RP:What Do You Want?

Summary: Tiber officially rejoins the Adventurer's Guild.

Adventurer's Guild Museum

Trying to pin Tiber down for some amount of conversation has been on Meri's to do list for awhile. She meant to try and touch base with him on certain guild matters the last time they met, but it was challenging. Why? Well they were hunting for dragonscales, which ended up consuming a lot of Meri's attention, and then she developed a bit of an attitude problem towards the end. It would be nice if that were not a normal occurrence, but ever since becoming a werewolf she's has a bit of a temper/aggression problem...not that Tiber would be any wiser to this. Did he even know human Meri? Tiber will receive a note from the blonde requesting they meet up. Even if he's not lurking around his usual haunts, somehow Meri's messenger managers to find him to pass on said note. On the day of the meeting, Meri would not be found lurking around the museum in the open. Tiber will have to speak with one of the security guards, who will direct him to Meri's office. She'll be found seated behind a desk. Don't be fooled by the desk, Meri's not putting that brain of her's to good use right now. No studying is occurring, even if a book is open before her. Nope. Meri is drinking and drawing.

In the grand scheme of things, Tiber does receive the note and he was, in fact, and easy find. Whalers in Cenril. Typical. Now normally, he would try to wave the letter off and pull a “no show”, but… well, only a fool could not guess the intentions on why he would show. So, here he is, in front of the museum. “Dude, lay off with the hands,” the guard was skeptical of course with the usual patting. Searching for any weapons in case anyone with dirty paws had the wrong idea. Tiber would normally be one of those scumbags that would try to rob a museum with dazzling relics. Then again, he had some respect for the place with all things considered. The guard pulls out a knife that was hidden in the waist-line of his pants. The guard twirls the blade. “Oh give me a damn break. We live in Lithrydel for the Gods sake. For all I know, you could attack –me-. I don’t think Meri would like this.” The guard then pauses, places the knife back in the lycan’s hand and shoves Tiber through the door. “Freaking guards think they’re the hottest in the freakin’ land I tell ya…” he brushes himself before moving forth the museum. Asking directions to Meri’s office where he is now lingering by the door. He leans against the frame. “I have arrived. Save the applause,” he says arrogantly. He does not mention anything about their last occurrence. Yet. Amber eyes take a moment to stare at the blonde woman. A drink… one he craves, and doodles. “Working hard or hardly working?”

Meri heard more of the interaction between Tiber and the guard then she let on. It's one of those werewolf things, Tiber certainly understood. The announcement of his arrival is met with a lifted brow, but Meri manages to keep any barbed words to herself. It would not due to let things escalate into a fight within the first five minutes and she's not at all certain what sort of humor Tiber has. Despite his interest in Lanara, Meri really does not know much about Tiber. After a moment red lips curl up into a smirk, with Meri making barbed jokes at her own expense rather than Tiber. "Ah, yeah. Give them a break. They're just doing their jobs, and I hear their boss can be a real nasty piece of work if you get on her bad side. She's not keen on thieves, you see." That's a lie. Meri was part of the rogue's guild, just as much of a scumbag as Tiber...though this isa role that many are not aware she takes on. The truth was that Meri is just not big on being stolen from, it was always interpreted as some personal offense and an invitation for retaliation. Meri has never been shy about her doodles, but she does grab her bottle of whiskey and pulls it closer. It's her whiskey, Tiber, and based on this gesture she does not seem keen on sharing. "Work? I don't know what you're talking about. This isn't work. I don't get paid for this. This is a hobby. So...neither. But I didn't invite you out here to chat about me, hm?"

