Over two years she had been looking, and so far nothing, random leads here and there but nothing that would get her any closer back with the one she loved. She had travelled months to get to these lands and still nothing to go on, were the rumours back home false? Had she been drawn to these lands to get her away from where her wife really was? Larka sighed heavily and leaned her head back against the tree she was sitting against. She had sailed over from Canelux a few days before and had been following up a lead, but again there was nothing to go on once she got there and made the inquiries she needed.

Larka had made her way North just to see what this land was like and eventually found her way to the Hanging Gardens. She had seen them in the distance and had asked some passerby what the place was, liking what she heard Larka had headed straight there. However, this only further her sadness at not yet finding Celeste. The Gardens were beautiful and Larka had spent hours just wondering around slowly, getting the enchanted violin to play a song, a sad song that matched her mood.

Larka found her mood growing darker as thoughts of never actually finding Celeste entered her mind. Sure she had thought these before, but was now two years on and no trace of the elf she loved so much. Larka wiped a few tears away as she leaned back against the tree, she didn't know if she was supposed to here off the pathway but no one had bothered her yet to ask her to move so she stayed.

”Celeste would love this place.” Larka spoke aloud to no one as she wiped more tears away and took a drink from her canteen. The rum felt good down as it always did, she had been a drunk before meeting Celeste, brought on by the loss of her first wife. But then Celeste had helped Larka get over it, and around Celeste Larka had barely touched any kind of booze for a long time. But now her anchor, her rock, was gone and Larka was losing herself to the bottle once more.

”Fuck it.” Larka swore as she took a long pull from her canteen which finished the rum off. Larka had decided to get right drunk, drunk enough to make her pass out, which was a lot of drunk for her at this point. But she was having a hard time convincing herself that that was really the path that she wanted to take today. She reached into her new bag, a bag that had no limit to what it held, she had a lot in it. She reached her hand in and focused on a bottle of rum and it was placed in her hand, she had stored a lot of rum in there already, enough to get her black out drunk.

She took the cork out of the bottle and stared at it for a moment, was this really what she wanted? She had made a promise to herself that she would never stop looking for Celeste until she found her, or died trying. But Larka knew she'd never be able to find Celeste if she was always drunk, besides, what wold Celeste think of her going back to drinking so heavily? It had been hard for Larka to stop the first time with Celeste's help, but what if she didn't find Celeste how would she stop? Then again, would she want to stop at that point?

Sighing to herself Larka set the bottle down at her side for now and leaned her head back, eyes red and watery from crying so much the last hour or so she'd been sitting here. She had lost track of time and didn't really care, though she was kind of hungry now. Sighing again Larka just sat there lost in her own dark thoughts and worsening depression, eyeing the bottle that called to her seductively, it would help numb the pain, it had before.

Kind of.

The beautiful gardens provided a sense of safety and sanctuary for most that trekked here. A good deal of lovers would find themselves here, to take in the sights and for some, they used this place to proclaim their love and even propose here. Beelze was not one of those people, not in the least. She didn’t come here for the scenery but rather for the people and beneath plenty of the flowerbeds laid the remains of the unfortunate that crossed her path. She had been around for the last four days, feeding on strangers and sleeping in trees when she wasn’t. Father didn’t need her for a while and she was left to her own devices, which was a very dangerous thing. But it was with luck that she had already feed and was slumped against a branch high up in a tree, sleeping when she heard someone saying something.

The words were lost to her as she started to stir, her mind not quite there with reality because of her rest but the lamia peeked down with barely open eyes. She waited for them to adjust before she could see the woman well down below. Whoever she was, she looked like she would be a decent meal though she was slightly hesitant in going down there. It was mainly because in a place like the Hanging Gardens, she was accustomed to seeing more than one person in a given area. Something about how lovers would escape here and blah blah blah. But this was a strange sight to see; the woman did appear to be alone after all.

