RP:What's Your Name?

Summary: Meri is a nosy woman who eavesdrops on other people's conversations, which is exactly how she met Lucas.

Larket Town Square

Lucas can be seen in the distance walking with a female. A red head with freckles, a tiny and innocent giggles. There was the charm cake he was feeding to her, and she was taking bite after bite. There was a small instrument case in his hand and she was carrying a larger one. The girl pivots, “Well, this is where I turn off. It was good seeing you today Luke, I’m so glad to have met you,” she plays the shy act. “Well, Sarah it was good seeing you today too, don’t forget to work on those small brushes,” he gazes her up. “Light and quick,” he smiles crookedly and the girl wants to swoon. It’s disgusting, really. Eventually, she vanishes and he does not even watch her go. Instead, his posture hunches and he moves down the street briskly to the board. What was going on? What was the scoop? Where was the scoop? The man moves to a side bench and settles down idly.

Meri was neither coming nor going for the blonde was already there, loitering in plain view. The woman has assumed a lean against one the walls of the shop, having decided to stop her wanderings to enjoy a quick smoke break and to do a bit of people watching. Sarah and Luke definitely give Meri something to watch. A brow is lifted as she watches Lucas pass up what she believes is to be a sure thing. Maybe it was the giggles, or that Sarah was letting Lucas feed her, either way the opinion was formed. The surprise comes when Lucas lets Sarah go on her way without even a second glance back at her. With no real remorse as to if Sarah is in earshot, Meri pushes away from the building she has been leaning against and approaches Lucas. Nothing shy about Meri. She just starts taking stride right alongside the bard. "See, either you are clueless and don't understand how hard that girl was flirting and how easy she would have been? Which seems to be the norm for a lot of guys around here. So clueless. Or. Redheads just don't do it for you. Either way. Missed opportuntiy."

Lucas halts on his journey towards the bench as a blonde strides next to him. The half elf does not look at her at first, he just listens and squints. “Easy is the key word in that observation,” he shifts his stature and amber eyes settle on the woman. “Perhaps I’m not feeling an obsessive type when I see one. I’m not looking to be a girls first kiss right now, I’m a little old for that,” he did not appear old. Beat. “But if you’re really curious, I don’t have a type,” he grins slightly and does the eyebrow wiggle, but this is out of a teasing remark. “Though, bravo on your sense of observations. You live around here?”

Meri admittedly had not been paying close enough attention to the girl to really pin down her age, much the same with Lucas. Besides, appearances can be decieving in these lands. The bit about 'if she was curious' is met with a sassy roll of the eyes to communicate how curious she really was. Not very curious by the looks of it. A long drag from her cigarette to kill off that final hit and then the glowing end is extinguished by pinching it out between thumb and index finger and the remained are tucked away into the pockets of her pants, not seeing fit to be a litter bug. She would dispose of it properly later. "In Larket?" The tone and wrinkling of her nose suggests that she probably is not the biggest fan of the town. It always seems to be something in this place. "No, but I know a few people who reside her that I am awful fond of so it pulls me into the area a decent chunk. I am guessing that you must? Perhaps you even give lessons of some sort?" A shot in the dark based on the tidbit of conversation she was able to overhear.

Lucas did have a deceiving appearance. The half elf was twenty-seven, but his attitude did not match his appearance. He was theatrical, no doubt about that. Being serious for individuals was almost impossible unless the person was close, yet close contact was a long lost memory for him. The author is amused by her reaction, he gained what he wanted: small agitation. He was fulfilled for the meantime. The smoke wafted and he breathed in, waiting for her response. “Larket’s popular then?” He was making conclusions. “Pfft, no,” he is cut from his thoughts. “I travel here from… Cenril now?” He shakes his head. “I’ve bounced all over this land: Venturil, Kelay, Cenril. I live on the top floor of one of the buildings in Cenril. I travel to Larket because I am in the symphony here. Just got the job, actually. I used to teach in Venturil, but a man’s gotta make real money,” his face is almost emotionless, acting like adulthood was a pain, but really… he was an author with the financials, he had no worries. “If you don’t live here… what the hell are you doing in the middle of town?” He was nosy.

