RP:The Complexities Of Courting A Catalian

Part of the Magic, Madness, and Mayhem Arc

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

Summary: Lanara asks her best friends, Khitti and Meri, to meet up with her at the Ginger Snapped Bakery in Cenril, for an intervention, of sorts. The witch needs some tips for how to keep Tiber interested in their new relationship, and how to coax him into taking things to the next level. Brandishing a notebook, she interrogates the psion and the redhead, since they have experience in dealing with their Catalian partners. Of course, they all catch up on the recent happenings in their lives, and Khitti grows annoyed when Lana pokes a bit too much into a condition she doesn't quite understand. A potential crisis is averted when Meri suggests they all go get drunk and play some harmless drinking games.

Lanara sits alone at a circular table designed for three, peering out the window of the Ginger Shopped Bakery, and looking forward to the arrival of her best friends; Khitti and Meri. The witch had sent them a letter to meet her here an hour before closing, as she had a few things she needed to discuss. A new job. A new home. A new relationship. Plus, she was eager to hear what they had been up to, when they weren’t doing something guild or holiday related, as it had been a few weeks since they had a chance to truly play catch up! Meri and Callum had gone on their romantic getaway and were likely planning their wedding and focused on the wolf amulet, and Khitti… Lana’s brows furrow in worry when she thinks about the redhead, as it wasn’t like Khitti to keep secrets, and she had been acting very strange since opening that portal and tossing the bone dragon into the Shadow Plane. Sighing, the witch hopes to get some answers to quite a few things tonight, as she lifts her mug of peppermint tea and takes a tentative sip. Having ordered a plate of fruit scones and chocolate chip cookies for the table, Lana eyes the baked goods but vows to wait until her friends arrive. Cinder, the tikifhlee, lies beneath the table with her head propped on Lana’s foot. “They should be here soon, Cinder. Why don’t you go ahead and take a nap?” Dressed casual in a moss green sweater, jeans, and with her hair pulled back in a messy bun, the witch looks like she’s taking a break from a study session at the local college. To the right of the table rests a notebook, inkwell, and a quill pen, as though she expected to record parts of this conversation.

Khitti would be the last to show up out of the three, despite it being her work and second home that their little meeting would take place in. Once one had gotten through from one side of Cenril to the other, the walk to Vailkrin’s portal was not a long one. She’d spent most of her day there studying, figuring out what the hell she was going to teach Quintessa first. By the time she left, she’d still not figured it out, and when she did leave, it became obvious that she’d be late. To make matters worse, she got distracted on the Cenril Bridge, lurking at the place where she’d died. She’d eyed the chasm below with a look of disdain and ire, but eventually continued on. Sigh. “Sorry I’m late,” she said at length once she got through the door of her shop and sat down at the table Lanara had picked out. Khitti motioned to Victoria as the head waitress wandered past, having dealt with a different table, getting her attention. “Coffee, Vic. Black, please.” Once that was said and done, Khitti’d return her attention to the witch and the psion.

Meri entered the establishment before Khitti, dressed in her normal Meri fashion. There wasn't much flair to her entrance, which is really not surprising for Meri. As blue eyes land upon Khitti and Lanara, a smile eases across her red lips but that smile fades and her expression turns to one of confusion when she sees the inkwell, the quill, and the notebook. Meri had thought they were just catching up, but now she is wondering if Lanara had something different planned. Meri and Callum had just gone on a romantic getaway, wasn't that what they were here to talk about? A gossip session? Were Meri and Callum really planning their wedding? Spoiler, no. "What the heck is this?" But before Lanara is given a chance to explain, Khitti arrives, and she does not seem like she is in any better spirits than the last time any of them saw her.

