RP:The Near Death Experience Of Callum Erikk Rochester

From HollowWiki

Summary: After finding out that the Warrior's guild is in Rynvale, and Cal tries to drink his worries away, he's found by Meri. The two unfortunately run into Brand (Cal literally does) and Callum promptly has a series of strokes, heart attacks, and an aneurysm--not all entirely in that order.

The Broken Barrel, Rynvale

So, Cal actually managed to give himself a day off from his job. … Oh, you actually believed that? Hahaha. No. Sorry. He is still here on business. At least, he ~was~. Gotta check the island’s market too, ya know. And, surprise! He actually managed to make some money, so there he was, sitting in the Broken Barrel, knocking back a few shots of whatever sort of alcohol the barkeep put in front of his face. Poor guy just found out that the Warrior’s Guild is in town, thanks to some random no-named drunkard in the Barrel. Great. And who decided to give Brand a ship? What crazy frakkin’ idiot would do that? That guy was clearly unhinged and should not be operating heavy machinery--or ships, as it were. Well, at least Cal made some money. That was ~some~ comfort to him anyway. This whole trip wouldn’t be for naught, even if whatever was going to happen with this Lita woman doesn’t go as planned.

Into the Barrel Meri goes, rolling in from who knows where - most would presume the tattoo parlor but who the heck really knows with Meri? Blue eyes make their habitual sweep of the room as booted feet follow their usual path to the bar, weaving her way through the tables like she has done this...I don't know, a few times for a few years? Cal basically goes unnoticed in this sweep though. It's not so strange, they've met how many times really? And while she was expecting to see him out in Rynvale at some point maaaybe, she was not expecting to see him right at this exact moment. Therefore recognizing him from behind in a place she does not normally see him and at time she is not actually expecting him? It does not happen. Instead she finds her way into a stool a few spots down from the guy and reaches across the bar to collect her usual -- whiskey and a short glass to accompany it. No gold exchanged, Simon let's it slide...in the sense that he has a running tab for her and knows where to find her. Eventually after pouring a drink Meri looks down the bars line, first to her right and then to her left, where her blue eyes finally land upon and recognize Cal's side profile. There is a lift a brow, a twitch of a frown, a deep sip from her drink before a smile spreads across red lips and Meri issues a, "Hey, Cal."

To say that Callum Rochester was a little jumpy right now was putting it lightly. Despite the fact that it was a feminine voice that carried his name down the bar to him, he nearly fumbled the shot of vodka, and almost entirely lost it. There was a little spillage, but nothing his magic couldn’t either clean up or shift the liquid from the countertop and back into the glass--he opted for the later of course, considering the fact that he really needed this alcohol right now. “M-Meri! Hi. How are you?” He’d ask this around the other couple of patrons that sat at the bar, offering her the best smile he can possibly muster, though furrowed brows and quite a bit of anxiety went with it.

Meri's smile fades when Cal confirms that he is in some sort of mood. Out of her stool she goes, closing the distance between herself and Cal but since there is not a stool available next to him, Meri ends up assuming a lean against the bar. Her bottle and glass are brought along, bottle being set upon the bar before this lean is assumed. Red lips turn up into a half-smirk. "How am I? I am mostly just wondering where -my- invite was. Don't you have a date to make up to me? Tsk." Go ahead and roll those eyes, Cal, Meri knows. Seriously though? She looked fine, all in one piece, a new tattoo upon the right side of her neck but she is not going to play show and tell right now. That smirk fades as Cal is given a harmless and analytical once over. In fairness, Meri had not gotten to the point of reading too much into the few comments he has made about the warriors guild toward her. She might have warned him! Alas, those secrets. More seriously, "What has got you all bugged out? You're always a little cagey but..." Meri frowns. "What's up?"