Tiber ’s gaze sort of narrows at Meri’s words about the guards. Give them a break? Really? He holds his tongue, anyway and chooses to move forward on the matter. Tiber a thief? No, no. It was ‘business’, Meri. There was a difference. One that helped him sleep well, harder at night. “I can tell she has a bit of a bite,” considering her storming off back at their last little venture. Though, what truly strikes him is her keen senses which… he understood. Since he had them too, and if she could hear him, she could probably smell the booze on him. He may or may not have had a little sippy sip earlier of his own little hidden flask. He then slinks further into the office. “I think I’m just gonna…” close the door. He then keeps a distance from her. Since they really did not know each other well. “Well, hobbies are nice, and if it’s any indication, it’s probably a nice little whatever it is.” His eyes peer as if to take a peep. He really would not know what she was drawing. One could not really tell his thoughts on anything, but this time his voice sounded at least someone… easy. Normally he was a stoic man with a snarky attitude. Really, Lanara was just cracking his surface before she left. “Talk about me? Shame we can't talk about you. You seemed to peak my interest last time I saw you." He puts some emphasis on his last statement, and then he sighs. "I hope you mean business.” His expression falls into the stone state now. “I walk. I talk. I breathe. I’m an ever-going cycle. What else you need to know?” He crosses his arms and leans back against the wall lazily, but he never breaks gaze. Although, eyes are slightly glazed over.

Meri's red lips twitch up into a knowing smirk when Tiber jokes about Meri biting. No lie there. That smirk does not remain for it's not long before Meri responds to Tiber's words with a hard roll of her eyes. This gesture comes right at 'shame we can't talk about you.' Stoicism and snark are two things that Meri is quite familiar with, as she is about to demonstrate by repeating, "I walk. I talk. I breathe. I'm an ever-going cycle. What else do you need to know? We're much alike, you and I." The blonde makes no objection to Tiber closing the door, she's a very guarded woman who puts great value in her secrets and her privacy. Today's doodle is a wolf, but Meri's little sketchbook is not something the blonde seems to have an interest in focusing on. Nor is the booze that she definitely smells upon him, like she's one to judge. She motions for Tiber to take a seat, there is a nice comfy chair positioned on the other side of the desk. "I was surprised that you actually took me up on my invitation to come hunting for dragon scales. Not unpleasantly surprised, but surprised. That's what I want to talk about. I'm curious to know if you've got an interest, or if that was a fluke."

Tiber cracks a small smile at her repetition of his words. He then moves as the chair is gestured. He kicks the chair back and plops himself down. A leg crosses over the other one and the doodle of the wolf catches his eye. A brow quirks, but he remains silent on the matter. “I was surprised too.” He begins. He lets silence linger between them before unfolding that leg and leaning his elbows forward on his knees instead. “And it wasn’t a fluke. After all, it seems that red-head,” he forgot her name, “put a lot of trust in me to get them shipped from Rynvale. I’m a good man, Meri,” oh dear Sven, here we go. There was so much more for him that he wanted because… he could have hocked those scales. “I can’t deny that I enjoy the little prizes I do get out of fishing for the bigger.” That was the truth, Meri would be able to tell. He stretches back, “You know, the acts of community service and whatnot.” Yeah, yeah, of course the acts of service was the prize. No way, but the front was a nice attempt. An obvious lie. He knew Meri could see right through him, and he figured he would keep the ridiculous act on purpose. There was a fine distance line that he was putting up on purpose.

When Tiber starts in on his little act, Meri takes a long draw from her bottle of whiskey before planting it upon the table and slouching back into her chair. She makes no attempt to hide the fact that she was aware he was feeding her a load of malarkey. "Yeah, I don't know. That red head is pretty scary when crossed, good man or not...I bet you would have shipped those scales. Whatever else you claimed for your own, I don't rightly care about. That's half the point of what we do. The risk can be fun, but there's always got to be some sort of reward." Meri is not entirely sure how Lanara ran things in this regard, but this is how the rogue woman runs it. It's no secret that Lanara is a far better person that Meri is, though. "We might put our fancier finds on display here at the museum, sure, so we can charge people to come look at the stuff...and generate funds to help pay for our risky adventures. It all becomes very cyclical. I'm sure a businessman like yourself can appreciate this, I would think that you understand all about risk and reward."

