RP:Relations

Summary: The Lost. After being away from the lands for several months, being framed with murder from a rogue spirit, and reclaiming her body and returning to receive a fair trial, Lanara heads to the Ginger Snapped Bakery to meet with Khitti and Meri. The three are shocked to bump into Talyara, especially since Lana hasn’t told her sister that she’s returned to the lands! Both are then informed that their adopted brother, Scandal, had committed suicide. A mini heartbreaking reunion ensues, along with a cryptic message.

The Found. After the tree planting ceremony and funeral for Scandal, the witch sisters find comfort amongst each other, and the clue is deciphered. Lanara is the mother of Natianara! The elder sibling pleads with Taly, and encourages her to head back to their homeland of Kelvar, to seek support from their Aunt Sharna.

Part of the Magic, Madness, and Mayhem Arc

The Lost…

Lanara is a mess by the time Khitti leaves the sister’s alone to grieve and reunite, after having been separated by mental sickness, for many months. Scandal, their beloved adopted brother, had taken his own life. Talyara and Lanara sit in the closed bakery, after promising to lock up once they were done talking, and tears spill onto their hands as they both nurse a mug of peppermint tea. Lana went from looking like a pretty autumn fairy to a terrifying slaughtered tigress as her face was painted in disguise during the Mabon festival in Enchantment, and the moisture had caused severe streaking. “Taly… How could he be gone?! Scandal was always so full of life and happy! He lived a simple life, he was a simple dragon, and he never let things get to the point where he would be so depressed to take his own life!”

Talyara’s tears were still flowing freely down Talyara's cheeks but she had been quieter in her cries--shock and disbelief were vying for attention distracting her from grief. Scandal, their beloved adopted brother, gone. As if his death wasn't difficult enough to accept, knowing he took his own life was somehow even more painful. Lanara was away from the lands but what excuse did Taly have? Perhaps if she had made more of an effort, checked in on him more, things would be different. "I don't know," she says to Lanara, her tone thick with emotion. "I think he was drinking more," she says with a sniffle. "When I went to see him with N---na'friend," she quickly recovers. "I could smell it on his breath. But you know how large he was, I didn't think it was bad! He was still coherent and...I-I should have known better," Taly mumbles burying her face in her hands as fresh tears leak out of the corners of her eyes.

Lanara lowers her mug to the table and hugs her knees against her chest, tears endlessly cascading down her cheeks, “I just feel like if I didn’t leave the lands, this wouldn’t have happened. He also confided in me, about everything! I do know that he blamed himself for what happened to us…” She’s referring to their joint abduction by the witch hunters, and the torture that they endured. “I wish he would have reached out to one of us… How could we help him if he suffered in silence?” Of course being the elder sister, Lana tacks the guilt into her already long list of faults, not blaming Talyara in the least, even though she was of mostly sound mind and within the lands during the time of his death. How could Lanara have stopped this, if she was in a straight jacket, wearing a muzzle, and contained in a padded room?! “He was drinking? I know he loved that smell ale.” The faintest outline of a smile appears and quickly fades, “I am going to miss him, terribly.”

Talyara is exactly like Lanara in that she internally harbors all the blame for Scandal's suicide and absolves her sister of any wrongdoing completely. She wasn't even present, being treated at a mental health facility. Taly was the one here in the lands. She should have spent more time with her brother, should have reached out and checked in on his wellbeing. But she had assumed his lack of communication was due to his working diligently to open up that gourmet restaurant in Cenril. A small smile tugs on her lips when Lana mentions smell ale. Hadn't they nearly been poisoned with it one time when they were at Scandals place? "Me, too," she says with a heavy sigh. The pair continues to talk and reminisce about their lost brother. It's the wee hours of the morning before Taly finally has to call it a night, her eyes red and swollen from crying and itchy with tiredness. She bids her sister goodnight and hugs her tightly for an extra minute. "Hey Lana? Keep...Keep an eye out for a spellblade who will bring news, okay?" Taly places a chaste peck on her sister's cheek before departing.