A shaky hand reaches up to point at the ceiling, indicating the rented rooms above, “Do you know who’s frakkin’ staying here right now?!” Well, of course she’d know who it was--this was -her- town after all. “You’re lucky the whole place isn’t in flames right now!” Another shot of vodka was quickly downed, and then he’s mimicking an explosion with his hands, giving along sound effects too so that she gets the full experience of what’s going on in his mind right now. He could probably use some of those nice herbal cigarettes that Eleanor typically had--you know, the one’s that could really mellow him out. “This whole frakkin’ island’s gonna go up in flames! Fire and brimstone for the rest of frakkin’ eternity after those two have come and gone!!!”

Admittedly Meri could probably provide all sorts of recreational entertainment on that level. It just took a little bit of questioning around this island to find out she was the go-to-gal here. There is a sort of priority to how she is going to try and diffuse this though, herbal cigarettes are not the first thing that come to mind. First Meri reaches across the bar to grab a bottle of vodka, this is pressed into Cal's hand. Much like with the bottle of whiskey Meri claimed, Simon lets it slide. Her glass is abandoned but her whiskey will not be. With her free hand, she tries to capture Cal's hand within her own so that she can pull him out of his chair and try and lead him out of he Barrel. "Uh huh..I know, I just did not think you cared about them -that- much." It is not that she is not going to explain where they are going, she is just going to wait until they are out the door. "So I could drag you to the Kraken and try and gamble your money away." She is joking, really though. Roulette with a psion? One day. "But the parlor is quieter. You need to mellow the hell out and not be around people. Plus, the second level has a spare room if you need a place to crash. Sound cool?" Somewhere along the way she does let go of Callum's hand, she's not trying to hang onto it for the entire walk. Just until he is out the door.

Callum is drug away from his terribly uncomfortable stool and lead towards the door. When Meri wasn’t looking, he stared in horror at his hand. Oh god. Oh godddd. What is this and how do I make it stop? It stayed like that until the blonde was no longer holding his poor appendage, and she was suddenly insinuating that she was going to take all of his money. “Wait. What?! You’re not takin’ me to some fancy joint to drain me of my money. Do you know how frakkin’ long it took me to get it?” Now he was a little irritated, but it was likely just the alcohol talking. “I dunno, Meri. I shouldn’t frakkin’ be here at all. Not here in this tavern or your parlor or even on this island. You mark my words--there’s gonna be fire a-a-and chaos a-and I’m not gonna be the one to frakkin’ put it out!” He shook his finger at her, like some priest preaching about the end times, standing right in the middle of the walkway for the entrance to the building.

Brand is slipping through the streets for a liquor run when he sees two figures in front of the tavern: one familiar, and one… shouting in a nervous panic? Huh. Kid said ‘frak.’ Brand thought that was solely Catalian dialect, but maybe it’s made its way into everyday Common these days? Lionel certainly does have the sort of charisma about him that he’d start some weird linguistic trend. Quickly assessing the situation as he approaches, Brand determines that using the ‘Meri’ angle is the best way to get a closer look at the twitchy one without raising their suspicions or further raising the hackles of Jumpy Jack over here. (Little does Brand know.) “Sup, Meri,” the Catalian calls, inviting himself into their proximity. “You seen Khitti anywhere around here?” It is a ruse. He knows exactly where she is, and it’s nowhere near here.

Meri tried, Cal. She did. But SOMEONE just had to sit there in the doorway scolding her about this and that. Initially she was not shouting at Cal, she was trying to reason with him. Even when he is scolding here there is a bit of a smirk to those red lips. "Frakkin' shut the frak up and quit frakkin' slowing us down from getting the frak out of here. What the frak, are you a frakkin'...." Meri does not use the word 'frak' out of habit. She has not been around anyone's company long enough for it to be sincerely adopted into her vocabulary. She is making fun of Cal right now. There was probably more to this tirade but oh look! Brand. Meri is blonde but not so blonde that the pieces of the puzzle do not start falling into place. Frak her life right now. There is zero way for her to be able to talk her way out of this one so she tries to bump Callum out the door, probably a little more roughly than she intended to, while also positioning herself between Callum and Brand. The woman drawls out, "Hiiiii. Nope. Not sense the meeting there. You don't manage to keep better tabs on the woman that is apparently not your woman? Better watch out. She is a cutie. Some sailor may steal her from you..." All of that was just Meri rambling for the sake of it. She blows smoke. A lot. Especially right before shhh is going to hit the fan.