Beelze didn’t hear or smell anyone else and by then she uncoiled herself from the branch and started to descend from the tree slowly and kept to the side away from her as to not be seen. The further she went, the more apparent the smell of alcohol became to her. She wasn’t the biggest fan of brewed drinks but she took to it every now and then and regretted when she drank too much. Another reason why she didn’t mind it was because it wasn’t uncommon for her to hunt down those that fancied them. Damn drunk fools made for the easiest of prey. Just before she reached the bottom of the trunk, she slipped all of her behind the tree and her lower half changed from a snake’s to a human. Peeking around, she watched the conflict that seemed to unfold- first the woman wanted to take a drink and the next she placed it aside. Tilting her head, Beelze slowly came from the tree.

“Not thirsty?” Her porcelain skin was in constant with her black locks that were made into a ponytail and her clothes (if you could call the the strips of clothing and furs) barely covered her torso and the leather skirt that came down to inches above the knees. Her eyes, a sickly green color, looked upon her, masking her need to feast on her right there and now. Instead, they shifted over to the bottle. She could smell the strong liquid as it settled in its container. “If you are thirsty, then why hold back?” Oh she could feel her hunger rising but Beelze pushed that need  back down inside. There would be time for that soon enough, but right now the hunt had started.

Larka had no idea the being that was above her was there, not that she, like most humans, looked up that much anyway. Not to mention her mood and drinking and an elephant probably could have sneaked up on her at that moment. So when the strange voice reached Larka's ears she jumped a little in surprise and looked around to see the woman standing there watching her. Larka drank her looks in; porcelain skin, green eyes, black hair tied back in a ponytail, a leather skirt and the rest Larka would call straps and clothing for what little it hid. She was gorgeous, put simply, and in any other mood Larka would probably be trying to get with the female.

But not at this time.

Instead, Larka was asked why she was holding back from drinking by the mystery female. ”Why bother? Nothing changes.” Larka replied with a sigh, unconsciously taking a drink from the bottle. ”All it does is dull the pain and the heartache, but it doesn't do anything else. By the morning it's all back again, stronger than before, plus the fear.” Larka closed her eyes for a moment and drank again. ”Two years, I've been looking for my wife for two years, I travel for months at sea to come to these lands and still nothing.” Larka's eyes watered more and she wiped tears away and drank. ”Will I find her? Is she alive? Who has her? Why did they take her? Or, worst of all, did she leave me, without a word, to get away from me?” More tears, another drink. ”She helped me before, through all the pain I had in my life before we met, I can't lose her. I can't lose another.” She drank more and leaned back against the tree eyeing the beautiful woman for a moment. ”Who are you anyway?” She asked finally and then offered the bottle of rum to the woman.

[OOC: Kinda short, sorry :/]

Beezle wasn’t one that tried seduction like her brother Dante was prone to nor did she carry any vanity about her appearance like her sister Carrie. No, she was huntress that wanted to feast more and more. It was like an addiction yet no matter how much she ate, she didn’t truly feel full until she had gorged plenty to eat. It took a hell of a lot for her to get that far, that much was for certain. As for her appearance, she didn’t see the point of wearing such dresses and other clothing that was so restricting. The less clothing she could wear, the better she could move and shift without having much problems. 

While her demeanor and posture seemed to provide her with the illusion of being non-hostile; Beelze’s inner thoughts were anything but. Keeping her distance, she watched inquisitively as the woman discussed her problems. Again, her eyes settled upon the bottle of alcohol as it was lifted to her lips. “Perhaps, but it better to feel like the void is being filled than to leave it empty.” It was a field that she was an expert in, that was for sure. From what she had gathered, this woman might have been like many others before her- from another realm that crossed over to here. Just how many had arrived? The exact number would most certainly never be found. Why, there was the possibility that her wife would not be found about these parts. From what she had heard, many had crossed over without their loved ones or that they were separated by great distances. Hearing her tale, it was still possible that the wife would be found, but it wasn’t the lamia’s concern whatsoever. As much as she hungered for her flesh and blood, she remained calm and still.

