the water was slow, and she would remain still on her hands and knees for a moment as she took stock of herself. She hated wet clothing; the clinging fabric sent her senses into overdrive, and she could smell whatever it was they used to keep the waters clean and clear all over her skin. It was probably salt. "Yes, well. I'll be sure to stop by when my schedule allows." She still had so much to do, but weren't she and Quintessa supposed to check the forest over on Rynvale as well? Maybe the other had already done so while she had been playing her part in the District. Pushing to her feet, the nymph kicked off her heels and abandoned them on the pools edge as she made for one of the towels. Halfway through her futile attempt to dry her clothing, she paused to look at the water for a long moment. Interestingly, her head no longer hurt. "How strange." It was whispered to herself before she looked towards the other fae, "Yes, you as well, when you go." A blink, then another before she looked towards Lita, "I would say it was nice to meet you, but I fear that has yet to truly be determined yet, no?" Was that a smirk on her face? Maybe. Leaving the two to their swim, the nymph vanished into the room that was her own, though the flickering light from inside wouldn't go out for a while yet.

Quintessa watches Rumiko leave before she slowly turns to the vampire with a wide grin, lowering herself in the water so her chin just hovers above the surface, slowly inching closer towards Lita. “I still haven’t figured that out yet… Clearly I can’t side with Larket, that’s the unpopular choice, but I do not wish to endanger the trade agreements I have in place with King Macon, so likewise I cannot side with Cenril. You might not like Mayor Valrae but I find her company quite tolerable- In fact I’d go far to say she is quite valuable to me, but this worth does not extend to her city. If her life is in danger I will offer her an escape, but I will not protect her city. It will suffer for Jaxson Ravencroft’s crimes against Larket without intervention from me. King Macon’s value is not the same; I only value the strength of his economy and military. Should something happen to the King and the throne passes to his young son, Prince Guillem, then I would relish the chance to turn him into my puppet…” By now Quintessa is close, almost close enough to touch her forehead to Lita’s chin if the vampire does not move backwards in response to her advance. “And then there is Kasyr’s request to sabotage both sides… His request is literally the opposite of what I’d like to do, profit off both sides of the conflict by selling them both magical artifacts. I could really empower House Blackwell if I ignore my king and serve only myself… But is it the right thing to do?” Quintessa frowns and shakes her head, stopping and floating backwards now away from Lita. “I do not know. I am stuck at the crossroads.”

Lita would be lying if she wasn't a little glad to see Rumiko head to her room for the evening. She'd come to talk to Tessa about the events of late. Their acquaintance might be a new thing, but even in their brief exchanges the changeling had been nothing short of honest with her. Unafraid of broaching the subjects and concerns Lita tended to shy away from in mixed company for the simple choice of keeping her cards close to her chest. She'd no idea what this said for the woman, but it was a thing she appreciated more and more these days. "Surely there's a way to do both?" Lita ponders as Tessa draws near and then away again. She doesn't shy away from her but doesn't venture closer either. Magic is still a thing she is very wary of, and she's seen Tessa's magic, at least in small bits, and she has no intention of invoking her ire in any way. "Honor Kas and profit for House Blackwell?" She still couldn't call Kasyr a king. Maybe someday... "I think trying to determine a right thing is subjective. I don't dislike Valrae personally, only her political choices in past years. Jaxson, I thought could be a friend, but it went nowhere. I offered Kas my help and continued to do so in the conflict with Larket because I needed his help as well. But now Mahri's gotten hurt and we'll be facing off in combat. Her injuries were Larket's doing, regardless of her part in it. If I'm fighting for Larket, do I not then bear some of that responsibility as well? My choices at the time were right for me, but they were also selfish. Does that make them wrong now? Now that the person I love has gotten hurt? Now that she could be hurt again?" She swallows hard and glances down at the water with a sigh. She lifts a handful of water over her face, shaking her fingers through raven curls in a moment of frustration. "In other news not entirely unrelated, I've finally gotten the last ingredient for Kas' spell. So he can break the blood pact and- and hopefully resire me." If it worked at all, that was.

