RP:Time Spent With Cat(alian)s Is Never Wasted

Part of the The Day I Tried To Live Arc

This is a Warrior's Guild RP.

Summary: Not long after Khitti returns home from her nearly 2 week long disappearance, she meets with Lionel for her first training session. She's still weakened from not feeding and wallowing in the misery brought on by her fight with Dominic and lack of interaction with Brand. Lionel senses something's wrong, forces her to talk about it, and gives her the most obvious solution.

Lake Frysta

Lionel did not choose Lake Frysta for any primary strategic purpose. Lionel chose Lake Frysta because it is conveniently located and there are a metric effton (actual scientific designation) of training weapons readily available courtesy of the forward encampment he’s established here by the shore. Also, it’s beautiful outside. The stars are in full bloom, plenty of constellations clearly visible. The night sky has a somewhat reddish tint and little strands of nebulae, green and blue and red, lay scattered about the northern horizon. Lionel’s dressed in his simple black silk shirt and slacks, because of course he is. He’s accompanied by Khitti because he has somehow managed to convince her to accompany him. He hasn’t spoken much during the trip, though. Perhaps he’s tired. Who wouldn’t be, living Lionel’s life? Why is there a ‘perhaps’ in the preceding sentence? Lionel is tired. There are bags forming beneath the bags beneath his eyes. Think about that statement, really visualize it. But he’s still handsome. Because damn, the womenfolk won’t leave him alone. So he must be. Or something. Lionel cranks his neck and cracks his fingers, tilting his chin toward a pair of wooden short swords. “Take ‘em both,” he offers. “Just go a little easier on me than you did with those undead, maybe. I’ve had a hell of a week.” Pause. “Month.” Pause. “Life.”

Khitti didn’t exactly speak much either. Ever since that damned Larket battle, things had really gone downhill. They weren’t as bad now, but she was still feeling the aftereffects of that night and the week and a half that followed. There was the occasional ‘uh huh’ and either agreement or opposition depending on what what needed to answer things. Her movements were lacking that spring in her step that so typically came with the vampiress, there was no snark or smart comment to be had in regards to Lionel’s tired demeanor either. Once they arrived, she take up the swords as instructed, and remained silent, awaiting orders as usual. Seemed about the only thing she could do right at the moment anyway was follow orders.

Lionel lifts a blunted oaken spear from a nearby stockpile, then grabs a finely-chiseled stone and works the edge to blunt it all the further. When it’s as dull as a night at the tavern with a perky woman playing with Ranok’s ears while Mesthak snores by the dartboard, he nods confidently to himself, twirls it around to get a feel, and stops said twirling abruptly with the tip pointed straight toward Khitti. He’s still seven or meters from her, however. Holding the spear in his left grip and waving toward himself with his right index finger, the Hero of Hellfire beckons. “Come at me.”

Khitti tilted her head as she studied Lionel, the spear, and the fact that he was still a good distance from her. She sighs a little, then attempts to ‘come at him’ as he instructs. A half-hearted swing with the right sword is given in an effort to push the spear away, the dragonscale-clad female intending to then dart past it, though her ‘darting’ is more just running at normal human speed, if even that. There was no need for the vampiress to go easy on him, for she was probably as tired as he, if not more so. That usually happens with not feeding, you know. Before the crazy sets in, anyway.

Lionel keeps a steady azure gaze at Khitti’s approach, his stoic features not betraying a hint of the gnawing bewilderment he feels at her halfhearted application. The things he’s seen her do… and now this? He graciously allows the sword to push his spear, despite her considerably understated speed allowing him to recognize her move with seconds to spare. His left arm goes far to the west, giving her the option to strike -- but immediately after the spear is tapped wayward, Lionel is flicking his wrist back and arcing it such that its broad side will seek to smack into her back. It would bring her even closer to him, and she still has another sword, so what’s the deal? “Be ready for anything,” he scolds, lifting a wooden dagger from his pocket with his free hand and slamming it defensively against any incoming weaponry.