“I am Beelze”, she replied as she slumped against the tree, arms crossed tightly against her chest. The need for the woman to drink was not unlike her need to eat, though she wasn’t doing it due to emotional pain. After a bit, she pushed herself off and made her way towards her, and took the bottle. Pressing her lips onto it, she could taste the stinging alcohol enter her mouth and down her throat. She wasn’t much of a drinker, but she found herself downing a good size of it before she nearly tore it away from her and handed it back.

“Perhaps she may be found, perhaps not. You wish to numb the pain, yes? Then drink until you can no longer feel such pain. Even if temporary.”

[OOC: its cool ;)]

Larka drank more even as she knew she shouldn't, it felt good as the rum burned down her throat. She looked to the unknown woman for a moment when spoken to; fill the void instead of leaving it empty? Well, Larka did feel empty inside at the moment, with her depressing thoughts, she drank, sighing the Reaver watched the woman as she spoke her name. ”Larka.” She drank, and watched the woman come over and take the bottle from her hands. Larka was about to protest but stopped, as she reached into her bag and got another bottle from it pulling the cork out with her teeth as normal.

Was Celeste alive? Dead? Would she even want Larka to find her? Had she run away? Had Larka done something wrong to make her upset enough to leave? Their relationship was open, both didn't mind the other laying with another woman, or even bringing one home for a night, but they had always loved each other and always returned to each other after such nights. Other females were fun and all, but Celeste knew Larka the best and how to please her, and Larka, she thought, knew how to do the same to Celeste. But, had Larka made a mistake?

All these thoughts were swirling around with the booze in Larka's mind, a mind that was getting more addled as time went on. She drank as the woman spoke again, saying to numb the pain she was feeling until she felt no more, even for a time. Larka took a long drink from the bottle and then eyed Beelze again. ”You're very beautiful, by the way, if I was more sober I'd love to show you a good time.” Larka inhibitions with females was always rather low, but when she was drunk it could get worse. ”Fuck, even when I am drunk, I could show you a good time.” Larka laughed as brought the bottle to her lips again.

After a moment her thoughts kept rushing around. ”But maybe this is what made Celeste leave? I don't know if she left on her own or not, she may not want me to even find her. Have to I wasted two years trying to find her, and, if I do, will she only yell at me and tell me to leave her alone?” Larka wiped some sudden tears away. ”We had an open relationship after all, we both had fun with other women now and then, so, did I do something wrong? I wish she had told me if I did, I would have made it right, or at least tried to.” Larka took a long gulp again as she leaned against the tree, it was holding her up at this point.

Beelze was taken back just a bit, no one really had said that she was beautiful. It wasn’t too much of a surprise since beneath all that savagery was a pretty little thing but she hadn’t cared too much before. She wasn’t vain like her sisters, but it was nice to hear. “Uh, thank you.” For a moment, she had forgotten that she had came here to watch her quarry drink herself stupid and then enjoy the meal. Larka seemed to have similar appetites to what sister Rize have, and it made her chuckle darkly. “I’m sure you could. Though it doesn’t look like it would help you in the state you are in now.”

She shrugged a bit, letting the woman vent some more. “Perhaps. You ask too many questions though Larka. Too many worries over the “what ifs”. You should find her first and then worry about it. At least you would have succeed and felt as though you wasted time searching. You must be like a predator, never stop hunting until you have your prey…hrm, your lover I mean.” Beelze lacked the experience when it came to relationships, but it was clear that Larka harbored genuine strong feelings for this Celeste person. She could see that Larka was feeling the effects of the alcohol in her system. She smiled at her, with darker intentions lurking in her mind, safe from sight.

“Tell me, you and her aren’t around from these parts, are you? Confide in me your story, Larka.”

”I won't stop hunting!” Larka declared. ”I have to know what happened, no matter what the end result.” She drank watching Beelze as the woman asked of her story, to confide in her. Larka was normally one to hide some things, always putting up a wall of tough warrior not matter what. But she was too drunk and too in need of venting to let that prevent her.

