She said... (Rystain/open)

[Dorian Knight]

"Ryst, calm down," Ryan said softly, hopefully not loud enough for Lyra to hear, once his friend had come closer. "Yelling isn't going to do anything but upset both of them."

He could already see where this was going. Hell, he could have called it the day Rystain told him he was seeing Lani. No girl, no matter what she said, was ever okay with sharing her guy.

He sent Sam a look. It would have been better for her to have gotten Lani... a much nicer summons, anyway.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Samantha jumped when she heard Rystain yelling, she just didn't like loud things and he had startled her since she was un prepared to hear him yell. Her heart raced after that from the adrenaline already pumping through her system. She looked at Lyra again and didn't quite know how she wanted to respond but regardless she held a promise in her eye that if Lyra asked it she'd hex both Dorian and Rystain and hold them down while Lyra ran.

[Leilani Evetts]

Lani swore her heart stopped when she heard that yell. So the b*tch tattled on her. She knew it was coming, and it still scared the crap out of her when he yelled. He was angry, and she wondered just what had already transpired between Lyra and Rystain.

Taking a deep breath and forcing herself to calm down, she descended the stairs into the common room. She didn't rush, but she made sure not to keep him waiting, either.

"Yes, Rystain," she said when she could see him.

[Rystain Quandry]

Rystain was scowling as Lani emerged he waited for her to come into the room before he spoke as calmly as he could. "Leilani, would you care to tell me what has been going on behind my back between you and Lyra? And why you lied to her about me saying she was obnoxious?" He had his hands crossed over his chest, easily within reach of his wand should someone decide to use anything other words tonight. He was upset, at Lani for whatever she'd said to Lyra.. at Lyra.. at the whole thing being aired in the middle of the common room.. of Sam who was apparently siding with Lyra.. and he suspected his best friend Ryan would side with Lani.. and he was the one who had been honest all along to both of them. He'd been open about who he was, and even warned Lani once.. and now he was stuck in the middle of a cat fight. If he didn't care about both of them in some way he would have just stormed out and left them both behind.

[Leilani Evetts]

"Just because we both like you doesn't mean we have to like each other," Lani said, raising her eyebrows and looking directly at Lyra though she spoke to Rystain.

"In fact, we don't. I just decided to keep it between us and not come running to you to save the day," she finished, looking hard and Lyra before she finally looked back at Rystain.

He couldn't have expected any less of two girls, honestly.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam actually hadn't sided with Lyra, she rather just sided against Rystain. This was the soup he had stirred and if he didn't like it he shouldn'tve added one too many ingredients. This is what happened when you added genuine affection into the mix of sleeping together, he was blind to think he could get away with screwing someone he was starting to have feelings for and then turn around and screw a long time friend as well. Both were receptacles for his mood. Lani when she was "irresistible" to him, and then Lyra when he was angry with himself for feeling something towards another girl and determined to kill that feeling by proving he didn't care.

He didn't want this mess. He warned the girls. They knew what they were getting into yes...but when you were in love you could almost make yourself believe that the person you were with would somehow love you back.

[Lyra Newbury]

"Oh shut up Lani. I'm not wanting him to 'save the day'. f*ck off." She was back to angry now, though she was still teary eyed and it was apparent that she'd been sobbing recently. She gave Lani the same look that Lani had given her.

[Rystain Quandry]

"Fine you don't like each other, but why are you telling her lies about me Lani? And Lyra you should know better than to believe those lies, if anyone you should know me better than that."

Rystain took a breath and continued.

"I have never lied to either of you. As a matter of fact I distinctly remember giving you a warning about me Lani. And Lyra, you've known me for over six years did you really think I'd change? You of all people should know three things about me. One, I don't lie to either of you. Two, I don't want to hurt either of you. Three, I never talk about either of you to the other person and when I am with one of you I am not thinking of the other at all. I am not going to change my spots just because you'd rather me be a panther instead of a leopard. I am what I am, hell that's why I'm not marrying Alice Prewett. Because I am likely not capable of changing my spots. At least I don't give you a one night stand and break your hearts. I'm honest up front with what I am, you both chose to accept that when you slept with me."