Khitti took that smack to the back with the spear like a champ. Mostly. It knocked her a little off balance, more than she normally was anyway, but she managed to right herself and attack him with the unused blade in her left hand. There’s not much force behind the attack, and it’s easily blocked with his dagger, the vampiress’ brows knitting together and seemingly at a loss on what to do now. She was distracted, that much was obvious, and now that they were that close to each other, there was definitely a frown hidden beneath that hood of hers. She didn’t bother fighting with the other sword now, instead fighting that defense block that Lionel had put up. It was as if she meant to disarm him -somehow- or maybe she just didn’t feel like trying, one couldn’t really be sure.

Lionel lets go of the dagger almost immediately after it’s withdrawn. He simply drops it, leaving himself wide open to further assault, but in that very motion he’s leaping back -- spear still behind Khitti to bring her with him for the ride! -- and he lands a full meter behind his original standing point. Will the spear smack her in the back all over again? Maybe, maybe not, but his second leap is to the right, and he reaches out to grab the spear in both grasps, kneels to one knee in a heartbeat and soars his glorified stick through the air in a threatening horizontal gesture. Only… he lets go of -it,- too, as soon as it’s completed its little journey. There’s so much force behind the swing that the spear swirls in circles all the way to the lake, crashes beneath the water, and vanishes before their eyes, perhaps never to be seen again. Lionel remains in his princely kneel, extending his arms out in either direction. He closes his eyes and shrugs. “You’re not here,” he tells her, his voice crisp and calm. “You’re elsewhere. New assignment. Talk to me.” Should she choose to attack him instead, he will seemingly have no recourse whatsoever. But then, it’s Lionel. It’s a risk.

Khitti watched his theatrics with the spear. She even allowed a brief glance towards the weapon itself as it soared through the air and into the lake before returning her line of sight towards the hero of way too many battles to count. She almost looks like she might attack him, but instead merely boops him on the forehead with the end of one sword, then tosses them both to the side. “No. It has nothing to do vith you in any vay, shape, or form.” She pivots away from him, taking a few steps towards the lake, eyeing it carefully. “I’m sorry I’m not in zhe right mindset for a spar today. Perhaps another day, vhen zhe vorld isn’t ending, zhings vill be better.” But, the world would always be ending. Not even in the physical sense with all of the goings on in Larket, but with things on a mental and emotional level too. Khitti would certainly be the one to bring ruin to those in particular. It’d become quite clear to her that that’s what she was good at. Not fighting. Not baking. Not reading and writing and telling all of those fairy tales she’s read. It was destroying everything and everyone she loved singlehandedly.

Lionel is booped but not on his snoot. He opens his eyes as Khitti walks away, tracing her steps with an azure gaze that looks beyond the physical. Her own thoughts are repeated aloud: “But the world will always be ending.” He scrapes his fingers playfully through the snow, clumping some into a small ball as he rises. “There’s no need for you to apologize. Whatever’s troubling you, now’s about as reasonable a time as any for -anyone- to feel troubled. It’s all going to hell again, isn’t it?” He approaches her, by the shore, and tosses his little snowball across a layer of ice which has formed in patches over parts of the water’s surface. It skids across, cracking some of the ice but it’s unable to shatter it. Lionel leans back down again, scooping up more snow as he continues speaking. “The world’s always going to be ending. Always something being thrown at us. Either evil men with cliche voices or our own personal demons,” he scans her as he says this, “but always one or the other.” More balled snow is brought to the ice and it cracks further. There are visible lines upon it now, angular and wild. “They’ll keep throwing it at us, or else we’ll throw it at ourselves, but,” still more snow, and he throws it with a sharper pitch and it destroys the ice entirely, “if we don’t rely on one-another at least a bit, we’ll shatter and that’ll be it.” Lionel crosses his arms, standing fairly close now but affording Khitti some space. “That ice was screwed. But if further layers piled on top of it, the snow could never drown it. You’re not alone in this. Yeah, you’ve got Brand and Dominic, Khitti, but you’ve got me, too. And the only way we’re going to save this frakked-up place to call home is to stick together when the drek gets thrown and the nights are coldest.”

