[SOLO RP] Two Paths diverged in a wood... (Anita and Roland)

[Fatal Irony]

Solor RP between these two  

[Fatal Irony]

There was something magical about the way in which the sunrise spread fire across the sky - and even more magical somehow to watch it from beneath the canopy of trees. The dark tendrils of the branches were black against the blazing sky, dark sentinels reaching for the rising sun. There was still a frost wind in the air, the lingering breath of winter as it began to die. It was chill now, but the day promised to be warm and sunny and the mare was glad of that. Today was an important day. Today she had agreed to meet with her cousin for the first time.

She was a bit nervous, but excited mostly. There was a lot of pain between the sisters Inara and Caitlin, but there was room to heal. If Anita and her cousin could get along, that would make this whole process that much easier and they could all become a family again.

That was the plan anyway.

She began pacing, as much to keep herself warm as out of impatience as she waited for her cousin to arrive.

 

[Fatal Irony]

The only thing he hated more than mornings was the cold. He grumbled under his breath as he picked his way through the woods, getting smacked by branches or pulled at by thorns. Who's idea was this to meet here? And at dawn no less! His mother seemed to think it was a good idea to do as Inara and her daughter said, to earn their trust for the time being. He wondered what scheme his mother was playing at. He knew Caitlin to be a calculating and manipulative mare, and one who didn't share all the pieces of her plans with her son.

He wasn't particularly interested in becoming just another piece in this plan, however. He had a genuine curiosity about his cousin and aunt, and wanted to put forth an honest effort. Just perhaps not at dawn. He paused suddenly as he considered his current thoughts. Was his mate making him soft?? She approved wholeheartedly with this reunion. He chewed over the idea of softening for a moment, but decided he didn't care.

He continued on and it wasn't long before he reached the agree-upon meeting spot. He saw her there pacing back and forth and made an effort to look friendly. "Cousin," he said in greeting.

 

[Fatal Irony]

She had been lingering somewhere between impatience and fear he wouldn't show when she finally saw him and heard his voice. She looked him over curiously, finding nothing in common with herself. That was ok. "I'm so glad you made it! I knew you'd come. I felt it!" She rushed over to embrace him warmly. "It's so good to be reunited. Well I guess just 'united' since we didn't have the pleasure of meeting before now." She smiled at him, wanting to ask about a million questions at once. She finally settled on one.

"So are you mated? I have a lifemate myself. Perhaps you could meet him sometime."

 

[Fatal Irony]

He recoiled slightly from her bubbly demeanor this early in the morning - and even more so form her familiar embrace. She didn't seem to mind his lack of enthusiasm and just powered through with little pause. He paced around her, looking her up and down. They didn't even look related. How could two cousins so closely related by blood look so different? He paused physically and mentally at her question. He stared at her hard. "After growing up apart our entire lives, raised by two sisters who hate each other, the most important thing on your mind in meeting me is whether or not I have a lifemate? Is that all you are in your life?" He sneered slightly, then remembered he was supposed to be making an effort here. He sighed and added, "I do have a lifemate, yes. She's more or less the main reason I'm here."
 

[Fatal Irony]

There was something off about her cousin, but she couldn't quite place what it was. He seemed closed off, reluctant. He had grown up with Caitlin and if Anita's mother's stories were to be believed, it must have been a harsh life. She could see the weariness in his eyes, those of someone who was tired of the struggle and just wanted acceptance - but didn't know how to get there. She took pity on him, and still offered him a smile despite his insulting tone. "She seems like a nice mare, to force you to come speak to your family. My mother has been so distraught since her memories returned, wishing she could make things right with your mother. That will be a process, of course, but with our support the two could reconcile." She held on to the hope that it was possible. Inara wished to be reunited with her sister, but did Caitlin feel the same?

 

[Fatal Irony]

Somehow the way she brushed off his tone and was un-phased by his reticent demeanor was more annoying than her chipper attitude. He bit back the insult he was thinking of, frowning at his cousin with displeasure. "I really don't have much interest in being in the middle of this little feud. It's childish and beneath me." He snorted derisively, shaking his head. "My mate got some silly notion in her head that I should be friendly to you, so here I am, but I'm not going to play messenger for our parents. That's asinine." Plus, he thought, his mother had asked him to do the very same -but for her ends. Caitlin wished to manipulate Anita and her mother in some convoluted plan whose aim was revenge of some kind. Roland wasn't interested in being anyone's pawn, least of all his mother's. Still, he had to play the game at least a little, and convinced his mother he was doing her bidding and earning Anita's trust in order to betray her. His mate encouraged him to earn Anita's trust in order to look out for her. Was he simply playing a different mare's game? Did his mate control him so thoroughly? His thoughts drifted to her and he couldn't help but smile. Damn it. He loved her and wanted to see her happy, even if he thought doing this favor was stupid. "You shouldn't want to be their puppet either, you know." He attempted to sound friendly. Ish.
 

