RP:Sure, I'll Call You Al
Synopsis: Alvina visits for the first time, and Tiberius officially meets one of Lanara's close friends. Tiber is awkward at first as he does not know how to interact, but Alvina and Tiber find a neat balance and Tiber takes time to reminisce in his content life with his wife--Lana.
The Lowell Estate
Lanara (Post 1 of 2) Lanara :: The kitchen table is set for lunch, with enough food to feed a small army, and no one would guess that the Lowell’s are only expecting a single guest! Three place settings are neatly arranged on the fine wood table, along with utensils, wine glasses, and napkins that have been folded into the shape of a swan. A basket of freshly baked bread is at the center, a pot of stew rests on a heat enchanted plate, and a bowl of salad with cranberries, walnuts, and feta cheese sits to the right. A platter of sugar cookies, brownies, and strawberry tarts, rest upon the counter for dessert, along with various bottles of liquor. The room is mostly quiet, save for the patter of the beagle’s paws on the floor, as he hopes to find a morsel of food that may have miraculously dropped. However, as soon as he hears the sound of bells chiming, his ears rays and he unleashes a booming bay of a bark. Ranger runs from the kitchen, through the hallway, and stops at the front door, barking up a storm and alerting the house that there’s an intruder on their property. So many enchantments have been placed on the exterior and interior of the home, but thankfully, the couple remembered to lower the wards that could very well harm their guest of honor. Alvina is safe to proceed up the maintained lawn and to knock upon the door, which will shortly be answered by the newlyweds.
Lanara (Post 2 of 2) Lanara finishes brushing her long hair and applies a hint of gloss to her lips, glancing into the mirror to catch sight of her husband, and she sighs as she sees the scorn that stains his handsome face. He’s -still- upset with her over the fact that she had gone out last night and came home much later than expected, along with a few injuries. Lana told Tiber that it was no big deal, as she had to defend a friend that was in a life or death situation, but the lycan hadn’t wanted to see reason. The witch finishes admiring her makeup and turns to Tiber with a sigh, “Look. The ribs will heal and my stomach is -fine- it’s just super bruised from being smashed with a baseball bat a dozen times. Oh. And the other guy kicked me, so… It looks worse than it is, but our kind? We heal in record time, Babe. So there’s no reason to stress. Next time, I promise to bring you along.” In truth, she had recruited another into the league of shadows, and if she dares to mention Leoxander to Tiber, she knows it won’t end well. Her husband is extremely jealous and possessive, even though they are working for the pirate, and Lana and Leo are strictly platonic friends. She pulls her grumpy husband in for a long kiss, but it’s short lived, as Ranger announces Alvina’s arrival. “Be nice to Alvina! She’s one of my closest friends and she’s a lycan, too. I would have introduced you both much sooner, but she was away from the lands for a while. She’s also going through a separation from her husband, so don’t tell Bjorn that she’s single, because the last thing she needs is that empty headed muscle man hitting on her! I think the Pack will love her, though! I mean, -everyone- loves Alvina!” Taking Tiber’s hand, Lana leads them down the spiral staircase and shushes Ranger, before they both answer the door.
Tiber stands in the opening way of the balcony before he comes in to press his cigarette out into an ashtray. He blows the rest of the smoke outside and then closes the door. Lanara was probably not thrilled her husband would smell of smoke, so the man decides to change his shirt to a white button up and brush his teeth while Lanara brushes her hair. He was -not- happy. Toothpaste oozes and he spits out the rest before reaching for a nearby towel to pat his face clean before the lycan just stands and stares at the woman in the mirror. Was she really going to brush this one under the rug? “Are you even hearing yourself? Smashed with a baseball bat is not a good enough description for you?” A palm rubs over his face as he hears Ranger’s alarm. Whoever this Alvina was, she was here. “Okay, we’ll leave it–for now. Though, I’m not going to bed without talking about this.” To the point. He finishes tucking in his casual dress shirt in his pants before looping a belt in. Her lips linger for a mere moment, it eases that stone edge slightly. The Catalian is now behind the Kelvarian, rushing down the stairs to answer the door and greet ‘thee’ Alvina.
Alvina has anxiously awaited this meeting between her and Lanara’s new husband. She doesn’t know much about him but she knows he must be someone special for Lanara to consider getting married again after the last horrible fish spine of a man hurt her. Lanara deserved the world and Alvina just had to trust that this Tiber fellow was doing just that. She arrives on the property, holding the letter with directions and looking around cautiously. Her lycan senses tell her there are wolves here. Lanara, she’d expected. Tiber, also kind of expected. She shows up in a light blue dress, in a pair of black leggings, tucked neatly into tall white riding boots. Her hair is pinned back at her temples, red curls spilling down her back and away from her face. Standing on the porch, dog barking in a deep bass note in the background, Alvina flushed when the door opens and she’s greeted warmly by Lanara and mysterious man Tiber. Tradition dictates a warm, lovely embrace between the witch and the bard, where they fuss about how lovely the other one looks and how beautiful the house is, what make up is she wearing, how did she get her hair like that, before Lanara makes the giddy introduction of her husband. Alvina turns her bright emerald eyes to face him, arms outstretched to pull him into a hug as well. “Any family of Lanara’s is family of mine.” If he dodges, she’ll laugh. “I hope she warned you that I’m a hugger.” Alvina reaches down to pet the dog, “Who is this fella?” and does a quick sweep of the rest of the visible house for more pets. She was also, apparently, an animal lover. "I've heard a lot about you Tiber Lowell from your lovely and beautiful wife. I'm glad we can finally meet!"
