RP:A Stranger and His Boat
Summary: A brief meeting between Vydarri and Meri, an offer join him in his boat, and an understanding that they'll have to meet up and speak more before that'll ever happen!
The Harbour
As you pass by the guards at their posts at the massive, sturdy gates to the Harbor of Rynvale, your nose is immediately bombarded by all the scents of the Harbor, especially the scent of the sea, in all its salty magnificence. The hollering of sailors fills your ears, shouted orders drowning out the hustle and bustle of merchants all going about their business on the waterfront, attempting to lure someone into buying their precious wares. Out in the distance, you can see many ships, some in pristine condition, others lacking, and a few that are still in the stages of construction. Sailors run all about the decks of those ships; cleaning, dropping anchor, and generally following orders. Just beyond the ships, a massive stone wall rings the outer waters, with a double-wide portcullis that acts as a passage for incoming and outgoing boats. Anyone sailing must have a proper license to even enter the Harbor without raising an alarm from the Navy, as well as the rest of the city. You can barely make out Archer towers scattered about the fortified gray stone wall, their signal fires yet to be lit. As a few sailors stumble past you, obviously drunk, you happen to notice a square building beside you. It is connected to yet another building, twice the first’s size, via means of an upper level causeway; the Dockmaster and Officers’ building being the first, and the Navy’s barracks being the larger building. You begin to feel very safe in this stone-fortified Harbor, especially with such a heavy presence from the naval officers marching this way and that on errands.
Meri had a few places she liked to go when she just wanted to get away and clear her mind. During the day the harbour may not be a place that any individual would want to go for a moment of solace but at night it was considerably quieter - not entirely devoid of humanoid noise, but the volume had faded so that the ocean breaking against the wooden pillars that hold up the harbor. Even the birds managed to ease up on their incessant chatter. Meri is present, sitting at the edge of the dock with her legs dangling over the side and blue eyes cast downward, staring rather raptly into the dark ocean beneath her. Really there was not much to her, just some blonde-haired number who was covered in tattoos enough to rival a number of the sailors that passed through this port town. All of them vibrantly colored and all of them sea-faring in nature. That was really the most impressive thing about her appearance, everything else hinted to the fact that she was probably not a well off woman. Her bodice was in decent condition, sure, we can give Meri that much. Outside of that? Her pants were ink-stained, but they were thankfully black, and had holes in the knees while her boots definitely looked worse for wear. Of course, it may be hard to make out those details given the main source of light is the moon and the fact she is sitting.
Vydarri was about as concealed as the moonlight, hard to miss tonight in his own rather different ensemble. The young paladin’s shirt was as brisk a white as possible, matching the cane in one hand. It is fine material, much like the walking stick, an item of craft more than necessity. His pants are thankfully black however and while nice they drift into a well-worn and skillfully made pair of black boots. No armor tonight, but the deep and vibrant red of his hair makes him hard to miss in the daylight, at night it is no less striking, nor are those light eyes of his. The harbor was not really what he’d come for, at least not in truth. The sea was his call, and on the occasional evening, one his offerings had been made, the paladin would come to rest among those crested waves. Just to the right of Meri’s perch would be a small dinghy, well made and kept but not overly stated, especially for a noble house like Ettilyn and perhspa this is what he preferred. Just a few yards behind the sickly high born was a smaller half-breed, Syl, and while she seemed inclined to fret over him as they walked her distance remained, especially as the cane and boot clip slowed to a halt just before the little vessel. “ Not joining me Sylbe? It’s quite relaxing.” The tease in his tone was audible and her response came a little shrill, as if terrified and perhaps she was. “N-no! You just stay close M-master Ettilyn and I will keep wary eye on you here.” A shiver shook the poor girl. “ We were not meant for the water.” To say that Vydarri did not notice the strange blonde on the dock would be a lie, he had and in fact did look over the blonde woman with her ink with something akin to a knowing comradery. The sea, despite his nurse’s beliefs was one of his only true peaceful endeavors, perhaps because the guard and nurse both loathed the depths, but if asked he would simply say it was her song that drew him. “ Evening miss, sorry to disturb you.” That voice came again, refined, lilting, and burning with an accent that was strange and inviting.