Lanara doesn’t need the empathy she sacrificed long ago to sense the melancholy mood that clings to Khitti, and she offers a small smile in greeting. Another sip of peppermint tea is taken as the witch looks to Meri, who seems to be in a lighter mood than the redhead, and so Lanara directs the answer towards the psion. “An intervention…” She cannot help that her gaze sweeps to rest on Khitti, who is thankfully placing an order with Victoria. It’s obvious that –both- the brunette and the blonde are worried about their friend, but that’s not entirely why Lana called this meeting. They all had to catch up, true… And to help her with some diehard research, as they had vast experience in dealing with Catalian’s. As Khitti’s attention returns, she clears her throat and fixes them both with a grin, “An intervention regarding romance… I need you both to help me understand Tiber, better. I’m not rushing anything, but so far things are going well…” Not as catastrophic as two years ago? “Stable. We’re stable. But with my record? Love just never pans out for me and I never met someone so… Difficult.” She pauses, unsure how to broach this topic without offending Callum or Brand, the partners of the two women seated at the table. “I think it’s a Catalian thing? He’s stubborn, arrogant, infuriating, and I honestly cannot understand him at times! Then there are moments where he’s insanely attentive and kind and open. I just… Need advice, since you both are involved with Catalian’s.” She’s speaking of them as though they are another race entirely, and she laughs, realizing how she must sound. Psychotic? Smitten? Obsessed? He –is- a blonde haired lycan with a chip on his shoulder, yet he possesses a soft spot for the witch, making him everything she’d want in a mate. If only she could make this lover stick by her side and not cheat or abandon her, like the others. “But before we get into all of that! Let’s catch up first!” Feeling a tad awkward, her cheeks a faint pink, she snags a scone from the plate and looks at Khitti, “How are you feeling? How is… Everything?” Brand. Khitti’s sanity. The Shadow Plane. “And Meri! How was your pre-honeymoon? How is Fleur? Any more leads to the wolf amulet?”

Khitti || An intervention? For a second there, Khitti started to get one of her bad feelings. But then Lanara brought up Tiber and Khitti could only blink a few times. But then after that she asked Khitti and Meri how they were doing/feeling/etc and that’s where that bad feeling that was lingering was like ‘aha gotcha’. The redhead did her best to cover up a slight eye twitch as she took a drink of her coffee, but it was quickly gotten rid of by a cringe. “Vic?! Did you make this with mud today?!” She coughed, sputtered a bit, and spewed what was left of her coffee back into the mug. It wasn’t mud, but there was definitely coffee grounds galore. “-That’s- for leaving Albert and I here on the weekend so you could go off and study!” Khitti just glowered at the waitress and sighed. “Why did I open up a shop again?” She said this more to herself than the women that accompanied her. “Anyway. I warned you about Catalian’s. They’re nothing but trouble. Which is what attracts us to them.” Except Lionel, of course. “Tiber seems to be no different than Brand. Nothing but a jerk that’s prone to arguing. Always thinks he’s right. And is likely just a huge damned teddy bear on the inside regardless of what’s outside. He just hides it because he doesn’t know how to process trauma and feelings like a normal person.” Not that Khitti does either, but that’s not what this is about, okay! “And unfortunately, that makes Brand even hotter somehow. Because he’s dark and brooding and...” Sigh.

Meri :: Lanara says a scary word. Intervention. This is a subject that Meri just plain avoids, for she knows that if they were try such a thing...both Meri and Lanara would run the risk of being disowned by a fiery redhead. "Pre-honeymoon," Meri repeats with a snort and a slight chuckle. "It was....very well planned, thank you." Meri furrows her brows for a moment, for she was still trying to determine how she was feeling about certain events on that outing. "Fleur is also doing well." Meri does not even broach the subject of the wolf amulet, there were no new updates to provide anyway. As the conversation shifts away from dangerous territory and into the main reason why they were summoned, Meri shrugs in a way that is completely lacking in confidence. "I don't know if there is much advice I can give in this regard. Cal and I have not been back together for long. We were broken up for a good chunk of time there. I guess all I can really say is that the highs with them are high, the lows are low...They are definitely stubborn and infuriating. Sometimes they manage to make up for it though."

