Reunited at Last [Kaiko/Open]

Melissa sipped gingerly as she sat on a stool, leaning back against the bar. Her striking crystal orbs were scanning the crowd, looking for a familiar patch of hair. It'd been a while since she'd seen her once closest friend, but there wasn't a doubt in Melissa's mind that she could spot her even amiss the clusters of bodies. She's sent a personal letter to her dear friend, Kaiko Silverwind. She'd given it to a member she could trust, another old friend she'd made from her time as a Braveheart. He'd sent her a brief text, telling her that the message had indeed been delivered. Melissa remembered how her heart has jumped with sudden nervousness. How would her friend react once she saw who she'd become?

Melissa felt like she owed her friend an apology. While she and the rest of the pack had been mourning death Melissa had slipped away and ran, leaving no hint or message behind indicating where exactly she had headed. Even now it had been months since she'd arrived at her new home, settled in, even made a few newer friends, and only yesterday she'd sent word to her best friend. Melissa took another swig from her glass, setting in down rather hard as she ordered for another refill. Her nerves were on end, getting rather impatient as the minutes ticked by.

Glancing at the clock, Melissa thought she'd seen a different familiar head than she'd been expecting. On impulse she lerched from her seat, following the muscular being. She called out to him, telling him to stop. Once she was close enough she grabbed a handful of the material that covered his back, causing the startled male to jerk around and face her. She eyes blinked multiple times, shocked as well. She shook her head, trying to regain her composure. She mumbled her apologies before turning away. It was a slow depressing walk back to the bar. Just as she reached it however, Kaiko's scent filled her nostrils. A rare grin lined her lips as she felt her friend enter the bar.

She once again looked at the letter. She must certainly give it to Melissa she certainly had penmanship. If she could write half as good at this she wouldn't have to struggle to read her own crooked handwriting. She stopped by the doorway looking around. She'd never been here before and it seemed a little strange to be here now.

But Melissa had been nothing but good to her and her friendship still meant something to her. It would be good to see her old friend again. Even if it was only for a short time.
I wonder how she's doing, Arzevic murmured.
She's doing just fine, our friend can take well care of herself, Kaiko thought a little stoically.

Kaiko slowly scanned the crowd as she headed into the crowd. Melissa was here somewhere she was catching faint whiffs of her here and there. Though there was something different about it. Something that sent a slight shiver through her. After a long moment her brain finally processed what it was she was smelling, Eternal darkness.

Her friend had turned to them after Gabrielle's death. In a way it wasn't really surprising in fact she knew she deep down her friend was slipping into those shadow's she had worked so hard to avoid. Kaiko straightened as she caught sight of Melissa heading over to the bar. A few feet away a man stood staring at her a little curiously. Taking deep breath she adjusted the collar at her throat and slapped a man's hand away from her ass.

Kaiko turned a narrowed gave on him "unless you want to get a hysterectomy with your car keys I suggest you keep your hands to yourself."
And your limp dick in its pouch, Arzevic growled suddenly. Kaiko turned away from the man and headed through the crowd towards Melissa. It was seemed strange that they had both grown so attached to Brutus in such a short period of time.
Kaiko stopped beside her friend letting a grin spread across her face as she held the note up between two fingers "well if it isn't Mel-belle, got you're curious well written note."

Melissa turned gracefully, her crystal orbs gazing into the cloud. She smiled in amusement as a clueless male placed his hand on her. She chuckled lightly, bringing her class up to her lips as she listened to Kaiko threaten the male. His eyes widened slightly and he held his arms up in a small "don't shoot" gesture. But Kaiko didn't see it, she was already making her way to towards Melissa. "You know letting the males get slightly carried away is part of the fun when coming here? I figured you would have at least teased him a bit." She winked at her friend, grinning coolly. Mel's own orbs flickered to the note, tempted to snatch it and rip it to pieces. What would her pack think, if they saw her chatting with a Venantium wereling? She plucked the note from Kaiko's grasp, plopping it onto the bar. She waved to a nearby bartender, shaking her empty glass. She also made a gesture for him to bring something for Kaiko as well. He got to it right away.

