RP:Witch Woes

Part of the Larketian Fault Lines Arc

Summary: Meri introduces Callum to her witch friend, Valrae. It starts off well, but there is a moment of tension, that manages to subside when Meri assures Valrae that she and Callum want to help her in any way that they can, from offering her a job to a place to lay low if she ever needs it.

The Rebel Room, Larket

Meri was present in the shop, finishing up a painting class for a small group of ladies. There is always that one friend who has had a little bit too much to drink and that friend is present in the class today. She is a brunette with dark brown eyes and her two other friends are having to practically carry her out of the shop. Meri is somewhere toward the back, cleaning up the mess that Miss Drunkie has made. Maybe painting and drinking was not such a good idea after all? Or maybe Meri would just have to put a cap on how much people are allowed to drink while they are painting. Or maybe the drinking needs to come after the painting. Here, you painted a flower, have a glass of wine. This is what Meri is mulling over as she is currently on hands and knees trying to clean up a whole slop of paint in a whole slew of colors. Someone missed her drop cloth entirely. Ugh.

Callum was here as well, though he wasn’t one of the ones painting. No, Mr. Rochester had been working crowd control to an extent, doing his best to swoop in and clean up wine spills with his water magic--can’t have stains in Meri’s brand new place, you know. Now as Meri’s students were filing out the door, he was going about straightening up the various house plant and flower pots because those women have no goddamned respect for plants and he really wanted to follow after those idiots and give them a literal shock, buuuut, he didn’t. Instead, he wandered over to assist Meri, “Hey, lemme do that. You go relax a bit. Maybe drink the rest of that wine.” A small globe of water is summoned up, then swirled about on the floor to loosen up the paint that’d begun to dry.

The hood of her dark cloak was drawn even as she entered the Rebel Room. Her face was shrouded in shadow, her figure a secret close guarded by ink black fabric threaded with gold. Underneath she wore a simple traveling gown and a bodice laced with crimson ties. Her dusty boots made her foot steps echo hollowly on the stone floor. The witch had taken a step back to let the tipsy ladies escort their drunken friend out and waited until the stylish new artists hub was empty of almost all unfamiliar faces. The man didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave. Valrae glanced nervously toward the door before stepping farther into the room. Though it was hidden, a frown bowed her lips as she walked toward Meri. With one last glance over her shoulder, she slowly removed the hood. Her golden hair was pulled back in a high pony's tail, the riotous curls water falling in an almost subdued way over her shoulders. Her large eyes were lined dark with the usual kohl and her lips were stained pale red. "Meri?" The young witch spoke her friend's name as a question, glancing nervously at the unknown man.

Meri's attention is not immediately stolen by this mystery cloaked figure because Callum has gone and claimed it -- he is good at doing that. Red lips find themselves curling up into a very familiar, fond smile for the Catalian man. "Go relax with a bottle of wine he says...She says if they both work together they will finish so--" there was definitely more to the sentiments that she was expressing but now that the want-to-be-artists are gone, that cloaked figure is sticking out like a sore them. The voice is instantly recognized and that smile lingers on her lips. It would grow wider were that possible but the man in the room does a damned good job of keeping this woman smiling wide. Hard to beat. To her feet Meri goes only to close he gap between herself and Valrae and embracing the woman in a warm hug. "Valrae! I am so glad to see you again. It has been too long. How are you? How is everything? Your friends? Your family?" A million questions for Valrae but Callum is not forgotten in Meri's excitement. Valrae is taken by the hands and pulled closer to where Callum is. "Have you met my boyfriend yet? I don't think you have. I think he would have told me. I have told him about you though, and how you helped me with that problem..."

Callum grinned a bit at the artist, “Yes, well, you worked all day whereas I did not.” He’s so good and attentive to his woman. With a tilt of his head, the other blonde female is carefully eyed--but not so much so that it might make her uncomfortable; he’s just observant, you see--and a nod given to her, “Yep. I’m the boyfriend. The one with no name.” Meri gets a slight prod in the ribs, “I’m Cal. And yes, she did tell me about you and how you helped her. I appreciate it; she’s hard enough to handle as it is without acting like a zombie too.” There’s a bit of mirth in his voice, making it obvious that he’s joking. Mostly. Meri’s a lot of work, but in a good way. “Oh, and don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.” He -is- the master of keeping secrets. Meri knows. Meri knows everything.

