RP:Terrible Lie

Part of the Through The Looking-Glass: Return To Wonderland Arc

Summary: Khitti finally tells Meri what's going on and assures her sister that she doesn't need to go to the Shadow Plane anytime soon, as she's needed in Lithrydel.

The Tranquility, Cenril Wharf

Khitti || Today had been a long time coming. Khitti’d taken way too long to get around to it, even dancing around the subject -in front of Meri- while not actually telling her what the hell was up as of late. Khitti felt horrible for waiting this long, but… there had been so much else going on. Ugh. Well, Khitti’d invited Meri to the ship--a nice change from all of those meetings at the apartment--and Meri would get directed to that library that Khitti tended to spend most of her time in, when she wasn’t out doing gods’ knows what. The sun hadn’t quite set as of yet, and Khitti’d planted herself at the little reading nook she’d had put in, in front of that floor to ceiling window that showed the outside to those in the library, but not the other way around. She’d gravitated back to that almost completely black attire she’d favored in the past; the only thing on her that wasn’t at present was the clean white bandages that was wrapped in such a way as to cover her palms and allow for movement of her fingers. Bang, bang, bang. Khitti’s forehead met with the window a few times--not hard enough to cause damage, but enough to be a sort of punishment for essentially lying. Her line of sight drifted from the warm hues of the sunset over to the liquor cabinet, eyeing it, wondering if she’d reminded Brand to have it restocked. She wouldn’t go to it just yet, though. Instead, she’d just get back to staring at the sky as she waited, all curled up on the little couch that was fixed to the wall.

Meri :: There had been a lot going on indeed, and while the two were sister's and this did mean they were close? Their plates were also often quite full, it could be challenging at times to really sit down and have a conversation about their own personal issues. The point was, this was a long time coming. Meri could sense that there was something weighting on Khitti, but she knew the red head well enough to know that Khitti would bring things when she was ready to. Having the sense that this meeting might be of a more serious nature, Meri opts to leave Fleur at home. Fleur's dear daddy would have to handle the mini for the duration of this outing. Meri didn't need to be told twice that Khitti was in the library, nor has she forgotten her way too the room. While she knows that Khitti is expecting her, the door of the library is given a couple of knocks to announce her arrival before Meri enters. The blonde wastes no time in making herself comfortable, claiming one of the chairs for her own rump. "Well I am here. Alive and in one piece." Said in reference to the bank heist that could have gone completely wrong. "What's up?" What's up was really just a generalized way to try and get Khitti talking, Meri was trying to avoid hitting her with a barrage of questions like: dudette, what did you do to your hands?

Khitti smirked somewhat at Meri at the psion’s allusion to the bank heist. “Well of course you are. Why do you think I directed Lanara towards you and Cal for that? And sorry. That was just… a mess. Some of it was my fault. You know me and my plans.” Khitti readjusted herself and sighed, looking at the floor, “To be honest, I couldn’t really take on anything else right then. It’s gotten to the point of me neglecting the guild and the bakery. I still go there, for appearances sake but… other things had taken precedence over a lot of things: the main thing being the fact that Brand and I had been planning another trip to the Shadow Plane.” ‘Another’ definitely implied that they’d gone on another one not long before this most recent one. “I will get to the part about my hands soon, but there’s a bit to go over. If you want me to. And something I can show you. But, I only want to do this if you’re comfortable with it. Your time there is one of the main reasons it took me so long to figure out when to do this. How to tell you. And I hate that it’s taken this long. But, you know how things get.”

Meri could think of a lot that she could say, or at least she was thinking of a lot that she could say. Like trying to assure Khitti that the plans she helped with were just fine and touching on some of the other points raised . But. Khitti mentions the words 'Shadow Plane' in front of Meri and any train of thought that the psion had is completely derailed. The woman's eye is twitching ever so slightly. Surely Khitti did not need help with the Shadow Plane? Not that Meri would not do a lot for her sister...but anything dealing with the Shadow Planes? Well Meri is not really sure she is ready yet. The first time she went was fine. It was when she was stuck there that she began forming issues with the Shadow Plane. Had she not have been thrown back into the place with that impromptu visit during the time they were gathering the crystal skulls? Maybe the blonde would have been able to move past her issues. As of now though? She has not. The blonde is silent, waiting for Khitti to go on without prodding and questioning from Meri. For now.