Quintessa thinks for a moment and then she slowly nods her head, finding Lita’s opportunistic attitude refreshing and agreeable. “I like the way you think. Why limit myself to one road when I am capable of walking them all? The only responsibility we bear is our personal responsibility. Moralizing our choices this way only adds an unnecessary complication to an already complicated situation.” Quintessa knows nothing about Lita’s reservations regarding magic, so when she yet again waves her hands in the air, making complex gestures, she doesn’t think twice about how doing so could unnerve someone. The water churns once more, this time glowing as she uses the pool to scry different locations around Lithyrdel, the image of these places appearing in real time on the water’s surface. Larket’s armies were congregating with Fort Freedom’s garrison, their banners waving above. “The strength of Larket’s war machine is undeniable. They repelled Lionel O’Conner’s best attempts to lead Frostmaw to victory against them where they saw him failing at the Battle of the Bridge, but will Larket be so successful abroad? When they fight at Cenril’s bridge will the tides turn against them? I do not know, but I do know moving an army that large will be an expensive endeavor. They will want to strengthen trade relations now more than ever, and I will be there to profit off of it even as I snip away all the other competition.” She gives another wave of her hand, this time showing Cenril’s military, supported by allies from all reaches of the continent. They were likely more anti-Larket than pro-Cenril, but it didn’t seem like the Mayor was being picky about supporters in a time like this. “Cenril in the meantime will likely soon be surrounded and held in a siege. Their resources are vast but they will eventually dry up. All I need to do is leave them to die, but why not prolong things? It will be much more profitable for me to smuggle supplies into the city for them, but if Mayor Valrae wants me to support her more directly she’s going to have to make a pretty convincing offer to me, one more lucrative than what Larket can give me.” Finally she waves her hands a third time over the surface, the water darkening to a thick blackness that soon reveals itself to be the Kingdom of Vailkrin. “But I must not forget my ultimate goal. I serve the realm of Vailkrin, not the vampire king who sits the throne. I do not know why he wishes me to actively sabotage both sides, but if I must do so to earn his trust I will do so at my pleasure. What I want is to finally go home, for him to release me from this role of Exile and welcome me back lest I have to bring an army with me when I finally do.”

Lita doesn't often let her fear of magic show as thus. Usually if it's not being directed at her she can keep her composure. Even so she can feel it, the resonance of it in the air scratching at her skin like a wool sweater, irritating the memories of a past best left where they lie. But the pictures that find life between them at the water's surface draw her curiosity in a tide greater than her concern and she moves away from the edge of the pool towards the image of Larket, perusing the creation as Tessa talks. "Larket's armies are three times this." She says under her breath. "Not just soldiers anymore, and there are plenty of those. They've put gold and weapons in the hands of the thieves and farmhands- mere boys. Trained enough to swing a sword and die, but that's enough for him." Him being Macon, though the name still leaves a sour taste in her mouth. "It's why Valrae is so quick to shirk her moral compass when offered an ally, in my opinion. She's banking on a siege because she can't levy the armies Larket can." She lifts dark eyes back to the changeling finally. "I don't see why you can't levy their blind ambition for your own gain. What's stopping you? If your servitude is in fact for the city of Vailkrin and not for its king, then surely bringing House Blackwell to a powerful prestige for its alliance would only serve to better the city. Any king who can't see that doesn't deserve the loyalty of a lap dog. No offense." She sighs softly again and adopts a wistful smile. "Lithrydel has seen many a powerful queen rise up in the years past. I'm not sure how it got away from the tradition, but I'd love to see it return. The right queen could inspire a hell of a lot of loyalty these days. And she'd never have to ask anyone's permission to go back home."

Quintessa raises her hand up one final time only to let it fall, dismissing the magic slowly, returning the water to normal as her demeanor changes to become more serious and thoughtful. Her original plan had been to gather enough support outside of Vailkrin to press her claim by force, marching on Vailkrin to take her home, the Dark Forest back. She’d prop herself back up as countess, independent from the rest of Vailkrin, but could she perhaps reach higher than that? Mismatched eyes focus on Lita, searching her for some deception, but when she doesn’t find one she parts her lips to speak. “I want that.” She admits, cold and calm, no lust for the power behind her words but desire for it all the same. “I want to be Queen. I want to wield fire and blood and take what is rightfully mine. I will be a benevolent iron fist, crushing all that oppose me, uplifting those that strive for a better future with me, and ushering in a golden age of equality and progress. Witch-Queen Quintessa Blackwell will be the first Unseelie Queen of Vailkrin, but my legacy will stand immemorial. No longer will we be bound by the vampire aristocracy. Their voices will no longer be deemed more important, instead humbled to the same level as everyone else…” She pauses, her voice beginning to strain as she holds back a confusing tide of emotions. “But I have worked so hard for Kasyr. There is still a part of me that sees him as my teacher… As my lover… I do not wish to betray him. Are my affections holding me back? Be honest with me- Would it be better if I simply destroyed him and his heir and took Vailkrin for myself?” There is a crazed luster in Quintessa’s eyes that she cannot hide. “Would you support me? Would you join me in my war against him?”