[Fatal Irony]

The first hint of a frown crossed her face at his harsh denial. Didn't he want to help? To see their family whole again? "We don't have to be messengers..." she said weakly, her cheeks flushed with something between anger and embarrassment. Why did he think she was so stupid? Why was he getting under her skin? She took a breath to shake it off. She had to remind herself that he hadn't grown up surrounded by love and affection as she had. Still, as he watched him she noticed the ghost of a smile cross his face and then fade as quickly as it had come. What had he been thinking of? It was the smallest flicker of happiness, but it was real and it strengthened her resolve. "We don't need to be their puppets. I said we would support them, not act as their pawns. My mother can be extremely stubborn and while she may be slow to anger with most soquili, when it comes to those she loves she can be quite... passionate. I can't imagine Caitlin is much different? They need us gently encouraging them, maybe leading by example with our own relationship?"

 

[Fatal Irony]

He was annoyed at how much the description of his aunt pulled at him. He couldn't walk away somehow. It was as if something deep inside him craved this idea Anita was selling him - one of a family that was whole. He saw the traits Anita described not only in his mother, but in himself and it created a connection he didn't expect. It was unfamiliar and he bucked against it, moving away from Anita instinctively. He turned from her, gritting his teeth to keep from laying into her. He wanted to tell her she was some idealistic fool, an idiot in a world of those who wished only to take advantage of her and hurt her. He wanted to wound her, hurt her, see her cry. He wanted to ruin her innocent view of her world and show her how family had always treated him.

He wanted to, but didn't. No, Kiyo would not approve. He clung to the image of her in his mind, letting it calm him. He wanted to start a family with her one day, and he felt to do that he needed to learn to come to terms with his own family. He sighed and turned back to Anita. "Caitlin is not interested in being friendly with anyone, no matter what she tells you. She is... manipulative." Telling the truth was harder than he thought... was Caitlin's grip on him so strong? NO. He would NOT do her bidding anymore. "She wants to ruin you and Inara. She sent me here to fool you, gain your trust, and lead you both into a trap."
 

[Fatal Irony]

She saw the way he moved away, withdrawing emotionally from the conversation. He seemed conflicted, as if there was darkness inside him he was trying to battle. She opened her mouth to attempt to comfort him, but he turned back to her suddenly and began speaking, revealing the plot of Anita's aunt. She closed her mouth slowly, stunned to silence by the news. Caitlin's story had been presented to Anita as a tragedy and she had assumed her aunt simply couldn't forgive Inara for what had happened. But to learn Caitlin meant to destroy not only Inara, but Anita too? It hurt deeply. She looked the harsh stallion over, sensing his own anger at the situation, though she suspected his stemmed from something different than her own. She started pacing back and forth, thinking things over. "Why does she want to ruin me? What did I do to her? We've never even met!"

 

[Fatal Irony]

Well, he had succeeding in removing her smile, though that victory was surprisingly hollow. He watched her face change with her emotions, bracing in case she took out her anger on the messenger the way his mother did. Instead she began pacing and then asked what she had done to deserve his mother's ire. He actually laughed out loud at her naivete. "You are an ignorant fool, you know. She doesn't give a s**t about you. You are nothing to her. She wishes to ruin everything in Inara's life, which happens to include you." He shrugged dismissively. "So you see why this fantasy you have about one big, happy family is completely ludicrous, right?" He scoffed at her and turned to leave. "I've warned you, at least. I won't play her games, but she'll find others who will. She won't stop." He shrugged again.
 

[Fatal Irony]

Her abrasive cousin was beginning to ignore her with his lack of respect for her. She grit her teeth, frowning at him as he insulted her and turned to go. "You can't leave," she called out, stepping towards him. She wasn't about to allow him to leave. "Look, whatever you may think of this family we have, it's the ONLY one we have, and I'm not ready to give up just yet. You said your mother wanted you to lure us into a trap. Well, what if we pretended that's what you're doing, and lure HER instead?" Her mind was working fast, the plan coming to her as the words left her mouth. "We can capture her and try to rehabilitate her. She's been through so much trauma, but she can come back from this; I'm sure."

 

[Fatal Irony]

He halted in his tracks but didn't turn around, instead swiveled his head to look back at her derisively. He wanted to spit back that his mother was a hopeless case, but when he saw Anita's determination he couldn't help but feel the smallest bit of hope. He sighed and turned slowly, trying to ponder how this crazy plan might actually work. Anita was annoyingly optimistic, but she seemed passionate about this particular trial, and seemed strong enough to possibly pull it off. "We're going to have to work on your facial expressions if we're going to pull this off," he said finally. "You're an open book and Mother will see right through that."