RP:Take The Moment
Summary: After a long absence, Kyori wakes up from his coma and visits Lanara, at the animal sanctuary. The spellblade is shocked to see that the witch is alive and well, even if their reunion is a bit rough at the start, they quickly fall into the same patterns of friendship before he went away. Kyori confesses that he can see the dead and that after using his magic, he slips into a coma for several months. Lana admits that although she’s alive, she’s no longer merely an elf, she was bitten by Tiber and carries the curse of lycanthropy. The friends plan on meeting up at the Kelay Tavern upon Lana’s return from her honeymoon.
Part of the New Moon, New Motion Arc
Kyori crumples Penelope’s instructions in his pocket. The Sanctuary, as the freckle faced woman called it, was where the warrior could find the little witch. He takes one more pull from his cigarette and watches the smoke escape. He smashes the end against a frozen tree and stuffs the bud back in his pocket. If Lanara owns the place, he ain’t about to litter. The spell blade pokes around the animals looking for one fire cat and one particular puppy. Or dog by now. God, what was his life? The blonde stops a strange girl with a pink pixie cut and asks for Lanara but the girl answers in a language he doesn’t understand. He shrugs and starts to make another loop behind the fences in his rust colored clothes. He blends in well here.
(Post 1 of 2) Lanara is in the rear yard of Happy Tails, sitting atop a majestic mare that happily canters along the perimeter of the fenced in area, the feathering on her fetlocks blowing wildly in the breeze. The horse is striking in appearance and looks to have been designed by the Goddess, as she’s equally part destrier and part dressage, able to fit in both the world of wartime and competitions. Lana sits casually in the saddle, fully in control of her horse, but her enhanced senses pick up on the arrival of another nearby. “Sansa, stop!” Whispering to the mare, they come to a halt, and she slides down and pats Sansa on her rear. The horse flees to the stables as the newly turned lycan patrols the area, her dark eyes narrowing on the figure of a male in rust colored clothing. Is he merely someone visiting the sanctuary? Does he mean to bring harm to the animals? Lanara tucks her hands in the pockets of her fitted blazer and starts off in the direction of the male, her knee-high boots digging into the grass as she prowls akin to a huntress eyeing her prey. She’s clad in a pair of tan riding trousers that match with the tan and black blazer, and her long hair flows freely down her back in gentle waves, and if one didn’t know that she was the founder of this place they would think she had come here for the sheer pleasure of riding a horse.
(Post 2 of 2) The stench of nicotine stings Lana’s eyes as she nears Kyori’s location, and it’s only when he turns slightly and they set their gaze upon each other, that she stops walking and just openly stares at the male. Kyori?! Here?! It’s as if she’s seeing a ghost, and surely he must be thinking the same, as the last time they spoke she was knocking on death's door. They had used magic to enchant a talisman so that Tiber could hide the fact he was a lycan and break into a research lab. Afterwards, Kyori had vanished. Again. “Well, well, well… Are you here for good this time or are you planning another disappearing act?” There’s a coldness in her tone that he’s not used to, nor is he prepared for the flicker of gold that creeps into Lana’s eyes as her features shift into one of rage. It’s there and gone in the blink of an eye and perhaps he will blame the sun filtering through the trees, or he may think he dreamed up the split second that Lana no longer looked like Lana. The woman unlocks the gate and motions for Kyori to enter the sanctuary, but she looks away every so often and it seems that she’s having a conversation in her head. She is talking, with her inner wolf, Asha. The message is hard to fight, too, because everytime Lana looks at Kyori she wants to attack. He reminds her too much of Natianara, the daughter she had killed and left behind in Kelvar, but of course, she doesn’t mention any of this as she pulls him in for a quick hug. Kyori has his secrets, and Lanara has quite a few of her own, so perhaps some things are best left unsaid. “Good to see you! Have you seen Nel, yet? Where the hell have you been this whole time?! You can’t keep showing up and vanishing, Kyori.”