Meri's attention had been pulled toward Vydarri pretty quickly, that tapping of the cane against the wood of the docks was hard to miss even for a woman last within her own thoughts. Vydarri and his companion are first noticed from a distance, though she does not move from her position to greet them. A glance their direction, a glance away, resumption of her mulling and musing. It's not until Vydarri and Sylbe are immediately next to her that Meri actually gives them full regard. Vydarri is the first to receive a harmless once over and Sylbe earns one of equal measure. Reckless behavior is something that Meri herself is prone to, but she herself looked like a perfectly healthy woman. Two opposites here, one poor and healthy the other seemingly wealthy (people are not addressed as Master for no reason) and yet without his health, it did seem they had the love of the oceans in common at least. With a slow inhale, her thoughts are pushed to the back of her mind and a smile curves across her red lips to greet Vydarri and his companion seemingly with warmth. "You are not disturbing me at all." A beat. "But. I might recommend that you listen to your lady friend and echo her sentiments that you stay close. It is dark and the sea is a fickle, changing woman. She could easily capsize that little dingy of yours and if something were to happen in the night? It would be harder to locate you and you'd only drive your companion here mad with grief." She may sound nice, concerned, but really her top worry was that she would end up having to hall some rich stranger back to shore. That is not how she wanted to end her day.
Vydarri did not argue this stranger’s point, in point of fact and care he was already stepping to the deck of the boat with a ease that hinted perhaps at an affinity not fitting of the house of Ettilyn, or their sickly heir. The warning though, would allow him to turn a stare towards Meri with the heartiness of his crooked and single-dimpled smile. Fingertips clutched a rough leather cord and plucked from beneath the confines of his shirt a talisman of Selene, his matron goddess and the Lady of the seas. “I trust in my lady and her waters, to comfort me, or punish me when needed. She seems quite at peace tonight, and I have no want to strive far.” There was no delivery this night, and his shadowy endeavors which bordered perhaps beyond the realms of legality were not things he oft allowed accompaniment for. “Sylbe merely distrusts the waters and as my nurse frets for me regardless of the situation.” Another bow and he was moving to the mooring lines as well as making the boat ready for his brief jaunt into the more direct moonlit-clad waters. An afterthought pauses him, halting a push-off and those pale hues find the pair of women curiously enough. “Of course, there is plenty of room if either of you wish to join me?” Syl was resolute, her head jerking too quickly, too fast in a refusal, but the invitation remained for Meri in those calm moments.
Meri's red lips would once more be twitching upwards, this time not into a grin that was likely memorized for the sake of the show, but a slight smirk of temptation. Jump into a dinky little boat with some strang man whose name she has not even received? While she does not shake her head nearly as vehemently as Sylbe does, ultimate the woman does decline the answer. Sort of. A middle ground is offered instead, "Ah, I don't know. The hour is late, it seems like you have a task at hand. I should probably also be wandering along my way. The night is no place for a pretty face, is it?" Meri shrugs, that last statement said without much conviction, she was usually one of those beings causing trouble in the night. "But perhaps if you gave me your name, we could agree to meet somewhere...." Normally Meri would offer up the suggestion of whiskey, or some other alcoholic beverage but she is getting the notion that perhaps this will be good idea with Ms. Fretting Nurse around. "For tea, for example. And then, I don't know, maybe after I determine that you are not a serial killer wanting to haul me out onto the ocean where you can drown me and dispose of my body by feeding me to mermaids." Yes, she is quite charming." ...Maybe...just maybe...after I come to this conclusion, if you go 'Meri, how much you want to bet that my dinky little boat won't sink.?' Maybe I will take you up on that bet."
Vydarri laughed at the undeniable pluck of his new acquaintance, a serial killer? The sound was deep, gentle, and warm, a mark of the being who held it perhaps. The woman likely could best him in a standard fight and yet he appreciated the response for what it was. “ A Task? Nay, I simply wish to commune a bit with these waters and that moonlight” A realistic response given with the strayed pointing of a lithe finger towards the solemn orb above them. “ You do indeed have a point though, I have blundered. I am Vydarri and I would hazard a guess that you are Meri?” The books in the parlor had a artist name upon them, one had been Lita’s, the other Meri; perhaps this was that lady… A Thought he stored before offering a pensive invitation. “ I would happily meet you for tea, or brunch, perhaps a dinner if you like, though I cannot say for certain just how pleasant or enjoyable my company might be. “ His own teasing response, more because a evening or event with him was likely to be rare without the accompanied guards, Syl was friendly enough of course, but as Lita had seen Bryg was more abrasive an individual.
Meri was hardly a lady, many would back that argument up. Lady-like was one thing that she was not good at. Hands are placed on the edge of the docks as Meri inches backwards, giving the heels of her boots ground to plant themselves to that she can stand. "Well since you are in doubt of the name I have given, I think that perhaps my name is Annabelle now." It was Meri, she was just snarking off a little bit, but this snark is followed by a grin that she can only hope comes across as good natured. It was not meant to be the cruelest amount of snark. "Then it is settled. We'll meet." For what? It does not seem that Meri is going to take the time to define those details. When? Much the same treatment. "If you will excuse me though, I should be on my way."