Callum has become massively assaulted by Meri’s backside, if that is indeed the way she bumped him out the door, only moments after setting eyes on the one he’d dubbed in his notebook as Captain Hot Pants (jokes on him because now Brand’s -actually- a captain). Why did this happen to Cal? When did his life go wrong? Well, it was probably when he took that job on the Sunderia a very long time ago. Such a wee eager little guy he was back then. Just wanted to see the world, use his magic to help ships get from place to place--even if that one particular ship was also A SLAVER SHIP. A slaver ship with a Brand. The Brand that was standing right there. The Brand that Cal somehow managed to trip during mid-bump and fall right into his arms. Or at least into the front of him, in some gods’ awful way. Don’t ask how this happened; the man’s drunk by now with all that vodka he’d been guzzling before Meri got to him and is not quite so light on his feet like he usually is. Cal’s life flashes before his eyes: memories of his family throwing him lovely birthday parties, and there’s one of a stray dog he met one day in his teens and soon took in because his parents couldn’t say no to that adorable Cal face, and one more about making tiny tornados in the ocean with his magic. It’s all very lovely. “This is how I die”, he says to himself, which actually ends up slipping out into the open air for all the world to hear, including Meri and the Catalian whom Mr. Rochester is currently falling for--er into. If he’s not caught, he’ll be promptly on the ground in seconds, and his soul will start leaking from his mouth because he’s dead. Right now. Just dead. Probably should stuff his soul back into his body, Meri.

Brand doesn’t know how this happened, but suddenly he’s holding the mystery lad Meri was speaking with and they’ve both been bowled back out the door. It is only through some miracle that Brand manages to not topple over completely, and instead staggers himself just so into a conveniently placed fixture of decorative barrels off the front porch. (They gotta have decor that matches the name, y’know.) Cal’s words produce a quizzical look on the blonde’s stubbled face. “Not quite, kid. Not quite.” And he sets the younger Catalian aright. “Generally like to know the names of people I save from what was apparently certain death, though, Mister....?” He allows the question to hang in the air for a moment. Regardless of whether or not he gets an answer from the drunken boy, Brand’s next words are for Meri. “Eh. She’s alright. Just wanted to make sure she’s not alright -here-.” What the heck, Brand. You’re not fooling anybody, except yourself.

Meri just wanted to burry her face into her hands right about now because...what the heck Cal, what the heck. The tattooed woman manages to keep her composure more than that, more or less. A brow is slowly lifted, because Callum was being -quite- the drama queen for moments prior only to get a rather bland reaction from Brand. Needless to say, Meri is confused and blue eyes are carefully pinned upon the two Catalian men, half expectantly. When exactly were things going to start burning, Cal? Why did you not need to be here, or on the island at all? Meri is waiting. No attempt comes from the woman this time to separate the two, not after Cal completely botched her last attempt to keep the distance. Cuddle right on up to Brand, Cal! Go on! "Brutal," Meri says flatly to Brand. One might think the edge to her words is because she is semi-distracted with the situation at hand, but naw, the flatness was due to Brand being a butthead.