Kyori’s sapphire eyes watch the woman that looks like Lanara approach the fence line. His hands are pushed in his pockets and his sword is nowhere in sight. He was always carrying that sword, where could it be? The man looks plain and harmless when he approaches the witch’s familiar voice. It looks like her but he stands there and studies her face while she pricks him with the thorns of his disappearing. His face says it all. Is she real? Am I dreaming? It’s the second time they’ve met that he’s wanted to pick her up and spin her around. The dreary thought of ‘maybe the next time I wake up will be better’ sneaks in to add insult to injury. He smells something different about her but his abilities aren’t strong enough to tell she’s a wolf. But she’s alive so screw it. The spellblade doesn’t reply to her jab about disappearing. It’s a fair point and he would not make excuses for it. He waits for her signal and starts forward. He stops short when she hugs him. It’s so quick he can’t pull his hands out of his pockets in time to return it. She says it’s good to see him but she still sounds cold. He can’t remember if she knows about his magic induced comas but it’s the petite witch that takes precedence over his own drama. Kyori looks stunned. He checks her over blatantly making sure she wasn’t a ghost. “She had the pleasure of being in the tavern when I woke up-” He clears his throat. “When I came back.” Lanara was probably mad because Kyori kept leaving Penelope too. The whole ‘rage’ could be bubbled in the category of ‘abandonment’. Stuff the idiot sandwich spellblade right in the center. “I know.” He wants to tell a joke or mention how strong and healthy she looks. His heart isn’t in it. “It’s good to see you too.” His voice is gruff and low and he moves to hug her if her wolf lets him. “It’s not enough but I’m sorry.” He whispers the apology, eating the ache his own stupidity brought. “That I wasn’t here.” He would not have blamed her if she didn’t depend on him because of his bad habit of disappearing acts. He can’t even think about Nat, so great is his relief to see Lana alive. “It’s my fault.” But Kyori it kind of isn’t also? He didn’t get to decide when he’d ‘leave’ and when he’d ‘return’. That trash can wait. He takes a step away to look at her again. “Are you real?” Penelope told him Lanara’d survived but the difference between the woman he left and the woman standing here now is striking.
Lanara keeps her eyes trained on Kyori, as though she’s being extra cautious and expects him to brandish a weapon at any given moment. She’s not oblivious to his scrutiny and she takes a hesitant step back, because her emotions can be rather twitchy when she feels the slightest bit of discomfort. Thankfully, she has decent control over her wolf, and aside from being miffed at the unexpected man showing up, she doesn’t feel the need to bare her teeth. Lana nods in agreement, because she knows that Penelope and Kyori have a very close relationship, similar to the one he had with her daughter. Minus the kiss, of course! Lana had always been on the outside of those bonds, getting close enough, and always happy to help a hand or reach out for assistance, but wise enough to keep her guard up. Kyori had seen her at her lowest point and had been a good friend, but neither has been unabashedly open with the other. The man reaches for her and her instinct is to avoid contact, but she digs her heels into the ground and forces herself to allow the embrace. She stiffens in his arms and it takes her a moment to return the affection, but alas, they share a long, tight hug. Despite the gruff attitude she’s trying to deliver, her voice cracks as she replies, “It’s okay… I was so scared and we weren’t sure if I’d live, but it worked.” She swallows hard and leans back from the hug, her brown eyes misty with unshed tears, “What do you mean it’s -your- fault? It’s not your fault, Kyori, and there’s nothing you could have done to save me from the hex.” It’s Natianara Ryder’s fault! Her estranged daughter was the one that placed the curse, but she doesn’t bring that up. Not yet, at least. The next inquiry that leaves his lips is met with a scoff and a roll of her eyes, the first true hint of a smile gracing her lush lips, as she motions to the yard, “Nope. I’m imaginary and you just witnessed me riding my imaginary horse, and you are now talking to your imaginary friend.” Tucking her hair behind her ears, she locks the gate with them inside the yard, and waves a hand, designating that he should follow. “We can chat in my office, if you want?” They enter the back of the building and after lowering the magical barrier, Lana and Kyori can breeze through the halls, and head to a room where ‘private’ is labeled on the door. “You came just in time, too! I’m leaving for my honeymoon tomorrow morning.” She smiles and flashes her chocolate diamond engagement ring and matching band, “Tiber and I eloped and we had to wait for everything to calm down, so we are excited to actually be able to celebrate.”
