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 Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 11:03 am
Who: Liliana Lupin & Naneth
What: A chance encounter, ordained by fate
Where: deep in the forest, somewhere between Realm Headquarters and Bass'ken Lake but not those near Lily's home. Somewhere undisturbed.
When: Late afternoon Monday 11 June 2007
Why: Because it will be fun to have Lily be the first to meet her.
The forest was far from quiet. To one accustomed to the silence of a library where the only sounds tended to be the gentle rustle of turning pages, her father's breathing, & the crackle of a fire in the hearth the continuous noises of the outdoors as afternoon passed were unending. Still, it was silent compared to the rest of her house and extended family. And calm compared to the battle of thoughts and emotions warring within her petite form.
She walked rather than flew. Flying was good to drive her thoughts away; to clear her head and heart with the fast rush & thrill of speeding air currents around her. But she did not seek such oblivion today. No. Today Remus Lupin's eldest daughter wanted to dwell on her thoughts and feelings. The female knew she should make a decision. And soon. A heart she had ignored for far too long ached from it.
Her small body was slowly becoming more & more fit and trim with her continued physical training, showing as she gracefully flitted between the large trees. Her brown wings were pressed tightly against her back, large dark shapes with just a gleam of gold as if a part of her markings instead of the delicate black filigree pattern that they hid from sight. It was the only sign of anything being amiss within her - an outward display of how she had drawn into herself; into her feelings & thoughts. Other than that her step was soft & casual yet practiced. Just a kitsu out for a stroll on a beautiful day in an equally beautiful forest.
Appearances could be so deceiving.
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 3:35 pm
Somewhere not too far from where Lily walked and pondered sat an adult femme kitsu. There was an air about her, a look to her that radiated a knowledge of long sickness only recently recovered from, and a remaining frailty of body. Her spirit, though; there was also an air of determined perserverance about her that would never allow itself to be defeated. Black star-speckled ears were tilted back in a relaxed position, similarly colored tails and paws tucked up close to her blue tinted purple body. There was a massive area of scar tissue and discolored fur on her left shoulder and the side of her neck adjacent that looked like it could have been caused by a bite, but infection had made the scarring ever worse so it was difficult to tell.
She was seated near a small tranquil pond, a space where a small rivulet of stream had pooled, its entry and exit masked by trees and undergrowth so that it seemed as if the pond had bubbled up of its own accord right out of the soil. She was humming to herself for several moments before she actually opened her maw to sing in a voice still hauntingly beautiful in spite of the slightly harsh undertone given it by the damage of the old wound.
"Strange, the light that shines upon
The truth that wasn't known
As all the tears of yesterday
Wash me far from home
And this ship that carries me
Battles for the shore
Welcome, that light that guides me
Back to where I was before."
((*been looking for an excuse to use that poem she wrote oh so long ago again* XD))
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 4:37 pm
Liliana paused hearing the song, bag and pendant always worn swaying haphazardly against her chest fur from the sudden stop. Haunting. Lovely. It broke through her thoughts with eerie deftness and she felt compelled to follow the sound to its source. What met her green eyes made them soften, her heart going out to the lone female.
She padded closer, her eyes falling to the stranger's poorly healed wounds. A gold tipped paw moved to the top of her bag and hesitated. "Hello." Her voice carried softly. "Can I... help you?"
Something about her coloring reminded her of Endless. The purple was different, the stars not as far spread... Liliana swallowed heavily as her situation sprung quickly back to mind.
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 5:49 pm
The femme blinked open eyes that matched Endless' with disconcerting accuracy to look at Lily. Of course, she had no idea that Endless was here... or even that he was still alive. In truth her memory was as patchy and scarred sometimes as the spot on her shoulder, those sweet but painful moments of actually remembering everything fleeting at best. The illness had taken its toll on more than her body.
She peered up at the crimson furred newcomer and then uncurled her tails and flipped around to the opposite side, patting at the earth beside her. "Help? Maybe, dear, but I doubt it. Just a wanderer lost and finding her way home. You, though; I'm sorry if it's rude of me, dear, but you have a look on your face that says you have a problem you need help with. So why don't you tell this little wandering daydreamer what's bothering you, child?" She smiled, the movement a little stiff on her left side. "Sometimes it helps to talk to a third party that's not involved."
Her voice was still melodic with that harsh undertone, floating out of her starry black muzzle. She also seemed genuinely concerned; and she was. Too mothering for her own good, she'd been told many times. It was probably why she got this scar. But she also didn't care. There were too may hurt and needing help in the world for her just close herself off. In her opinion it would either make her or break her, but if she had to go for good, she'd rather go because she was trying to help someone than to die alone in a little ball of fear... or somesuch. She'd had more than enough of that, thank you very much.