Turning back to her dear friend, Melissa's façade faltered. "How are you?" She longed for word of her past friends, to hear about them and how they were doing. How was Tei and her mate Jace? What of A.J.? But all the questions were locked under key. Melissa was a new person now, and she wasn't exactly companionate these days. Melissa flicked one long wavy strand of hair behind her, catching a male with a particularly nice build eye. She grinned, biting her lip for a moment before addressing Kaiko again, waiting for the male to take the bait. "How's life on the otherside? Enough males to keep you entertained?" Mel's tone was once again playful. Her façade was back in place, the chink in her armor gone. For the moment.

She sank down onto the bar stool next to Melissa. Saying nothing as Melissa took the note and placed with a flutter on the bar top. Kaiko snorted in annoyance "oh please me let some weak mortal male chase me with his tail held high thinking he's going to get something, that is such a ridicules idea it's almost laughable."
You're only saying that because we've found something more enticing to chase, Arzevic growled.
That is entirely beside the point, Kaiko thought a little more harshly then intended.

She said nothing as Melissa put in an order for two drinks. After only a few moments their drinks came and Melissa turned back to her. She narrowed her eyes at the question that came from her friends mouth. Kaiko narrowed her eyes ever so slightly gauging what to say. Though Melissa was her friend she was now of a different pack.

She had to be careful what she said.Yet in those eyes she say a flicker of her friend.
"Things have been pretty decent, been working a bar where it's always an amusement to drop the drunks out on their asses," Kaiko murmured. It was good to know that her old friend hadn't gone completely cold and bitter. She smiled a little sadly.

"It's a shame we are of different packs now, I do so miss going on run with you," Kaiko sighed taking a tentative sip. Kaiko felt herself slightly color at the mention of being entertained by males. It was one thing she hadn't expected to come up in the conversation.
"As for males there's always a certain degree of interest there isn't there," Kaiko chuckled leaning against the bar. Since she had asked she might as well tell her.
"There's a male around my part quite an intriguing male I might say by the name of Brutus, you know of him?" Kaiko murmured looking at her friend.

Yet she knew there was little chance of her knowing the male.

Melissa drank from her glass, taking note of Kaiko. She set her glass down, licking the rest from her lips. She could understand the hesitant look in her friends eye. The two friends were from different packs now, which meant an invisible wedge was placed between them. Even so, Kaiko managed  to reply without saying much at all. She's not as dumb as she used to be, Mila hummed quietly. It came out as a sort of praise from her inner wolf, but the thought rubbed Melissa the wrong way. Smarter she is, to not trust a former friend just because of where her bed now lies. Melissa shot back at Mila, rather bitterly. It was the truth, but a sad one indeed. "Perhaps a different day the two of us may stretch our legs through the meadows on the otherside of town, wouldn't that be nice?" Melissa smiled, keeping her tone light and cheery.

Melissa was surprised of the laugh that escaped her. Always a certain degree? The case did not seem to be so at Eternal, not one male had caught her eye. But maybe that was due to Melissa's lack of socializing with her new packmates.

"Brutus? No sorry to say I have not heard of him, but you must tell me all about him. Is he handsome?" Melissa arched an eyebrow, taking another drink from her glass. It was as if they were high school buddies, talking about the new hot kid in their class. Asking about this Brutus reminded Mel of Gabriel, how he'd smiled at her during their day at the lake. She smiled at the memory, looking down momentarily at her heels. God, she missed him. But tonight was not for her to weep and mourn. Tonight was about waking up and starting anew. Talking to her old friend was just the start.

She smiled as she thought about Brutus. She felt things towards him she had never felt towards anyone. The way his dark eyes sparkling or that charmers smirk he wore so well. It sent a little delighted shiver through her just thinking about him. Kaiko glanced at her curiously as she mentioned going for a run on the other side of town.