Lanara always has to have the last word and so she turns to Tiber and offers him a dazzling smile, “I don’t plan on -just- talking before bed…” She knows how to wheedle her way in and out of his bad moods, but she also figures that what’s done, is done. Plus, no one can truly tell that she’s in pain as she hides it well, and her orange sweater dress hides the bruises. Her knee-high brown boots click against the floorboards as she squeals and jumps up and down, delighted to see her friend. “Alvina! You look amazing as always! This is my husband, Tiber, and we are so glad you could make it!” The redhead is pulled in for a tight hug, as she’s ushered inside the massive home, and Lana gives Tiber and Alvina a chance to make each other's acquaintance. Lana mouths, ‘I told you he was hot’ and mock fans her face, because she’s still unsure how she had captured the heart of the Catalian! Ranger’s whole body wiggles as his tail wags, and he excitedly nudges Alvina for pets, while Aspen, the polar bear cub, peeks out from behind Tiber’s legs to see who’s visiting. “That’s Ranger, and the bear is Aspen, but he’s a little shy around pretty women. And, there is Salem, Tiber’s cat, which is roaming around here somewhere.” The dog is soaking up all the attention as Alvina loves animals, and it encourages Aspen to come a little closer. The cub holds out a single red rose and offers it to the woman, as he had been practicing this trick the entire morning. He stands bipedal and bashfully bows, before giving her leg a giant bear hug. Lana giggles, “Come into the kitchen! I made us all lunch, and I’m famished! I hope you like stew? I figured afterwards, we can head on over to the Pack house so you can meet everyone!”
Tiber watches the door open to find the woman standing there. The tall man watches the traditional Lanara with close friend interactions. Should he smile? Come off warm? He was weird with these things. Talyara was easier because she was ‘family’ as a sister-in-law, but with friends? Amber eyes are just blinking until he is being pulled into a hug. Classic. He is stiff at first, but he finally returns the hug and a smile touches charming lips before he pulls back. “Wow, well, down and quick with it, it is. I should’ve known you were handsy like the rest of Lana’s friends. Afterall, you’re Lana’s friend,” he teases, but a welcoming one at that. When the animals curl around his legs he takes a few stumbles back to let the animals get some love, plus… he wanted to sneak off to the lunch table already. He, however, is stopped in sneaky tracks towards the kitchen. A gaze casted over his shoulder–clearly he was not the host with the most-est. “Oh, so I’m the talk of the walk too? Well, Lana hasn’t been able to stop talking about our lunch date today. I’m just so glad you're here so I can -eat-. Lana has this rule when we host people that I -can’t- touch the food until everyone is here.”
Alvina gives Lanara a congratulatory look on such a handsome catch before rolling her eyes. She was so silly. Alvina coos at Ranger while telling him in baby voice how he’s such a good boy and also so handsome. Lanara’s lucky that Alvina is oblivious to these bruises or she would be right there with Tiber breaking skulls and taking names. Her eyes grow three sizes when the bear offers her a rose. “Hiiiiiiii,” she chimes, “Thank you so much.” She takes the rose and holds it against her chest. “I will cherish this forever and always.” She isn’t too worried about if Tiber is freaked out by her openness. She’s a mom so she’s pretty unaware of physical boundaries with very close friends and he got grandfathered in with Lana. “Oh gods, I’m famished, please let’s eat, I could smell the stew from the road. You thought that was Ranger barking, no no. My stomach has very loud and very strong opinions!” She can tell Tiber’s awkwardly looking for an escape route from the entryway pleasantries. “Sorry, my ‘love language’ is physical touch so it’s kind of a problem sometimes.” It had been really rough with quiet introverted people like Krice and Lionel when she first became their friend and tried to hug them. She considers it might just be men in general but she’s not bothered. “Let’s go get that food then.” Alvina takes off her boots at the door and waves them both into the kitchen for her to follow. She takes the most Alvina appropriate seat and practically drools over the spread they’d prepared. “I hope I can live up to the expectation Lana must have painted of me and I hope one of those expectations wasn’t that I hardly eat anything!”