Lanara smirks at Victoria’s banter though she’s grateful that her peppermint tea had been made to perfection. Hopefully the waitress will bring Khitti a fresh cup of coffee, minus the grinds, as the woman seems to have had a rough few weeks, months, years? Lana quirks a brow as she mentions studying, “What are you studying, Khitti? Anything we can help with?” It likely pertained to the Shadow Plane, or perhaps to the marks on her palms, at least that’s Lana’s line of thinking. She didn’t know that Khitti had taken on Quintessa as an apprentice, or exactly what was weighing on the woman’s heart. “You seem out of sorts, lately… I just want you to know that you can always talk to me.” She pats the woman’s hand and glances at Meri, “Well, to both of us! We are always here to listen or help in whatever is going on.” As Khitti discusses the nature of a Catalian, referring to her husband, Lana finishes up her scone and bobs her head in agreement. Tiberius had a knack for attracting trouble, saying the wrong thing at the worst time, and he had the brooding thing down to a science! “He is beyond gorgeous and the best kisser!” The notebook is opened now, the pen is dipped in the ink, and Lana procures a pair of spectacles from her purse and rests them on the bridge of her nose. The witch wasn’t messing around; she truly wanted to master the art of romancing a Catalian! As the quill is absorbing the ink, Lana listens to Meri’s words and slightly frowns, as she didn’t want to focus on their break up. Cal and Meri were a handsome couple and they seemed to always be on the same page, plus Fleur was downright adorable. “Meri… I know that Cal –only- has an interest in you and, well, women… So, um, how long was it before he made a move? You know, beyond kissing?” Lana’s cheeks are burning at this point, so she drops her gaze to the book, “Tiber is attracted to me, and we kiss a lot, but it’s been –weeks- and he hasn’t made a move or spoken about taking things to the next level, physically.” She’s not rushing things, but they do have a label now, plus they sleep in the same bed every night and literally nothing goes on. “Khitti… How did you get Brand to be so undeniably attracted to you? That man –adores- you, mind, body, and soul!”

Khitti || “I rejoined the Necromancer’s Guild. Trying to get my teaching job back. And I guess I decided to ask Quintessa if she wanted to be my apprentice. It’s been… a long time since I taught anyone. The last one was a girl named Celaeno, but she’s been gone for some time now.” Khitti knew what Lanara was doing right now. Between the word ‘intervention’ and the roundabout way the witch was asking her how things were going, -and- mentioning that she’d been out of sorts lately, it was probably more obvious than what Lanara thought it was. “I’m always out of sorts,” she said with a shrug. “I mean, if he’s not ready, Lanara, he’s not ready. Don’t force him into things if he doesn’t want it yet. Look… Brand had one other relationship before me, back in Catal. It was probably one of the happiest moments of his life and then things completely one-eightied and he walled himself up.” A frown lined her lips as she thought of the troubles her and Brand had throughout their relationship. “His past isn’t something I like talking to people about, because it’s his business, but it was really bad.” All those conversations her and Brand had had about Viera came rushing back to her and none of it good. “We fought, a lot. Because I knew after awhile he had feelings for me. Some of it got really physical--I wasn’t joking at our wedding when I said I punched him a few times. Hell, we were that whole… friends with benefits thing for some time because even just being that close to him was good enough for me for awhile… until it wasn’t. He never fully acted on his feelings until after I came back from the dead, because he realized then what he’d lost.” A hand went out, the index finger on it pointing directly at Lanara, “Be considerate of whatever might be making him difficult to fully commit because otherwise, you’ll get three years of hell like I did. Even if he loves you. These Catalian’s went through as many bad things as we did and they’re stubborn men on top of it and those two things don’t mix well.” Meri said her piece then about Cal, her attention falling to the cup of coffee-goop which she soon pushed aside with another cringe towards the taste of that horrid stuff.

Meri offers a nod to her sister in affirmation of what Lanara is saying, but Khitti already well knew that Meri was there to talk to any time that she needed to. Lanara tries to offer assurances about Meri's relationship with Callum, but Meri seems to have corrections of her own to offer, "Men. Callum usually prefers men. The fact that he's with me is...not what he was expecting." Which is true, Meri and Callum have had this discussion before. "Anyway, I’m not as confident in the assertion that Callum is only interested in me. He blurted out that the two male masseuses tending to us on our romantic getaway were hot." This is a detail that Meri usually does not share freely, but since Cal has shared it with Lanara prior...Meri now feels less weird about speaking of Callum's business. Talking about his sexuality in this current moment was one thing, talking about their sex life was a completely different one. Meri and Callum might have managed to have a child, but Fleur is practically a miracle baby. Heck, maybe even a case of immaculate conception! That's how often Meri and Callum do this thing. Thankfully, Khitti has much more to say on this subject than Meri. So the blonde lets Khitti do most of the talking, and just evades the question entirely. Nothing to say here, nope, sorry gals.

