RP:Old Haunts

Summary: It has been years since Meri has seen Terra, the two do a bit of chatting and in the end agree they will take a trip down to Gualon together.

The Kraken, Rynvale

Terra had been here a few days and judging by the long looks at the door, hoped to see someone enter them. Patch had started to charge extra for the amount of space she took up with her parchments and maps. When someone sat near and looked over at what she had spread out, she'd scare them off with asinine questions about nagas until they relinquished their seat in favor of finding someone that was less mentally unfit for normal conversation. The door opened and she looked up, again. One of the serving girls nudged her in passing, with an almost sad, "He ain't comin'." That was certainly the look of it.

Meri shoulders open the front door of the Kraken and steps into view. Habit has Meri's blue eyes scanning the room, taking note of who was present, where they were sitting, who they were with, what they were doing. The blonde has to do a double-take when she spots Terra. Was that really who she thought it was? The blonde squints, and decides to approach to confirm. She was fairly certain this was the same woman she met in Gualon so many years ago. By appearance, not much had changed about Meri since the last time these two crossed paths. She was still the same tall blonde who dressed to show off her tattooed sleeves, proudly. What has changed is that Meri is no longer the simple human. A vampire and a lycan walked into a bar, hurhur. She's also considerably more brazen then her Gualon days. Her approach of Terra involves this: she comes to a halt -right- behind the vampire and looks over her shoulder to peer at those maps, with no consideration of Terra's personal space. If Terra hasn't looked and realized that it's Meri standing behind her, the blonde will take her obnoxious behavior to the next level and adopt a deep voice, pretending she were some dude trying to hit on Terra, "I bet I can teach you something about snakes. What do you say?"

Terra had looked up only long enough to determine it wasn't who she had been waiting for the last few days and then returned to whatever she was working on. The invasion of her space was not initally regarded as a threat because it is a tavern, after all, and sometimes it was to her advantage when people came that close. This time, she was content to ignore it until the remark caused her to laugh. It was so terrible! So terrible that she had to turn to see who could have possibly come up with something so deranged and that amusement had not faded as she came to face Meri. There's a connection there and while she can't quite place it after all this time, she had learned to appreciate any ties she had to that past life she had vacated. "Oh yes. You are exactly the expert I've been praying for." If Meri seemed inclined to join, she would start to shove the papers back in one sloppy pile to allow the women space to reconnect. "Spare me no details!"

Meri's red lips curl up into an easy-smile, taking up the obvious invitation to join Terrra by sliding into a seat. While Meri is not one to ask a million questions about the past, she's not very keen on letting Terra push those papers into a pile. Meri wants to keep looking at those maps, and thus reaches out with a tattooed hand to try and grab one. There is a pause though, before she officially takes it. That pause is an non-verbal asking for permission, Meri is capable of respecting some boundaries...sometimes. "Well for starters, you're going to have to be more careful than norm when you pay them a visit. They have always been suspicious about outsiders traveling into their space, but I have heard that they may have taken a couple from the surface not long ago and held them hostage." Meri may know the names of those who were kidnapped, but she does not speak them. "What's the angle with this trip you're planning?"

Terra did not protest Meri's involvement in the study. There was a time when she had a friend that hailed from those lands that she could have asked these questions to, but it's been so long, she doubted she could even recall that name now. "A possible job." She isn't so sure on it thus the studying to determine if it would be possible. "Trying to find someone that was last seen there." News of a couple being snatched caused her to frown but it didn't seem all that surprising based on what she had been reading so far. She doubted the two were related but she would ask, "The couple that vanished, did they have anything to do with a cure?"

Meri tilts her blue eyes to the ceiling of the establishment, thinking hard on the question that is asked of her. They return to Terra once Meri is done considering the details of what she knows of the kidnapping, "I don't think so, but I could be mistaken. I can say that both have since been returned..." Meri reaches into her satchel and pulls out a piece of charcoal, writing notes on the map that Terra is studying. "It'll be a wild ride getting into Alithrya. You're going to have to hold your breath for a very long time. I had a spell-caster with me when I went, and he was able to create little air bubbles for us. Once you get into Alithrya, you won't have to worry about that aspect. You will only have to worry about avoiding the naga, which is easy to do in the first portion of the city. It's still in ruins. That will change as you get closer to the castle, and if you need into the castle...? I'm aware of a back way in." Meri pauses. "Unless they fixed that after my last visit there..." Meri lifts a brow. "Someone is joining you on this mission, yes?"