Khitti || When it seemed like Meri was fine with her continuing, Khitti pulled a small bag out of strange crystal orbs of varying colors and offered it to Meri to look at. “I got these one day. There likely would’ve been more if I ignored them. Each one of them is a letter, enchanted with something so I can actually -see- a projection of the sender, like illusion magic or something. They did nothing when Brand picked them up, but…” Khitti reached into the bag and grabbed one up. Almost instantly, the message started to play: one of the little cat people--the Darkfel from the harbor town they’d gone to before they set off to confront Facilier for Khitti’s vampirism cure--frantically pleaded for help from Khitti, the Shadow Plane’s Harbinger. There were tears, and then there were screams before the orb went dark, the message over. Khitti released it back into the bag before it could replay itself again, “They were addressed specifically to me. Each one’s different. Some look to be from before things got bad there and some--like that one--was from when it -did- get bad.” Khitti rubbed her eyes and sighed, “Long story short, when that Caiburne guy you told me about went to the Shadow Plane to work for Kahran, he was creating… things. These two “people”, Jessamine and James, they’re weird human hybrids that Caiburne made; Jesse’s a dryad and James is a treant. They’ve got some weird frakking abilities and they’re screwing up that place with it. The first time Brand and I went to investigate, she chained me to the ground, made me think Brand had drown. Distracting from the fact that they actually -took- Brand. That’s why my wrists were screwed up before. And the only reason those bruises are gone is because Lanara realized they were magic burns.” Khitti wasn’t finished, but she let Meri take it all in as she could, the redhead leaving the air open for comments or questions or maybe even Meri punching Khitti in the face for getting involved in the Shadow Plane affairs again.

Meri :: Many of Meri's questions were answered as Khitti progressed with her explanation. Like who might have sent the message? Oh, one of the cat people did. What did they need? Help of course. Why? The name Caiburne causes Meri to frown, it was not a name that the blonde was ever keen on hearing given how much trouble he has given Callum in the past. It was not completely known if Caiburne was really done with Callum yet, that tree in their backyard has been quiet for some time but Meri knew better than to get complacent. The moment she did, the moment they would have more trouble. "So..." Meri says with slow hesitation once Khitti has finished updating Meri on all things Shadow Plane. This 'so' was meant to be questioning in nature...like...so...what are you expecting to be done about this? Khitti is without a doubt fully aware of how much Meri probably does not -want- to help, not if she really does not have to. Khitti would have to pretty much point blank tell Meri that her help was needed....Until that Meri would try and avoid bringing up the subject herself. Thus....the so.