Lanara lofts a brow at Khitti’s words, though she’s secretly pleased that the fiery redhead had taken on an apprentice, as it would keep her busier than usual and hopefully keep her mind from dwelling in darkness. Depression could be so consuming, and she hates to see her friend suffering in silence, but she couldn’t –force- her to open up or let Meri and Lana handle whatever needed handling. “Quintessa seems… Amusing. She has quite a personality, from the little that I’ve been in her presence, and although I scolded her that day in the cavern, she impressed me with her power. I think with your guidance she will become a magnificent wielder of magic.” It’s true, though she wouldn’t freely admit it, that Lana had taken a bit of a liking to the girl that had laid claim to Larewen’s house. It amuses her to no end to see the vampiress bested, and the fact that Quintessa is ballsy, earns her major points in the witch’s book. “No! Of course I wouldn’t force Tiber into anything like a commitment or sexual. It was his idea to give us the title of ‘boyfriend-girlfriend’ and I accepted, after making sure he was ready to take that step. I just… I guess lately I haven’t felt very desirable. Two failed engagements? I’m not exactly every man’s dream girl, and don’t even get started on all the baggage I have.” Lanara begins to scribble notes under the page she had titled ‘Seduction’ and if one were to read close, they’d see that she draws what looks like boxing gloves, and a line about physical violence leading to desire! Meri is speaking about how she felt slighted when Callum declared that he thought the masseuses were handsome and she pauses in her note taking, “I’m sorry… I didn’t get a good look at them when I hired their company. It’s… Hard. Right? How are we supposed to feel secure when we’re involved with the most handsome men in the realm?” Catalian’s were few and far between, and only four resided in Lithrydel that she knew of, all of which were spoken for in some romantic sense. Except for Lionel, though rumor had it that he set his sights on Penelope! “So… Are there any topics I should avoid? Obviously the fall of Catal…. And Khitti? Should I bother to bring up his past? I know you said that Brand had some horrors, well, so has Tiber… I’m not sure if I should explore that or just try to make him have a nicer future?”

Khitti || “Quintessa is basically my mirror except younger and more stabby so… it’s kind of not surprising that I eventually asked her. She did try to kill Lionel for me after all.” Khitti gave the thought a nonchalant shrug like the bounty on Lionel had been no big deal. “And I brought up to her what you’d said that day with the wyvern. She took it to heart. So that’s why I’m going to teach her what I do.” Khitti thought for awhile about the things that Lanara said, frowning at the feeling of not feeling very desirable, and then the mention of Catal. “I trust you to make the decisions that you should. Both Meri and I have been in the same place as you are now and it’s definitely hard. And, honestly, you’re gonna feel like that sometimes anyway. Because when the two of you are a heap of insecurities, it’s gonna happen. And it’s going to be really bad sometimes, because if neither of you can express your feelings and thoughts properly, you’re going to fight and cry and not talk to each other for awhile. It’s just… the way it is with these guys. They’ve been through a lot. We’ve been through a lot. That’s what bonded us together.” The frown resurfaced as Khitti cringed at herself, “I hate having this much wisdom and having zero intelligence when it comes to using it.” Khitti shook her head and sighed, looking to Meri for a moment before returning her line of sight to Lanara. “Let Tiber talk about Catal when he wants to. He’ll do it when he’s ready. They each have their own story when it comes to that place. Brand doesn’t care about the -place- at all. He has no attachment to any part of it. But he’s still got his problems regardless.”

Meri feels like she is being of very little help in this research that Lanara was currently conducting. Operation How To Tame Your Catalian. Spoilers, it is very similar to how you try and train your dragon. You don't. You just embrace the chaos. Hopefully Meri has managed to at least impart that much wisdom onto Lanara, and if not...maybe Khitti did? Meri was growing quiet, probably because she was currently feeling like she was not on a high with Callum. Maybe not on a low either. But hello, other guys are hot. Which is not Lanara's fault, Meri places no blame there. Sometimes Meri completely understood the looks that Khitti was giving her, sometimes Meri was quite confused by them. This was one of those moments where Meri could not interpret Khitti's look. Meri decides to find some carbs to much on, leaving the bulk of the conversation to fall to Khitti and Lanara.