Now, Meri. The time is now. Now is when everything is on fire. Except Cal conveniently forgets for a second as he’s being righted, his attention on the sky. “Cloud.” They sure were floofy, weren’t they, Cal? Oh, right, uh, Brand asked his name and that was the first word that slipped out. Good. Great. Now Brand’s gonna think he’s some crazy-ass hippy (which, with all that plant-growing he does, he pretty much is now). He doesn’t even correct himself though because he’s too busy staring at Brand. -The- Brand. The Brand he’s been avoiding for almost a year and a half. Turns out, he didn’t need to avoid Frostmaw altogether, this was going to happen either way. There’s a bit of stumbling over his words until he finally manages a ‘thank you’ and another blank stare at Meri. Finally, he realized he indeed hadn’t corrected himself and blinks a few times at Meri, “It’s...uh...Mal. Yes. -Just- Mal.” Definitely not Cal. Nope. Nuh uh. Please god, Meri, don’t say anything. This is going over and over in his head like a mantra as he gives her a look that might say ‘I’ll explain later’. He might actually trust her enough now to do so. “A-a-are you talking about that vampire woman? S-s-she went off to the beach or something, I think, “ Cal pointed on down the road that lead towards the cove. Maybe Brand’ll go too? It’s not like Cal knew about Brand’s “relationship” problems with the redhead currently.

“Cloud…?” Brand repeats, skeptical. The hell kind of a name is Cloud? Unlike Cal, he’s irritatingly sober at the moment (something he’d planned to fix by coming here…) so he doesn’t voice the thought aloud. Instead, Cal shortly thereafter corrects himself to ‘Mal,’ and, well, that seems like a legit enough name in comparison. Legitimate enough that he can’t really press him for a last name and look him up in public records later. Guy does look familiar, though, and definitely looks the part of a Catalian native. That sharp edge to his nose, the faint olive tint to his skin… and he’d even thought he’d heard a hint of the telltale Corinian accent in the man’s vowels. “Think I met a Mal once. You must be one of the ones in Lionel’s company.” Brand suspects not, as the vast majority of the Catalians in Lionel’s employ are in fact dwarves, but sometimes the best way to get a correct answer is to confidently submit an incorrect one. Meri, meanwhile, is given a glance that may as well be a giant shrug in eye-contact form. ‘Brutal’ some may call him, but he just doesn’t see a point in sugarcoating the truth. Speaking of Khitti… “And, good. She can stay where she’s at, then. I’m here to barbecue a bunch of overgrown insects and drink -- and we’re all outta bugs for the moment.” Cue self-satisfied smirk here.

Meri is of the same mindset. She is way too sober for this. Which is probably not a bad thing, because if Meri had indulged in any number of her vices she probably would think sitting around and talking was the best damn idea ever. She's not intoxicated, but someone seems quite intent on digging his own grave tonight."Right." Meri interjects sternly. "I have no idea what the heck you are on about. I have known Mal for years." Once more Meri is reaching for Cal with her free hand, this time she's aiming to grab him by the wrist because if this guy manages to say anything else....! Well, dumb would be a perfectly acceptable descriptive word for Cal if he keeps on talking. "Anyway, he's drunk right, clearly." Meri half-motions toward the bar via the hand that holds the bottle of whiskey. "And obviously we were -trying- to be on our way." So once more, with a little bit more grace, Cal...maybe?! "So why don't you go get your fix...and we'll be off, hm?" Cal may have been mentally willing Meri to not say anything to give him away? Meri is presently willing him not to do anything drunk 'n dumb.

Callum somehow, by the grace of Selene, Zaytor, and any other water deities Cal might call upon in his time of need and stupidity--Oh and Hind! He’s a good one too!!--actually does follow along with Meri this time. “L-Lionel…?” Oh, Cal. That name couldn’t have come out any more in a Catalian manner--his accent does show up now and again, sadly. But, he’s quick to shut up about the Prince-turned-Knight Commander because that really -is- only going to dig this hole further for him and it’s already about five feet deep as it is. The whole experience has been rather sobering, and Cal’s wits was soon returning to him, but he feigned the drunken act as he normally did with merchants and such in Cenril, the hand with the vodka bottle that Meri had given earlier waving about somewhat, “You take care of that girl! She’ll get stolen away like Meri said o-o-or eaten by sirens!” Not like Brand would care anyway, right? “She’s as sweet as pie and told me I had pretty eyes!” Alright, -Mal-. You need to keep moving. Your acting isn’t up to snuff right now, like it normally is; you know, shock and all that. He guzzles a bit of the vodka, then shuts his trap, and lets Meri drag him to the parlor.