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 6:35 pm
Endless' eyes... The crimson femme shivered suddenly though the day was warm, shaking it off as she pushed aside the stranger's suggestion for the moment. "I have potions, poltices, and salves... and a very minor barely trained gift of healing." It was had to miss the catch of chagrin in her young voice, nor the guilt that her lapse in healing ability was entirely of her own making. She padded forward, on pretense of getting a better look at the other's wound and sighed. Instinct told Lily she could trust this female, but instinct was getting her into trouble lately.
"Is it that obvious?" The winged kitsu asked in a hushed voice, her wings slipping from their tight placement on her back to sag slightly. Another sigh, this one shaking her petite form. "Maybe... Maybe I can talk of it while seeing to that." A gold tipped paw gracefully indicated the poorly healed scar. "If I can determine what is wrong, I can help it heal. I've food too."
Reaching into her bag she pulled out one of Ginny's meat pies, cold of course, and nudged it over to the female. Placing her paw inside the bag for another she withdrew instead a miniature of herself, springing out of a lily, clearly made with a loving paw. Her green eyes widened in surprise. "I didn't mean to pull that out..." Liliana said slowly, setting it carefully aside.
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:24 pm
Her eyes lit up brightly at the sight of the food, cold or not. "Oh! I haven't had a cooked meal in... ah... I'm not sure." She smiled unselfconsciously.
She peered over at Lily as if debating. "Only a bit dear. Not really that obvious, I think it's just maternal instinct on my part." She smiled again. "And if you think you can help this knot of mine and talk at the same time... it does get stiff, especially when the weather's bad."
She started to eat but paused at seeing the statuette. "Well... someone certainly considers you thier whole world, don't they? Who is it that thinks you hung the stars in the sky?" Another look at Lily's face and then' "Or is that what's bothering you, dear?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:55 pm
Tears caught in her throat at the deft & piercing question, her now moist eyes slipping to the statuette as a paw moved from her bag to the mithril alchemist symbol hung against her chest. "My Aunt Ginny cooks those. Mother tends to favor the Asian styles..."
Again she knew she was stalling, avoiding speaking of the topic she needed to discuss most and could not get her mind from no matter what else she did. It was a miracle she was able to push it aside for Potions Lessons every morning. Severus certainly would not tolerate such lapse in her. Especially not after the way he had "met" Endless. At least the potions master did not know Edward. "I'll see what I can do."
Very gently Liliana set her paw to the wound. A soft glow like the gold on her tails & tips like an aura radiated close to the paw as she "read" the damage. It was the best she could do so far with her skills, but Liliana was glad enough for that. "It's old and poorly healed. Infected once. But you knew that, didn't you?"
She met the other's eyes only briefly -eyes so like yet unlike Endless' eyes. Was it the female's markings that had her using such phrases as "stars in the sky"? Liliana pulled a few bottles from her bag along with a second meat pie and a jug of cranberry juice. She pushed the smaller bottle to the female. "Drink that. It will help heal from the inside. It tastes awful, but the food & drink should counter it quick enough." The witch had tried changing the flavor of many of the healing droughts but found they all lost their potency if they worked at all no matter what she tried. Logically, she would rather have something work than taste pleasant.
Getting out cloths she set about cleaning around the wound with a practiced paw, using the clear water from the nearby spring with a splash from the second bottle. Her ears flicked, finding the words to answer the stranger's simple but extremely difficult query. Green eyes flicked between statuette and symbol, a pained but tenderly passionate look within their depths. "You could say that's what's bothering me." Lily whispered, her voice tight. "It's just so very complicated..."
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:47 pm
She chuckled softly at Lily's assessment of the wound and her trailing statement on the matter. "Yes... and it left me sickly for some time. I kept catching one thing before I was over the first. Amazed the people who were caring for me that I survived it all, I think, but apparently I'm tough as nails, as they say."
Without question she drank down the potion after she was instructed to do so, making a bit of a face at the taste and quickly drinking some of the juice. "You weren't kidding, were you, dear? But I've tasted worse."
She helpfully leaned her head away so Lily could get at the whole of the scar, thinking over the ache in her whispered tone and the seemingly involuntary glance between the two articles. She could guess the problem easily enough, but she wanted to let the crimson femme speak on her own unless she really needed the prompting. "Life is complicated, dear. The people you hold dear are the only thing that make the world seem sane sometimes, and even they sometimes cause chaos without meaning to. So; go ahead and tell me about it. You can go slowly if you need to, dear. I've nowhere else to be, for a certainty."
