RP:Wingman
Part of the Vakmatharas' Jar Arc
This is a Bard's Guild RP.
Summary: Meri introduces Brennia to Lucas and his 'friend' Sarah after Macon's surprise birthday party. They discuss the upcoming party that Brennia is hosting. Lucas gets an invitation, Sarah wants to go, Lucas does not want Sarah to go. Brennia decides to run wingman for Lucas by stealing away his redheaded problem. The end results are probably not what Brennia hoped for, Lucas and Meri may be going to this party. He'll be the best wingman ever....Maybe Meri should have asked a little more nicely.
Larket Avenue
The street is bordered by buildings here, the northern structure set against the wall itself, the sound of chanted prayers emanating from it to blend disturbingly with the sound of fighting floating in from the south, where a tall arena stands. Several Larket citizens stand here, apparently undecided as to which building to enter. The street continues on to the east and west here, with Fort Freedom swiftly approaching to the east.
Brennia was riding in the slightly bumpy carriage ride and within the privacy of it she can actually frown. She was wondering why she even bought a gift for someone she barely knew and that she was suspicious from the start as to why she was invited to such an event, but it was clear now. While looking out the window she saw blonde hair pass through the view of it. Taking a moment to dawn her usual kind smile she speaks up to the coachman to stop and he abides. Once the white wooden and gold accented carriage stops Brennia swings open the door to exit it for now. She stands there looking overdressed for the party they just ditched and Meri looking underdressed, but Meri knows by now that Brennia doesn’t care about that, “need a ride?” She’s made arrangements with the college to have the carriage over night and now she no longer needed it so Brennia can take it or leave it.
Meri bought no gift for King Macon, a King that she hardly knows but from what she has heard hardly likes. There could be a reason for this but careful, Meri's had a few shots and probably doesn't need to be sent into a drunken rant about how amazing witches are right in the middle of Larket, after leaving a royal party. That she is definitely underdressed for....in that she definitely dared to show up to the Queen's party in pants, at least she ritzed up the top a bit. Brennia is greeted with a warm smile but Meri shakes her head to decline the offer to hop into the carriage, "Naw. My horse." Has been left somewhere around Larket. Dude, where's my horse? "Hey! We went to a Larket party and nothing happened! No one got eaten! No one died! No one was arrested. I think this is one for the record books. I thought for sure someone would try and assassinate the King." Shut up Meri.
Lucas walks slowly kicking rocks across the avenue. He was not invited to the party, but the red-headed girl beside him was, the one that Meri had seen last time. Sarah. She was like a crazy cold that the man could not shake off. He was doing the “kindly” deed. Lucas is staring off at different buildings and the freckled violinist is running her drunken mouth. “Can you believe Benny yesterday? He had the nerve to sit in –my- seat. I’m first violinist,” she exaggerates herself and Lucas is silent distracted by something else. A carriage, and a blonde. A familiar looking blonde. Lucas stops from a distance for the meantime. Sarah halts too. “Y’know, Luke. You can come over, if you want?” she sounds flirty enough that the half elf blinks and looks at the redhead stoically. “Sarah, you’re drunk. You’re going home, and going to bed.” Lucas then straightens himself and walks towards the two women. “Look at you. Larket again, Miss Mysterious She-Devil? Or should I say… ‘Meri’?” He finally found at her name. It took a couple reads and conversations. At this point, Sarah is pouting in the background with a drunken puckered lip.
Brennia smirked with a quirked brow at Meri. Slipping out of her heels to toss them back into the carriage and ripping a thigh high slit in her silk gown. “You’re off for the night, Giles,” her sultry alto timbre sounded as she turned to send the coachman off with the carriage. Seeing as she didn’t need it anymore to hull pointless gifts, flowers, and to not mess up her perfectly curled hair. By now the curls look more like a cascading wave of black though and the carriage slowly starts to pull off just as Brennia remembers, “oh yeah!” She catches up with it easily being six foot two and all it wasn’t hard, but she quickly opens the door to procure a bottle from the moving carriage and hoping down again. She saunters back over to Meri with that adorable dimple inducing grin, “swiped a little parting gift.” It was a bottle of whisky. That grin falters just slightly at the appearance of a stranger and large liberty blue eyes take in the sight of him and his lady friend. Eventually her gaze wanders back to Meri to wait for any sort of cue of who this is all the while remaining friendly as the carriage sounds farther and farther. The lamp lights of the streets are low, but the pair would clearly be able to see a rather swanky dressed Avain woman with large onyx wings that nearly blend into the night. The closer they got the more they would be able to pick up on their most favorite scent emitting from her and that the sapphire gown she dawns is made out of a very clingy silk which accents every wonderful curve of her frame… But it may be the endless ink upon her dewy caramel skin that their eyes catch on more.