Khitti || “So… the day after I babysat for you to go rob a bank, Not-Brand and I went to the Shadow Plane again. There’s a neutral city there called Helshade. It’s Vailkrin’s mirror--and literally its opposite.” Meaning of course, that it’s not goth central and that there’s actual sunlight. Maybe too much sunlight. “We, uh, found help there. I don’t think you ever met Emeritus--the super passive treant that sort of helped Brand and I. Gave us the Tikifhlee. Gave me the book about the Shadow Plane to translate--happened before you volunteered to help us way back when,” Khitti said, thinking about that day in the Frostmaw Tavern. “Well, he’s their Prophet. Was. Jesse and James took him, tainted him, and now the realm’s replaced him because something something circle of life. There’s another now. Cirice. She… gave me my dark magic back. I can, uh… use both now. Light and dark. Her and her followers called me “She Who Walks Both Paths. Apparently, I get to actually practice what I preach”, the redhead sighed at the new title added to her repertoire--she did not want this thing. The bandages were finally removed to show crudely drawn alchemical symbols: one for putrefaction (🝤), while the other was for purification (🝣). “They’re to balance out both magicks. Dark magic is… not kind to mortals. It’s why I had to become a vampire in the first place. And why Celaeno had the issues she did with dark magic. They’re both still healing though--and frakking hurts like a bitch. Cirice gave me a sword too, but fat load of good that is right now while my hands are like this. I can barely hold a pen or pencil to write 5 words.” The redhead wasn’t going to rewrap them right away. After a bit of guidance from Lennier--as well as her own history with getting her ass kicked and gaining the scars to prove it--it was said that her palms needed air occasionally, to help the healing process. “I could’ve probably had Lennier or Zahrani heal them, but I’m not sure what any of it would do--if it even helped at all. And speaking of help--” Khitti paused, her words taking on a much more serious tone, “--you’re not going there whatsoever. I’m not an idiot; I know what it’s like there and I’m not forcing it on you again. I need you here, to take care of Dominic, in case something happens. Lanara’s offered her help, and to be honest, I’m only allowing it because we were helping her with this trial nonsense.”

Meri had thought that Khitti had been doing pretty good with the explaining of all of the details, up until the first sentence of this portion of the conversation. "Um. Not-Brand?" Meri blurts out, before Khitti has a chance to finish her explanation. Which means that Meri is going to have to wait to get her answer, much to the annoyance of her concern. What Khitti was explaining next made more sense to Meri -- well sort of, it made about as much sense to Meri as any other magically related explanation did. She got what Khitti was explaining on the surface, but she did not get it as deeply as some might get it. "Your hands will heal...but I suspect that you might have the right idea when it comes to letting them heal naturally versus seeking out a healer." Again, not that Meri was an expert. But it seemed like it might be a complicated task to heal. "I'm glad to help with babysitting duty..." Meri states, not wanting to admit that she didn't really want to go to the Shadow Planes again. Khitti not even asking for help in that sense meant that Meri didn't have to try and deny her own sister aide, she's not sure that she could. This makes life much easier. "Lanara's been before...with me." Did Meri ever tell Khitti that she went back? The blonde can't recall. "She did...well enough. She had her magic though. So. As long as she is cleared in the trial...I think she will be able to handle her own with you guys just fine."

Khitti || Meri asked about ‘Not-Brand’ and Khitti realized she’d not gotten into that little bit of info. To be honest, Khitti was trying to not think about it whatsoever. “Uhhhh. So. They took Brand. And that James dude… was disguised as Brand… or something. It’s… I don’t even understand it and I don’t want to understand it because if that’s how it was and not some other weird form of magic, there’s things I don’t want to think about that happened when ‘Not-Brand’ and I came back after the first trip.” Look, Khitti and Brand have not left the “honeymoon” phase of their relationship--they frak like rabbits. “It was him but not entirely him and I’m just gonna leave it at that and not try to figure it out. Regardless, I’m just damn glad he was only taking care of his captain duties in the meantime. Because I don’t know what I’d do if I had to fight this James guy. He’s just as strong as his partner. Except he seems to like getting into people’s heads--and after all the hell Brand went through in Catal, if this guy can break into Brand’s mind… it’s not good, Meri.” And that’s without taking into consideration about all the walling off of his mind Brand had to do with Dominic version 1.0. “Brand’s alright though. I think. As well as anyone can be after that. He’ll likely just drink it away and bury it into his skeleton closet like everything else. But, I can’t really complain because I’ve been the same way for a long while. And Lanara mentioned it. Going there for five minutes isn’t anything though and I’m gonna be real honest that I’m about as hesitant about it as you were about taking her with you to the bank to make her little withdrawal. But, you and I both know she’s had her own share of weird things happen, so… I’m just gonna go with it because I’m not asking anyone else. I didn’t even -ask- her. She just volunteered. Like you did. People need to stop doing that, really. You might want to start advertising it in the papers,” Khitti said with a faint smirk, attempting to bring a bit of levity to the conversation.