She looked up Beelze and nodded patting the ground beside her, wanting someone close while she spoke of her past at length. ”You are right, we aren't from these lands.” She confirmed before continuing after taking another drink. ”I'm not even from the lands Celeste is from. I was raised in a mercenary troupe that my parents ran, but they disappeared when I was young while on a job. So my grandfather raised me and took over the group, for so long they were the only family I knew. In time I thought I had feelings for a boy my own age. One night we were alone and became close, it was, well, awkward for both of us. We didn't speak for some time, too embarrassed about what we tried to do to talk. His sister, a few years older than I, came home one day for a while and within a day guessed at what had happened between me and her brother. She confronted me about it, and, the next thing we knew, as it was her plan all along, we were laying in bed together.” She laughed with a smile as she took a drink at the memory of that night. ”It was an eye opening experience for me, I knew more of my place in the world and why I had always looked at the women more than the boys, I wasn't confused anymore.”

”In time I met a woman named Lilith while on a job, we were on opposing sides to the fight. We fought hard with all we had and ended up drawing. Four times in a month we met and fought and that happened. Finally one day I was in a tavern and she was there, people wanted a fight again, to watch us, but instead, we ended up taking the tension out in a bedroom on each others' bodies.” Larka smiled and drank. ”From that point on we dated, my grandfather wasn't too happy at first but he grew to love Lilith like family and was happy for me. We both bought our way out of our respective troupes and made a home in some highlands for ourselves. We adopted twins, a boy and girl,  Keenan and Mhairi, when they were only five.” Tears welled up quickly in Larka's eyes. ”Just over two years of pure bliss, that's the only way I can describe it, pure bliss. We lived well, and happily. Until the orcs started to march across the lands. They found our home and Lillith and I fought them, but were out numbered.”

She cried harder now. ”I, I watched them butcher my wife and my kids! They cut off my arm and left me for dead, but I didn't die, somehow I didn't die. Some travellers saw the smoke as our house burned and found me and got me back to health.” She raised her hand, the two wedding rings on her middle finger was what she was showing. ”All that I have left, aside from memories, and Lilith's rapier. After that, I wondered the lands fighting anything that looked at me funny, relearning all my sword work on my off hand. I slept with a different woman each night almost, sometimes more than one, I was always drunk. My companion wolf, Fel, died of old age a year later, so I was truly alone then, I had raised him from a puppy.”

She sobbed as memories flooded back and she drank. ”I had no purpose, no reason to live. I wanted to die, but couldn't bring myself to kill myself, so I fought, hoping to die in battle. I didn't. I heard rumours about a group of warriors called Reavers, so I hunted them down, wanting to join. I proved myself to them and allowed me in. I had to drink a concoction made of fresh dragon's blood, it would either make me a Reaver like them, or kill me. As you can see I again survived, but now I had a kind of family again, and they took me as one of their own. Not just humans, anyone can drink the concoction, but only the strongest can survive it, it turns out blood to a kind of poison. Some vampires have a hard time drinking our blood in large amounts.”

She drank. ”I was with them for years, until I decided I needed to see new lands and moved to where Celeste's homeland was. We had a mutual friend, a smith woman named Zhana, who we met through. Things grew from there, Zhana was only in love with her work, we were just friends to her, which was fine, but Celeste and I grew close. She became my anchor in life, my stone, my reason to keep living. The Reavers only gave me a reason to keep fighting, I figured out, but Celeste gave me a reason to survive. We married and spent happy years together until she disappeared, and here we are today, two years later, another new land and I don't know if I'm any closer to finding her.” Larka finished off the bottle and found and opened a new one from her endless bag. She was done talking now, she was still crying, and she was incredibly drunk, it was likely she'd pass out soon.

[ooc; you can say she passes out in your post if you want, depending on what you have in mind :) ]