Lanara stares wide-eyed at Tiber when he refers to her friends as ‘handsy’ and she hopes that Alvina won’t take offense. Who says things like that?! She shakes her head and chuckles, “Um, it’s not a ‘rule’ darling, it’s just courtesy! You can’t host and have a slice of cake missing from the entire cake, or eat all the grapes out of a fruit salad.” Tiber would do this, she’s certain, and she’s grateful that he lets her make all the preparations. Who knows what he would serve!? A half eaten steak, with a side salad that’s missing olives and only the pits remain? Dessert would be pothole cookies as Tiberius would have snacked on the chocolate morsels! She bites the inside of her cheek to refrain from further commenting, because she doesn’t want to jest at her husband's expense. The whole handsy comment is coming back around as Alvina is apologizing, and Lana laughs, “He’s fine! Trust me, he’s not weird about being hugged, he just doesn’t want me to fly into a fit of jealous rage.” She trusts Alvina and knows that she would never cross that line, and so it’s fine, and Tiber is being overly dramatic. It’s better her friend think that Lana is crazy than that her husband loathes human contact. He was an escort in the past, but she -definitely- doesn’t mention that little tidbit! Once they are all seated in the kitchen, Lana laughs again, “I told him that you are the sweetest woman I’ve ever met, and that you have beautiful children, and that everytime we get together we just gush over how much we cherish our friendship!” It’s true, they totally fangirl! The stew is portioned out into bowls, though of course there is plenty for second, thirds, and tenths, as the witch had been in a cooking frenzy! “I also made salad, and I know it doesn’t quite go with stew, but I wanted there to be another side, so I hope you like it!” It’s a harvest salad recipe that had been passed down from her mother, and the dressing is a cherry balsamic blend that tastes heavenly. “So, Alvina, how is work? Any cool projects you are working on?” She explains to her husband, “Alvina is an engineer and she also is a big shot at the University!” To Alvina, the motions to Tiber, “He is the new string theory professor, and I’ve reclaimed my status as dance professor. Have you gotten settled there, yet?”
Tiber catches Lanara’s wide gaze at his ‘handsy’ comment. It piques interest now at that reaction his wife gives him. He then looks down towards Aspen who is handing Alvina a flower. “Sweet talker. He plays his cards well,” Tiber then rolls his eyes at the bear before moving into the kitchen. Hopefully the women followed in by now. Alvina’s joke actually gives her a smirk from Tiber and a shake of his head. A man with a mild sense of humor, at least. He was not a complete dud. If he was, would Lanara still be his wife? He has to set on this thought for a second, but the wave of stew crashes his senses. “Oh, we -love- physical touch in this house,” the comment bounces Lanara’s reassurance. He rolls his head over to Lanara with a snarky grin. Lanara’s right, who says things like that? Tiberius was truly playing a game now to mortify his wife. Reactions were the best. “Physical touch is my ‘love language’, too.” Once in the kitchen, he frowns. “It’s not like there is no cake left over after I eat a slice, babe.” Facts. Straight forward facts. What was one slice? He was gonna have one, anyway? Why wait? The man goes to the drink cabinet to pull out a bottle of wine. The man spends his time uncorking the bottle while the women talk to him and to each other. He finally slides into a seat before pouring the wine glasses. “Not at all. Lanara always makes food to feed militia. We love to eat in this house. Or… maybe it’s just me? So eaters are welcome. And we -love- to cook.” The man takes a sip of the wine before beginning to dish up. He might as well start to ease the ‘who-goes-first awkwardness’. “An engineer? What type? Also… you visit the college, too? What’s your expertise?”
Alvina || (post 1 of 2) Alvina laughs with them, not offended at all by Tiber’s remarks. She was hard to offend the older she got, and she isn’t really old but she is still a mom, so she’s heard a million things a million times for a million years. She nods in tandem with Lana when she confirms how they ‘fangirl’ but it’s all a safe, playful way. They were just very affectionate and energetic women who enjoyed lifting other women up, especially all their friends, especially other women, especially the people they loved. Alvina takes one of the portions of stew and stuffs in her own dramatic mouth to calm her bardic brain down. That thing gets really wordy if you don’t feed it. She looks comfortable here in this strange place. She sets the rose next to the bowl before she starts eating. “Oh my gods Lana, this is so good. You and your sister make the best food.” Taly’s cookies had been excellent, her tea selection to die for. “Hmm, Lana, she gave me a tea that tasted like Hot Chocolate, can you even believe that exists?” Tiber’s comment about loving physical touch gets an audible laugh from her. Her face flushes a bright red, though honestly why isn’t she used to this from Lanara, really. “I know you guys are honeymooners but at least wait until I leave to start making moves like that!” Alvina subconsciously twirls her wedding band, still placed neatly on her finger, the way it had been before and since her separation from her husband. She remembers being like this with him. Flirty and cute and a little handsy. Their circumstances were much different than Lanara’s and Tiber’s. Tiber wasn’t murdering children. Hudson wasn’t murdering children but they did murder a child, Alvina did, and it eventually became the straw that broke the back of their marriage. She hated who she’d become beside him and their marriage dissolved to co-parenting and dry letters about finances or the kid’s report cards. She hopes they hold on to this time but doesn’t say anything because that’s a real mood killer. “I guess that means you’ll be having a bunch of kids?”