He didn't care who was listening now, he was upset...

[Leilani Evetts]

"You think that matters, Rystain?" Lani whispered, ignoring Lyra. "That you warned me? Well I'm sorry. I dealt with it for as long as I could, and I'm sorry... but don't just be angry at me for one lie. Be angry at her for warning me off like some dog claiming it's territory. Be angry with both of us for falling for you. Merlin forbid."

She was calm when she said all of this, and for a brief moment, she could see where Lyra was coming from.

She turned on her heels to go back upstairs, wondering if Rystain would actually let her.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam shook her head, no, Rystain was worse than the one night stand. He didn't let you off that easily. A one night stand you could survive it was simple, you broke a little of course but you got over your foolishness and you carried on with your life. What Rystain did was he didn't let you go, he seduced you time and again when his eyes told you that he loved you, and his lips caressed you as if you were the only girl for him, and then when he had your heart in the palm of his hand he crushed it by reminding you that you were just one of many, and that you wouldn't last either, he'd get bored, he'd never change his spots. He made them fall in love and didn't give them the clean break in the end.

Sam was frowning now, heatedly, he was a fool if he didn't understand that.

[Rystain Quandry]

"Lani.. don't leave. Please." He reached out to try to stop her from leaving, Rystain was fighting with himself now and he didn't like it... "I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt either of you. I never expected for either of you to fall for me. I don't even see why you would. I'm certainly flawed as all of this seems to show. You know even Ryan tried to warn me this would happen but I didn't listen because I happen to care about both of you in different ways. And now ... "

Rystain raked his hand in his hair, he was frustrated, hurt, confused and upset.. with both of them and himself. "I don't want to loose you Lani, but I won't hold on if it will hurt you to be with me. And Lyra, you are one of my best friends... and yes I care about you but you can't say anything about me after what I saw the other night. You can't have fallen that far for me and I know you'll recover in the blink of an eye. ..or maybe I should be the one to just leave. I dont' want to hurt either of you any more. "

[Leilani Evetts]

"Stop being so damn self sacrificing! Neither of us buy it!" Lani jerked her arm away from him, giving him a hard look, but she stayed. How could she deny him anything?

"Rystain... I am not going to speak for Lyra... so this is about you and me right now. Listen to me, please." As she started this, knowing what she was going to say, and how she felt, tears sprang to her eyes and she didn't even try to stop them. She wanted to yell at him and make him feel as worthless as she felt right now, but she realized there was too much emotion in her, and she just cried while she spoke, more calmly than he deserved.

"You're a fool if you thinking warning me was going to keep me away. If you think I'm just hanging around because the sex is good. I give you sex because I've completely fallen for you, and I don't know that you'd keep me around if I didn't put out. Maybe that makes me weak. Maybe that's my character flaw, but there it is. I love you, in the way a 16 year old girl can love a boy, and it doesn't matter if you say you're no good for me."

She took a deep breath and shook her head. "You're a dick if you think that you're any better than Rabastan, or Devin, or any of them. Rabastan reels you in and uses you, and then he's gone. He doesn't drag you along for weeks and make you feel like the only girl in the world that matters, when it's all a lie. In fact, Rabastan usually only has one girl at a time. I don't want to be laying in your arms wondering if Lyra gets the same chills I do when you speak in French, or be worried if she does something better than me that you might choose her over me for. You make me feel like the only girl in your world... and it's worse because I'm not. I'm one of how many, Rystain?"

She shook her head and looked at Lyra. "And for your information, Lyra, I told him no when he asked me to the dance. I told him no because I thought he should go with you. So you're angry that I lied and told you he thought you were obnoxious... fine! Deal with it. You're the one who came to me and started this fued between us. And yes, I hate you too... because everytime he holds me, I have this fear it's you he wants. Does that make you happy?"