Valrae's nervousness is instantly smothered by the fondness she feels as Meri welcomes her. She returns the hug, grinning. "It's good to see you too!" She chirps back happily. Before she can answer any of the questions, the witch finds herself being led toward the stranger Meri introduces as her boyfriend. Her cheerful smile fades to one of cautious politeness. Her head tilted slightly in question toward her friend... Normally, she would be more than happy to meet and friend of Meri's but times in Larket were... Tough for a witch these days. So, she offers her hand and keeps a polite but closed smile on her face. But Callum, as he introduced himself, was quickly easing the tension she felt in her shoulders. Her smile defrosts a bit. "I'm Valrae," She returns, shifting the small leather stachel on her shoulder to offer her hand. "It's nice to meet you." Her emerald gaze darts between the pair and can't help her grin. "I hope I'm not itterupting anything. I just wanted to stop by and-" Valrae rummages through the bag now, pulling a small tin from it and offering it to her friend. "I wanted to see how you were and give you a refill. I don't know if you need it but..," She shrugs. "I didn't think it would hurt." Suddenly, it occurs to her to look at her surroundings. She blinks slowly. "I don't think this shop was here when I left." She comments lamely. The artist in her was itching to touch things like a misbehaved child in a candy store.

Meri smirks toward Cal when he delivers that poke to her ribs, responding by sticking her tongue out at him in a very mature manner. So mature, because she is playing too. "Don't listen to him. His name is not Cal. It really is 'the boyfriend'. He's so full of it sometimes." Yes, clearly he is the one who is full of it. It could not possibly be Meri who is. No, not at all. Look at that innocent face? Now look at Cal. Who would you believe? Meri goes on to explain in a more serious fashion as she approaches the front door to lock the trio inside and the customers out, affording them privacy in their conversation. "But seriously. I have told Cal a bit about you. He knows you are important to me, and that I consider you to be a good friend. You can trust him, I promise. Even if Josleen is basically his boss these days." At some point or another that information would surface, Meri thought it better to disclose it sooner over later. "And yes, I probably should take more of that funky gunky stuff. I can't really run out..." Meri wrinkles her nose up at he thought of what might happen if she does. "Do you guys want some wine?"

Callum pouted a little as Meri continues to refer to him as ‘The Boyfriend’. Sheesh. She’s so mean to him. Mean all the time! Instead of giving Meri more hell, he just gives Valrae a look that says ‘see what I have to deal with?’, then shrugs before taking her hand in greeting. “It’s nice to meet you too.” When his job is mentioned, he frowned, but tried to be somewhat reassuring to Valrae, “I’m Larket’s Royal Botanist. I took the job before I found out that Meri had friends of your sort.” He did not mean that unkindly, but rather, was trying to be discreet in case if anyone decided to barge into the door--that was definitely a valid worry he had with regarding a lot of things, not just witches. “But, like she said, you can trust me. I won’t tell anyone.” All this talk of jobs and such reminded him of something him and Meri talked about before, “Could hide you in plain sight too, if you wanted. I’m in need of an assistant and Meri said you’re good with plants. Got a bit of a greenhouse and garden at home too, just next door here, that’s always open for anything you need.” The offer of wine was given a shake of his head. “No, I’m alright. I’ll be your designated driver for tonight. Someone’s gotta steer your drunken arse up three flights of stairs safely,” he said, poking his tongue out at her finally in return.

Valrae felt a little swept away between them. She was laughing though, because how could she not? They were so cute! But the happy mood she was suddenly riding on stopped abruptly as Meri locked the door and mentioned Callum's 'boss'. She almost dropped the tin of magic fused goo. Without thinking, her head snapped to the man in question and her eyes narrowed. He was quick to try to reassure her. The witch couldn't help the wing of her golden brow. "My 'sort'...?" She repeats questioningly. The wine Meri was offering sounded pretty nice. "I wouldn't mind a glass." She pulled her eyes away from Callum to give Meri a nod. Callum offering to hide her and give her a job was met with another questioning wing of her brow. "Are you sure you want to work so close with my sort?" She asked, her eyes gleaming with a little bit of humor and a maybe a bit of challenge. "I don't mean to seem ungrateful or rude," Valrae glances at Meri apologetically. "I just can't help but wonder if you would have made the same offer had our Meri not been unlucky enough to make friends with a witch... You did say you went under the queen's employment before you knew of Meri's friends. Not before you knew of the treatment my people received by her hand."