Meri just makes a cross-eyed expression. She's not sure she wants to put that much thought into Brand vs not Brand either after some of the things that Khitti has just hinted at. The important thing was that Brand was alright, right? And Dominic was really Brand's? And not...okay, there Meri goes, thinking about the things she just decided she didn't want to think about. Khitti, why you gotta be so rude. "I. See." Yes. Meri paused between each word, because she was a little bit mind blown with trying to process everything that her sister was throwing at her right now. Maybe Khitti had waited a little bit too long to loop Meri in on all of the details, she might be breaking her poor sister's brain right about now. Meri smirks as Khitti mentions her concerns about Lanara joining the bank robbery, "It's just hard to imagine stealth as her thing...Like I thought she'd be a little chatter box due to nerves or something." Meri was wrong, though there was a bit more chatting than Meri would have approved of, but really Lanara did pretty dang good for her first...and probably only...robbery. She could understand Khitti's concerns though. The Shadow Planes are not joke. I mean, look what happened with Meri that one time. They are pretty lucky they even have themselves a Meri, to be honest. "I guess in a way you're kind of...I mean I suppose you're not obligated to help persay?" But the cat-people did help Khitti, so it did seem like it was only right for Khitti to help them in their time of need.

Khitti was about as cross-eyed when she finally sat down to try to put all of this Brand/Not-Brand stuff into perspective, much like Meri was now. It’s really best not to think about it. The more Khitti does, the more whiskey she’ll need to get rid of it. “I’m not obligated, no but… it’s kind of hard to say no to the cat people and all of the other races from the Shadow Plane that need help. Their entire home is nearly gone. Most of the survivors went to Helshade to live. A good portion of the ones that didn’t make it were in that damn lake in their version of Larket. And the souls that were in the lake were gone too. I don’t know. I feel like I’m still cleaning up Lionel’s messes, but this one feels different, even if it that is what it is. I think one of the other gods are calling me too… but I’m not really sure which. It just… feels like what it did with Cyris. But a little different. Darker. Angrier. But that last part might just be me. I was not pleased when the fact that Brand was actually with me was made known. It was something akin to when you see red and go wolf.” Khitti shrugged and leaned back against the window, “But, they’re gonna have to frakking wait here in a couple weeks--because their “savior” is getting married whether fate or the gods like it or not.” Sorry not sorry, Cyris.

Meri wrinkles up her nose ever so slightly at the mention of Lionel. The fact that all of this has come around because of Caiburne, who was working for Kahran definitely means that Khitti was cleaning up the remnants of Lionel's mess. A mess that Meri hopes will never get remade. What if Kahran made a reappearance again in the future? This very thought very nearly made Meri sigh out of frustration. "Well...I suppose...all we can do? If something darker is calling to you? Is...take it one day at a time?" Meri was definitely not one to go to on this. One she would likely support Khitti regardless of the god she choose to follow, as long as she did not start trying to murder babies or hunt wolves. Two, Meri has no real love or trust for any of the gods. A person of faith she was not, but Meri still tried to be mindful of her skepticism because Khitti was. "You know how I feel though, I don't think any of the gods 'call' to people without some sort of selfish motivation..." The dark one's especially. "But like you said, for a couple of weeks, you should focus on your dang wedding. It's about time that you tie the knot...It's only going to happen once so you definitely should try and enjoy it."