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:25 pm
Crimson head nodded, gold tips of hanging ears brushing against her shoulders as it did so. Satisfied that the wound was at least clean, Liliana put the bottle she had been using away with the cloths & pulled out fresh cloths with a different bottle. This one had a strange pasty substance inside that seemed to glow faintly. Carefully she unscrewed the cap and using a clean cloth started spreading it over the wound. "It was never quite this complicated before..."
It was a tough matter to start into & Lily laughed with embarrassment for the way she was going about it. But where to start really? might as well plow right along. What could she do? Embarrass herself? What did it matter when her friend's hearts were on the line, and she the judge holding verdict of yay or nay? "My two closest friends... They told me they love me. Love me love me. And I love them. Only... only I can't, can I? I can't love them both the same 'cause I can't be with them both. I... I'm not accustomed to knowing my feelings. I never paid them any mind before Endless told me how he felt. And now it's all I can think about whenever I don't fill my time with lessons or training. I can't bear the thought of hurting either of them... of losing either of them... of not having them both in my life. They mean so much to me & I have to choose. Only I can't find a way to pick logically and my instincts seem to favor whoever I'm with at the time and my heart ... I just don't know!"
Her voice rose to a frustrated yet soft wail at the end, though her paws displayed none of her anguish of the situation as she finished spreading the salve. A nod as she checked her work and Liliana started to wrap clean linens around the wound to hold the salve in place and keep it clean.
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:38 pm
The dark colored femme waited until the younger was finished with her wrapping and then curled her tails around Lily and rubbed the top of her head with a gentle chin in a motherly fashion. "That one's always hard, dear. So, let's see... these two boys of yours, what are they like? Do they ever hide things from you? And about losing one of them... if they care as much for you as they say they do, dear, you won't. Things may be akward for a little bit for the one who doesn't get you, but one who is truly a friend and truly loves you won't just up and leave. Maybe need space for a bit until things have settled in their own selves again, but not leave."
She hmmed for a moment. "Tell me, dear... since I assume you're at least considering this down the road with whichever one you pick... have you even thought about what you'd want and need in a mate?" Whichever way the situation went, the question would come up eventually.
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:24 pm
She flinched a little at the questions but murred soft and sad as she was mothered. It was Lily's own fault she was not closer to her mother than she was and this... this was nice.
Her ears flattened as she winced at the last question, her pulse careening wildly remembering her own father's question that was similar but of a different vein. "Beyond the obvious that mates share.... no." Her small frame was shaking now as she put her things away. "I thought I had everything I could need or want. I never thought about love or feelings or romance or kits or any of that for me until this! I grew up in love with my father without thinking about the implications until they were pointed out to me!" A whimper escaped her as Liliana realized what she had confessed to a total stranger. But again, what did it matter if she could not make a decision? This femme knowing that was only the small matter of the winged kitsu's pride, which weighed nothing against the hearts of Edward & Endless.
She sniffled, lifting a paw to wipe at her nose & pausing... remembering how Edward had given her a handkerchief (that she never did know was his transmuted glove) when she was crying over realizing her dream of marrying her father was a kit's foolish fantasy. On that thought, she reached into her bag for a handkerchief to use instead of her fur. A soft smile touched her face. "They're wonderful. I don't know about them hiding anything... I probably wouldn't notice if they did." A nervous laugh in chagrin at that confession. "Edward was my first friend. We met when I was a teen & he was still a kit. He's an alchemist..." she pawed the pendant she wore thoughtfully. "... and my best friend. I... don't know where to begin on what he's like. He's Edward."
Words failed her. How could she describe what he was, what he meant to her. Her brow furrowed in frustration. "Endless... we met the night I found out Daddy & Mother were having more kits. I was hurt, he was making snow sculptures." Her gaze now went to the statuette. "He's creative. I'm.. not. He's probably more genteel than Edward... oh! I don't know how to describe them! How can I possibly fit either of them into unfeeling words that don't begin to do them justice without prattling on forever?" She seemed close to tears but they did not fall.
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:49 pm
The elder femme tugged the younger down to rest against her side, since her shoulder wasn't currently an options, and gave a reassuring rumble deep in her chest while grooming the top of Lily's head. "Calm, little one... one thing I do know, things always work out. Perhaps not in quite the way we hoped, but things do work out and turn out all right in the end."
She continued her ministrations while she pondered the topic. It wasn't a decision she could make for the girl; nor one she even had enough information to even attempt were it her place. It was difficult to describe people and really describe them sometimes, yes... so how was she to find out anything to try and help? "How about we start with how you found about how they feel and what you've said and done with each of them since? Or perhaps more what they've said to you. That would tell me about them and maybe I can figure out something to help you... help you?" She smiled down at Lily. "If you don't mind telling me about it."
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 11:25 pm
Calmed by the rumble and the strangely needed motherly affection Liliana pondered the suggestion. Logically, it seemed sound. "O...okay. Let me get a drink first. This could take a while."