Meri could chime in, and it's not that she did not want to speak a million words in defense of Cal. However, she also knew that the Catalian was a grown man who would rather for himself, especially when he was right frakkin' there to do so. "The front door is locked, you two can speak freely. It's just us three, now that my class is over and those ladies are gone. Estelle left abit ago," is really the only thing Meri is going to say, for now. Instead she would slip away temporarily. The shop was not sectioned off by walls so Meri does not go out of eyesight or earshot. She is just slipping away to grab three glasses. Yes, three. Callum might have said that he did not want one but with the turn the conversation has taken she will bring a glass for him over anyway and a bottle. All four items are set down on a table nearest to Val and Cal with Meri wrestling off the cork as soon as she has the hands free enough to two so. Only two glasses of the red wine are poured, one offered over to Valrae and the other kept in her own hand. Obviously! This was not meant to be a slight to Cal, he said he did not want one, but the glass and bottle were there should he change his mind. See? Sometimes at least attempts nice and thoughtful.

This was not going how Cal wanted. He was supposed to finally meet Meri’s friend, offer her a job, maybe be good friends with her too occasionally. That is not what happened. Whatever bit of happiness he’d had there was wiped away as Val went on her rant. “First of all, I was trying to be discreet for all of our sakes because yes, all three of us are well aware of what they do to witches here in Larket. Secondly--” Oh he tried so hard to keep his cool, but the witch was really trying his patience “--you’re not the only one with secrets. Meri knows -every- single one of mine, so keep that in mind as you stand here and accuse me of things. Maybe think about the fact that -she- thought it was a good idea to tell me about you, to introduce me to you, and even agreed that you being my assistant would be a good thing for you. I took the job for the money, pure and simple. I have had to scrounge and save and work my way up to where I am right now and I was -not- about to turn down six thousand a month; I was growing rather tired of working myself to death just to survive. Larket’s politics are their own. I don’t know any other witches here in town, and even if I did, Josleen and Macon wouldn’t frakking know it because I’m not a goddamned moron. So don’t you come in here, after all this time that you’ve been away from Meri--who’s been frakking worrying about you this entire time--and ruin a good thing. I’m not gonna hurt you or frakking run my mouth to the Queen; you and I are more alike than you think.” There were barely breaths in that whole speech of his, for he was that angry. Seriously, though. If Meri thought he was good people, shouldn’t that be enough for Val? At least, that’s what Cal thought anyway. The third glass was eye finally with a heavy sigh, the raven-haired male quick to sink into a chair and pour himself a glass. Meri, you’re a good woman. You definitely called the need for that drink.

Valrae kept her face cool and neutral as she listen to Cal and sipped Meri's wine. Her head tilted slightly in the long spell of silence that followed his words. "You'll have to forgive me," The witch offered at last, placing her glass on the table between them and pulling her cloak about her more tightly. "I'm sorry if I took your choice of wording the wrong way. It can be hard to discern between honest discretion and casual bigotry. Larket is filled with more of the latter lately." Valrae gives Meri another apologetic glance before adding the be-spelled balm to the table. "I appreciate the offer of a job. I'm sorry for any worry I've caused and for souring the night's mood. I hope you'll be able to regain it." She re situates her shoulder bag and gives a halfhearted smile to the pair of them. "It was nice to meet you." The golden haired witch turned her boots towards the door and pulled her hood up, as much to hide her tumultuous mood and her identity as she headed toward the door.

Meri finds herself frowning, it is not even that Meri is mad at one party over the other. She can see where this has spiraled so quickly out of control and it is really hard for Meri to fault either Valrae or Callum at this exact moment. "Maybe 'your sort'...Wasn't the best choice of wording, but he talks the same way..." She motions between herself and Callum, "About our sort." The shady sort, Valrae. The sort that like to work for Hudson, well Meri does at least. A hand comes to rest on Callum's shoulder, standing next to him rather than sitting beside him. Her glass of wine is mostly untouched. "I could probably go on and dissect the different ways we all could have responded a bit better, starting with the fact that perhaps I should have not been so nonchalant about sharing that Cal here was the Royal Botanist..." Meri clears her throat, her blue eyes shifting down to the Catalian before transferring back to Valrae. "You are of course welcome to stay but...If you would like to go? Then you are welcome to that as well. Just come back and visit soon?" Because Meri does not cut ties with a friend over a tiff with her boyfriend, one she is hoping is small enough that ideally they will move past this. "And I don't think the job offer is off the table..." Another glance toward Cal, as if trying to confirm this detail. "Working with plants, Val. Aren't quality herbs sort of hard to come by at the labor camp...? Don't be a stranger, witchy. We want to help in the ways that we can. And Val? I was lucky to befriend a witch, not unlucky."

