At Water's Edge

Lyra Karant

At Water's Edge

It had been some time since the last fateful encounter in Hargeon Town between Lyra and her long-time friend Rela, There, they had undertaken a job together, a decision that had proven exceptionally costly for Lyra's mental state. There, in what seemed like barely yesterday, Rela had killed a man in cold blood before her eyes. Legally, it was a permissible act, and thus Rela had been absolutely justified in doing so in order to protect them both after the killer provoked a fight between them. However, it was the first time Lyra had watched someone be struck down in such a way. Especially so dispassionately. It was a new thing for Lyra to experience, which had weighed heavily on her mind ever since she had continued to further her magical training. She couldn't stop thinking about it. It had plagued her. The difficulties that she had faced since, especially, when her magical energies as a slayer had overflowed to such an extreme point that she'd been on bed rest for three days as a result.

All of this had troubled her sleep. Nowadays she really wasn't doing much of that. She looked-- and felt-- exhausted and haggard at the best of times. She could barely function. Sure, she was eating plenty. She was still walking and getting enough exercise. It just seemed, to outwards appearance, that there was a gigantic weight that rested squarely on her shoulders. Was this a good way to live? No, decidedly not. She knew this. She cared enough that she accepted that this was an unhealthy state of being. However, a change was required.

That change involved a train to Lavanitir, a distant port, far away from Sakuramori. It seemed that the ocean brought her some measure of calm - this was a phenomenon that had been experienced when first she journeyed through that fated portal and corralled an ethereal sky whale into another aquatic portal to another dimension. Don't ask. That was a weird little encounter that was most definitely real. Now, however, it just felt... morose. Bleak. Empty.

The sea breeze blew across Lyra's face, where she remained seated near the edge of the water near the docks, her legs dangling over the edge. Her hair, bright pink as it always was, wafted gently in the breeze. Truly, she had no idea what she was even doing here if not to escape the feelings that welled up inside her and threatened to consume her like a fiery blaze. She was just... here. Existing. It was not much, but it was something. Hopefully, the change of scenery would be enough to inspire something in her after all. Whatever it was, she hoped it happened soon.

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Lyra Karant

At Water's Edge

"Hi to you too, Rela," came the response, and that was before Rhett decided that now was not a great time for him to pipe up in the back of her head. Frankly, she was doing a good enough job of looking after herself, which single-handedly meant that Lyra was going to pick up the pieces of her own conversation with the woman that had caused just enough mental trauma for this to be little more than awkward. He was going to backseat for this one, yet again. There was no point. Lyra was spreading her own wings literally and metaphorically, meaning that she could handle herself for this. She had to learn one way or another.

However, even Rela would notice the difference in the pink-haired mage since the last time that they'd encountered each other. Not only was Lyra physically a little bit leaner and stronger in appearance, she'd also gained a few magic tricks, including the constantly radiating aura of calmness that she simply could not turn off. Was it just the 'good aura'? Likely, because that was the fastest way to explain it. Regardless, it was a fact that Rela had turned up, and had said something. There was plenty to unpack there, such as whether she actually liked Lyra or was being spiteful, or what her behaviour suggested, or any number of things that the slayer mage could have picked apart at should she have the compulsion to do so.

However, the crux of the matter was here, and Lyra had a choice at this moment. She could leave all of that behind and let it go, but the exhausted brain that Lyra was experiencing said otherwise. Besides, she needed to learn to talk about her issues and improve herself by actually addressing things head-on instead of running away from her problems. That wasn't healthy. She wasn't about to do it.

"Come sit down, I'd love to talk to you," she said, offering Rela a seat next to her at the water's edge.

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Lyra Karant

At Water's Edge

There was a moment where, at Rela's voice, Lyra was taken aback. Being told that Rela was declining was something of a shock. This wasn't the outcome that Lyra was expecting at all. She'd hoped to handle this situation like an adult, because-- as she was learning-- handling the problems that were coming before you tended to be the right way to deal with things. Yes, for some reason, the assassin seemed a little bit off, for some reason that she couldn't quite place. That, however, was not entirely relevant to the rose mage's thought patterns.

Slowly, Lyra pushed herself up off the ground, brushing whatever dust and dirt had come to settle on her clothes away. Her green eyes locked on to the retreating form of one of the people that she had wished to consider a friend, but it was becoming increasingly clear that option was being taken off the table. It was such a shame. Lyra didn't really know how to handle that.

Nor did she know why, but the next words out of her mouth were absolutely uncharacteristic for her.

"Running away from your problems again? I'm not sure if that's entirely unlike you, or exactly like you."