Alvina || (post 2 of 2) She nudges Lanara’s arm because they just had this conversation. “I swear, I told Lana recently okay, werewolf kids are legitimately the best thing about this. The best. Literally.” Her tone is high but she’s very, very clearly serious about this. “Faster healing, 3x the aging speed, it’s like…why would anyone do that as a human. Literally the best.” Tiber’s facts about cake are compelling but Alvina would be horrified if Hudson did the same thing. THERE ARE RULES BOYS, GET IT TOGETHER! Lanara asks her about her current projects and Alvina might as well have caught on fire. She turns to Tiber first to answer him. “I am an engineer. I make a weird assortment of weapons and armor and trinkets. Trinkets are truly my favorite. They are so fun. War is fine but I like making my money on toys.” She promises she’ll come back to the college question. “Whiiiiich, reminds me. I brought a gift.” Quickly she stands from the table and rushes back to throw open the front door. She jams her fingers in her mouth and lets out an ear splitting whistle that echoes over the Sage before a gust of wind sweeps dust and dried leaves into their entry way. She laughs, keeping the gift out of sight until she reappears in the kitchen to present Lanara with her very own, brand new, Alvina Landon crafted Witch’s Broom. It comes complete with a sleek black handle, covered in little etchings of various animals, to make her love of all things great and small. On the edge, three different charms dangle in the air. One is a little witch’s hat, the second is a Rose colored skull and the third is a cute little cartoon heart. “You can obviously add more charms and I can make you any kind you want. I’ve got Talyara a kind of matching version but I wanted your opinion about the charms. You know her better than I do.” Alvina’s nervous, this is a lot of noise and spectacle to make for a lunch date. “I’ll bring you a broom next time, Tiber.” A joke that sounded more like an apology. “For the college, I actually used to run the bard’s guild. I’m really good with a flute, violin and I sing okay. Enough about me though, I want the deets on how you two meet and fell in love and got married and all that gushy nonsense.”
Lanara (Post 1 of 2) Lanara is all smiles and giggles, until Tiber slides in that line about them both -loving- physical touch, as though they just can’t get enough. Her cheeks are bright red, and she hasn’t even touched her wine! At least her friend knows she enjoys a healthy bedroom life with her new husband! Even if he doesn’t know how to host properly, or care for their fur babies safely. Poor Salem, the cat that she had gifted to Tiberius as a kitten, went from being a solid black domestic shorthair to this glamoured version of a long haired calico! Why? Because he tipped a potion bottle and the cat licked it up, as it was dying of thirst! Her expression shifts from mortified to mildly annoyed, and back to one of contentment, as she takes that first bite of stew and sips her wine. She’s -always- in her head, and it doesn’t help that her mate can usually read her, due to their imprint. Lana chews and dips some bread into the gravy, listening as the two converse, “I first met Alvina at the College, actually!” Aspen pads into the kitchen with a bib around his neck and he climbs onto a chair beside Alvina, hungrily eyeing the food. Lana hesitates, because Alvina is a guest and she doesn’t want to put her to work, but she’s sitting on the other side of the table. A bowl of stew is prepared for the polar bear cub, and she slides it over, “Would you mind feeding him? He’s a dainty eater, considering that he’s a bear. We treat Aspen as though he’s our child.” The cub looks up at Alvina with those big coal eyes and opens his mouth, as if he knows he’s too cute to be denied! “I was thinking maybe we can bring dessert over to the Pack and have it with them?” There’s enough for an army, after all! The witch takes a big bite of a carrot and the question about kids comes up and she inhales, unsure how to reply. The inhale causes her to choke and after a few moments of coughing and catching her breath, Lana reaches for her wine and takes a long gulp, “Um. No kids… I, uh, can’t have children.” She -had- a little girl that turned into an abomination and destroyed her homeland, but the damage had been too severe. They lowkey are unaware that Lana can get pregnant now that she’s a wolf! “Tiber never wanted children, and my animals are my babies. It’s fine, really.”
Lanara (Post 2 of 2) Thankfully, the awkwardness about her fertility is smoothed over, and they resume lunch. Lana’s cheeks fade back to their normal light mocha color, as Tiber seems to be behaving himself and not making comments about a sexy salad or friends that grope each other. Alvina stands up and leaves the room and the couple exchanges a ‘look’ wondering which of them could have possibly been the offender, before Lana stands up and follows after her friend. “Is everythin-” Her voice catches and she narrows her brown eyes to see all the leaves and grass clippings that fly into the foyer, but it’s the object that whips through the wind that garners her full attention. Alvina Landon has outdone herself, and as she hands over the sleek black handle of a brand new broom, the witch bursts into tears. It’s one of the most thoughtful gifts she’s ever received and her fingers trail over the fine details, before admiring each of the charms, all which speak to her soul. The rose skull isn’t one she thought she’d see again, as she had given it to Alvina, but if she wishes it to be in her possession she won’t object. The witches hat and the heart bring a smile to her face, and she laughs through her tears. “I never in a million years thought that I would have a broom again! When I died, the first time, my broom refused to answer my call, as I had lost my magic. And the second time… It had split in two and been scorched beyond repair. The only true way for a witch to get a broom is to have a broom custom made for her, or if one flies into her life…” This broom had signified both meanings, and she can feel the magical pull as strong as the mana that flows through her veins. Lana is ugly crying at this point and in dire need of a tissue, but instead, she throws herself into Alvina’s arms, “Thank you, thank you, thank you so much! This means the world to me!” She cannot wait to take it for a ride!