This is quite an odd scene, and Brand definitely isn’t buying that all is as it appears to be -- because Khitti? Sweet? “Yeah, ‘bout as sweet as an underripe kiwi,” Brand mutters, shaking his head. Cuz he totally doesn’t use ‘kiwi’ as a pet name for her. Her sauciness definitely isn’t on Brand’s mental list of ‘pros’ for ever pursuing anything with Khitti -- I mean, what? Balderdash. He doesn’t even have such a list. Certainly not. “Take good care of your, er, friend here,” Brand adds, clapping the man on the shoulder, and then he does indeed leave them alone and make for the bar after that. Whatever his curiosity, it’s clear that he isn’t going to get any further information toward sating it. If he really cares that much (and ultimately, he hasn’t seen reason to), he’ll have to go about getting information on ‘Mal’ some other way.

Meri has no words. She just can't even. Let's just wave goodbye, have more small talk and pleasantries in the attempt to leave. But that's fine, Meri would just smile, and nod. Take good care of your friend? Sorry who was taking care of who? Meri could probably spout off with at least ten feisty comments but nope. She was going to be the smart one right now, say nothing. Move along. Once it's clear that drunkie here was going to cooperate with leaving, she'd let go of his wrist once more. She knows. She would make him hold her bottle though so that she could fish out her cigarettes from her back pocket -- nothing fancy. Just plain old tobacco. Still needed one. The trip to the parlor would be silent, Meri needed a few moments of that while she tried to enjoy this cigarette. Destress. Because. Men.

SoulsKin

When it was certain that Brand wasn’t going to set fire to everything Callum loved--that being himself--he became increasingly aware that it would probably be Meri that would end him. She’d probably use those mind powers of hers to rip him apart without even touching him. The storm mage all but broke into a run, stumbling nearly face first into SoulsKin’s door once they got there, and chose to cling to the wall just to the side of it instead, hugging that vodka like it was his firstborn child. “Oh, sweet Selene. Why have you cursed me so? Don’t I show you enough frakkin’ love?” Yeah, he was still a little delirious thanks to the Close Encounter Of The Brand Kind.

Red lips twitch into a frown when Callum starts fleeing from her now, but Meri does pick up her own pace to give chase. Nope. Drunkie can do whatever it is that pleases him right about now, Meri's would maintain her steady step and smoke her cigarette. She probably has some thoughts and feelings about what she views at Callum flat out trying to escape her but they're kept to herself. Mostly. Once she reaches SoulsKin, it's the door that Meri reaches for. If Callum tried the door, it would find it locked. Meri tries the door? It opens without the use of the key. Not because the locks are bound by magic, but because a lock is really just a mechanism, pins moved by a key. The door is held open, giving Callum the option to stumble into the building or, well if he wants to bolt he has ample room to do that. Meri will make that very clear with, "Look, I am offering you a room. Perfectly good bed that you do not even have to pay for. There will be no Meri around, it will be nice and private. Or you can not take advantage of the offer and figure your own crap out? But what I am not going to do is chase a drunk man, who can barely stand to be around me, all over Rynvale. So...take your pick, Mal."

“You make it sound like I’m always frakkin’ drunk, damn it. Do you know how long it’s been since I had more than one drink, that was actually for myself and not for swindling people out of their secrets? Never, Meri. The answer is never. Wasn’t allowed to frakkin’ drink on that ship…” Ship? What ship? Cal didn’t continue just yet, side-eyeing first the west, then the east side of the street that they were in. “Yes, of course, I’m going to take your offer, you crazy woman.” It was said in the nicest way possible of course; Cal didn’t hate Meri -that- much, if even at all. The raven-haired Catalian frowned down at his bottle, corked it, then headed into the shop, but would soon step off to the side to let her lead, “I guess this means I need to tell you what’s what then...You deserve it that much for helping me--and I guess that also means you get all those juicy secrets you wanted.”