Her eyes trailed to Sam and Ryan. "And what the hell are you two still doing here?! Is my humiliation any of your business? Well take notes, Ryan, maybe you can be next! Or you can sell them to Devin and Rabastan, since they like to harrass me so much. Oh, and Lyra, you might be pleased to know that they like watching you better."

"So no, Rystain. You cannot blame us. You cannot blame me. Warning or not, you made me fall for you, and I'm guessing you made Lyra fall for you too, and that's something *you* have to contend with. And walking away isn't the answer. It's not going to fix anything. So fix this, Rystain."

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam knew she should have left and dragged Dorian out of there with her, but she wasn't leaving a friend behind and so Lani could shove it. Still the girl painted a heartbreaking picture of pathetic puppy love gone wrong.

While Lani had started her little speech Sam had gone to Lyra with a hankerchief in toe and helped the girl pick up her appearance since she knew that mattered to Lyra, she knew that Lyra wanted to put on a strong face so she was genuinely surprised when Lani turned to her and asked if her degradation was enough, she didn't care honestly but she didn't say anything either. She wasn't taking notes, and none of this was amusing to her, but she accepted the fact that it wasn't any of her business either so she wasn't going to comment.

[Lyra Newbury]

Even if he had been trying to comfort her with his words, he was making her feel worse. He cared about Lani and liked Lyra as a friend. And all because she had f*cked Rabastan just to get some lousy information out of him. At the time she had thought nothing of it, but now it seemed the most stupid, pointless, demeaning idea she had ever had. She was still trying to ignore her feelings for Rystain, because deep down she knew he wouldn't love her like she loved him. And he didn't. He thought she'd just get over him as soon as another bloke showed the slightest interest. Her lip began to quiver and a tear slide down her cheek.

She stayed silent as Leilani went on her long winded tirade. She tried to block it out, anything that didn't directly involve her because she didn't want to feel sympathetic for Lani. But she felt too closely to what she said about when Rystain spoke to her in French. He had done the same with Lani and now all she could think about was what those silly words had meant. He knew she couldn't speak French. Was he telling her he didn't care about her? Had he told her he loved someone else? She didn't care how many others there were, because they didn't matter. He only had real feelings for Lani, and she was all too aware of it. The others, the time passers, they were nothing. She could deal with a dozen nothings, but one something and her whole well sculpted persona went out the window. Just one Lani and her humility was on display for her friends to mock. She looked at Samantha, taking the handkerchief she handed her, but that also made her cry and she went back to looking at Lani, who she could easily just be mad at.

She wanted to make a smart remark when Lani mentioned the boys liked watching her with Rystain more than they liked watching him with Lani. But it only made her feel worse, the reminder that there were times it was Lani and not she. She wanted to leave but knew if she did and he didn't call after her as he had with Lani that she would die right then. She stayed planted, switching between furious at Lani, furious at Rystain, and so completely in love with Rystain that she wanted to end it all.

[Dorian Knight]

Ryan groaned quietly and rubbed his eyes. He wasn't on Lani's side. He wasn't on Lyra's side either, but Rystain was right. He had warned his friend that this was going to happen, and now he had two sobbing girls on his hands, and at least one of them was going to get very very hurt tonight. Someone was walking away with a broken heart.

He was proud of Lani for telling Rystain that he needed to fix this, that he couldn't count on the girls to solve it and just be okay, but he wondered how Rystain was going to do that, if he'd make the right choice, or if he'd avoid it all together. Or maybe he'd leave them both. Which would be a stupid idea.

He wanted to get up and hug Lani. Lyra had Sam right there... Lani was just face to face with Rystain, and he could see that she was trembling, the tears streaming down her cheeks.

No good, he repeated in his head.