Meri was typically no fan of questions but the questions Lucas happened to be asking were pretty basic. For the most part. Where did she live? This question is met with a sly grin, though her answer I honest enough even if it may seem lik an attempt at evasiveness. "Wherever it suits me, really." Though Lucas had halted his approach of the bench, Meri's feet get to stepping and soon the woman is dropping into a seat on said bench, nothing lady-like about it either. "I work out of Rynvale in a tattoo parlor, probably the closest definition of 'where is home' that you will get from me." Tattooed shoulders are rolled in a shrug. "Just got a job out in Larket? As a music man? You ever consider joining up with the Bard's guild? I know a gal." Meri knows a lot of people, met a lot of faces in her travels. "Brennia, is her name. You should look her up sometime." The question that is avoided? What the hell is she doing standing around in the middle of Larket. Tsk tsk. Nosy nosy.

Lucas did not sit next to her, he stood from afar and amber eyes stared at her. She was a free-spirit maybe? He was trying to glue puzzle pieces. The man raises his brows at the mention of a tattoo parlor. “So you’re some artist of the sorts? I’d ask for sample work, but now it just gives me a reason to come to Rynvale,” he smirks as he gazes over her. “Music man, I am,” he liked the tone of that, but he was many things. “Bard’s guild? I didn’t know that was still running… Perhaps I’ll take your word for it, then again, what name do I give her to get my in? We all know that you have to have an ‘in’ to get into arts. Mine was the Queen for the symphony. What will I say to this Brennia?” He begins to pace a little out of antsy behavior.

Meri took no offense to the fact that Lucas did not sit with her. She was not a giggling redhead desperate for attention. The two of the were frankly engaged in the same game, fishing for information and trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together without being so obvious that is what they were doing. Those baby blues watch the man pace back and forth. "I could probably give you a sample." She was prone to carrying that sketchbook of hers around with her, tucked away in the satchel that is slung over her shoulder. "But now you have an excuse to come out to Rynvale. Of course there are a number of people rocking my tattoos around the land. You won't have to look long." A brow is lifted. "If Larket is not your home then is she really your Queen? Or do a woman who has you under her employee?" Hm, brows are furrowed together as she mulls over her own query. "Brennia is a very laid back and accepting woman. You won't be hard pressed to strike up conversation with her. Trust me."

Lucas canted his head. “So you’re good you’re telling me?” he grins. “Well, can’t wait for my next travel date. Besides, need a little ink. Make me look mysterious, like I have a story,” he smirks slyly. He scratches the stubble on his cheek before crossing his arms with a squint. “I guess not. But she was sweet enough to attract me over here. Perhaps she needs more settlers,” he shrugs nonchalantly and unfolds his arms before tapping idly on the case in his hand. “Pity for her, some people shouldn’t be so trusting. So, I take it you don’t give your name to just anyone? Smart girl. Mysterious girl. I like it.”

Meri's red lips twist up into a mischievous grin as they circle to the topic of names, ticking off all of the boxes that two strangers normally address when first meeting. "Ah. On the contrary. It is bad for business to withhold that sort of information. Better to have my name out there where people can see it so that I am the artist they pick over someone like...Vasha." Okay so her name must not be Vasha, that sounds like her competition. Lucas is not so far off the mark though, it is more like an old habit, and in this particular moment it was about to resurface. "Why don't you guess? What sort of name do you think I might have? Susan? Jane? Mary?" Her lips twitch upwards briefly in a smirk that reveals that she is amused with herself at the very least. "I don't hear you offering up your name either." Alas, in her mind she is winning here because she has overheard it! Point for Meri. "Luke." Up from the bench Meri goes, but not with the intention of leaving, but to stretch her legs and perhaps join in some pacing. "What sort of tattoo are you thinking about getting and where? Or have you not put that much thought into your mysterious look?"