Meri's red lips twitch up into a full grin at the sight of a bottle of whiskey, as if the tattooed woman was going to object to more. Brennia dismissing her carriage for a bit of a walk was perfectly acceptable to Meri, the bardic woman had wings that could carry her away at will. "You know I had thought to..." But both hands are held out to reveal that Meri would have little chance of hiding the bottle from view. No bag either. "Braver than I am." Drunk or not it doesn't take Meri long to notice look and the company that is keeping him, or trying to. The redheads incessant chattering was pretty impossible to not notice. Poor Sarah is greeted with a cool smile before her blue eyes slide toward Luke. "Ah, you figured me out. Not that it had to have been all that much of a challenge." This is punctuated with a wink and then onward to the introductions, "Luke, this is Brennia. I told you about her, if you recall. Brennia, this is Luke. Just hired into Josleen's symphony. I've never heard him play though. And he wasn't at the party tonight so...." A smirk crosses her lips, as if this were a challenge, maybe even an implication that he wasn't that good (as jokingly as it can be made).
Lucas found himself grinning right back at Meri once she winks. “Surprisingly it was easier than I thought. Sure, there are two of you to choose from at the parlor,” he gazes her up and down, his grin simmers into a smile. Amber eyes then switch over to Brennia and her sapphire gown. Quite fancy. Sarah was looking sharp herself in her black sparkled gown, but her personality was a turn-off. “Brennia,” he finally echoes. “Pleasure, I’m sure.” Lucas greets her with a simple pleasant nod. Luke then smirks at Meri’s little comment. “Aww, someone wish they could’ve had a dance…?” He snickers and then looks back at Sarah, who is now marching over. “Hi, I’m Sarah,” she barges into introduction and grasps on to Lucas’s arm (too much, amiright?). “I was there, I was at the party. Violinist,” Lucas looks down on the red-head almost in horror (she was cray cray). “Err, right,” Lucas begins again with hesitation. “This is… Sarah. A friend from symphony. She had a little too much to drink tonight and I needed to bring her home, isn’t that right, Sarah?” The girl does not respond, she only has the face of a witchy jealous girlfriend, that is not really a girlfriend, just crazy.
Brennia actually did blush with flattery from Meri. It seemed that her friend bragging about her honored her more than being humiliated at some royal party (which just happened by the way, Luke - to catch ya up.) A soft chuckle at her swiping skills, “hey, they offered it for all and it was much easier to blend with the ‘help’ once I realized that was what I was there for.” A wink given to Meri in attempts show it didn’t really bother her as much as it really was. She takes a generous gulp of the whisky and sort of sighs after before handing the bottle over to Meri. Her smile widened once more which expose perfect pearly white teeth and that alluring alto tone was now turned to Lucas, “ah, merry meet Luke.” She bowed her head once as well. “You’re in tune with the Bardic Arts?” Now those liberty blue eyes look him up and down as if she could read it off of him or something, but this Sarah girl that is clinging about like a plague is met with the same niceties, “hello there. Merry meet to you as well. Ever consider taking any extra courses at the college?” Sometimes this works with the flakier of bards as commitment as school goes is too much for them, but between you and me - secret is that the college is way more laid back than that.