Khitti || “Oh, I’m well aware of them wanting something from me. Any of them can do it any time they please,” Khitti said about the gods. “It feels right though, I think. Or I’m just nuts. I don’t know. I’m going to talk to Zahrani about it. See if me working for someone else is even allowed in Cyris’ book. She’s been in this religion business a hell of a lot longer than I have. It could honestly just be me being way too excited to kill these frakkers too. If they weren’t in for a world of hurt before, they damn well are now. Brand’s not the damsel-in-distress, damn it. I am. They’re messing everything up!” That’s a joke, of course. Some of it. She’s definitely serious about the killing part. “And, I am going to enjoy it. I still need to talk to Lanara too. Auditore frakked off to who-the-hell-knows and I’m not asking anyone super official to do it. Though, I guess I could always go to Josleen and Macon to make things interesting.” Khitti is definitely not serious about this and there’s an eyeroll to go along with it. “Everything else seems doable in a short amount of time--the cake, dress, invites. Brand and I still haven’t entirely decided on whether or not we want that aspect of a normal wedding, but if we do… would you be my maid of honor? No frills, no bows, no dress, no nothing. You get to pick entirely. And if we don’t do that, well… you’re still gonna be there regardless, even if I have to drag you there by your hair.”

Meri bobs her head in supportive agreement with the thought that Khitti talk to Zahrani, someone probably much more capable of giving advice in this area. Meri's tempted to just tell Khitti to say screw it to all the gods...but that would not be the best advice. "You are very protective of your family, so it could just be you eager to put a couple of of slimeballs who have been messing with your family in their place..." At first Meri thinks that Khitti might be serious about going to Josleen and Macon and for a split second, Meri looks annoyed, until she sees that eye roll of Khitti's. Crisis adverted. "Well if you decide you want a maid of honor, then you know that I will be happy to fill this role of you. If you guys decide not to have a maid of honor? I don't know why you gotta be all violent with this talk about dragging me by my hair, but I promise you won't have to be so extra. I will be there." Meri smirks. "Might even manage to shove myself into a dress, but you know. Don't press your luck there. Very least I will find pants that don't have paint on them or something..."

Khitti smirked back at Meri. “Look, I’ve been a little violent lately. You know how it is. Don’t blame me. Blame everything else,” she said, waving her arms a bit to gesture at “everything”. After the obvious much needed break from the conversation of eternal doom and gloom (ie: the Shadow Plane stuff), the redhead shifted the topic back to that, her smirk fading, “I’ll do my best to keep you in the loop with things from now on. The important things, at least. Don’t need you having nightmares and wolfing out and eating Cal while he’s asleep. I mean, you definitely handled the single mom thing well, but... “ She shrugged. “I didn’t want to wait this long and I’m sorry I did. Makes me wonder if I had, if you would’ve noticed something off about Brand in the first place. Would’ve saved us a lot of hassle if I’d done that and you had.”

Meri :: "Hind sight is twenty-twenty, but there is definitely no way of knowing if I would have been able to notice a difference in Brand." Heck, Meri couldn't even smell a difference really, so would she have noticed a difference in personality? The blonde rises out of the seat she has claimed for herself. "Anyway, I'm pretty sure I could not eat Cal now even if I had tried. Because. You know. He's kind of already like me. He'd probably just try and bite back..." And that would be a gnarly fight that would result in them tearing the house apart out of a blind rage. "But yes, keep me in the loop. And uhh...I mean you know if you ever really need it? I am down to try and help the best I can? But I really appreciate you trying to limit it to babysitting duty and emotional support..." Meri forces a half-smile, if only because she felt like a bit of a chicken making such an admission. "I should head home to Fleur."

Khitti shook her head, mustering a smile for Meri, “You’re needed here. Which is the same thing I’m gonna tell pretty much anyone else that tries to offer help. That place is just too dangerous and too complicated and there’s enough damn problems in Lithrydel without Shadow Plane nonsense getting added into the mix. Besides, if Brand and I get eaten by plant people or something, Aunt Meri’s gonna have to take care of Dominic.” Now that she’d said that bit out loud, she started to wonder if she needed to make up a will or something. She wasn’t sure about the guild, but she’d definitely have to leave the bakery to someone. “I doubt that’ll happen though. Brand and I are too damned stubborn to get rid of.” The redhead nodded and stood up, going to give Meri a goodbye hug--while also trying to be careful about those hands she needed Lennier to bandage again. “Don’t go robbing anymore banks on the way home.”