Terra pressed her lips together as she mulled that over. Someone in Gualon had mentioned a cure, a cure for everything! It made no sense. The person with that knowledge had apparently retired to Alithrya and now people are sick, so it seemed she would need to track down the source because nothing they had done so far had been helping. That frustration is evident in the way she slumped down in her seat after Meri confirmed that the couple in question had not been involved. "I may need to know it. There's a lot of unknown in this." It felt like a trap but she could not figure out how or why. All that she knew is that there were sick people in the clinics and this had been the only lead as of yet. Mention of a partner did cause her to glance at the door again, straightening up in that seat to briefly scan the notes Meri added. "Yes. He'll be here." Patch shook his head. He had heard that the last few days. "But if he doesn't, I'll pay someone to join in... I met this guy here, Sargaso or something. He seemed keen." She's fishing now.

Meri has herself a good chuckle when Terra mentions the name Sargaso. It's right at this point that Meri stops jotting down her notes on the map and instead leans back into her chair, folding her tattooed hands neatly behind her neck instead. "Ahhh. Good ol Sarge. Well. It might please you to know that he has was part of the very same job I've been dancing around. Your guide is just as capable as I am in this case, and he's equipped with all of the same information. Including the back way in." Meri's red lips curl up into a devious smirk as she recalls her, Sarge, and Callum all puzzling over what this secret entrance was. "But if he has forgotten, just tell him to not forget about the bust." Meri demonstrates her total lack of shame when her hands remove themselves from her neck and instead grab her uh..girls. This might strike Terra as odd right now, but she'll probably understand if she and Sarge do find themselves outside the castle, staring at a statue and trying to figure out what part to push to be let in.

Terra caught what she had been fishing for and confirmed that Sargaso was what he had implied. Since she now had options, her looks to the door would slow down and the impending disappointment would be a blow she could properly brace for, much to Patch's relief, he was tired of cleaning up smashed glasses. It is very apparent that Terra does not know what to make of Meri and her demonstration but the undead blonde would go along with it, making a note in the same margins Meri had been filling in but she'd include a rough sketch juuuust in case. "I'm glad I ran into you. This was extremely helpful." A brief moment of truth and then, "How have you been? Seems things have ... changed." Specifically on full moons, eh?

How was Meri. How does Meri even begin to answer this. Ever since being bitten, the psion's mind was easily clouded with this rage that she could just not push aside. It's resulted in her being far more prone to fighting, and if she is enraged enough...? Well even her loved ones were not safe from her. "How have I been...dangerous question in these lands, hm? Meri considers all of the events that have transpired, a thought process that inspires Meri to summon Patch over. "Two bottles of whiskey, skip the glasses. I don't think either of us need them." As Patch walking away, he is probably muttering something about how Terra does get a glass anyway with how she keeps breaking them. "We'll just say that...I think I have one or two of my marbles left but I'm definitely not the same human that you met years ago. A bit more bite to me, accompanied with plenty of bark." Meri lifts a brow. "How have you been?"

Terra did not protest the request for whiskey, even if she had been trying to be better about the particular crutch, it seemed the moment called for it. She knew all too well the dangers in asking that question but it had yet to yield any lasting consequences so she persisted. Patch's grumblings distract her for but a moment as she narrowed her eyes at him in thought. Really, if he wasn't so good at his job, she'd eat him. He's owed a few favors though and she hasn't forgotten that. Terra is not surprised to learn about the bite/bark situation and doesn't have a lot to offer on that as she clearly would never experience that. "What doesn't kill you, just makes you crazier." The timing of the bottles are appreciated and she shoved her pile of papers to the side once more to avoid any spillage, especially over the notes and drawing. "Trying to find my footing again. I left for a guy and I thought that was my ending but hey! I'm back! And with good company." To that, she tipped the bottle towards Meri's own in acknowledgement and cheers. Once that had been done, she'd take that first drink. "Was it.... what you wanted?" Blame the drink for giving her that courage.