Meri flashes Sarah sweet smile, but the words that fall past Meri's lips don't match the smile that is displayed for the redhead. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't notice you at the party." Frankly this is a tempered reaction to Sarah's antics right now. Meri was behaving herself, probably to keep the redhead from causing a scene to give Brennia a chance to talk up her college. Luke has found himself surrounded with three intoxicated women tonight. The bottle is accepted from Brennia, a healthy swig is taken, and then it is offered to Luke with a bit of a wiggle. Sarah was welcome to it as well, of course. It would be rude to deny her, since she was joining the conversation by clinging to Luke's arm. And there was an entire bottle to go around. Her nose is wrinkled up at the mention of dancing. The woman who shows up in a royal party in a pair of black pants and some kind-of-fancy-blue top? Dance? Meh. "Not much of a dancer, much to Sarah's relief, I am sure. As I bet I would have gotten that dance."
Brennia is probably the least judgemental and most civilized person he’ll meet, I mean, she does run a college and a guild so she must be cordial in order to keep a certain reputation. Brennia looks at Meri through the side of her eye with a soft chuckle as well, that comment, since she hasn’t seen this side of Meri before, but she definitely approves. The charmer Brennia is, when the bottle is handed back she attempts kind eye contact with Sarah as ther fingertips caress with the passing of the bottle, “yeah? Think on it some more for me will you?” it was a sweet turn to her sultry tone and dimples in her grin that could clue either Luke or Meri in that Brennia can probably sell salty sea water to pirates as sweet purified water if she wanted to. Hopefully this loosens Sarah up enough and calms her down a bit as she now turns those liberty blues down on Luke, “anything with passion. I have writers, painters, healers, comedians, thespians, concert performers and even those who just have a passion to learn the ways of the bard. However, the Smyth College of Bardic Arts houses students wishing to join the guild one day while having a place they can call home if they wish it.” She sips the whisky some more and passes it to Meri as she mentions, “Meri has been there a few times…” It was easy for Brennia to brag about the castle, but she looks to others to give the facts.
Meri usually throws up a pretty good act of politeness with Brennia, this is true. She's also usually sober around Brennia, discussing things that will make her money, which gives her pretty damn good incentive to be a nice little she-devil. Unfortunately for both Luke and Brennia, she's been knocking back shots a good chunk of the night, since she managed to break free from the 'gossip' section of the party. Meri's feistiness at the moment probably has absolutely nothing to do with Sarah herself as Meri knows neither Sarah nor Luke well enough to really care either way. The poor girl just happens to be an easy target for an ornery drunk to torment. "Real nice place, that College. I mean just look at the way Brennia is dressed, woman has some taste," Meri waves Brennia over with a tattooed hand. "Ritzy as hell. I think she's hosting a party there too soon. I think that sounds like a great excuse for you to come check out the College, hm?" Meri looks toward Brennia to confirm this invitation, not that she really had a doubt.
Lucas eases as Sarah begins to ease. Brennia helps. Lucas is engaged in Brennia’s information. “Well, Brennia, we may have to keep in touch,” he smiles and rocks on his heels. As the college is talked up, Lucas begins to shut down into a quiet state, beginning to listen instead. Sarah is looking in various corners of the avenue. A paranoid drunk. Lucas begins to snicker. “A college party, huh?” The sounds make him seem young. Lucas was not as young as he may have seemed. He shakes his head with a smile. “Well, perhaps I’ll be there,” but now Sarah is nodding. She is all for it. She is obviously younger than Lucas. No wonder she was acting like the way she was.
Brennia looks back to Meri at her side and almost says something like ‘you think the queen would like it if I pressured her into being the entertainment at the party?’ After all, she nearly forgot about the promenade, “ah, yes. It is less than week from today and the both of you should come. Every invite gets a plus one admission.” Something about what she just said and Sarah’s reaction queues Brennia to add, “I think I have enough masks made. I know I have at least one extra invite.” Brennia doesn’t want to give off the impression that you must be ‘ritzy’ yourself to attend the college so she brings up a certain professor, “I recently hired a professor who, if you forgive his usual smell, can really show you some things on this newer instrument called a guitar… He’s a little unorthodox, but I think that fits right in with the other professors as well.” Brennia might have nearly endless resources, but it seems she values people and experiences over material items… I mean, she just ripped a very nice tailor made silk gown and sent her ride home so she can walk on the streets with her friend. “Either way, you may stop by and tour the campus whenever. I spent a good week or two making sure to post on every board about it and include directions.” Brennia glances around before those liberty blue eyes fall on Sarah, “which way are we headed?” She gets a hint that maybe this Lucas and Meri could do with some time alone? Brennia will get the violinist home safe if she allows, but Meri could totally steal Brennia if she would rather.