Tiber (1 of 2):: Tiberius scoops in for some stew and salad as he listens to the redhead, though most of his thoughts are how -good- this dish is. He savors the meat and vegetables in the stew. Is he in stew heaven? Yes, so it is hard to hear what Alvina is saying about hot chocolate and Talyara. Even if Talyara does make the best food, too. He married into the right family. Lanara was okay if Tiberius was a little insane and -really- rough around the edges, but Lana was crazy too. Which made Tiber crazy about her. The balance was good–not easy, but perfect enough for him. Passionate, even. The talk of kids, however, a chunk of meat gets stuck in Tiber’s windpipe causing him to start to choke a little. The man hits a fist against his body to cough the meat up and he downs it with wine. “Uh,” he scratches his head. The topic was touchy. Lanara suffered long ago, and Tiber was firm about no running tots. “Not really a sucker for snot bubbles.” Plus, he grew up a majority of his life with no family. An orphanage. He felt strange having kids of his own–letting them down. But yeah, Lanara was fertile again due to the lycanthrope, but the Alpha? Well, he had no idea, and neither did Lana. All the talk of lycan babies has Tiber mildly impressed. “Cool,” he grins. He did not mind the whole babysitting gig–kinda. He would probably make a decent uncle. A terrible one, though regarding the child’s health. When Alvina leaves the room, however, Tiber looks at Lanara with a shrug before continuing to finish off his bowl. The broom then flies in and his eyes become wide. Were magical brooms really a thing? Tiberius was a non-magic user. Lanara Lowell was a witch like the storybooks. Though, not… well, personality she was not cliche.
Tiber (2 of 2):: “Eh I don’t trust things like that–I mean, well, flying brooms? Weird…” He catches himself to look at his wife. “Not like -super- weird. Y’know? Like… flying brooms are cool. You’re obviously amazing,” he is trying to back pedal. “Alright, I think I’m ready for dessert.” He throws back the rest of his wine before standing to collect the plates to take them to the sink. “Y’all can take the broom. I’ll meet y’all at the Pack House,” he smirked because his wife was so excited for the gift. What a neat friend Lana had. “Try your new cool broom. Plus, I’ll bring the dessert. It shouldn’t take me long.” He begins to reach for the dessert to wrap up so they can head over to the Pack house.
Alvina doesn’t know about this rule about brooms. It makes her heart swell near to bursting to hear that this is such a special occasion. She may know about Lanara’s old broom but it wasn’t on her mind when this project started. Lana’d mentioned at Frostmaw Towers that she needed a broom and Alvina knew some things about making some things. It makes the awkward remark about kids fall far into the background while they celebrate the good things they knew about. “Don’t cry Lana! You’ll make ME cry! And then TIBER will cry and no one will get to eat this great stew!” She didn’t know if Tiber would cry but it felt funny in the moment so she took the chance to inject some jokes inbetween the feels. Alvina does start crying and hugging Lanara like they’d just witnessed the death of their favorite pop star. “Stoooop, we have to stoooop.” She whines, sniffing and cleaning her face with a napkin. What a dramatic introduction! The bard would absolutely feed the adorable polar bear when she took her seat back at the table. She’s had practice with four picky babies so her technique is flawless. “I want to meet this cat too.” She speaks up, not letting Tiber get off that easy. “Lana’s been talking about this Pack as well. Since my little family is all wolves, I’d love to meet some like minded people that understand the lifestyle.” Hudson was Alpha in life style, and Alpha in the mob, but in an actual werewolf pack? They’d never had one! She finishes her wine, helps the polar bear back to the floor and stacks her dishes to make Tiber’s life a little easier. “Sorry to make a big fuss,” she says. She really does want to get to know him! Please don’t think she doesn’t! She is just scatter brained sometimes. A weird, inventor brain disease. Tiber’s review of her broom gets a laugh. “I used to have a magic arm.” She wants this information to comfort her poor put upon husband’s unease. “My arms are all flesh and blood now,” the lycanthropy curse had regrown it because #magic. “I can go with Tiber, give him a boring lecture on the subjects of magic brooms and their flight patterns.” She couldn’t keep up with Lanara, even if she tried to ride Talyara’s broom. The bard didn’t have enough magic for that! She scoops up an armful of dishes to help him clear and pack up the buffet she’d made. No promises that the cake will be in one piece when they get to the Pack House. No one will know if it was Alvina or Tiber though! “Really, Lanara, you should go ride it. Tell me if it needs a tune up.”
Lanara (Post 1 of 2) Lanara is long past thinking about babies with Tiber, though the idea of practicing baby making is enticing, and they’ve done plenty! The broom has stolen the show, and Lana isn’t even aware that she’s left Tiber to deal with all the clean up in the kitchen, or that Aspen is now burying his paws in the gravy and drawing all over the table. The Catalian is going to murder him any day now, she thinks, as he’s still irked by the mishap at the Sweetheart’s Party they had attened a few weeks prior. The cub had almost tipped the love boat and soaked them, and then he had started a food fight, so they had to leave before they were barred from ever setting foot in Enchantment again! Tiber seems a little weird around the broom and excuses himself, and Alvina saves him from having to clean up the kitchen and Aspen, which shows that she’s truly the most selfless and sweetest of all her friends! Lana doesn’t want to abandon them, but the walk to the Pack house is only a short distance away, about half a mile through the forest, so Alvina takes the cake and Tiber takes the platter of sweets, and it leaves the witch with her new broom. She sharply inhales and aims to drop it to the floor, but before it hits, it bounces right back up and into her palm. It answers her call, and it will to no one, other than Alvina and Lanara, the maker and the owner. She squeals gleefully, before exiting the house and mounting her broom, preparing for take off!