Meri can definitely drink the the assertion that 'what doesn't kill you makes you crazier.' She can, and she does. Not once, but twice for good measure. In a lot of ways, Meri could relate to Terra's statement and while there are certain questions that are pecking at Meri's curiosity, primarily if Tristram was the guy, she doesn't voice them. This is do in large part to the question that Terra issues to Meri next. Was it what she wanted. We'll blame the whiskey in Meri's momentarily lapse of a poker face, usually she's far more of a skilled actress and is capable at masking these emotions. Her expression darkens considerably for a flash but is quickly replaced by practiced smile and rehearsed lie. Meri was well aware of the consequences of if she started speaking the truth of the matter, but fear of consequence was not why she kept the lie going. "Yes. Yes, this is what I wanted and what I asked for." In a bid to shift the subject away from that matter completely, Meri leans forward to tap the map, "If you and Sarge feel like you want a third for this mission, I'm a bit of an adrenaline junkie these days. The leader of the Adventure's Guild is always happy to offer her services in these matters." Meri winks.

Terra is well-versed in the same role that Meri played. She's also very perceptive to feelings so it all confirmed what she had already suspected. Granted, she is biased, but this vampire would assume that no one wanted to become a lycan, not with the other options available out there. None of this is shared as it very clearly is a topic that is not open to discussion at this time, in this crowd. Maybe a few bottles down the line. Another drink, this one longer as it seemed there were a few loaded questions that they were both sitting on. "Sarge is my back up. I'm hoping the first option pans out." Patch, who had been cleaning a few glasses nearby, suddenly shifted them all further down the bar to finish the process away from Terra. Evidently this was the subject that had led to previous mashing and he was not keen to repeat the conversation so the temptation was removed. Again, there's the thought of eating him... it flits briefly through Ter's mind and passes as she angled towards Meri. "I think I may need you in Gualon soon, if you're up for it... There is some orc unrest over a missing Shaman." She had hired someone to try and locate him via spell but she suspected it would involve searching through the swamps to locate him and that was not something she looked forward to.

Meri's blue eyes slide toward Patch. The werewolf is quite keen to push all of this to the back of her mind, because this is how she copes with emotions that she's just not inclined to deal with. Pretend they're not a thing. And she is going to accomplish this by harassing the bartender that she and Lita hired. Why did he even put up with this lot? Really. "Oi, I see you trying to shrink away from us. I know you can hear what we're talking about. You don't want to escort the pretty lady down into snake land? What, are you a sissy?" This would probably be worse if the was a bit deeper into that bottle of whiskey. Meri has been doing a really good job at abandoning that sobriety she has clung to over the last couple years as of late. Patch's response? He's definitely just going to ignore them...by hiding in the backroom somewhere. He's restocking, yo. This causes the still grinning Meri to set her sights back on Terra, "Absolutely. I got this shop in Cenril. Just send word there, say when and where to meet. I'll be there." No further questions asked. Stab first, ask later, right?

Terra is back to the way this meeting started - laughing at something outrageous that Meri had put out there. She may have felt a little bit bad for Patch had he not valued his merchandise over her stress relief. Besides, it was just a glass or two... and a few patrons she annoyed into leaving and thus costing his bottom line but BEYOND THAT, it was totally fine. "Oh, Cenril? That's a nice set up. I'll have to come by soon!" Really? Because planning one trip was already going so great and not to mention juggling Gualon, her actual house back in Vailkrin and whoever it was she continued to look for. Actually, that would be the perfect reason to abandon it all and run to Cenril before she caved under that pressure. "Anyone else still around from back then?" They had, despite their spare meetings, ran in the same circles way back.

Meri's fiance did not coin the nick name she-devil for her without good reason, she was clearly in fine form today too. Her bad behavior is momentarily quelled by Terra's next question. It really had her thinking. Who -was- still around from back then. There were not many names for Meri to throw out, though she was not entirely sure that they were names Terra was familiar with or not. "Josleen?...but she's a Queen now...Emilia? Krice?" Meri ends her list with a bit of a shrug, "S'all I got really. I think." Meri shifts her gaze to the door, "Speaking of old faces, I'm suddenly inspired to check out a few old haunts around Rynvale." Lita. She was going to see if she could not catch word on Lita. The blonde pushes up out of her chair, intent on taking her bottle with her. "I'll be hearing from you soon, yeah? We'll take that trip down to Gualon whenever you're good and ready."

Terra filed those names away. At the moment, they meant nothing, but that could be blamed on her own faulty memory. Still, Meri's mention of checking out Rynvale caused her to smile. There were plenty of old haunts to revisit and she had been doing something of the sort, herself. Thankfully, this rock revealed Meri underneath but she wouldn't be moved to flip any more over just yet. "Yes. We will. I'll supply the drinks, then." When Meri started to depart, she took her notes out once more and read over what the blonde had written down, also added a note to check with Sarge about other details if she happened to spot him soon.