She shook a little as she got out a large bowl and with a flick of her ebony wand filled it with fresh water from the spring and took a long drink. "I guess it all started when Endless & Atae came over to visit. I was sleeping with Edward in Daddy's library when my baby brother Hemi brought them in."
Lily proceeded to go into a recap of the last few weeks, also explaining why the fullmetal was staying with her family to begin with. How it was difficult for her to teach Endless in potions without her feelings getting in the way but somehow managing most of the time since the 'day of kisses' as she was prone to call it. She told of her most recent "alone time" with Edward, the tips of her ears darkening from the warmth spreading across her head as Lily realized what she had done. How she had not seen him since. How she wanted to spend more time with each of them but was not sure how, or if it would be fair. Everything. She paused only to lap lightly from the water in the bowl when her throat became parched.
"So I was out today... to think about it. I don't want to leave them hanging. Or lead them on or anything painful. But I don't know how I can chose between them!"
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 12:01 am
"First off... I'd suggest spending some time alone with Endless the way you did with Ed. I know it would be akward but... it sounds like you haven't really gotten a chance to look at your feelings around him without having something else in the way yet." It was a difficult thing perhaps to ask of her considering how she'd been feeling, but it seemed necessary to help her sort out her feelings. "And while you're with him... compare the feelings to how you felt around Edward. See what's different and if you like the difference or not."
She subconsciously continued her rumbling and nuzzled Lily gently before adding in what was partly but not really a jest, "You said this Endless is creative? Maybe you should ask him to sing something for you." Sometimes song expressed more than simple conversation, after all.
She thought for a few more minutes. "It sounds like... they both want you to be happy, above all. Edward sounds a bit impulsive... and while spontaniety can be a good thing, it can also... not. Endless... almost seems too afraid of pushing you to do something. I can understand he wants to make sure you're doing whatever you decide to do of your own accord but... he needs to relax a bit more. They both sound adamantly loyal, though it seems that Endless is the only one that has verbally expressed his willingness to stay by you even should he get the short stick." She paused and then added, "Though I don't think Edward has any intention of doing otherwise, either, and probably hasn't thought he needs to state it aloud."
She groomed Lily again for a few minutes. "Really... you need to make sure you've seen all their facets. People don't exactly change, per say, when you move into a different sort of relationship, you just wind up seeing more because you're both looking harder and around them more often. It sounds like they're both good boys, though." She smiled down at Lily. "Now... I've asked you all the questions I can think of and done what I can think to help, not really knowing you all very well. Is there anything you want to ask me? I've been... not quite where you are, but somewhere not entirely disimilar before. Or idle chat. I haven't done that in a while. Whatever you feel you need more at the moment, dear."
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 1:05 pm
Pulling herself together as well as she could Liliana nodded at the suggestion. "Yes... it would be fair, wouldn't it? I ... never really saw it that way, but I have spent more alone time with Edward than Endless haven't I?"
That notion was more clear now that she had spilled her guts so to speak. She frowned lightly, wondering if she should simply go to the Fierra home to seek Endless for such a venue or ask him at lessons when he came tomorrow. Or maybe cancel the lesson for the day to do so. She could do that if she wanted, could she not? Or would that be unprofessional of her? Better than her trying not to think about it throughout the lesson.
Yes, they both wanted her to be happy.. but was that possible? How could she be happy if she hurt either of them? What was it she wanted? Her father had told her of the times he slept between Nari her mother and her honorary uncle Ember and imagined scenes of being surrounded by Ed & End tried to emulate that concept in her mind. Liliana knew such a thing was not to be, but it did not stop the thoughts from working their way to her consciousness.
She was still nodding, musing over the things the unknown mother-figure uttered able to see the sense of it. It had been asking the alchemist if they would still be friends should she pair with Endless that had directly proceeded Edward kissing her. He never had said directly if he would be there no matter what, though Lily wanted to believe he would. Wanted to believe as this female suggested that her best friend had probably just not thought to say it aloud. Endless had said no matter what. Either would be likely to hide their true hurt from her if not chosen... but Lily knew in her heart the truth and would not let herself be deceived. Even should it hurt her.
Giving the other female a sheepish grin the crimson femme tapped one golden tipped paw on top of the other. "Thank you. I... you've given me much to tidy my thoughts. I've only one question right now, if it's really a question, then maybe some idle chat to ease the tension?"
Her tails curled around her paws protectively clearly her security position. The tip of one brown wing flicked in a light stretch. "I'm Liliana. Lupin, if you like surnames. May I know your name?"
The smile she offered was of innocent girlish entreaty & sweetness. Naively endeering as the kitsu that bore it.
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