Lanara (Post 2 of 2) Lanara arrives a few minutes after Tiber and Alvina get there, mainly because she was flying in a figure eight pattern above the house, testing out all the twists and turns and growing used to her new mode of transportation. They can hear her giggling and calling out directions, as she dares to take dives between narrow trees, last minute turns while traveling at the fastest speed, and pausing in the air just to take a gander at the land below. Lana’s hair is windswept and her cheeks are pink when she lands with a small thud, behind the pair, and she laughs and pulls Alvina in for another big hug. “I love you! Thank you so much! It rides like a dream!” It’s far better than her old broom! She finger combs her untamed locks and takes Alvina by the hand, so that she can be introduced to the group. As anticipated, they are all sitting in the main room on couches, and they all ignore Tiber and Lanara, their Alpha and Luna. Everyone is ogling Alvina, because she’s the first non-pack person to ever enter their home. Bjorn is the first to stand, and always trying to be suave, he approaches and extends a hand, “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes, Beautiful? They call me Bjorn, and I’d love to give you a tour of-” He’s cut off by a pretty teenager, who socks him in the arm, “I’m Violet. Steer clear of this idiot! Trust me!” Tybalt runs up and looks at Alvina with big eyes, as being the only child in the Pack, he is the most enamored around pretty strangers. He’s about eight and he wears a prosthetic arm, but he doesn’t let it slow him down, as he holds out a picture that he had drawn earlier that morning, “This is for you! I didn’t color in the hair, because Lana didn’t tell me if you’re hair is bright or dark red.”
Tiber (1 of 2):: Tiberius appreciated the humor of sobs even if he was not crying whatsoever. He stares blankly in his manly way of not understanding women, but the two girls entertain him, to say the least. Salem is mentioned and Tiber frowns. “He’s probably in my office knocking my paperwork off my desk. He loves to knock crap off any freaking surface known to man. You know that he likes to jump on top of the cabinets in the kitchen? How he could get so high? Who the hell knows. Freaking Houdini.” Hollow Houdini, that is. When Alvina talks of her past with magical arms, he quirks a brow and his nose crinkles for a moment. Al has a fleshy arm now. “Uh, okay.” Should he poke it? “You know, actually, your kiddos might like Tybalt. And y’know, Tybalt has a prosthetic…” Wait… “Wait…,” thought aloud now, “Is he gonna grow a fleshy arm?” The man furrows his brows in confusion because #magic. At the thought of the banter, Tiber genuinely smiles. This was no longer a ‘forced’ gathering, but one that came naturally. Alvina was… likable. This was good in the Tiberius Lowell book. “Babe, ride the broom, Al and I got this,” a nickname, too? Easy breezy. The man goes to kiss Lana’s temple. Once Lanara is off, Tiber is grabbing the sweets and is out the door. “If it’s two against one?” Tiber does the initiative to pry into the sweets. “What’s just… one? We can even share, yeah?” Once he takes the piece, he would raise it for them to ‘clink’ desserts together, if she agreed to also sneak bites, before he would shove the cake into his mouth. There were other sweets, right? Tiber was a cake guy, and Tiberius is willing to answer any questions. And he does. As for him asking…? Well, that will come in the future. As he knew that Alvina would be a part in Lanara’s world for life, so there was time. Plus, he had a mouthful of cake and happiness. When they arrive, Lanara swoops in behind them which takes him by surprise. “Holy hell!” He feels the gust of wind behind him. “Wow, hottie–lookin’ good.” He tries to avoid that there is cake in his beard.
Tiber (2 of 2):: Once entering the Pack home, Bjorn stands, “Give me a break,” Tiberius rolls his eyes at the Delta before wandering in the kitchen to drop off the platter of sweets. He would look at Lanara who might be glaring at him since he had cake on his face. “There’s plenty, it’s -fine-.” When Alvina is noticed by some members, more members even flock. Celeste, a blonde–careful empath. “Hi,” she seems shy to begin with, but friendly. Celeste was trying to get a reading on the red-haired woman. Then, a tall man, lean–a stature like Tiber comes into the mix. Black hair and piercing blue eyes. Greyson. Beta. The man looks, not timid, but not himself either. He is friendly, but in the back of his mind, he is taken away by the dark redhead. “Hey, I’m Greyson. Tiber’s right hand. Good to meet you, and… well, ignore Bjorn.” Bjorn makes a whiney ‘hey’ in this moment. Then… out of the blue, Corrine and Nick swirl into the mix. Corrine, with the resting b-face, and Nick the Backstreet Goober. Corrine speaks over Nick. “Why are we meeting today? I had a pedicure booked.” Corrine knows she has to watch her tongue, but really? The complaints of pedicures was better than her attitude in the past.