She had heard of a couple of areas in the neutral territories they could go. Though somewhere deep down told her to be a little cautious. Though Melissa was asking to met in neutral territory she was asking her to come alone. It would put her in position for a good ambush. Then again Melissa had been on the other end of an ambush, knew what it was like, and look what it had done to her.

Kaiko almost felt bad for considering such a thing from her old friend "that would be great, I'd say you could help me run the drunk out of the bar but I think both our Alpha's would frown upon such a thing."
How could you think such a thing about Mel, Arzevic growled.
We have to be careful just because we're friends now doesn't mean we will always be friends, we're of different packs now two, Besides her ambushing us could only cause trouble if not maybe even war, I don't think she wants that, Kaiko thought a little sadly. Kaiko took a long drink to think about how to reply.
"Well I'm not really surprised you don't know him since her just moved here from England, But he's charming in a way I've never seen before in a male," Kaiko huffed, "you know the first time we meant I almost got the urge to toss him on the floor for checking out my ass. But you know he's just to adorable that I couldn't do it. Especially with the way his curls fall across those dark eyes of his."

Smiling she turned and looked at Melissa.
"You know he calls me Lighteyes, usually I don't like being given nicknames but there's just something about him something I can't quite explain. I'd give him a nickname but you know how I am at that the best things I could come up with is pigeon and handsome,how sad is that?"

Melissa chuckled, agreeing with Kaiko when she said their Alphas probably wouldn't approve. She tried not to notice how Kaiko's expression seemed to sadden involuntarily. As she took a rather long drink, Melissa looked out along the crowded mass of people. No one in preticular was catching her eye, how sad. Melissa had hoped tonight would have been a win win, but it seemed she would be going home alone tonight.

Smiling per usual, Melissa listened as Kaiko talked about Brutus."He sounds like a charming young man. Just make sure you hold him close, male werelings seem to be in low numbers these days." Melissa meant to mumble that last little bit to herself. She swirled her drink in light circles, frowning at it. She decided in the end to just leave it, and so she set it down back on the bar with a slight thud. Melissa smiled at her old friend, getting up from her seat to stand.

"It was nice seeing you Kaiko. We should do this again sometime." She spoke the last sentence by a question rather instead of a statement. She'd seen the unsure look in her friends eye earlier in the night. Melissa couldn't help but be offended, but she understood at the same time. She dug into her handbag, paying her tab as well as a nice tip. After the bartender took the money, Melissa smiled again at Kaiko. She knew better than to go in for a hug, she would probably get her head ripped off. So instead she settled for an awkward wave over her shoulder as she made her way to the door. Once outside Mel dug again inside for her phone, checking for any messages. None. Melissa sighed lightly, put her phone back into her bag, and began to make the slow treck back to the lonely place she called home.

Kaiko heard Melissa chuckle lightly seeming to agree with her. She took another long pull of her drink looking about the bar. There were few and far between mortal male that actually looked a little handsome. Yet none of them peeked her interest as much as Brutus.
Kaiko broke into a faint grin glancing at Melissa getting an idea from her comment "why Melissa you just gave me a truly wicked idea, perhaps I should keep him on a studded collar and leash to keep him from wandering off."

He might enjoy that, Arzevic rumbled. Kaiko continued to smile not responding to her wolf. Her smile quickly faded as Melissa set her drink down unfinished. Had she said something wrong? It seemed like Melissa was upset by something.

Kaiko turned in her seat as Melissa got to her feet lamely stating that it had been great and hoping to do it another time.
"Melissa it really is great seeing you again and I wouldn't mind going for a run with you I really wouldn't," Kaiko murmured staring sadly at her friend. She felt her heart twist as Melissa didn't even seemed to notice this last statement as she dug out some money for the tab and headed towards the door. Waving awkwardly over her shoulder as she went. Kaiko sat at the bar frowning.

She would have given Melissa a farewell hug but she had no idea how her friend would react to such physical contact after Gabrielle's death. Kaiko sat at the bar nursing her drink wondering if she should go after her. Figure out what was really bothering her.