Meri tilts her head slightly to the side Brennia tries to steal Sarah away from Lucas, unable to stop the smirk from forming across her red lips. It wasn't a smirk of approval, but Meri was curious to see what Sarah might do in response to being swept away from her precious beau. Who Brennia was trying to run wingman for....? Meri wasn't quite entirely sure who. Were she and Luke throwing off hints that they needed alone time? That may be a bold statement. That smirk turns into a lopsided half-grin as she points after Brennia and Sarah, if they even manage to make it very far from their current position. "Oi Luke. I think you might have some competition there. Looks like someone is trying to run away with your girl. Are you going to let that slide?" The professor that Brennia describes must be familiar to Meri for the woman has a good chuckle. Oh Alex. "I talked that bastard into putting some time out at the Kraken every so often, I think the place scares him though. Anyway, it was good seeing you Brennia." Who may or may not be leaving despite a possibly (un?)successful attempt to escort a redhead home?
Lucas perks at this comment. Plus one. Interesting. Sarah was not on his list of people. In all honesty, he wanted to stay clear of the crazy red-head. The professor Brennia begins speaking about gets in the way of Lucas’ train of thought. “He knows guitar?” Lucas is dumbfounded. He knew mandolin, but guitar was a different story. Perhaps, he would take a class. “I’ve read about it, I’ve always wanted to know how to play.” As Brennia suggests her and Sarah leave, Lucas is smacked in the face with surprise. He is looking at Meri from a side angle briefly before looking at Sarah. Sarah is hesitant. “Uhhh,” Sarah spews. She then looks at Meri and Lucas and frowns. “But Lucas was going to take me home,” the man then shrugs. “Well, if Brennia wants to, that’s fine with me. She’s about as sober as I am. Besides, I’ll see you at practice and you need more friends anyway,” Sarah huffs when Luke does not get the message. The half elf mutters to Meri. “It’d be an honor to have Brennia sweep her away,” he then straightens up. “Brennia, it was a pleasure. I look forward to speaking with you very soon. Hopefully at the party? Or letter, depending on my schedule,” his writing schedule, that was. Lucas then shoves Sarah forward towards Brennia. Hopefully, Brennia gets the hint that he just really wanted Sarah to get away from him. “Also, thanks for walking Sarah home. Bye Sarah,” her name rolls of his tongue like childish song.
Meri is drunk but still heard that. "Lucaaaas." That name falls off her own tongue in much the same way that Luke speaks Sarah's name. The redhead was not the only one who would be subject to being poked fun at by a certain tattooed blonde. "Lucas. Luke." The names are repeated, alternating back and forth a couple more times, like Meri were weighing the options and trying to determine which is better. A grin is cast toward the bard, "Unorthodox is an understatement. I once saw that man being chased through Cenril by a couple of guards. Without pants, mind you. He has a bear. The bear was chasing all of them." Yes, it was quite the spectacle, you have been warned. Yet Brennia recommended him and Meri still saw that he ended up with work at some place called the Kraken so....He's not all that bad. This is what Meri goes on about until she is sure Sarah is out of earshot. "So you're a free man. That poor girl. Brennia will see her home safe and sound though, she's in good hands."
Lucas blinked and almost cringed by the name ‘Lucas’. Sarah had just used it, but he had not noticed until Meri dragged his name out. “It’s Luke.” He furrowed his brow. Sarah must had looked at the sheet for the symphony. Background checks. As Meri goes on the rant, Lucas is almost dazed by all her unnecessary chattering. He then sighs in relief as the redhead disappears with Brennia. “Thank Sven,” he spews loudly and almost exasperated. “Poor drunken girl. She’s just young and doesn’t know better yet. But… are you in good hands? Where are –you- off to?”