Callum let that anger of his turn down to a slow simmer instead of letting that pool of rage water boil over again, his glass drained as Valrae issued her apology and Meri did her best to smooth things out the rest of the way. Things kept doing that a lot lately; boiling over that is. It had been going so well for so long--and then suddenly he started giving a damn about people again and wanting to fight for them. Or for himself. Time would only tell if that was going to pan out well or not for Callum. “It’s not off the table. If I had a problem with you being a witch, I wouldn’t have offered in the first place. I need someone that knows what they’re doing and genuinely give a damn because, besides Meri now, plants and growing stuff is my life. I take it just as seriously as I do keeping secrets and finding out what I need from anyone--royalty or not--to know how to protect people like us.” His own hand rises up and come to rest on Meri’s, giving it a squeeze, as if to say that he’s fine now. “I’m sorry,” he’d say at length for his own part in the mess that’d been made. “And, you -are- welcomed in our home. Whether it’s to stay the weekend or lay low for a few months.”

Valrae let Meri's voice pause her hasty exit. She turned, just enough to see around her hood, and listened. Perhaps she was a bit touchy when it came to who and what herself and her people were these days. It was damned hard not to be... And it wasn't that she didn't trust Meri to be a good judge of character, or that that she meant to mince and pick apart Callum's words. The witch was just weary and sick down to her soul. After hearing of the new 'witch detection tool' or whatever it was, and of the newest death toll her sisters were staring down... Well, she'd taken her stallion, Fury, and gotten out of Larket for as long as she could stand it. Val had thought long and hard about walking away from it all. Hudson had suggested it more than once. Who would blame her? But eventually she was pulled back. To fight for herself and others like her. How could she walk away now? After burning the effigies at the youth center, rallying her people together for a protest that ended bloody ,and cursing the queen, getting another witch killed for it... Things had gone too far. She needed to see the end or die trying. Meri's last words had tears springing in her eyes. A fresh wave of embarrassment rolled in her stomach. "Mer..." A watery sigh escapes her. "I... I don't know how things are in the camp now. I ran away, Meri. I just... I just took off. I didn't even know where I was going or if I was going to come back." She pauses, pushes the hood away because it felt wrong to hide behind it now. "I'm ashamed of it... I've got to turn things around. I have to do something." Her gaze turns to Callum now. "I'm good with plants. I have an excellent garden to back that statement up. I'm not afraid of hard or dirty work and anything I don't know I'm quick to learn." A sheepish smile curves her lips. "And I'm not usually so quick to make an arse of myself, either."

/goes a little wide-eyed. Callum. CAL. Valbae is doing the thing. With the eyes. And the water. And the leaking. This is where Meri starts to become a little more uncertain with trying to smooth things over for Meri has never been good when it comes to tears. "I....don't think there is anything I could tell you that you would appreciate hearing." About anything witch related at the very least. Meri's own glass of wine is drained at this point with Meri discarding it on a nearby table. "It is Larket...Nothing has changed on that front...." It's not like Valrae disappearing would suddenly make it all stop. "I recently helped move a family from Larket to Rynvale because they were being harassed..." The woman frowns, wishing she had better news but she did not. "Anyway, I think the two of you have some details you might need to discuss? About working together perhaps? So...I am going to take a very short walk home and....I don't know, maybe I will be all domesticated and stuff and do something with dinner." Meri smirks to Callum, because Meri? Cook? Should he be concerned. Hrm. "And I will see the two of your around, yeah?" To Callum, "You have the key to lock up?" Yes or no, Meri would be tossing him hers just to be safe.

Callum shook his head at Valrae, “If you’re that worried about things, then take a few days to think it over. There’s no need to make a decision now. You can send word here or my office or even at home--it’s just right next to here--or find me in person. It’s all up to you.” Another glass of wine is poured and downed before he stands up and moves to where him and Meri had been cleaning things up before, aiming to finish the job finally. As Meri heads off, he smirks and calls after her, “Please don’t burn the house down. There -is- a restaurant right across the street we can order from, you know.” And with that, he’d let Valrae head off before he did so himself. He was definitely eating dinner in bed tonight because he’s an adult and can make those types of decisions.