“Red-heads are fiery, aren’t they?” The man then leans back in the seat again with an amused look. A tooth filled smile is given at her talk of reward. He liked that talk, and Tiber had always been an adrenaline junkie. His hands slip behind his head as he listens to her talk about the museum. The crooked smile is still set on his face. It is stupid due to the booze on his breath, however, slightly charming either way. “Yes, it all loops around in full. Put money in for productivity. Easy. But… why would you need someone like me? I take it you probably really don’t, but it seems like you’re putting quite a bit of emphasis on calling a ‘meeting’ with me. Having me wander all the way from Cenril. That’s very official of you. Putting in the work. What’s in it for you if I’m there? I don’t take it it’s for my friendly face.” Especially when he knew Khitti wanted to punch his stupid face at the last venture. The last accented statement is flat again with that expressionless, lazy gaze.

Meri didn't want to give Tiber the real answer that she felt inclined to actually go out of her way to include him in things. It was likely a very sensitive subject, she figured. Plus they might end up going down the whole 'talking' rabbit-hole, and Meri really didn't like doing that. Getting her to communicate on some sort of meaningful level was like pulling teeth. It only got worse each time someone she cared about disappeared. In this case, that person for both of them was Lanara. And so the tattooed woman snorts defensively at this line of questioning and responds with another hard roll of her eyes. "What, are you fishing for some sort of compliment? Fine. Alright. I'll bite. Why wouldn't I want someone like you around?" Lanara had seen fit to place trust in Tiber. "Greed is a fine motivator, if I do say so myself. I didn't see you running away and screaming like a little girl at the sight of those dragons. Seemed to me like you had a spine and managed to get a few decent shots off. Emphasis on decent. I'd give you a run for your money in that area." Meri smirks, intent on not letting Tiber get too big of an ego. "The more capable people I bring along, the less chance I'll die in the process, which hopefully means we'll keep bringing in the spoils." Meri might be a bit punchy, just like Khitti, but it really does not seem like Tiber's face is one she has much inclination to punch. At least for now. She reserves the right to change her mind.

Tiber would actually be blind to Meri’s true intentions, mostly due to his buzzed, numb state he kept up. And, if Tiber did know the truth, he would be appreciative because, he too, hated feelings. Especially Lanara feelings. Because… well, none of the outsiders knew why. Lanara did not even know his feelings most of the time. She just knew that… he went out of his way for her even when he did not want to. “Lay it on me. I –love- compliments,” fingers lace together now in his lap. He was a turd, but Meri was trying her best to sugar coat him, and for that, he would unknowingly appreciate. “Go on,” he has her continue. “Me? Greedy. It’s for the community,” he lays out again that drips of sarcasm. “I’ll try to not come hungover next time,” no promises. “Well, I’m glad I can be at your service. I’ll have you know that I am very fluent. I don’t know if Lanara ever mentioned it,” he sort of hesitates at the witch’s name, but the man brushes it off as if there was dirt on his shirt. “If you need a second-hand with language barriers, I’m your guy. It’s how Lanara helped those villagers on Twister Island. And, well, I think we can all help each other not die for the good of the order… and for ‘spoils’ as you put it.” The man then inhales. “Well, if that’s the case… it seems all is content—for now. I’d compliment you, but… I already gave you some doodle credit. Nice wolf.” The emphasis he puts on ‘wolf’ lingers in the air between them. He then breaks that silence by rising and scratching the stubble on his chin. “Well, if there’s nothing else, I guess I’ll be seeing you, eh?” Meri will one day punch him, that is probably no question, but today? Well, today, was a lighter sort of energy from him which people did not see fairly often. Must have been the talk of greed. It can make a soul ‘filled’ temporarily. “Enjoy that whiskey, and,” in another language, he spills out a, “take care,” before opening the door and making his way out.

Meri nods at various points of what Tiber has to say, but the compliment to her drawing and the emphasis placed upon the world wolf earns him a rather wolfish grin. It's not a detail that Meri flaunts, but it's also no secret. Word of what she is has been advertised around Cenril, though she likes to try and pretend that scandal never happened. Maybe one day it will be completely forgotten about. But in in instance? The blonde is operating under the assumption that Tiber is aware of what she is. It takes one to know one, right? "Take care, Tiber. We'll be in touch."