The spellblade was actually bladeless. The scabbard he carried with his sword the last time, and every time before that, was MIA. His relationship with Lana had been charged by his inattention to detail and the brief matter of her daughter. If asked, he’d say Lana was one of the closest people to him. He’d punched a guy in front of her! Her patience was legendary. Her patience now looks strained. He’d really done it this time. “It’s my fault I wasn’t here.” He clarifies, wondering now who is at fault for Lanara’s near death experience. Lanara’s joke is funny except. “I can see ghosts you know.” He sighs, leaning back on his heels to look at her. She looks more like herself now. He nods and follows her to the office, just in time to receive her wild smile and glaring ring. “Put down the weapon.” He shields his eyes jokingly. “Just in time.” Good. “I told Pen that Tiger better propose by now or he’d be answering to me.” Good flex, Kyori. Real nice. “In all seriousness, I’m glad. Congratulations Lana.” Nat’s name floats around the back of his mind. Would her daughter know? Would she come to celebrate her mother’s new marriage? “Where are you two love birds headed? Somewhere nice and quiet and far far away?” He’s happy for her, truly. She deserved to be happy after all she’d been through since they’d met. Fate was a twisted mistress. “I’m offended I wasn’t invited but whatever.” He flashes her an impish grin.
Lanara hasn’t noticed that something is missing from Kyori’s form, his sword to be precise, but lately she’s had a lot on her mind and so her attention to detail isn’t as spot on. The witch quirks a brow at the comment he makes about seeing ghosts, and at first she thinks he’s making a quip about her near death experience, but then those brows furrow with suspicion, “Truly? I didn’t know that…” Lana sits down at the edge of her desk and motions for Kyori to take a seat, laughing as he admires the ring, “Thank you… He’s wonderful and I can’t wait for you two to meet. He’s protective, a little quick tempered, and he has a playful demeanor once you get to know him.” Similar qualities to Kyori. “We are taking a tour around the realm for our honeymoon, spending two or three days in each of the fancier destinations… I didn’t invite anyone! Only my sister, Taly, she was my maid of honor. Tiber had his best friend Greyson. We had Queen Lunalesca officiate. It was very small and kept a secret for quite some time.” She waves a dismissive hand, “Issues amongst the Pack.” Had that little slip of the tongue been intentional? Lana levels her gaze on her friend, drinking in each of his features, as though trying to discern why he is here. It doesn’t dawn on her that she’s someone of importance in Kyori’s life, mainly because the guy kept disappearing, and because every time they were together her life had been falling apart! It’s the first time in their relationship that she hasn’t shed a tear or leaned on him for comfort, and she wonders if perhaps the tables have turned. “It -is- good to see you, Coyote.” The familiar moniker has her smile softening, “How are you doing? Were you off on a grand adventure all these months? Any fun plans in the near future?” Hands are clasped upon her lap as she listens to his reply, her eyes full of questions, “I think you came to visit me for far more than play catch up… Maybe you’ve come to adopt a furry friend?!”