Lanara hugs Talyara tightly, as dawn is breaking and she has to get back to Enchantment, or risk her identity being exposed. The tikifhlee pops her head out of the tote bag and mews softly, before settling down for their journey. The heartache from learning about Scandal’s death would weigh heavily on the sister’s for months, but there is something else that Lana feels guilty about. “Taly… I just want to say how proud I am of you, for keeping it all together, when it was easier to fall apart. I know that I often thought of you as a weakling, or jokingly called you a ‘fragile’ little sister… But I just want you to know that I think you are one of the –strongest- women that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I’m sorry that I didn’t write to you as soon as I reclaimed my body, but there was so much red tape, and I didn’t know what to do about getting a fair trial. It’s not that I kept it from you because I didn’t think you could handle the truth… I’m happy to have your support now, Sister.” The peck on the cheek is returned as they part, though Lanara has no idea what news she will receive in the coming days, or who this ‘spellblade’ could be.

The Found…

Talyara watched sadly as Lanara ran off towards the end of Scandal's funeral, no doubt to her room above the tavern. She couldn't follow her sister right away, there were still mourners lingering around and as the only family member present she was forced to linger a little longer. Once everyone had vacated the area, Taly makes haste towards the tavern, taking the steps two at a time until she reaches Lana's room. She raps her knuckles against the door and calls out to the elder witch. "Lanara, it's me, let me in!"

Lanara wasn’t in the mood for being reminded that she had lost her brother, nor was she in the mood for conversation or eating tasty pastries. The witch wanted to mourn in peace, as she had quite a lot on her plate, and may very well be joining Scandal in the afterlife should she be found guilty at the trial. A few had placed meals outside her door over the course of the week, and she had endless vases filled with flowers around her small one bedroom apartment over the flower shop. The rapping of knuckles is heard, though the elf ignores the interruption, and slips the black dress over her head and exchanges it for an oversized sweater and a pair of loose cotton pants. She, clearly, was seeking comfort. As the insistent knocks grow louder and are accompanied by Taly’s singsong voice, she sighs and opens the door, peering back at her younger sibling with red rimmed eyes. “Come in… It’s not much, just a safe house for me to stay in, until the trial is over.” Enchantment wasn’t going to just let the witch waltz around unsupervised, plus Lana had volunteer work to do as part of the agreement. It made sense for her to temporarily reside in the village. “Want some tea? I was just about to make myself some.” Cinder is cuddled up with an impossibly tiny puppy, upon the bed, and both are lost in a dream, so Lana lifts a finger to her lips, “I would wake them to say hello, but I just put them down for a nap.”

Talyara continues to knock until Lana opens the door and Taly gives her a small smile before slipping inside and allowing her sister to close the door. She glances around the small apartment but it didn't matter to her how large or small Lanara's house was, so long as she was somewhere warm and safe. "It cozy, I like it. It reminds me of my cottage before you blew it up the first time." At the invitation for tea, Taly nods emphatically before kicking off her shoes near the door and moving towards the wardrobe to paw through Lana's clothes. "Tea would be perfect, thank you." The little witch finds a pair of shorts and a long sleeved shirt and helps herself, shucking out of her more formal attire to slip into something more comfortable. The shorts are a little loose considering she lacks her sister's lower assets, but the shirt is a little snug in the chest area. Flopping down on the edge of Lana's bed, Taly swings her legs idly and exhales deeply. For lack of anything better to do she begins to braid her hair. "How are you holding up, Lana? Honestly?"

Lanara busies herself with boiling water, tossing in some fresh herbs, and swirling the mixture with a peppermint stick for some added flavor. She was more of a coffee drinker in the morning, but tea was best for one when was sick or seeking comfort. Both mugs are set on the tiny kitchen table, designed for two, and a platter of cookies is selected from the –many- that line the countertop. As she’s setting up in the kitchen, Taly is scouring through the closet, and the puppy and kitten remain sleeping on the bed. Cinder, however, opens one eye as the witch flops down and braids her hair, as she was fiercely protective of the newly acquired hound puppy. “I’m doing alright… Hanging in there… Half expecting that I’ll be meeting Scandal on the otherside soon enough… I really do miss him.” A single tear falls into her steaming mug of tea, and she lifts it to take a sip, “Your tea is ready, Taly…” She pauses, biting back a giggle as she spies her sister in the oddly chosen clothes, as she joins her at the table. “You’re welcome to keep that ensemble, if you like. I tore them off of a dead bum in the streets of Cenril, when I had first returned to the lands. The stains are hardly noticeable!” A cookie is plucked from the plate, and she takes a bite, “How are you doing? I hope one of us is favoring well.”