Khitti cast a side glance at Lionel as he spoke, the frown of hers never fading. “I don’t zhink I even have zhem, and if I do, it von’t be for much longer. Not vith me constantly ‘frakking’ everything up.” Her words were rather cryptic, but she eventually explained a little further after another bout of silence and a sigh. “Dominic and I had a fight. A rather large one, and things are still a little tense. It’s not like vhen Brand and I fight. He and I vill always fight, even about zhe stupidest zhings. But, Dominic? Ve saw eye to eye on nearly everything, except zhis one, and I just can’t seem to get my point across to him. Ve vere talking at each other, but not really listening.” She doesn’t elaborate anymore on that aspect of the situation, but instead shifts it to something else, “Vhile you vere dealing vith Larket, I vas off over zhere.” She lifted a hand and motioned in the direction of the ruined city, “For -days-...and it turned out zhat vasn’t zhe best choice. Not talking about zhings vas not zhe vay I should’ve gone and I’m paying for it dearly now.”

Lionel runs his hand through his hair smoothly, his face still turned toward the direction Khitti’s pointed. “Nothing good ever happens there, I swear,” he grimaces. “Hearing and listening are two different things, a-yep. I’m guilty of that one more times than I’ve been innocent, maybe. I don’t know if I can agree with you that holding your mouth shut’s ever truly the way to go about, though. I don’t know. I look at it this way. When you speak, you’re either intelligent in your approach or you’re snarky as a drunken Rorin -- but wittier. Either way, I think it’s apt, and it’s you. And if you and Dominic get along so well ninety-nine percent of the time, well, hell, this one percent shouldn’t compromise who you are. Granted, it sounds like this one percent is a huge ordeal. And for that you have my condolences, my apologies, and my spear, too, if you feel like swimming. But if you need a mediator, or a shoulder to cry on, or someone to go hit things with so you can feel better, or someone to -hit,- I can be all these things.”

Khitti shook her head, shifting her position enough to look at him fully, “I don’t vant to hit you and I’m tired of crying. Honestly, I should probably be zhe one zhat gets hit, but it vouldn’t matter. It’d heal up sooner zhan vhat’s going on in here--” She points at her head, and then her heart, “--and here. I just vanted to be by myself, but I guess I took too long dwelling on zhings zhat vill never be.” She actually takes him by the shoulders now, her hands firmly planted on either side as she shakes him a bit, “I don’t vant to be zhis anymore, Lionel. I don’t--I can’t bear zhis undeath. Dominic either refuses to or barely can understand zhe zhings I say vhen it comes to zhis. He’s not dead. He doesn’t have to kill other people to survive. Brand’s always done zhat for him. Zhis even goes beyond both of zhem zhough and I can’t make Dominic understand vhy it hurts so much. I vanted so much for us in zhe future and none of it can ever -be-.” The longer she talks the more worked up she gets and the more her words turn from a weak, Pilar-like manner to outright shouting mixed with frustration, sadness, and near Brand-level anger. Once it’s done though, it fades away, and she’s left as that tired husk again, a sigh and an apology leaving her almost immediately.

Lionel is shaken like a ragdoll. He lets it happen. Khitti grips his shoulders, right where two slabs of stone had fallen from Fort Larket’s ceiling just recently and bashed into him, and it’s all Lionel can do to blankly be thankful all over again that Raphaline’s healing spells are impeccable. He peers into Khitti’s eyes as she shakes him and speaks so frantically, maintaining that visual contact the whole way through. It’s not that his countenance is devoid of emotion, though -- her words are obviously having an impact on him. The Lionel of a year ago, when he’d first met her, would not have allowed physical contact. He would not have seemed so genuine, either. He’d have shrugged it off with a flamboyant cynicism and reminded her the sun will rise tomorrow… at best. Or else maybe he’d have never even listened. The Lionel of a year ago was a fallen hero. But Lionel has risen anew. The Hero of Hellfire has better remarks than all that. “Khitti,” he breathes her name calmingly, the slightest most sincere smile on his lips. “Let’s find a cure.” The Hero of Hellfire is decisive.