“My old friend.” The Queen he threatened to fight in Enchantment the day he met Lanara. “Tell her I say hi next time you see her.” Kyori gives Lana a serious once over at this ‘pack’ remark. Pack like, clan or pack like, wolves? It does explain how lithe and strong she looks. He’s got questions but he ain’t racist. “Yeah I’ve been meaning to meet up with him since I heard about him. I was gonna threaten him but sounds like you’ve got it all squared away.” No one ever corrects him when he calls Tiber by the grumpy title of Tiger. “Sounds like we’ll get along.” Kyori has a hot temper but he can forgive most things for the right person. And though he has no claim to, Kyori considers himself a protector of Lanara. The same with her daughter. Penelope. Any woman basically. Not that he’s sexist but it’s just ingrained in him. Part of that hero complex he wears like a badge. His sapphire eyes study her while she looks at him. Is there a hint he’s supposed to get or something he’s supposed to say? “Uh,” he starts to but when the old nickname Nat gave him drips off Lana’s lips it knocks against that cracked memory. He still missed her, all this time later. She never knew his secret about comas and magic. She would never forgive him. The spellblade takes his hands out of his pockets and rubs his palms on his pants. Her asking reminds him that Lana doesn’t know either. Well. Kyori. Maybe it’s time. “About that.” He averts his gaze to their shoes. “I don’t leave?” He looks unsure. “More like, I get sick? You remember the time we fought, about Nat, and you stabbed that nurse, and I fell into a coma?” Shit this was hard. “That happens. That’s where I go when I leave without saying goodbye.” Most of the time. It hadn’t happened with Nat. He’d just stupidly left. “So I came to tell you and see for myself that you were okay.” The blonde gives her a little smile. Sorry for ruining the cute suggestion of a pet, Lana. He wipes his palms on his pants legs again nervously. “I see ghosts and go into comas and that’s kind of my whole secret deal.” He chuckles to break the potential tension. "And if I got one, I'd need a pet that could fend for itself, I'm clearly not reliable."
(Post 1 of 2) Lanara giggles when Kyori ‘fondly’ recalls his meeting with the Queen, and she laughs even harder when he mentions wanting to meet Tiber and threaten him! The lycan can be a bit rough around the edges, but the thought of the two of them dishing threats to each other has the witch in a bout of laughter. “It’s -Tiber- not tiger!” As if she’s any better with names! Lana senses the moment that Kyori’s mood shifts, for both of them are now thinking of Natianara, and the secret that she harbors weighs heavy on her heart. Only four people know about what happened during the reunion with her daughter in Kelvar, the truth behind the curse that had nearly taken Lana’s life, but she finds it difficult to bring up. Especially to Kyori, as they were old pals! How is she going to sit there and break his heart, minutes after he came back into her life? No, it won’t be today that she unveils the truth. Thankfully, Kyori seems to move on and as he speaks about his life, while Lana’s brows furrow as she finds herself connecting the dots. “So… Your energy depletes when you use too much of your mana?” She waits a beat so he can confirm her line of thinking, “It sounds like you have some sort of issue with grounding yourself. For example, whenever a witch uses their magic? They simply send back the ‘borrowed’ magic and push any remaining energies back into the earth. Otherwise, it draws on your life energy.” Witch narcolepsy is the pits! She taps her chin, “I will have to research and consult with my sister, but perhaps when I get back from my honeymoon, we can enchant something for you so that you don’t keep slipping into a coma. Are you sure no one’s placed an ancient spell on you? Do you have any other health issues?” Seeing ghosts? Again, she hopes that her secret about Nat doesn’t come back to bite her, because Kyori will -never- forgive such a thing!