Lucas now cannot wipe the entertained smile off his face. The blonde was amusing and his eyes danced on her with delight. “Right, must know the tattoo artist by name. Unless you use a faux name. Plenty of people do it nowadays,” but he was not hiding. Only stretching the truth. “Vasha, sounds harsh by the ear. You don’t look so harsh,” shoulders shrug a little and he looks to the side briefly. Amber eyes then flick back with curiosity and a grin. He liked her game. “Guess?” He walks towards her and she stands up, like a small dance. His name echoes off his lips. His shortened one. Unfortunately, he was not surprised hence their conversation started by her eavesdropping. “Alright,” he begins. “Well, I’ll tell you Susan and Jane are out of the question. Susan is too bland and Jane is too… cliché. Are you cliché?” Pause. He forgets the third name used. Pity. Either way, he continues on. “A sleeve would be nice over time… But I have never given myself something symbolic to identify myself. Maybe something musical. A luftpause or fermata, but that’s so small and just off the top of my head. A dot, really. I want something worthy, but then again, it may take some time. I’m sure I’ll find you again.” He then blinks. “Or I could just get a face tattoo. Everyone will question me, I’m sure.”

Meri is equally all amusement when Lucas begins his guesses. Well it turns out they were not so much guesses as attempting to eliminate the names she has randomly thrown out. Pity he has forgotten the woman closest to her actual name, and still Meri is not budging on the issue. Frankly it's not hard to figure out, there in numerous pubs across the lands containing hand drawn flyers advertising for a tattoo parlor all the way out in Rynvale. Two names on it, Meri or Lita. Fifty-fifty chance. While Meri has a fine appreciation for listening to music, but the musical jargon that Lucas uses is met with a perplexed look and a bit of a faint shrug. "Well in full honesty, I would have to look up what the hell you are talking about before I even tried to draw it. Luftpause. Fermata. No clue. But I will advise that face tattoos hurt like a mother..." Look, she's from Rynvale. She has a naughty mouth. That expletive is actually uttered. "It's possible that I will be professional and if you whine and cry? I will let it slide. But I have it on good advise that I am also a she-devil. So....Hope you're tough enough to rough out a face tattoo if you go that route."

Lucas would figure out her name eventually. He knew the place now, and then he would find her face. He will not forget that face, especially with her impression. He lets out a soft chuckle. “Music is not your expertise, I see. Well, no worries, I won’t waste my time with something so… small.” He then raises his brows. “I’m not surprised, a lot of bone structure. Maybe it’ll prove that I am a –man-, yeah? I’ll hold back the whines, but please, have tissues on hand. I can’t control what comes out of these,” he points at his eyes with two digits. At this point, he is being sarcastic. “But in the meantime, I’ve got a place to go with a dog to feed,” he steps backwards with a small smile. “I’ll see you around. Nice to… meet you I guess?” odd since there was no name announced, but he was always good at finding out the information however simple it was. “Anyway, enjoy the rest of what sort of… day you have,” honey eyes glaze over her once more. “Ta-ta, generous she-devil,” he grins mischievously, makes a small click of his tongue. He salutes two fingers towards her before pivoting and wandering off.

Meri mirrored Lucas' goodbye. It was a simple salute that he would get to bid him farewell with Meri opting to linger in the area for just a touch longer while the bard pivoted and turned away. "Generous," the woman responds with a snort of amusement. "See you around, Luke. Maybe." See she was boasting a job in Rynvale but here she was all the way out in Larket. Who knew how easy it was to pin her down to that location. It's been said a million times, but it is a wonder that Lita and Meri manage to keep the face of that shop open. Boredom eventually wins out and Meri wanders along, deeper into Larket, probably to find those people she claims to be fond of.