Alvina || All cats are demons in cute fuzzy pjs. “Aria’s the same. They can have a play date and knock off valuable things off the top of buildings. I bet the sound is satisfying.” The sound of distruction and pain. Music to the ears of the mischievous cats! “I lost my arm before I was bitten. If he’s already a lycan, I don’t think so. If he’s turned, absolutely possible. Lycanthropy heals all kinds of weird things. Magic is overpowered.” If he did poke her arm, she’d narrow her eyes at him like she’s a tiger about to bite. Kidding! She widens her eyes at the nickname. Heck yeah! She’d fist pump but her hands are full of dishes. Alvina and Tiber only need to look at each other to confirm they will be eating these sweets illegally. “To give Lana more time,” She says to justify it, shoving a finger of icing in her mouth. Maybe a couple cookies for good measure, so it’s all even and stuff. They’d have time for all the questions. After cake. Alvina’s overjoyed at Lanara’s reaction. Those Lycan ears are coming in handy too, letting them hear the witch’s cackling overhead. Lanara’s always deserved this happiness and if Tiber is part of it, he’s fly in Alvina’s book too. Getting to know him will be fun! “Lana the cake!” Alvina laughs, moving the dessert so it’s not crushed between them. “I love you too! Take good care of it. I think I accidentally put a little sass in it with the magic, I’m not an expert, but I know you can tame it if it gets too wild.” Are they still talking about a broom? She lets Lana drag her inside and finds a place to set the cake down before it meets it’s dishonorable end on the ground. She’s quite anxious to meet this many people at once! “Alvina,” She stutters, pushing back her own hair nervously. Violet rescues her from Bjorn and she’s relieved. A flash of those wedding rings and maybe he’ll behave! “Lovely to meet you all.” Tybalt catches her heart immediately. She pulls herself into the floor to see his drawing, her mouth an impressed ‘o’ as he explains. “It’s beautiful!” She exclaims. “Which color will you pick?” She holds a piece of her hair out to him for analysis. Tybalt’s prosthetic arm melts him into her heart. Tiber warned her so she knew before they got here but the feeling hits the same. She remembers feeling out of place with her false arm. People used to think she couldn’t do things other people could. When she lost it, she had to relearn everything again. She’d offer to make him a new one as he outgrew his current, to Lanara and Tiber, so they knew she would support them all. Anyone they loved, she would love. Celeste is greets with a small wave and a smile. “Hi there.” She is feeling an intense stare and tries to hold still. She stands to take Greyson’s hand politely. “Nice to meet you.” It’s always important to know the right hand men. She wonders if he knew Milo, Hudson’s right hand man. No way. He is handsome though. Corrine and Nick show up and Alvina jumps in without missing a beat (bards). “I think the guys were going to give us pedicures, right Lana?” She looks over her shoulder at the witch with a playful wink. “I’m Alvina.” She says to the newcomers. “Lycan, mother, engineer, Kelay arm wrestling champion of ‘09.”
Lanara (Post 1 of 2) Lanara clutches her new broom as if she’s holding onto it for dear life, because she never wants to lose a broom again. It had been -years- since she had one, and she feels a fullness in her life that she hadn’t realized she’d needed all this time. She cast a momentary glare at Tiber as he has icing in his beard and she’s still feeling a little feisty about the missing arm comment. Alvina had been enslaved and they took her arm! It wasn’t a happy memory and she hopes her friend isn’t offended by anything her husband says, as it’s not the -first- time he’s put his foot in his mouth today! Her anger doesn’t last too long though, at least not directed at Tiberius, as Corrine dares to speak to their guest in such a manner, “You don’t need a pedicure, you need a lobotomy. When are you moving into your new shack?” Lana glances at Greyson for confirmation, “Get on that. Faster.” The witch explains, “Nick and Corrine tried to kill me, so they have been demoted to Omega. They are the lowest ranking members of our Pack, and they are lucky that they haven’t faced exile or death.” There’s an unspoken ‘yet’ on the tip of Lana’s glossed lips, but she doesn’t want Alvina to think that the Pack is weak or that there’s constant fighting amongst them. “Come on, let’s have some dessert!” Nick, the blonde from the Backstreet Bards boyband, “I’m Nick Garter, but I think I may have seen you in Schezerade? At the University? You are seriously talented and I-” Clearly, he isn’t allowed to speak to another female in front of Corrine, because she snatches her mate's arm and drags him down the hall. Thankfully, Alvina isn’t fazed by them, and she chimes in about the men giving them pedicures and wins the heart of Tybalt. The boy is examining her hair and he grabs a black crayon and a medium red shade, before he takes off to complete the drawing.