Lanara laughs as Khitti compares Quintessa to a younger version of herself, and she nods in agreement, “She is courageous, fearless, and has no qualms about wreaking havoc! I think that could be why you two bumped heads at the start, but I’m glad that you are guiding her, she needs a teacher. You are an excellent choice.” The –best- choice in Lana’s high opinion of Khitti! Sensing that Meri is growing rather quiet with all this talk about their significant others, the witch takes a sip of her peppermint tea and focuses on her notes for a few moments. Their conversation needed a breather, as she didn’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable. They were her best friends, and she didn’t want it to seem like she was using them for intel on Catalian’s! “Meri… I have a rather personal question that I want to ask you…” Lifting her chocolate hues to settle on the pretty psion, she chooses her words carefully, making certain not the look at Khitti. The redhead may not approve of this line of questioning, and she’d likely read between the lines, as she was good at deciphering the witch. “Can –anyone- become a lycan? Is it painful? How many days until one changes from a human to a wolf? Do you feel that your bond with Cal is intensified by the mark of the wolf?” She’s rattling off inquiries that have obviously been on her mind for quite some time, and they’d both notice that she closed the notebook and set the quill to dry. She didn’t want this on record, obviously. “I’m just… Curious. My daughter, Natianara… She was born a lycan, but her chemistry changed it so she could control her shifting, and she can change into a few different animals. I’m wondering if my genes would do the same thing, since I have empathic abilities.” Could she have another child if she were a wolf, as her insides would mend? Would Tiber and Lanara imprint? Of course this is all just hypothetical now, as nothing would be certain for quite some time. “I promise not to run into the woods and get bitten tonight, I just want to get all my research done, in case…”

Khitti let the two speak about lycanthropy, getting up briefly to make herself a cup of coffee since Victoria was an insufferable arse. She’d return to the table and once there was an opportunity, she’d mention, “Alvina. She used to have that metal arm… and then after she was turned into a lycan, she didn’t have it anymore.” It was something she’d never really brought up to Alvina at the time. There’d been too many things going on, after all. Like Khitti unknowingly trying to kill Alvina for biting Meri and all the drama that came with that. The thought of lycanthropy shifted to thoughts of vampirism. Nine times out of ten, when something bad went down, Khitti was often wishing for that curse again. Especially when she was hunting with the Ranger’s Guild. At one point, -she- was the weird one, being a vampire that didn’t care for feeding from the living. Now she was the weird one because she was human. And her child was weird because he was human also, and would be forever behind his cousin in the aging department. Khitti sipped her coffee carefully, her attention fixed on the table. Would she have had that heart problem if she’d been a vampire still? Well… she probably wouldn’t have that problem at all considering wielding holy magic as an undead was more or less a death sentence. Hrm. The fact that the other two knew something was wrong with her and she wasn’t talking had been eating at her. And if it was worse next time? They’d need to know about it. Lest she need to become a vampire again -because- of this problem. History always repeated itself after all.

Meri's jaw tightens when Lanara shifts the subject to being turned to a werewolf. The blonde has always seemed quite at ease with what she is now, it's nothing that she can change....but it does come with its own set of troubles. As a witch, Lanara is probably already familiar with what it is like to be discriminated against. "Painful. Violent. Unpredictable." Meri did not know what Tiber was like as a wolf. "Being born a lycan is not the same thing as being bitten. The fact that your daughter was born a lycan was probably what allowed for this mutation to happen. I would not expect to see it happen in someone who is bitten." Then again, what did Meri really know? She had a book that Khitti gave her, granted it was a very detailed book....but Meri was still learning most of this as she went. "As for if it brought Cal and I closer? I don't know. I think we're the same. Which....is all I can hope for, because even though we had planned on him becoming a lycan? How I ended up biting him was nowhere close to how we planned for it to happen." Meri gives Khitti an apologetic shrug, recalling some of those words that the redhead had for Alvina. Meri was well aware that some of the sentiments expressed to Alvina could and should be applied to her as well. "We have not actually talked about how he feels about it, given that it did not go to plan...But we did not break up again, so I have assumed that he probably does not hate or resent me because of it."