Meri was trying to be cranky here, Cal, even if it was in a very tempered sort of way (for Meri). Can you not see this? That drunken ramble brings a smirk across red lips. "I am not the pot calling the kettle black tonight. I think that is you, crazy." Meri explains as she moves past Callum and into the multilevel shop. "Shut it, lock it." The door, since Callum sidestepped to let her pass. No explanation as to why, Meri has faith that Cal was not that drunk, a closed shop required locked doors or else customers may think Meri is up for tattooing. Cal is left to deal with the front door while Meri crosses the room to unlock one of two doors, very specifically the leading to the upper level and not the lower level. The door is left ajar and Cal is basically given free reign of the parlor. He could find a seat on the main level, he could wander up the second floor, whatever floated his drunk little boat right now. "I think you could stand to cut loose a little more often." Talk of those secrets is not forgotten, they are just saved for last. A chuckle is loosed as she points out, "You talk like I am going to use these secrets to screw you over. Which is not the case. But it would probably be smarter for you to tell me at this point versus not telling me." Not said in a threatening way, just matter-of-factly.

Cal would, of course, do what he’s told for once, shutting the door and locking it. He didn’t feel like wandering up those stairs so instead, he collapsed into one of the tattoo chairs like a fair maiden about to faint. “They never come here. Ever. They’ve barely left Frostmaw in months. I’ve been tracking them for awhile now, sort of. When I’ve had the frakkin’ time anyway. Lately, I guess I just sort of forgot about it.” Both hands raise up to his face, rubbing at his eyes, hoping that that’ll get rid of everything--maybe this was just a bad dream? “Long story short, I was a slaver on a ship called the Sunderia. That was my title anyway, but I mostly dealt with makin’ sure the ship got through the storms safe, made sure that there wasn’t any fog, that sort of thing. There were others that could deal with the slaves themselves, keeping the ship safe was my job first and foremost. I don’t even remember the faces of ‘em. One day, we docked here, there was a bit of a commotion because we were dropping off a shipment of crates--I don’t even remember what was in ‘em. But then -he- showed up. Great big frakkin’ fire sword and all.” His hands finally moved away from his hand, blue eyes focusing on the ceiling above. “Lionel O’Connor, Prince of Catal. He set them all free, including that damned pyro, Brand. Killed everyone. Slavers. Captain. Ship. All of it. Gone. I don’t even know how I managed to get away--frakkin’ miracle is what it is. If I didn’t have my water magic, I would’ve drowned…” Clearly, Cal’s still a bit traumatized from the whole thing. “I didn’t...I didn’t even do anything...Never should’ve gotten on that ship. I didn’t even know what it was in the beginning ‘til it was too late…”

Remaining stationary by the door was not something that Meri would do. It was left ajar for whenever Cal was ready, and it housed the basics of a bedroom that is not often used. Nothing to write home about. The bottle of whiskey is still in hand and now that things are just a bit clamer, Meri would allow herself a hit of it. That was not the only thing she wanted a hit of. A drawer is opened, not at random either, only to retrieve one of those herbal cigarettes rolled from earlier. The means to light it are found in the same drawer, tossed back in once they have served their function. Now Meri has booze in one hand, smoke in the other, and oh no...no available hands to grab a chair with. Peer pressure is a thing with Meri but her bid at Cal would be a casual one. She could put the bottle of whiskey down? But no, she instead tries to force-pass the smoke off to Callum in a 'hold this' sort of way when he begins telling his story. A step away to snatch up a nearby chair, pulling it closer and settling down into it. What Cal has to say is regarded in silence, and there are points in his tale where she seems to drink from that whiskey of hers. Then again, she does just like to drink. PTSD may not be a term that Meri actually knows but the realization as to why Callum is spazzing out does start to settle in. She keeps her response simple, not wanting cause additional stress with additional questions, just letting Cal talk on his own. "There are some men on that ship that probably had it coming...but it does not sound like you deserve to be one those men. You're an alright guy, I like hanging around you, so I've got your back as best I can." Pause to steal her smoke back, if he ever kept hold on it to begin with, and then cue a smirk as she tacks on a teasing. "Mal."

