RP:What Choice Do We Have?
Summary: Meri and Callum receive a letter from Khitti regarding their little ghost "friend" Caiburne that still resides in the tree outside their house.
The Greenhouse (Rochester-Boyce Residence), Southern Sage Forest
Meri :: It was business as usual in the Rochester-Boyce household, which is to say that things were a bit on the chaotic side. And who is to blame for this? Their tornado of a child who is playfully running amok and riling the dogs up in the process. And there seems to be confusion among the pack about which toys belong to who. Example: Fleur is actually playing with the stuffed squirrel that Mr. Weanie prefers to play with while Mountain is definitely using one of Fleur's dolls as a chew toy. And Meri has just about given up talking sense in any of the wild things. She is just sitting in the kitchen, drinking coffee, and watching the living room get utterly destroyed. The blonde is debating if she's really going to spend the energy cleaning up the living room once daughter and dogs have finally tired out. Hm. No. Sitting in front of Meri is a letter, and based on the handwriting it was from Khitti.
Callum came in from his greenhouse after having spent an hour or so in there. And when he came in? Well, the scene that had been unfolding in front of his woman is just stared at. Hm. Yep. Definitely the same as usual. “How exactly do they have all of that energy -every single day-?” The Catalian plopped down onto a chair beside Meri as he wiped the fresh soil off of his hands. “I wonder when we should boot her off to school. Might have to send the dogs with her,” he said with a smirk before peering over at the letter that sat in front of the blonde. “What does she want? I’m assuming nothing good.” It hadn’t been good when she’d come over recently, with Dominic, crying out her eyes about how those freaks from the Shadow Plane had taken Meri and Cal’s nephew. Dominic had seemed no different--beyond all the new magicks he’d had access too now--but Khitti had still been shaken up a bit, even after they were dead, and had sought solace in her sister instead of her husband. And now? What could she want now? Well, the letter itself would turn out to be a blessing instead of the usual doom and gloom that came with Khitti. It was a surprise to be sure.
Meri first rolls her eyes at Cal's response to the sight of the letter. Poor Khitti. Almost immediately after that expression is completed, the blonde lifts a brow, "Like a boarding school?" Honestly, Meri had not really put much thought into that aspect of Fleur's life, probably because Meri herself did not receive much of a formal education when she was growing up. Meri slides the letter over toward Callum, "I think it is more for you than it is for me." What Meri means, is that the letter may have been addressed to her, but it was not something that Meri would decide one way or another without Callum's consent. While Callum is processing the letter, Meri is considering the pros and cons of boarding school. After she is sure that Cal has had enough time to process the letter, Meri shifts her blue eyes from the mess of the living room to Cal. She shrugs, "I really cannot say that I know much of Quintessa, outside of the same gossip and rumors that you have heard as well. He's more your friend than mine." A claim made because he seems attached to Callum, not Meri.
Callum || “Boarding school? Hell no. If -I- could barely get through that type of “establishment” when I was a kid, I’m not gonna put Fleur through it. I just meant like… maybe she could go to wherever Hudson and Alvina’s kids go? I’m assuming some place in Cenril. And more importantly, they might know about them being lycans. I mean… they have to, right? What if they get pissed off and go wolf? They’ve gotta be able to handle that sort of thing,” Cal said, shrugging as he slid the letter over further in front of him. “If anything, it’d give us a little break every day from the madness. I don’t even care if she does well. She likely wouldn’t learn to use her magic from there anyway, so it’s not like there’d be a whole lot for her to learn anyway.” He finally studied the letter, and you’d think he was a vampire, with as pale as he went when he read the name ‘Caiburne’ before anything else. There’s a shudder too and even a sigh. “I remember her. The creepy girl from the Mage’s Guild ball and the one Lanara hosted nearby.” Callum sighed again. He wanted to just forget about Caiburne entirely, but it was clear he wasn’t just going to go away, even if he’d gone rather dormant lately. Maybe the ghost had used up too much energy on Halloween, making his appearance all the way in Frostmaw. Or maybe he was just biding his time to strike again… “Alright. I guess we don’t have much of a choice anyway… and I just want him gone. Better to find someone your sister at least trusts, than trying to find some random witch that may not even help us at all.”
Meri bobs her head in a nod of understanding when Cal clarifies what he meant with the whole subject of Fleur and school. "Well there are not too many schools in Cenril, so I guess the next time we are out there we may as well go and see and ask questions to see...when we're supposed to even start her school." That would be a conversation for another day, today was not a day for a trip to Cenril. Meri herself has had the same thoughts about the ghost that plagues Callum, but of the two of them...? She was the least capable to handle anything with ghosts. Ghosts were not 'things' that Meri had any ability to manipulate, so far as she knew. "So it sounds like it is settled. Ignoring this problem is not going to make it go away. Who knows how violent he'll be next time..." Meri frowns at that thought, because, again, she knew full well that she was weak against ghosts. She had no idea how to help defend Cal in these situations. "So I guess it's settled then. We'll invite this Quintessa to our home and see if she will be able to offer any help." Halloween is creeping up fast, it would be most ideal to have it resolved by then, Meri thinks to herself. "I will let Khitti know our decision."