Khitti blinked a few times at Lionel. Did he just? He did--he said the thing. That thing that she’d been so heavily thinking on these past two weeks. “But...as far as I know...zhere is no cure. Is zhere…?” If anyone knew even vaguely of such a thing in this realm, it’d likely be him. She almost looks like she might be taking him seriously as she steps back away from him, collecting herself. “I-I can’t. If I go back to being human, I’ll die regardless.” There’s more turning of gears, but they ultimately come to a squeaky halt in that head of hers. “Amarrah just being here, in me, vill kill me. Zhis is vhy I had to become a vampire in zhe first place. Zhe regeneration properties of vampire blood manages to stave off zhe effects shadow creatures have on mortal bodies.” There’s a brief pause, and another glance directed at Lionel, “I don’t know how to get rid of Amarrah. To be perfectly honest, I’ve been searching since I got here. Only, she didn’t know zhat...but perhaps she found out...and zhat’s vhy she’s so crazy now.”

Lionel maintains his blank but sympathetic stare. He holds firm to the smile, too, and he listens. Gone is the man who would pace ten steps wayward and audibly hmm, replaced with someone deeply compassionate and sharply benevolent. Oh, to be sure, Lionel will still find occasions to behave frantically, but he has unequivocally regained his latent heroism of aspect toward pivotal moments. And when Khitti is done, he replies. His voice does not waver. “We’ll take it one step at a time. I have more books than I can count now. We’ll scour them. I believe there is a cure out there. And I believe that each of these issues can be resolved -- somehow.” He pauses, calmly placing his hands on the woman’s upper arms. It’s a soothing gesture, or at least, he hopes so. “Khitti, listen to me. The cure. Amarrah. We’ll do this. Together. We’ll find the answers.” The optimism is downright contagious. The way he speaks, the motions he makes while speaking, and above all, the fiery glint of raw unbroken determination in his ever-expressive azure gaze. It all comes together to compel.

Khitti was comforted somewhat, but she was still concerned about a few things. “Zhat’s all fine and dandy, but vhat about Dominic and Brand…? I mean, zhings are already on zhin ice at zhe moment. I haven’t even -seen- Brand since Larket…” Her nose scrunches up a bit, brows furrowing as she looks past him, but can’t seem to find anything to focus on to alleviate the growing worry in her mind. Sighing finally, she fixates on the blonde again, “Alright. You look amongst your books and I’ll check Xalious again at least. I’ve stayed away from zhe necromancy section for obvious reasons, but zhere could be something zhere. Anything...hopefully.” There was a pause as she stewed on what had been said and her own thoughts. “Zhank you. For saying vhat I’ve been zhinking for months now. I zhought it vould’ve been crazy to look for a cure. I’ve told Dominic, and even Brand now, zhat zhey should find someone else. Someone zhat could actually give zhem a family. Zhey seem to have accepted zheir fate vith zhis, but I didn’t vant to.”

Lionel simply smirks. “I believe you answered your own question.” He releases his gentle hold, takes a single step back, and continues. “There’s no need to worry overmuch, even without having seen Brand in some time. They’ve accepted the way things are. Brand won’t be going anywhere, no matter what he thinks. And I think we both know it, heh. But that’s the thing. We want what’s best for you. I’m positive that holds true for us all. None of us will rest and merely accept the circumstances, not when there’s a fighting chance. And oh, we’ll fight. We’ll fight to make things better for you. We’ll fight to make things right. And while I’m at it, I’ll find just cause to remind Brand our favorite currently-a-vampire could use some conversation.” He waves his left hand up gingerly, as if to express he’ll be very delicate about the procedure.

Khitti rolls her eyes, but it’s done with a half-grin to show that she’s not -entirely- in a bad mood anymore. “No, I zhink it’s best to just leave Brand to his own devices. I’m sure he’ll appear at some point. He’s probably trying to avoid me for awhile longer. Zhings got awkward after him and I left Larket zhat day.” She doesn’t go into detail, however, because, honestly, how was she going to explain the things that her and Brand saw in that vision? Best not to even try. “Seeing as how I’m too distracted to do much training today, I should probably head home. Zhey might zhink I’m going to disappear again for another two veeks and zhen zhat’ll be zhe end of everything.” She sidesteps around him, then spins around to face him, another backwards step taken mid-sentence, “Next time I promise to be at my best, or as close as I can get to it, anyway. And, uh, zhanks again. For zhe talk. And zhe support. And, uh…” Well, she gives him a hug. It’s weird and awkward, but she’s soon making distance between them again. “Yes. Vell. Goodnight, Lionel. Go get some sleep.”