Cal couldn’t possibly roll his eyes any harder at the tattooed woman right now. “Hush, you frakkin’ she-devil. That pyro had my brain all frazzled.” Okay, but it’s frazzled more than when Brand’s around, though, Cal. He’d take the cigarette from her finally so she could grab herself a chair, eye it momentarily, then took the shortest of drags from it before she could take it back. He didn’t want to take it all for himself, you know. There’s a cough or two, but otherwise, he seemed fine with it. “I mean, in their defense, they’re doin’ alright things now, so I’ve heard, but goddamn. I don’t want to know what would happen if they found out who I am--especially -that one-.” Cal waved his free hand towards the door, indicating Brand.

Red lips are pressed together faintly at the initial response Cal gives but a hand is lifted and that herbal cigarette finds it's home between red lips. Temporarily. Long enough for Meri to indulge in a couple of drags herself before the woman leans forward in her seat with the purpose of passing it back off to Callum. "Don't tempt me," she begins. Cal accepting or denying the smoke back is ultimately of no consequence, either way Meri would settle back into her chair and her blue eyes would fix themselves on a random point in the shop rather than Callum himself. The subject goes on and it seems to be effectively draining Meri of any humor. "All of this is going to come to a head eventually...You should be knee deep in lies by now, Cal. I should probably -just- be finding out your -actual- name. You've got a business. People know your name, more people are going to be learning your name. So what are you going to do when they figure it out? I mean they're not going to like off you or anything, you don't figure? I mean you're just some guy who signed up to be on the wrong ship, but had a knack for helping keep it afloat...Not like you actually did anything directly to either of them? Did you?"

“My name -is- Cal, damn it. I wasn’t lyin’ when I told you that.” He took the cigarette back, taking a rather long hit off of it. He’s definitely going to have to get more of those...or maybe grow his own. “And I don’t know what the hell they’re gonna do. They didn’t exactly pick and choose who was dying and who wasn’t, you know. That frakkin’ captain and her guards--they were all beasts. I can’t believe those two took all of them out.” There’s a certain amount of awe in Callum’s voice, brows furrowing as he remembered back to that day. “Gods… It’s really been over a year since then…” His thoughts trail elsewhere as he holds the smoke aloft, just in front of his lips, then shakes his head, “No. I didn’t do anything to any of the slaves, but… I still don’t know. That Brand doesn’t seem to be the forgivin’ type and I’m not so sure about Lionel either.”

Those red lips of Meri's twitch up into a briefly lived smirk and a small snort of amusement is loosed. Her point seems a little missed but she writes that off, blaming booze, herb, and Brand for mucking up Callum's poor mind at the moment. The smoke held before Callum is stolen, since he was going to talk instead of hitting it. He would earn it back once he was done saying his piece and she started in with hers. The smirk fades as Cal goes on to answer her questions and Meri reiterates her previous point, "I mean I don't really know either of them well enough to know..." This account is definitely painting Lionel and Brand in a new light. "She-devil me all you want but I meant what I said." Not that Meri felt like she would be able to take either Brand or Lionel out, mind you. She just meant that she would help as best she could. In a bid to steer the subject to less somber topics, "You know, I may be a she-devil but you are clearly going to be a big ol' frakkin' pain in my arse. A pain in the arse who I thought did not grow anything he did not smoke." A faint grin from Meri. "You do know what happens when you pass out in front of she-devils in inappropriate places, right?" Like in her tattooing chair, she means, eyebrows go missing...things are drawn on faces. The norm.