Oooooh boy. It was time for Lyra to show some backbone, which was a thing she had now, compared to when she'd seen Rela last. If anything was going to have her walk into this conversation, direct provocation was going to be it. It was a tool Rela was unafraid to use on her - it was, therefore, time to return the favour.

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Lyra Karant

At Water's Edge

"Danger is something of an overstatement given your current condition," Lyra shot back. If barbs were to be traded, then she was no longer in a position to hold back. However, it was true. At this moment in time, it was clear that the assassin was not in top form. Besides, last she checked, she didn't have the capability to fly, and worst case scenario the rose mage could just engage her wings and go high enough that Rela just could not touch her. What was more important, though, was that the provocation had worked exactly as expected; Rela had stopped to engage the target that had prepared itself for her. The strategy itself had worked, because the assassin would not resist easy pickings. What a shame that Lyra no longer considered herself easy pickings - for she had now seen and experienced things that would make Rela stop and contemplate exactly what she had gotten herself into.

"But that's not the point. I want you to know that I'm just not okay with the way you killed that man. I've struggled with being complicit in a murder every single day since that happened. Yeah, that's your job, and you have a certain right to operate that way. But I know I'm nothing like you."

Slow breath out. Steady yourself, Karant. Every word here is vital.

Was that her own thought, or Rhett's? She couldn't tell any more. Her vision was starting to swim at the sheer pressure of verbally confronting someone. Her eyes cast down for just a moment, steely resolve wavering. Yes, she was running headfirst into danger. That was what she did.

"And before you harp on about something like 'don't be so soft, that's the way the world is', or 'you should get over yourself', I know full well that everything we do is a choice. We choose to spare people. Or, some of us can. I know that this is all you know."

A sigh. "I'd wished all this time we could just be good friends. I guess that was too much to ask."

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Lyra Karant

At Water's Edge

"Is it so bad to work for the greater good? Does it hurt your sensibilities too much?" Lyra shot back. It was getting to the point that her self-aggrandizement and insanely dispassionate disdain for her fellow man was beginning to eat at her. This kind of lack of care for her fellow citizens of Fiore - for the common man, for those that worked and toiled for the betterment of the world around them - was something that she could never understand or relate to. She had sworn an oath to uphold the common good, and here was a woman who she had hoped for so long to get along with that was deigning to denigrate that very oath and go against every principle she stood for so brazenly that it hurt.

It sparked something inside her soul. Something bright, something fierce. Something she'd never really, truly experienced before. The potential for friendship finally fizzled away in her heart, only to be replaced by something she'd never honestly felt towards another human being in such quantities or in such purity:

Rage.

"You know what, Rela? Fine. Fine. Next time, I absolutely invite you to try and kill me," shot back the challenge. It was the kind of fighting words that she knew existed, but had never issued herself. Her fists clenched, knuckles burning white as her whole body trembled like it never had before. But this could not stop her. "I'd rather you try and kill me than some innocent soul that does not deserve death. When you do try it, I will be there. I will stop you. And I am going to prove to you that I'm not the weakling that you seem to think I am when I put you down."

She started to turn and walk away, but paused, only to look over her shoulder.

"Just so you know, I'd never kill you," she started. "I'm not an animal, or a monster, like you. But you're going to see the error of your ways, and I'm going to be the one to make you. Never friends then, Rela? Fine. Enemies. Until the end."

With that, four pink wings sprouted from her back, glowing brightly; cherry blossom petals made of pure energy fell from them as her first wing-beat carried her high into the sky, unleashing a torrent of wind as she did so. Letting the breeze carry her, Lyra flew off into the distance and disappeared from view in moments; there was little left now in her heart but the seething fury that she felt. She needed it to cook off, so that she could cool her head and think rationally again. This wasn't like her. But then again, she was changing. Some might think for the worse - but in her midn, she felt that this was the greater good - stop someone from committing senseless slaughter, save the lives of innocents. Was that not her creed?

It had to be, lest she have nothing left to cling to.

The voice finally appeared in the back of her mind.

Holy shit, kid. You okay?

"What do you think, Rhett?" she snapped back without hesitation. In that instant, she regretted not biting her tongue; shaking her head, she let out a long sigh into the winds that carried her. "Sorry. I'm better than that."

The spirit conjoined to her soul paused. Look, I get it, you're pissed. Did you mean it, though? You actually gonna put her down?

"Face down in the gods damned dirt, Rhett. I'll do it, that's for sure. There's no going back now."

Good. I like your resolution. Way overdramatic, but I like it.

She chuckled once. "She's just as much of a drama queen. Look at how edgy she makes herself by choice."

Pffft. Wow. I didn't know you had a bitch bone in you.

Another sigh. "I guess she's made me grow one, just to handle this."

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