[Rystain Quandry]

Rystain felt the war going on in his head and his emotions. He'd spent his whole life avoiding emotions, he was a romantic french man at heart, he cared about women. It was his downfall. His father had been no better, married to one woman he didn't love and seeking that love in other women. He'd hated his father for it, for not caring about his mother. And now here he was, someone who actually did care about these women. He hadn't been with anyone else since Lani had entered the picture other than Lyra, his friend who he'd always been attracted to an had the spirit of tiger. She was feisty and she knew what she wanted. However Lani had slowly pealed away at his heart with her many facets of caring and sharing things with him that no one had ever shared. She was like a rose with many petals of her personality to explore, but all were gentle and delacate... she reminded him of his mother, who despite being a Gaunt had a gentle and sweet heart.

And although he normally would have ended up marring Lyra.. she was very much like him in some ways and would have been a good match.. if he didn't mind loving someone but still holding onto his freedom to be with others, like his father had done. He however had found himself feeling more and more for Lani with each passing day. She had somehow managed to embed her roots into his heart and grow. And she'd done it without his really being aware of it happening. He admitted to himself than in two different ways he cared about them both very strongly, enough that there really had been no other women than these two. He'd not repeated his actions or his words with either of them.. both were such different women and both had deserved different responses and actions which he'd done without thinking about it. Though yes he had spoken french to both but not even the same things, and not in quite the same ways. But what did it really matter in the long run? Both had been hurt by him, both had fallen for him, and he was hurting that it was so.

Rystain didn't move, but he faced a central point in the room and spoke to them both. He was going to hurt one of them no matter what he did, did he risk loosing a friend he'd known since childhood. Or he would end up hurting the girl who had in such a few weeks managed to take over his emotions and made him act like a fool sometimes. The real question was what choice did he make or did he just end it with both right now. Was he even capable of making either happy? Could he be with just one girl? was it worth trying for only to have her possibly be hurt even worse later?

"Lyra, you and Ryan are my best friends and always have been. And I do care about you, Lyra, but as a friend. You offered me no strings attached and I took it, knowing that we would have fun and that the next day there would be no strings, no hurting you. And I"m sorry you're hurt now, just because my feelings have not changed, other than caring for you as one of my best friends. I'm sorry I can't return more than that."

" And Lani.. somewhere along the way I've seen in you things that I never expected to find on the surface. You've managed to catch me where it matters most. You make me smile when we do nothing but just talk, and I don't have to worry about things with you, other than if my roomates are in my room to bug us. And Lani... I've never had a woman in my bed just to sleep. You were the first. But Lani... I don't know if I can ever live up to your standards. I don't want to hurt you. But I'm afraid that I will, that I won't be able to stop myself. MOI réfléchir Je suis chute pour vous. And I am afraid that I'll only end up hurting you, just like my father always did to my mother. I don't know that I can make you happy, but I want to."

He knew Lyra would probably hate him, that he likely had lost one of his best friends. But he had to be honest as he possibly could, with himself as much as with them.

[Leilani Evetts]

Lani's heart was pounding as he spoke, and he sounded so damned diplomatic, and so even toned. He was going to end it with her, she knew it. She had admitted love, admitted that she couldn't share him any more and wanted him for herself, and she knew he didn't like that. He was going to give her up. Had she been a weaker girl, she would have interrpted him and begged him to choose her. But no... she did not beg any man to love her.

His words washed over her at first, and she sank to sit on the steps as his words sank in and she tried to understand what he meant.

She looked up and Lyra, and the girl was blurry because Lani was still crying so much, though her tears were silent. She realized she hadn't been the one he ended it with, and her gaze snapped back to Rystain. He was leaving it open? He was going to leave Lyra's broken heart up to her? The bastard!

She swallowed and licked her lips. She knew she was blocking Lyra's escape to the dorms, but she couldn't bring herself to move.

She swallowed again. "I can't do this right now," she whispered to him. She wasn't going to say anything in front of Lyra... she had more class than that.