“I mean, maybe they’re not so bad? That redhead seems to be doin’ Brand some good -somehow-. Been watchin’ him for awhile now and he doesn’t seem as...erm...punchy.” Callum was -a little- more mellowed out now (is he ever truly mellow though?) thanks to those couple hits off of Meri’s smoke and so he’d only shrug to her with regards to his growing things, “I trust you and whatever you’re smoking a hell of a lot more than I trust that Eleanor chick and her stuff. She just, I dunno, rubs me the wrong way. And I’m not gonna pass out just yet, but, uh...do you -really- not mind if I stay here?” He squinted a little at her, trying to decipher the blonde who was pretty good at playing tricks on him, “ ‘Cause I can just start heading back to Cenril. I probably shouldn’t linger too long in your island paradise anyway.”

"Yeah I like Khitti, enough to jump ship and help her with her Shadow Planes drama." A beat, and then on to other things. "Do you have a thick glob of wax stuck in between your ears tonight, Cal?" Said with a smirk and not too much bite to her tone. "How many times are you going to make me repeat myself tonight? Yes, I am perfectly fine with you crashing out upstairs. I may not really want to let you go up there alone..." This is said with a wink and a devilish grin. Yes, go ahead and have a heart attack, Cal, because those forward words just flew right out of her mouth with no shame. Or there is a clear path to the front door, plenty of room to make a break for it. A hit from her bottle of whiskey that is abandoned at the foot of her chair, only for Meri to rise up...! But not to invade Callum's personal space. Instead she moves to the door that the two ladies almost always keep locked. It is opened and Meri leans in the doorway, peering into darkness. Cal would have to get up, and closer inspection would reveal a set of spiraling stairs leading down into a cave. Stairs that Meri is not excited to descend right now, blame the booze. So she stands there and explains, "...but I will. Respect. Privacy. Manners. I can be a lady sometimes. Maybe. Still going to hang out around here. Don't want you running into any unexpected visitors. Got some runners that make their way through sometimes. Usually at night. Then again...it has been pretty quiet down there lately except for Lita's dragon egg fiasco."

Callum just stared at Meri like a deer in headlights as she ever so blatantly hit on him. It doesn’t seem to compute at all. Flirting? What is flirting? She’ll let him have his privacy? What had she intended on doing? Maybe she really -was- going to murder him. Or maybe she’s going to keep him prisoner in the basement and go tell Lionel and Brand? Ocean-blue eyes widen a bit and search the room for answers, but sadly he’s given none because what’s a inanimate tattoo parlor going to tell him? Right. Yes. Just...act like you knew what the hell she was talking about. Of course. Things are perfectly fine and you’re not entirely confused by this. “Yes. Privacy. Manners. All good. Absolutely.” He coughed awkwardly, then followed along behind her to gaze down through the doorway into the darkness. This is, like, the one time he wished he had fire magic. Don’t tell Brand. Seriously, don’t tell him. Cal’ll have another anxiety attack and maybe a stroke. With that vodka in hand still, he’d nod to her and start his descent down into the cave, stopping after a few steps down to call back up to her, “I just unloaded a whole frak-ton of secrets on you--literally all of mine. Please be a nice she-devil and don’t tell anyone, alright?” Cal, I don’t think you really understand how asking for favors work. Thankfully, she doesn’t have fire, but...she could push you down the stairs with those mind powers of hers, maybe.

Meri chimes in one more time, just to offer Callum a bit of redirection as it is apparently her turn to break his mind. Before he even descends those stairs, Meri catches him by the elbow and sets him on a path that will lead him to the first door she unlocked and left ajar when they first arrived. That awkward cough elicits a grin and while there is temptation to really be a she-devil, well Cal has been shocked enough for the night. Thanks Brand. It will be up the stairs for Callum, to the bedroom, and then eventually after a bit of a pep talk about how she will not fall down the spiral stair case drunk, it will be down the stairs and into the smuggling keep for Meri. Her response to his request? "Ear wax." Basically she is accusing him of not listening to her again. How many times has she tried to affirm that she likes him and has his back this conversation? Boys sometimes. Meri would be no where to be found by the time the light of day arrives. Just note pinned to the inside of her shop's door that reads: Ship to catch. Harass you later.