Talyara pads barefoot back towards the kitchen when Lanara calls out that her tea is ready but stops dead in her tracks when her sister mentions that the clothes she wears were taken off a random bum. The little witch literally screams in disgust and attempts to tug the shirt over her head, getting stuck in the tight-knit fabric as it gets tangled up in her attempt to rip it off. Taly is left standing there, arms over her head, face in the fabric, yelling, and jumping around in her bra. "Get it off! Get it off of me!" she squeals in horror. Taly just runs now, in the direction of the bedroom, and ricochets off of the wall a few times before she finally manages to make it back into the room and frees herself from the offending article of clothing. The shorts are likewise removed and Taly decides only the quilt on Lanara's bed is safe. Pulling it free from the mattress, she wraps it around her body, stomps back into the kitchen, throws herself in the vacant chair, and glowers at her sister. "-Why- in the goddess's name, would you keep -that- in your wardrobe!?" Talyara shudders at the thought and angrily chomps down on a cookie. After stress eating the cookie and taking a few sips of tea, she's slightly calmer, although she is still shooting daggers at Lana. "I'm fine," she says with a shrug. "Krice has been keeping tabs on me, making sure I'm okay and eating and all of that." She studies her sister for a moment and she finally releases her residual anger, reaching across the table to grab Lana's hand. "You're going to be fine," Talyara says fiercely. "We are going to figure this out and they are going to declare you innocent."

Lanara is sipping her tea, mulling over the trial and the loss of their brother, when Talyara trudges into the room and starts to undress. Her screams echo against the paper thin walls, and Lanara finds her sister’s theatrics so unbelievably hysterical that she snorts, and burns her nostrils from the tea. She’s blowing her nose in a tissue, wincing in pain while giggling, as Taly bounces off of the furniture and walls. The maniacal laughter continues when Taly wraps the comforter around her bare body, and Lanara is now smacking the table as tears flow onto the napkin she had pressed against her nose. “I can’t be choosy, my assets are frozen, and it’s not like the bum was going to reclaim them! The blanket! HAHAHAHAHA!” Had another bum died in the blanket?! The hissing of Cinder can be heard loud and clear, so both witches calm down and drink their tea and nibble on cookies in the kitchen. Ranger mustn’t be disturbed, because he was a bundle of endless energy, and Lana’s patience was wearing thin, lately. Grasping Taly’s hand in her own, she gives a nod, grateful for her sister’s confidence in this matter. “Thank you… I just wish I had more to look forward to in my future. I don’t have a lover, my brother died, I can’t bear to visit the sanctuary or orphanage again, my faith is shaking… You are my only beacon left, Taly.” Chocolate hues lift to lock onto emerald, as she gives a gentle squeeze to her sister’s hand. “I was wondering if you would do me a huge favor. Maybe… Visit Kelvar? You can even take Krice, show him our homeland? Maybe… Maybe Sharna can come to the trial and shed some light on our upbringing? I’ll need several character witnesses, and she has been watching us for years.” There’s a small pause, as a faint smirk is on her lips, “And one other favor… Please, remove that blanket from your body! You should have taken the one from –my- bed, on the other side of the room!” There were two twin-sized cots, mirroring each other, on opposite ends of the wall. “The poor florist –died- on that bed a few weeks ago!” It was now used for her pets to rest upon.

