RP:Have You Seen...

Summary: Nadine has a question for Meri, who takes a little while to warm up to the thought of answering this question.

West Beloy Street

Nadine whistled as she walked along the street, a mischeivous grin plastered on her lips. In her hand, she clutched a bottle of rum which she nursed greedily in hopes of avoiding sobriety. Her other hand clutched an cigarette, a plume of acrid smoke curling upward from its cherry. Raising it, she puffed on it for a moment then flicked her ashes. As she moved, her eyes swept to and fro, as if searching for someone. Gravedirt clung to her black leathers, but she seemed not to mind. Her cowl was drawn back, revealing a mess of ebon curls. The lycan would probably benefit from a bath, to be honest. The thought entered her mind briefly as she paused and glanced northward. "Hrrm," she mused.

Meri wasn't in Cenril for the booze, the tattooed blonde has long since given up drinking. There were still a few faces that she considered friend within barrier-protected city, and escorting one of those friends to safety is what has brought Meri to Cenril for the last couple of days. Since she was here with Callum, and neither of them were eager to return home quite yet, Meri made a point of visiting some of the other faces she knew. Her adopted sister and her nephew, for example. In this particular moment, Meri was on the hunt for a shadier friend. One who used to frequent an establishment known as 'The Office', located in the seedier parts of Cenril. Needless to say, Meri is more than a little familiar with these streets and her guard is high as she travels them. High enough that she is not quick to greet anyone, let alone someone holding a bottle of rum and who was in obvious need of a bath. Meri can clearly see and hear Nadine though.

Nadine continued to stare at the bathhouse for a few more moments before tucking her cigarette into her mouth and reaching into a pocket for a handful of coins. She counted them mentally and repocketed them, deciding that she'll pause in her search for her friend to clean up. A good choice, really. Just as she's about to depart northward, she spotted Meri from the corner of her eye. A boisterous smile overtook her lips then and she called out to the woman, "'Ey! You 'appen to see a red-headed ruffian of a woman 'round?" A loose description, really. "She's a vagabond." Rinn, she means Rinn.

Meri pauses in the direction that she is walking, turning to face Nadine and regarding her with a lofted brow. Meri looks her over from head to toe, finding her questioning mildly forward given their location. Snitches get stitches, don't you know. Not that Meri was overly concerned about getting stitches from Rinn, they would honestly probably do a good job of giving each other stitches. Either way, it is still a respect that Meri liked to extend to her comrades, information is not going to be easily offered up on this manner. It did serve as something of an ice breaker though, but Meri's response is a slightly cagey one. She's not overtly rude, but is quite obvious she is a little suspicious. "I might know a few red heads who could fit the term vagabond, depending on how you want to go defining it." Meri's red lips curl up into a dry smirk. "More important to me right now is...Who the hell are you and why are you asking?"

Nadine canted her head to the side, sending a mess of curls briefly across her face. She blew the errant hair away and lifted her chin. "Aye, that's a good 'un," she said, more to herself. Another mouthful of liquor punctuated the statement before she answered with, "I'm just lookin' fer my friend. Name's Nadine." Another pause, this time to finish her cigarette and stamp it out with her boot. Her now freed hand is held out, dirt encrusting her palms. A glance at the appendage earned a frown from the lycan and she dropped it, sheepishly. "If'n she's one o' the ones ya know, I mean no trouble."

Meri has a half-way decent nose for one someone is fibbing to her. It's not impossible to pull one over on Meri, but at at the moment she is believing that Nadine is actually probably counting herself friend to this redhead. Meri wasn't lying when she said she knew a few redheads, but some fit the term vagabond better than others. "Well if you did mean trouble, she'd give you a run for your money anyway. And I don't take kindly to people messin' with my friends...Just like there are plenty of people who don't take kindly to people messing with me." These words, which might be taken as a threat by some, are punctuated with a pointedly sweet smile. "So it's good you don't mean her no trouble. But I assume you are asking about a gal named Rinn? Last I saw her was just outside Cenri..." She motions west, in the vague direction of the Cenril-Kelay bridge. "A couple drow sprung up on us. She was alright, think her dog was good too, but I couldn't tell you where she went after we parted ways."

Nadine lifted her chin again. "Aye, that's the 'un," she said, grin once more taking hold of her lips. Absently, she rubbed her grimy palm on the leg of her pants. "I ain't gonna mess with ya, pretty lady," she assured Meri. "Ya said yer friend? In that case, it's nice to meet ya. If'n yer a friend o' Rinn's, ya must be alright." At the mention of the drow, concern briefly flickered across the pale woman's face. It faded away quickly enough, but that encounter was added to the list of things to talk about--between Meri and Tiber, it seems Nadine's missed out on a lot of fun! "I'll check the tavern in Kelay then." She glanced northwards once more. "Since yer a friend of hers, if'n ya need anyone fer anything, I am for hire. Cheap, too. The more thrillin', the better."

Meri :: "Aye, I'm a friend." Meri's cagey behavior drops a couple of levels, finally offering out a hand toward Nadine. First to show that Meri is not the sort of woman who minds a little dirt, second to show that Meri might be interested in developing a friendship with Nadine as well. "The name is Meri." A beat. "Ah. For hire. Aren't we all for hire. Unfortunately that's not -quite- how I roll. Can't always trust someone that you're paying, you know? I'm more inclined to make friends...invite them out on some fun And if we happen to find something nice while we're out? Equal shares." This also benefited Meri because it meant that if they did not do well on any shenanigans that might be undertaken? It's not coming out of -her- pocket. "I do come across people who are trying to hire every so often though...I'll be sure to keep your name on the list. Especially if you're a friend of Rinn's."

Nadine took Meri's hand and gave it a firm shake, committing the woman's name to memory. "Ya make a good point," Nadine said, listening to Meri's words. "Sounds nice and fair, too. Fun wit' friends is the best way to go," she agreed, remembering her outing with Rinn. Yes, she definitely liked the idea of how Meri did things. "If'n ya need an extra hand anytime, I'm down. Like to keep things excitin', ya know? 'Tis a good reason to hang 'round Rinn, 'cause she's got a knack fer findin' trouble--as I'm sure ya know." Meri's offer to give out her name is met with a friendly grin. "I'd appreciate ya fer that," she said.

Meri grins at Nadine. "Sounds like the beginning of a beautiful friendship." The blonde takes a couple of steps away from Nadine, beginning to move back in the direction she was before this encounter. "Well don't let me delay you. I think you had a mission in life before we crossed paths. And it sounds like you ought to be checking in on your friend. She's got a new story to tell you." Meri was fairly confident Rinn was in good health though, unless she managed to find trouble since Meri left her. "Nice meeting you."

Nadine dipped her head to Meri. "Aye. Take care, and I'll catch ya later, pretty lady!" she said, cheerily. Another mouthful of rum was taken from her bottle, and then she rummaged its cork from her pocket and stoppered it up. "'Spose I'll get me a bath and then continue my search. It was nice meetin' ya." With those words, she'd let their ways part by departing northward to get that muck and grime off her.