Lanara wasn’t sure what sort of answer she expected to get, but Meri doesn’t paint lycan’s in a bright light. Sure, they were considered ‘beasts’ and it wasn’t the most glamorous of races in the realm, but there was something that appealed to the nature of a canine that Lana finds herself drawn to; like a tug on an invisible cord that she cannot avoid. Wolves were free, powerful, magnificent, and everything that the witch strived to be in her life, but she’s hesitant to mention this attraction to being turned from a beauty into a beast beneath the moon. Maybe it was some weird addiction? Women –loved- chocolate, but they knew it was fattening, so they only nibbled here and there but never went to a chocolate fountain and drank until their bellies were full and they become a candy bar themselves. Weird analogy, but Lanara was a witty woodland witch, and she often saw things in black and white, with little room for gray matter. “Thank you for being so honest, Meri… I think at times I forget that most consider lycanthropy a curse, and that like being a witch… They are ridiculed and ostracized. I wish both of us were more accepted by the general public, rather than set apart.” A glance towards Khitti is given as the redhead returns with a fresh mug of coffee, and the gears turning in her brain are on overload, so Lana softly replies, “Khitti… You’re correct about the advanced healing! I’ve heard that vampires and lycans heal at an extraordinary rate, and that what would be a mortal wound to a human or elf, is merely a scratch to them…” She pauses, exchanging a look with Meri, before she asks, “Have you had those chest pains again? I told Zahrani to heal you that day, but you denied her assistance.” As did Lanara and Aira, though neither woman was fond of having another touch them, unless they were part of the inner circle. “Was it an anxiety attack?” She wouldn’t blame the woman, as the Shadow Plane wasn’t a pleasant place!

Khitti harbored no bad feelings towards Meri for how things went with Cal. It was just a bad string of events thanks to some mismanagement on Hudson and Alvina’s side of things--and Khitti was gonna think that way until the end of time. “Yep, despite vampires and lycans not really getting along most of the time, they are incredibly similar. Both a curse and a gift. Both prone to extremely not nice things. Meri might be a bit bitier than she used to be, but at least her heart’s still beating.” Lanara decided -now- was the time to bring up The Thing™ after just happened to mention the word ‘heart’ and the redhead could only glower at Lanara in much the same manner as she had Victoria. “Shh!” Ugh. Why tho, Lanara. Why tho. “It wasn’t a damned anxiety attack. It’s because I used both kinds of my magic way too close together.” Sigh. “And no, I haven’t had one since we went looking for that medallion piece in Xalious. Which is why I mainly let Rorin make with the holy light show when we went after that wyvern and just used Tenbatsu Kaji’s magic instead.” It was clear Khitti was a bit pissed--Lanara had finally kicked the hornets nest after all. “There’s likely nothing to be done about it, so no point in bringing it up.” She wasn’t entirely upset with Lanara though. It was just the entire thing in general. Khitti couldn’t have anything without some sort of consequence and she was getting damned tired of it.

Meri shrugs, "I don't view it as a curse. There are plenty of perks to being a lycan, but I am not going to paint a picture of romance when it comes to being bitten. It's not pleasant. It's violent. Things could get out of control." The best she could do for Lanara, was prepare her for the actual truth of what it would be like were she to make the decision to become a werewolf. Some do. Callum did, knowing full well that it was not going to be one of the most pleasant things the couple has gone through. Oh dear. Khitti was mad now. When this get together started, Lanara mentioned the word 'intervention'. It's in this moment that Meri decides to reveal to Lanara the only way she knows how to 'intervene' with anything Khitti related. "Alright. I am over the bakery and boy talk. Let's go somewhere with whiskey." Khitti might be pissed, but hopefully she was not pissed enough at Meri to resist these next antics. Meri stands and loops one of her arms about one of Lanara's arms. Meri does the same thing to Khitti with her other arm. Ladies willing, Meri was going to drag them off to the Whaler...where Meri is going to show off one cool perk of being a werewolf: she's going to get Lanara and Khitti very, very, very drunk....and even if she drinks as much as they do? She's won't be nearly as drunk as she is trying to get them. And to keep from stirring the hornet's nest again (AKA Khitti), Meri makes them play drinking games. Never have I ever, for example....but rest assured, Meri knows a few.