Talyara flashes Lanara a small smile as she gives her had another supportive squeeze. "I know things seem really...unfortunate right now. I'm not going to lie or try and tell you that you should look on the bright side. -But-, you are one of the fiercest, most badass women I have -ever- known and I know that you are going to come out of this even stronger. The possibilities are endless--you could open up another sanctuary. Found a witchy store. Read fortunes. Marry Nick," she offers with a teasing waggle of her eyebrows. She knew how much the Backstreet Bard was enamored with her sister. "You'll be okay Lana, I promise." When the elder witch asks a huge favor of her, Talyara is about to respond with a resounding of course! But then the memory of the near fatal boar hunt enters her mind and she decides to hold off until she knows exactly what this favor entails. Traveling to Kelvar and seeking out Sharna seemed an innocent enough request, and hopefully Krice would agree to travel with her. "I can do that," she assures her sister with a smile. However, when she shares her -second- favor and explains the history behind a particular blanket she wears, Talyara calls Lanara a not so nice name and releases a hellish scream before running -back- into the bedroom for the second time. Not trusting Lana in the slightest, Taly slips back into her funeral attire--she knew no bums or dead bodies had been in those! Once more she rejoins her sister and avoids her eyes while she drinks her tea. Aside from the quilt mishap, there was a burning secret that Taly had been wanting to share with Lana. It had never seemed the right time what with Scandal's death; however, she had brought up Kelvar and it wouldn't get any easier to tell her the longer she waited. "I...actually need to tell you something, Lana," Taly says in an uncharacteristically serious tone.

Lanara gives a reassuring nod, “I know that I’ll be okay, eventually, and all of those ideas – minus marrying Nick, seem like something I would do! I just need to see what I want to spend the rest of my life doing, and with who I want to share my time. Honestly? You, Khitti, and Meri, have been so supportive through everything, and I feel that is a bond that is unbreakable.” It’s true. The three women believed her innocence wholeheartedly, and they were even in the works of creating an undetectable bank heist, to regain her crystal skull. “I love you, Sister, even if you like to parade around my apartment dressed like an undead hobo.” That familiar grin returns to her fair face as Taly screams and flees back into the bedroom area, to change her attire for the third time in a matter of minutes. Dunking her cookie in the tea, Lana meets her sisters gaze with a taunting smile, noting the seriousness in tone, “What? Let me guess… You once loaned me clothes that belonged to someone that died in an unsavory fashion?”

Talyara looks at Lanara and attempts to smile at her attempt at a joke about clothing but it only comes out as a grimace. Once more, Taly reaches out to take Lana's hand and her emerald eyes bore into her sister's chocolate counter parts. "I...I don't know how to say this to you, so I'm just going to come out with it." It's still another few seconds before Taly finally speaks. "While you were away at the hospital, a young woman came to Lithrydel. She looked very much like you, but with pretty blue eyes. She told me Sharna sent her to come to the lands. Her name is Natianara..."

Lanara holds both her mug and her sister’s hand, and sensing the severity of her sister’s words, she lowers the mug to the table. Why was Talyara choosing her words so carefully? Recognition lights up Lana’s hues as the name is mentioned, and the spellblade Kyori, is fondly remembered. “Ah yes! Kyori… He has visited me on two occasions, and he mentioned someone named Nat, and said that she visited Lithrydel, and then abruptly left the lands. She’s related to us, somehow, I take it? And you said that Sharna sent her here?” Quirking a brow, Lana beckons for Taly to continue, “What does this have to do with us, exactly? Is she a long lost little sister? A cousin?”

Talyara bristles as Lanara mentions Kyori--that crazy bloke who escaped from the insane asylum with her sister and came to find her. For a moment her train of thought strays away from Natianara onto the crazy spellblade. Should she warn Lana to stay away? If she wasn't in her right state of mind at the facility she probably wouldn't remember that's where she actually met Kyori to begin with! 'No, Taly! You have to tell her about Nat'! Giving her head a bit of a shake she puts Kyori out of mind for the time being. "No she's not a sister or a cousin," Talyara says carefully, anxiously nipping at her bottom lip. "Natianara is -my- niece," she says slowly, hoping Lanara will take the hint and put the clues together. She hadn't said -our- niece (not to mention their only sister had died when they were young). She had said -my- niece.