(Post 2 of 2) Without missing a beat, Lana opens a drawer and tosses a large stone at Kyori, “There’s your new pet rock! I keep a bunch of them on hand, for those that are denied an actual, breathing pet! It doesn’t need much care! No food or water or shelter is required! And they make great pets! You can roll it around to play, stroke it if you’re anxious, or hey, even throw it at someone if you’re scared! Of course you have your trusty sword…” It’s then that she notices Kyori’s sword is missing from his person, and she tilts her head to the side, “Where -is- your sword?” Lana had never seen him without his weapon, but she supposes it’s not a bright idea to wear anything sharp to bed, and since he has a history of hibernating for a long time, so it’s no wonder it’s not with him. “Well… Since you’ve shared some of your history with me, I think I owe you an explanation, too.” A glance is given to the closed door and she waits a moment, before her gaze returns to Kyori’s, “The only way to save me from the curse, was to make me either a vampire or a lycan. Tiber bit me, and I rejected the virus, so we had to sacrifice my familiar for the change to take effect.” The loss of her beloved tikifhlee still hits her hard, but the witch focuses on the topic, and lifts her sleeve to show Kyori the scar that had branded her with lycanthropy. “My inner wolf, Asha, is temperamental and talkative as frack! I haven’t met the spooky werewolf form, yet, thankfully. It’s honestly not terrible? The worst is that I constantly crave meat, and I was a vegetarian before all of this…” If he has any questions it seems that she’s open to talking, as any earlier worries about his reaction seem to have dissipated. He sees dead people and takes months long naps, so her being a wolf is no big deal!
Kyori, none the wiser about Nat, recalls Lanara talking about grounding at the ceremony they participated in. “Like, irrigating the excess magic?” He confirms her thinking with a nod. It could be. “I don’t know a lot about where my ‘magic’ comes from besides that it runs in my family.” Inherited. Bestowed. If he was born with it, age or ceremony brought it out in him. “No health issues that I can think of but you might wanna ask my doctor.” Which would be Penelope. “Ancient spells? Curses? This is sounding more and more exciting.” He tries to not let on how concerned he is with all the possible explanations for his situation. Kyori catches the rock and gives Lanara a bemused ‘are you serious’ grin. “Wow, okay. Give the man a rock, he can’t kill it.” The second Lanara mentions his sword he musses up his hair and breaks eye contact. The rock goes in his pocket out of habit. “I don’t know.” He gruffly mumbles. It was a vexing problem that made him almost punch Ruari in the face. ALMOST, OKAY? The spellblade looks back at the witch when he hears a shift in her breathing. Was she nervous? Sapphire eyes settle on the petite woman solemnly. Tiger made her a werewolf to save her. But…her body rejected the werewolf curse? How did that even happen? Questions aside, his expression softens when she talks excitedly about the change. The sacrifice of a familiar to BE cursed bothers him a lot. -Why-? Asking her might be painful. “Wolf girl. Ghost boy.” He points to them in corresponding order. “What a crowd to run with.” He sighs and settles into the effort of lifting the mood. She’s leaving for her honeymoon. Asking sad questions about her now dead pets or her curses or talking about his missing sword and massive naps. It all sounds too heavy for a newlywed to worry about. “If you sweet talk her, Nancy at the Tavern makes a mean steak.” Perfect joke transition. “That’s gotta be weird.” He fiddles with the rock in his pocket. “What is a spooky werewolf form? Are you, like, part ghost or something? Why is it spooky?” He shrugs and looks earnest. Never mind that dashing grin eating up his face. “Does it wear really dark clothes and write morbid poems?”
Lanara laughs at Kyori’s statement and shakes her head, “I’m sorry! I don’t mean to go all doomsday on you, but where magic is concerned? Yeah. Things are often exciting -and- complicated!” There’s a pregnant pause, as she watches the young man put the rock into his pocket, “Maybe it would be a good idea for Nel to examine you again, look for any strange scars or birthmarks? Perhaps a sleep study would provide some insight? We both are willing to help you, I’m sure, once we have an idea what we’re dealing with!” Her deceased brother, Scandal, had far too much mana in his body and so the witch sisters often used him as a magical spring for when their energy was depleted or they were too weak to cast a spell. In Kyori’s case, it’s the exact opposite, but she’s intrigued. Lana seems relaxed once Kyori jests about her being a wolf girl and him a ghost boy, and she finds it oddly endearing. “I’m not going to sweet talk another woman! Nancy is lovely, but Asha prefers her steaks rare.” It’s a far cry from still bloody and off a fresh kill, but she doesn’t want to traumatize her friend too much. “The werewolf form is half of me and half of a beast… Bipedal, big, brute strength, and zero control. Imagine a grizzly bear going berserk? So I’m told, but thankfully, I haven’t been pushed to that point.” Yet. Wanting to brighten the mood, Lana motions to his pocket, “You have to name your new pet, you know! Maybe you can make it some cool clothes and teach it new tricks.” She smirks, “Once we figure out your dilemma, you can pick out a breathing pet from the sanctuary.”
