RP:Have A Daisy
Summary: Irenic encounters Meri on his way to visit Quizical's grave.
Shopping District
Where once fine ladies and gentlemen may have been free to browse elegant shops in safety, now a grimy thoroughfare of dingy stalls, clamouring hawkers and bawdy-houses line the cluttered streets. On every corner leers a drunk, a thief, or a woman of ill repute. Many of the beggars shuffling these streets were once proud sailors, now gone to ruin with drink or disease, some renedered limbless in seafaring accidents. Smoke rises from small street-fires lit in old tins with which the down-at-heel keep warm. But there's money to be made and spent here too; the occasional extravagant individual passes by, more often a figure feared than one likely to be robbed. Only the vicious get rich in Rynvale, anymore. Truly, it is a place where only the fittest survive.
Meri was just leaving SoulsKin, carrying more items with her than she normally would when locking up and calling it a night. Not that Irenic would be familiar with what she does and does not do around the shop on a regular basis. Today she is leaving with her usual satchel as well as another burlap bag, both of which are slung precariously over the same shoulder with one bag threatening to slide from shoulder to elbow. Also in tow is a wooden board, the cut of which is not perfectly square, as if she just found the material and repurposed it rather than actually going out and buying it from a hardware store or something similar. The board is leaned against the outside wall of the shop so that Meri can fumble around in a search for her keys. Dang bags. It did not seem to matter how tough the chick was, seems if she had a bag it was still impossible to find anything in it. "Damn keys."
Irenic was meandering his way down the street with some dinged up looking spyglass telescope and a small bouquet of flowers both in one black clawed hand. The flowers are made up of blues and whites which would remind one of more manly colors so it was odd he would think a lady would fancy this arrangement. Luckily it wasn't meant for a lady. Irenic, himself, was wearing a lot less than usual under the black cloak he had on and it must have been a good hour or two since sundown. His large bird-like eyes look down at Meri and her struggling through the covering shadows of the hood from the cloak. Glancing about before he speaks up in his dryly gruff and sarcastic tone, “having issues there?” It was hard for him to joke around in this form as his usual primal side makes him more of a prick, but sometimes he was able to feel himself at the same time. Again, he glances about before holding out a soft feathered hand in an offer of help to hold something while she finds the keys.
Meri did not think much of this cloaked form until Irenic really speaks to her. She turns and looks up at the man, peering beneath the hood to make out the features. It does not take her long to realize who it is speaking to her and a brow is lifted as a greeting. Not just because Irenic seems to set the tone in a gruff and sarcastic manner, but because they really did not leave things on pleasant terms the last time they had a chance encounter. Lips are pressed together, shaking her head as she drops her second bag so that she can really dig through her usual satchel. "Nope," she states as she finally produces those keys and holds them up for Irenic to see. "Problem solved." The door is locked and keys are tucked away again, so she can repeat this process another day. The usual lady might indeed enjoy the flowers but either Meri is unimpressed with flowers or she has no assumption that they would even be for her. Still, she'll ask. "So what's the occasion? Why are you carrying flowers around?"
Irenic doesn’t really care how things were left between them last time as he was just messing around with her and found the whole thing amusing. His hand retracts in watching her stubbornness forgo his help and he adjusts the hood a little more to hide his hideous features. He pulls one long white daisy out to hand to her and if she didn’t want it that would be fine too, but his mismatched gaze would travel down to the flowers and spyglass at hand when he got quiet for a moment. “They are for someone I’m visiting… Someone who lost their life in the earthquake.” He wasn’t an overly complicated man and found no use in lying about what he was doing either, I mean, it’s not as if he isn’t allowed to have feelings. He cleared his throat gently before turning himself back towards the west in order to continue his trek, but he stays until she has an indication to leave. Maybe they are going the same way. He finally adds while looking west at nothing in particular, “he was an orphan boy. Quite young,” neglecting to add that the boy reminded him a lot of himself because he was also an orphan and the fact that he looked at the kid as his own, even dreading the bittersweet day when someone would adopt him.
Meri was indeed a stubborn woman but while she would not accept the help she would at least accept the single flower. It seemed like a friendly olive branch and she was not so stubborn that she would be blatantly rude. It's not like the fountain situation was so horrible she needed to hold it against Irenic forever. A frown weighs at red lips as Irenic delves into more sensitive subjects that Meri is not always equipped to deal with. It was easy to talk about shallow subjects but when it came to deeper, more meaningful conversations she often offended. Somehow. Even with this nagging concern in the back of her mind, Meri will try. "Oh. I am sorry. The earthquake? The one in Larket? That happened during the royal wedding?" There was talk, of course, and Meri had seen evidence. "That was not all that long ago from what I understand."
Irenic would not be easily offended because the only thing that she could say to do that was that the kid deserved to die or something. He understands not knowing the right things to say or do and he actually was only telling her who the flowers were for without expecting anything in return. “That would be the very one… And I’ve been cursed since that time pretty much.” His matter of fact tone makes him sound removed from the whole thing as if this awful and painful change doesn’t happen every morning and every night. He doesn’t even remember why he was there (he was Valrae’s date) and it makes him feel all the guiltier for it. Of course Meri won’t be able to tell because for one his difficult to read birdface was shadowed by his hood and for two she can’t see the wings slouch either as they are tucked under the cloak as well. “I’ll be seeing you, Meri,” he offers a short wave of an ivory feathered hand. If she chose to accompany him he wouldn’t mind, but she seems a little uncomfortable so he will just leave it at that.
Meri has no shame in just tagging along with people more often than not, but this was one of those instances where it seemed more personal? Even if she was better talking about things more on the emotional side, she would not be likely to just invite herself along. "Well, I won't delay you. I've got quite a haul to take back to my room anyway...." As this is said she adjusts her satchel, and then collects her burlap bag, mindful of the daisy in her hand of course. The board she is painting upon would be the last thing that is collected, the art upon it kept turned toward Meri's person. What do you say for a goodbye given the topic of conversation? Have a nice night? See you later? Eh. No, Meri would venture away and close their chat with a simple, "I am sorry for your loss."