Lanara (Post 2 of 2) Lana smiles and sits down in the kitchen, crossing her legs, and studying the once perfect cake. It looks like Tiber -and- Alvina had a hand in this mess, and she shakes her head, unable to be mad at them. It warms her heart that they are quickly becoming friends, and also that the Pack seems to be themselves in front of Alvina. She is extremely likable, everywhere she goes, so it’s no wonder! Lana prepares slices of the cake and unwraps the platter of brownies, cookies, and tarts, so that everyone can dive in and have a treat. She spends the next several minutes telling everyone about how she had met Alvina, and then she tells Alvina the tale of how she had met Tiber! They had been off and on for nearly three years before getting married! “I was captured by this jerk in Cenril that was into elven trafficking. And Tiber happened to be right there, and so he bought me for a -lot- of money, and we ‘pretended’ that I was his slave for a bit. We lived together for a few awful weeks, not getting along, and I never wanted to see him again. I repaid the debt, and he ended up just coming in and out of my life over the next year, and we decided to be friends. But then… I was engaged, and it was right around when Tiber finally realized he had feelings for me. So, after being left at the altar, I took some time to just do my thing? And Tiber and I started dating, and then I had to leave Lithrydel for a year, and when I came back it was as if I never left. Our feelings were still there, we confessed our love for each other, and we just blossomed into what we are now.” Her eyes are a little misty as she speaks, and she blames it on the brownie, “This is so damn good.”
Tiber now watches from the kitchen as the members swarm Alvina in greeting. There is something that feels… easy, despite the joining of the pack or not, he felt like… lycans just knew each other. He knew he would get to know this crazy redhead. Especially because the woman delved in cake with him prior to serving. All this nonsense made him really want to kiss his lover because… happiness existed. Family, friends, and happiness. A list that Tiberius never thought he would settle on–as he came from none. Though, the mention of pedicures made him frown. “I’m not touching anyone’s feet. That’s Bjorn’s fetish.” Beat. Bjorn backfires. “Is not! Tiber is a liar!” Tiber grins in jest as he throws Bjorn under the false bus. The way Corrine speaks, does not phase Tiber as the Omega was on thin ice with the Alpha and Luna. What did Tiber have to fear? One -true- false move and snap. Done-zo. Tiber was a mix of morbid and goofball… and rage. But also light in times of these. “Lana, she has strength too?” Arm wrestling. “If you be my bodyguard, I can be your long lost pal,” Tiber begins to sing lyrics that Hollow’s famous Naul Limon (really out of character Paul Simon) created. Tiber is singing and changing some words under his breath, “Call her Al!” He goes behind Lanara and sort of sways his wife goofily in faux dance before moving off to snag another treat. He let’s Lanara explain their love-story, as Lanara was the better one at that. Tiber would probably glaze over most important details. Once Lanara finishes the story. “And, I love her. And she loves me. Blah, blah, blah. And we live this strange life, but I couldn’t imagine myself with anyone else. Lanara was the first true girl I loved. I was really incomplete without her when we took a break.. She’s my type of crazy.” It was true. “My balance. My empathy. Truly. I don’t think I’d be sitting with these weirdos eating cake and cookies if it wasn’t for Lanara. She’s family–my home. Blah, blah, bla–” he cuts off and grins as he knows that he is in this teasing banter. Way happier than how he started. Because… he felt a sense of completeness when he was around Lanara in the simplicity of family and friends. “Kidding with the blahs, okay?” He leans in to give Lanara a quick kiss before he grins dopely. “We’re happy that you stopped by, Al. And that I met you. Please, feel free to visit. You’re obviously very welcome.” Meaning, Pack members were happy to see the woman too.
Alvina || (post 1 of 2) Alvina looks at the people Lana label as killers and she stares daggers at them. They’re lucky to be alive, judging by Tiber’s expression too. She feels the ‘yet’ dangingly unspoken on the tip of her tongue. Nick, who Alvina does know, approaches and talks to her briefly. So that’s his girlfriend. Yiiikes on that. “Thank you,” she starts but they are both cut off by Corrine’s huff off routine. “More cake for us.” She shrugs, tilting her head to urge any lingering witnesses towards the kitchen. Eat the cake quickly so Lanara doesn’t catch us. She pops another cookie in her mouth, listening whole heartedly as Lana spills the tea about her relationship with Tiber. She’d been a slave once, lost her arm before she was sold. It was the moment she decided she didn’t want to be weak anymore. But truly, they weren’t weak for having become slaves. They were just surrounded by the wrong type of people. They got out, with help, and became that much stronger. Another thread that bound them, though they might not know it completely yet. Bjorn’s offense sets her to rolling and the atmosphere is warm and welcome even though she’s a stranger here. The wolf part had to play a positive role. She rolls her eyes at this song, thinking ‘if only you knew pal.’ She’d been called Al a time or two in her day, but usually under the guise of magical crossdressing. That was a story for another day.
Alvina || (post 2 of 2) The goofy dancing and singing. Lana was his ‘type’ of crazy. Tiber praises Lanara’s qualities and Alvina pretends to gag but gives them both a smile. “I’m happy you guys invited me and welcomed me in. I’m not a Lana level baker but I do know my way around a bundt cake.” Tiber’s kind welcome and sweet retelling of their story, well really it was the way Lanara lit up next to him but let’s say it’s more factual than that, told her all she needed to know about the Alpha. He loved her and she loved him and for Alvina, that was more than enough. Alvina sits at the table, watching after Tybalt, excited to see her hair color when it was done. “It’s perfect.” She takes a look around at the ‘family’ here and the sentiment lingers in her mind. It’s perfect.