Kyori’s sure he’s never met a real werewolf before. Luck for him, he’d known Lanara before and can tell she isn’t that different. She looks leaner but more fit and she was irritated with him at first. Wolf instinct. He has to earn Asha’s trust. He can handle this. They breeze past a talk about his sword but he’s probably going to need her help in the future to find it, if things keep going the way they’re going. The spellblade nods at her suggestions. “Maybe you should tell her, I think I’m pushing my luck.” He shrugs sheepishly. “A sleep study? What the hell is a sleep study?” Are they going to force him into another coma?! How were they going to do that without the sword? His magic is linked to the artifact so they have got to find it first. “Another woman? Sweet talk other women often?” Kyori takes the rock out of his pocket and flips it over. Is he seriously naming a rock right now? He can barely deal with his own clothes, pet clothes are not in his skill set. Tricks? What tricks do you teach a rock? Roll over? He’d have better luck teaching Lana’s scary wolf form. The humor isn’t lost on him though. He appreciates a good joke to break the tension of serious conversation. It’s his specialty, besides the ghosts and sleeping markets. He tosses the rock up and catches it, snapping it out of the air. “Perfect love and perfect trust.” He recites from Lanara’s ritual. That’s what the trio had to have to make the spell work. That could be what he needs to fix his own magic issues. “Okay but I’m gonna need a pet that matches my energy. We gotta vibe.” He hasn’t had a pet since his emo horse. Maybe his horse and Lana’s wolf would get along before she ate him. “I’ll know ‘em when I see ‘em.” The spellblade holds up the rock, wiggles it at Lana and tucks it back in his pockets. “Thanks.” A beat. “I’ll be at the Kelay Tavern when you get back from your honeymoon, one way or another.” He sighs. “Write me a note and we’ll get the band back together for a reunion tour.” He hopes by then, they will have some idea where his sword was.
Lanara cannot suppress the knowing smirk on her lips when Kyori comments about ‘pushing his luck’ with Penelope. The healer happens to be her best friend and although she’s as sweet as sugar, she also has a feisty side! Nel had spoken to her a few times about Kyori, but Lana is still somewhat in the dark on -what- the healer and the swordless spellblade mean to each other. Are they a budding romance that ends and renews each time Kyori wakes up? Close friends? Normally, she would pry, but she respects both the man and the woman, so she hopes in time one or both of them will clue her in on what’s really going on behind closed doors. “I will speak to Nel.” She nods, a promise that is easy enough to keep. “A sleep study is where you are given some herbs and tea to put you to rest, and you are watched while you sleep. I’m not as advanced a healer as some, and you may need to see a specialist, but they have all sorts of magic and gadgets that can measure your sleep cycle and habits. Perhaps they can pinpoint the problem?” Once the fated words that every witch lives by leaves Kyori’s lips, she seems to grow pale, and her eyes stare at the man, though her thoughts are far away. How can Lanara and Kyori ever have perfect love and perfect trust in their friendship if she continues to hide the truth about Natianara’s demise? It takes her a few seconds to blink back to the moment, and she watches as the rock is tossed around and the possibility of a new companion is discussed. A pit settles in the woman's stomach but she manages a smile for her friend as Kyori prepares to leave, “Yes! You and Nel will be the first two that I will come find, once we’re back from our honeymoon! Tiber and I will have you over for dinner, as well, since you missed our housewarming party and you have yet to meet.” Arms open to pull Kyori in for a parting hug, “Be safe and try not to fall into another coma, okay? I better head home and finish packing for the honeymoon!”