Meri wishes that she actually believed the rant was unnecessary, opinions and perceptions. After Brennia and Sarah are given sufficient time to move on their way, Meri's feet would follow their lead. Ultimately there was only so long individuals could stand around the middle of the street chatting it up in the evening hours, drunk. That probably meant they were not nearly as quiet as they thought they were being with their conversation. There is a devilish smirk as Lucas offers the correct, but she seems to cave on the issue - maybe. "Luke." A beat. "I don't know, I'm thinking probably skipping out of Larket. Maybe down to the Golden Sav're. Beats the hell out of the Red Ogre." That impish smirk remains, the temptation to make fun of that poor redhead too much to pass up. Again. At least she's not in earshot this time. "Are you going to walk me home, Luke? You can come over you know. If you want." How serious is Meri? Well she's having a good chuckle right about now so...
Lucas remains stoic after Meri repeats the simplistic version of his name. Then again, how would she know that he was L.B.? There were plenty of Lucas’ to float around about the land. Either way, this was the author’s mistake out of tiredness, but the narrator is still going to keep going with it. Amber eyes shift down the street, quieter than usual. “Golden Sav’re, wherever the hell that is,” he pulls a smoke out of his pocket with a pack of matches, striking the rolled cigarette up. He never really smoked, only when he was stressed. His name might have thrown him over the top. Crazy Sarah looking up his name. Surprisingly he was dressed semi-decent. A checkered button-up that had a few buttons loose, a dark blue blazer and black pants with nicer dress boots. He rolls his eyes almost towards the back of his head at her mimicking. “You wish,” he smiled slyly. “I could come over, if you do want,” he winked. He would take a drag of the smoke before dabbing a few ashes. He blew out a puff to the side, walking with her. “Cenril. That’s where I live. Longer trip, but nothing better to do. Besides, my significant waits.” Significant what? Significant companion, of course! Xylo was always number one. “But, you are drunk, so it would almost be rude of me if I left you stumbling about the streets. Pretty non-classy. Though, wait before you say it ‘not like you care’, probably. I just know I’d rather have a secure mind if you’re somewhere safer than the streets.” Beat. “I know, gross, right? But it’s pretty much my job to get someone where they need to be tonight. Even if it’s –you-.” He idly takes another inhale and smirks out the haze.
Meri didn't know. The hope that Meri might pick up a book and actually read for pleasure? This was a high hope. If she had a book in her hand it was cause for concern, mildly. It meant that she was probably trying to learn about something, which she was usually only inclined to do when she was up to no good. Anyway, hi Lucas. Are you smoking a cigarette in front of a drunk woman right now? There is this expectant stare set on the guy, but ultimately she decides to pull her own tarnished cigarette tin out of her own back pocket so that she can go through the motions of lighting up. "No, we've met like twice. I'm not going to sit here and fuss over if you care or not. More like 'I'm a big damn girl who take care of myself thank you very much'." Meri shrugs, but keeps talking, which means she must be alright with Luke playing escort. "I blow through Cenril quite a bit. So how about this. I've got this invite to this party. You've got this invite to this party. Maybe we could find ourselves dates? Or maybe we'll run into each other there. I think you owe me a dance." Maybe Meri was just trying to get him out to the college to. "Otherwise, Whaler is a nice place to hang out sometimes"
Lucas could care less if she was drunk or not, he wanted a smoke. Lucas was self-centered and would not be a “light-giver” in the cigarette sense. Hi, Meri, glad there’s not going to be an issue… yet. “Yeah, twice and I’m already keeping tags, I’m the clingy type,” his voice is monotone, but he is clearly joking. Luke liked playing escort, made it more interesting. As she continues to babble, he nods occasionally. He liked what he was hearing. “Well, won’t want to waste a plus one, so I guess I can be your wingman, if you be my wingwoman. It’s all fine and dandy. If I’m getting what you mean?” He dabs away the ashes again. “Owe you? Sure. Want to? Yes,” he pulls one of those sly smiles. However, he would play her game for now, and it was her move. “I go to the Whaler all the time. It is ‘home’. But let’s focus on getting you to rest,” he grins, and as the night goes on, he jabbers on about how great of a wingman he would be, until they get to her destination, wherever that may be! And they both live happily ever after – separately – and not ‘the end’.