Lita can't help but smile softly as Quintessa admits out loud what she wants. Maybe for the first time, at least to anyone other than herself. Lita had never wanted power, or to be in the spotlight. She'd never wanted to rule. She was content to live and play in the shadows and find some vein of happiness there. Whatever power and respect that role had brought her over the years, it had never been her goal. Rather, more than once it had cost her everything and everyone she'd loved. It had cost her very self. Her soul. Her beliefs. She glances away from Tessa for a moment. Could she want that price for someone else? Encourage it? But then, what little she did know of the changeling, includes that she is no stranger to those costs herself, and paying the sacrifice too willingly on the mere hope of something more. And something else. And something different. If the realization that Tessa and Kas had been lovers is a surprise to her, she doesn't let it show. Nor the fact that Kas has an heir. "Yes, your affections are holding you back. The heart does that so often. But it's what separates you from tyranny. And I don't know if destroying Kas' lineage and the aristocracy is the answer. Vailkrin's legacy is so deeply rooted in its caste system, it will not break easily or with grace. And part of loving the city will mean honoring its past in its new future, even if you don't always agree with it. Kas has a political mind that was made for political nuance that is exceedingly infuriating but makes him a worthy ally rather than a disgraced politician." None of it is easily answered and Lita is not even sure she's being helpful. "As for my support, I don't know." She says honestly, meeting Tessa's eyes with an almost sad smile. "The things I want moving forward, Kas agreeing to resire me, I don't know how that change things. I don't know how learning about who I am and what I am will change the ways I view the city at large and what I want to fight for moving forward." She takes a few steps towards Tessa, closing the distance between them through the water. "Rynvale has always been my home. I've always gone back to that. I want to see the island safe. I want to keep the people I love safe." She reaches her right hand out through the water to find Tessa's waist and tug her closer into a hug, her left arm circling her other side as well. "You included now." She says against her hair. "If getting to call you Queen makes some of that happen, then I hope I have the honor of supporting that one day."

Quintessa allows herself to be tugged into a hug, her lithe arms encircling Lita like a venomous spider- though one who does not bite. She sighs in content, appreciating the show of affection even as doubts about her affections begin to crop up in her mind. “Then I will bide my time,” Quintessa breaths, her voice no more than a whisper, “But I offer my own warning; Your path forward regarding Kasyr seems certain, but I would not be so eager to cede power to him. Resiring means he will have certain… control over you, which is something I do not wish to see.” She leans her head into Lita’s, like an amorous cat leaving her scent. “What if I offered you an alternative? What if I found a way to sever the blood-bond between you and your sire without bending the knee to a new master? What if I told you I knew of ways to break bonds much more powerful even than that between fledgling and lord? If we are family now then I cannot allow you to walk into what I see as a trap.”

Lita has never been hugged by a venomous spider but she imagines an eight-legged hug... no, it is still too terrifying a thought to even write... Lita appreciates brief hugs. She's not usually one for much physical affection in public, but in more private settings it has always been an important thing. If nothing else it keeps her brain tethered to the moment and the conversation at hand. She lifts a hand to Tessa's cheek when she leans her head against her, but she leans back some to wrinkle her brow slightly at the woman. Accepting Tessa's help would mean telling her the truth of what pact she was actually trying to break. Information she hadn't even shared with Kasyr. "You know him now better than I do. Do you really think he'd do such a thing?" She already knows the answer. Kasyr had so often proven himself to be an opportunist, not unlike themselves, serving his city above all else. Why should she think herself any different? But then, why should she think Tessa's intentions any different? "I think if it's an offer you'd be willing to make, I'll listen, and tell you the truth of what I'm after. But it's a bigger conversation that might have to wait for another day. For now, I need to get back home. Mahri will send a search party if I'm not careful." She turns her head to press a kiss against Tessa's temple and a few strands of dark hair before untangling herself from their embrace. She reaches for Tessa's hands as she leans back some finally. "Come to Rynvale. Bring Rumiko. It will make Mahri so happy to see you both, and we can talk more about this while they catch up." She squeezes her hands gently but probably won't let her go until she agrees.

Quintessa stares back into Lita’s eyes, a hint of fear dwindling behind them as her voice rises higher than a whisper this time. “I have no proof but… There are rumors he used these same powers of control on Iintahquohae- That this is the reason she left in such a hurry, with no word to the castle staff, and why she no longer calls herself the Lady of Vailkrin. I fear him taking advantage of this, of using you as a tool against us… No, it is much more petty than that. I just don’t want him gaining more power… But yes, this is an offer I cannot even promise to commit to. Think about it. Allow me time to figure out if I can even do it, and then we can discuss the details.” Quintessa smiles when Lita kisses her temple, and she gives the vampire’s hand a squeeze in return. “I’ll bring Rumiko to Rynvale soon, it’s… already on our agenda. We’ll have plenty of time to talk about things then.”

Lita nods and turns to pull herself back out of the pool. She's used to her dress being soaking wet- one of the many perks of living on a beach and having a penchant for cliff diving. The only part of her not currently wet, in fact, are her feet, which are magically protected by the little charm anklet. The water simply slides across her bare feet to the floor leaving no trace or footprints as she moves to snag a towel, drying at her face and hair. "Tell the Guardians-" She says this entirely and purposefully with all the sarcasm she can muster- "I'm stealing this." She says holding up the towel. She blows Tessa a kiss and waves her fingers over her shoulders as she heads for the bar to grab her jacket and then back towards the front door. There was a lot to chew over and a good run back home would give her a little time to do just that.