[Lyra Newbury]

Her breathing was centered in her chest and not her stomach, and it was shallow and sharp. It was making her dizzy and light-headed, or maybe that was what it felt like when your heart crumbled in your chest. She wanted to scream, not at hi, not even at Lani. But just scream, just make sure she still had breath.

Rystain didn't want her. He wanted Lani. She was destined to be just a friend, like Ryan. God she was no better than Ryan. The room was spinning. She couldn't just listen anymore. "I didn't plan on this. I didn't think I'd fall in love with you Rystain. I never meant for this to happen but it did and now I feel like a fool. F*ck, why can't you see that I didn't want this?" She was getting mad at his blindness.

"I can't just be your friend anymore! I can't sit here and pretend I don't love you. And I won't. If you don't want me, then fine. I have to accept that. I can't understand why its her and not me. But I have to accept it. But I know you better than anyone else, you know that. I understand you better than she ever could and when you figure that out, and when you are through with her..." Would she be waiting for him? She was so angry at this moment that she couldn't imagine waiting patiently in the wings. She didn't finish that thought.

"I'm better for you. I understand you. I never had a problem with you and other girls. I get that. I do that. But when she means so much to you that you'd leave me, your best friend, out...I can't handle that Rystain. I just-" She finally ran out of breath. Or possibly the will to continue. He had made his choice, so what was she still fighting for? Her tears stung her eyes, made everything hazey. She wanted to crawl into her bed a die, but of course Lani was blocking her way. Lani got everything out of this and she couldn't even be bothered to let Lyra go to the peace of her dorm. Fine, she'd leave the Slytherin dungeon all together. Her ragged breath would be enough to get her out the door. Once free of the common room, she sprinted up the dungeon dorridor, climbed the steps to the ground floor, and sunk against the stone wall. She was too upset to notice if anyone else was there.

[Samantha Montgomery]

It did seem cold. Not purposely of course no Rystain wouldn't hurt Lyra on purpose, but it simply didn't seem fair that there wasn't two of him. She felt for Lyra, honestly she did. She remembered saying that she would have no pity but this was different. Ever since she could remember being at the school she could see Lyra with Rystain, hell if she wanted to overdo it she could partially blame herself with how she teased Lyra about him...she thought that they would make it, that they would be together, and now...this mess.

She had a job to do however and her job was to be there for Lyra so without another word she left after her friend.

[Rystain Quandry]

Rystain wanted to go after her to make things better to make her remember how much he enjoyed her company and her friendship, that playful taunting energy they'd always had together. But they were the once forcing him to make some kind of choice because neither of them could figure out how to share him. Neither of them could keep their jealousies at bay. Neither of them could realize that he cared about them both, wanted them both. Both of them had such different qualities and... but no, they were right, if they couldn't share him.. then he had to pick. They'd forced his hand to hurt someone. He'd never wanted either of them hurt. He had never wanted for them to fall in love with him. And the hardest part was he'd grown to care about them both.

He wasn't sure if he could change... wasn't really sure if he wanted to... but he knew he didn't want to hurt them, either of them. But he'd had to pick one.. they gave him no choice. And if Lyra hadn't started picking fights with Lani then neither had to be hurt. At least that's how he saw it.

But he couldn't chase after Lyra, and he knew that Lyra was right, they were the same person and in other circumstances he probably would have chosen her. But he also knew she was the one who'd know how to get herself back on her feet. Likely in a few days she'd either hate him or have moved on from him. Maybe to Rabastan's bed or Devin's or even Ryan's bed. He sighed.

Then he looked back at Lani, there was still hurt in his eyes... hurt that they'd forced him to hurt one of them. That he knew he might easily have just lost one of his best friends in the process. And he was afraid, afraid he'd still end up hurting Lani in the end. Afraid that he wouldn't be good enough for her, afraid she still would turn on her heels away from him as the stood there. He should have just left them both and gotten it over with and moved on. But he wasn't heartless and cruel, as much as they might think he was. And he looked at Lani, willing her to say something.