Callum nodded to Meri with regards to the schooling for Fleur, then looked down at the letter again. “No. Ignoring is what made it worse, I suppose. I’m sorry it’s still a thing. I should’ve asked for help to begin with, but… you know how hard that can be sometimes.” Cal ever-so-lightly faceplanted on the table, then turned his head to the side so he could actually speak and look at Meri. “I feel like I should be relieved by this but I’m not. Maybe I’ve just grown used to the tree being there. It definitely needs to go, but it still feels odd. Gives me more time to worry about another weird frakkin’ place, I guess. I still don’t know what Eleanor was thinking with making that thing."
Meri :: Yes, Cal. Meri knows full well how hard it can be to ask for help, especially on this ghost subject. She knows from first hand experience...! Though in Cal's defense, she was an ex at that point in time. Meri reaches across the table to grab hold of Callum's hand so that she can give it a reassuring squeeze. "If I am being honest, I am not entirely relieved either. It helps that the recommendation is coming from Khitti...but you know how we both are with this stuff. Life has jaded us and made us paranoid from too many sour experiences." Meri shrugs, her eyes leaving Callum only long enough to check on that high pitched scream she just heard from the living room. What's happening? Nothing earth shattering. Fleur's just pinned to the ground by Mountain who is forcing some slobbery puppy kisses on her. Everyone still seemed to be having a good time, except...well the adults, their topic of conversation is sober. "I don't care if Quintessa is Khitti's student, if she does something weird, I am going to stab her."
Callum’s writer can’t help but find Meri’s thoughts towards Quintessa anything but hilarious. Callum, on the other hand, frowned. A lot. Meri’s own hand is squeezed in return and a weird, sideways nod given. “Yeah. Probably a good idea. While I might make fun of Khitti sometimes for being crazy, I don’t think she’d send anyone -too- off. I think she knows better. And if Khitti’s going to use him to fix things…? Well, might as well put his stupid ghost ass to good use for once. I hope she tortures every ounce of that guy’s spirit to get what she wants. He deserves worse… but I have to accept what whatever she does to him will be enough.” It took a lot for Cal to say any of this, from his thoughts on Khitti, to his hopes of a not-so-pleasant final demise for Caiburne.
Meri tries her best to let herself be convinced by Callum's words, but she's still deadset on having her sword with her on that day. Just in case. She doesn't verbalize this, she knows Callum is full aware of what she's like by now. "Then it is decided. I will be sure to pass your wants and wishes onto Khitti. I really don't see why she would object to making sure a bad guy suffers a bit..." Meri smirks at this point, for she has seen much of the redheads temper over the years. There is a lot of silence coming from the living room now, which usually means Fleur is getting into something that she should not. Today may be an exception. Fleur has found one of Cal's books and is "reading" it to the dogs right now. Note the book is upside down. Also the story she is telling the dogs really has nothing to do with the subject matter of the book. "Rock, paper, scissors for who is giving her a bath and putting her to bed?"
Callum definitely knew Meri was going to have her sword with her. He didn’t blame her. He was a little on edge himself about the whole thing. Hell, he might even have to use his own magic to help with this. He knew, at least, he’d be somewhat useful against Caiburne’s ghost. He’d probably have to close them in with a net of electricity or something to keep him from getting away. Oi. Meri’s question of a game to decide who’s dealing with their daughter was met with a smirk as he sat up finally, both hands out in the proper position for the game. It wouldn’t matter what he chose, Callum would most assuredly lose this game tonight. And when he did lose, he’d smirk and roll his eyes, smooch his woman on the cheek and go to see just what the hell his kid was attempting to read. “Fantastic Plants and Where to Find Them, eh? Good book.” If Cal thought this was going to be easy, well… it wasn’t. It turned out that Mountain was not amongst the group of puppers “reading” the book and listening to the story. He had missed Cal so much! So much so, the almost six foot tall Catalian was tackled to the ground by the actual six foot tall (at his standing height, of course) great dane. This led to a dog pile, because of course Fleur, Mr. Weanie, and Circinus couldn’t help but join in. It was going to be a long night for Callum. A very long night.
Meri :: Cal was indeed going to lose. Why? Meri was going to cheat....as she does. She did not pick any of the three options she presented. Nope, she went the explosive route and blew everything up. Cal stood no chance. What would Meri do while Callum was being tormented by dogs and daughter? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. She didn't even try and contain her smirk over the current situation, but she really knew this struggle all to well. Besides, Cal can't complain too much. Better dogs and daughter than some ghost trying to tackle him. "I'll be sure to have a glass of wine ready for you once you're done."