Lanara blinks as Taly seems to have some sort of internal fit that’s causing her to shake her head, but she doesn’t interrupt, as clearly something was weighing heavily on her sister. “Your niece? Aw, that’s so sweet that she came to the lands to meet you! I’m assuming back in Kelvar, they still think we are half siblings?” It only came out about two years ago that Thronnel was Lanara –and- Talyara’s biological father! Maybe it was Lana and Taly’s step-father’s daughter? Douglas ‘Dick’ Dump, the dragon detective that raised both girls, and who often maintained an elven exterior, was the mayor of the small village in their homeland. It was entirely plausible that he would keep Natianara a secret, to avoid any scandalous rumors. The witch nods, as she’s knowledgable about political standpoints, “Dick Dump had good reason to keep Natianara a secret, it seems. That could have truly undone all he’s worked for, over the years. Kyori did mention that she was a little younger than me… About your age! So, is –our- step-niece as lovely as claimed?”

Talyara :: If this wasn't such a delicate time for her sister, Talyara might be tempted to grab her around the shoulders, shake her violently, and yell in her face. But as previously discussed, things aren't going well for the older witch so Taly takes a moment to compose herself. Lana's realization is completely wrong though, and the little witch's mouth hangs open with the absurdity of it all. Talyara had not spoken to her stepfather since before she escaped Kelvar! Lana spoke this theory with such confidence it was startling. "No Lanara," Taly says carefully. "She's not related to Mayor Dump." Taly exhales a frustrated sigh. "I was trying to ease you into this but I can see the direct approach is best. Lana...when you changed your mind about the abortion all those years ago but then fell and Thronnel told you that you lost it...it was a lie. You -had- the baby and Thronnel wanted to kill her like he tried to with us, only Aunt Sharna was able to get her away. For her own safety, her age was magically increased. Natianara...is your daughter, Lana."

Lanara doesn’t understand all the secrecy surrounding Natianara, because Mayor Dump’s career had been in the crapper since the drow attack, nearly a decade ago! Was there something wrong with Natianara? Was she an albino abomination like Bachias? “I really don’t get it, Taly…” A careless shrug is given, when her sister starts babbling about the botched abortion, and her cheeks flood with color. Did Taly want Lana to take Nat under her wing, or something? It wasn’t like –her- life was on the line or anything! Scowling, the mug is raised and a sip is taken, at the precise moment that Taly mentions that Natianara is her –daughter- and that she was magically aged for protection. Spitting the soggy cookie and tea across the table, and likely hitting her sister in the face, she stammers, “Aunt Sharna has been raising my –DAUGHTER- this entire time?! It’s been almost four years! How could she –not- tell me that I had a daughter?!” The blue eyes? Desparrow’s. The long chestnut hair and kinship towards animals? Entirely Lanara’s. She –had- to be proven innocent now, so that she could meet this magnificent young woman that had been torn from her life. Lanara was a mother! She knew she was unable to have children, but she actually had a daughter, in the past! Tears flood her vision, as she latches onto Taly’s forearms and commands her little sister, “Tell me everything. Every last detail! I want to know her personality, her looks, even things that don’t seem important. Help me to know Nat, Sister.”

Talyara watches her sister carefully, waiting for this heavy news to sink in. She expects tears, maybe some yelling, even screaming profanities would be warranted! What Taly -wasn't- expecting was to get a face full of half masticated, soggy cookie pieces and peppermint tea! "Yuck!" she squeals, quickly grabbing a napkin to plot at the debris--this just wasn't her day at all! "I don't think she told you because she was worried about both of your safeties," she tells Lana, now wiping off her top. Talyara had never met their Aunt Sharna in person so she was simply going on assumptions and the little bits and pieces she had coaxed from her niece. Taly remains quiet as Lana continues to process this news, choosing to take another drink from her mug of tea. Only this is when Lana decides to grab her forearms which extreme force, causing the hot liquid to slosh over the edges of the vessel and spill over her hand. Taly couldn't blame Lanara for wanting to know every little detail about her daughter--she would feel the same if their situations were different. Taly would oblige, staying with Lanara for the rest of the evening going over every littler detail she could recall about Nat and the interactions they had. She answered every last question Lana had, and spoke glowingly about her niece until her voice was hoarse. "Lana it's late," Talyara eventually croaks out with a smile. "I'm going to crash on the couch tonight. Don't tell me if a someone died there, too, I don't want to know."