(Untitled)

[merrimanlyon]

At some point during the day, Merriman realised that he was having some difficulty recalling the last time he'd eaten anything truly resembling a meal

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[last_adam]

Could be that Adam's killing time, waiting for Alanna to set things up outside. Could be he just needed a drink of water. Either way, he's navigating the bar carefully and winces as he accidently knocks into the man at the bar.

"Excuse me."

[merrimanlyon]

For someone his age, Merriman can be quite fast when he wants to be. The cup of tea in his hand is steadied and set down on the bar without so much as a drop spilling into the saucer --

-- and then something clicks in his mind, and it's a very good thing that the cup was on the bar already because otherwise it would possibly be on the floor.

'Not to worry,' he manages to say at last. 'No harm done.'

[last_adam]

Adam straightens himself and turns, determined not to wince, and smiles at the man.

"Wouldn't want to waste any tea."

This, for some reason, strikes Adam as ridiculously funny. You can tell by the curved up shape of his lips.

[merrimanlyon]

Merriman lets out a slightly amused huff of breath. 'At the risk of sounding like the fussy old professor I happen to be, "waste not, want not".'

A pause then, as he looks at the young man more closely. 'Are you all right?'

[last_adam]

There's a slightly nervous air about him as he holds on to the bar to steady himself.

"Fine, but thank you."

[merrimanlyon]

The closer examination has not lessened -- and does not, until Merriman finally says:

'I...should know you, I think.'

Said with a strange mixture of hesitation and absolute certainty.

[last_adam]

His voice is low, and he glances around, though he's not sure why.

"Many do."

[merrimanlyon]

That is not the most reassuring answer.

So he turns the question around.

'Should I know you, do you think?'

[last_adam]

"That depends, I suppose, on where you come from."

[merrimanlyon]

'I come from a world where the Dark was driven out, only to find itself in this place.'

He isn't one for throwing caution to the winds, unless the situation absolutely demands it. Or unless he needs answers and is not getting them.

'My time in that world has passed. My work, it seems, has not.'

[last_adam]

The Dark, those words echoed again.

"I'm not of the dark of your world. Many would consider me of the dark of my own; of evil, at the very least. They don't know me."

[merrimanlyon]

'If you were the Dark of my world, in all likelihood we would not be having this conversation.' He manages to keep the snarky tone to a minimum, which is no small feat at the moment. 'But you know of what I speak, at least. May I ask how you know?'

[last_adam]

"I encountered somebody yesterday, who spoke of such things."

Slow, quiet, calm, even as his hand begins to shake.

[merrimanlyon]

'A woman.' His gaze is shrewd, just this side of calculating. 'Or something quite like a woman. And by your use of the word "encounter", may I surmise that more than a simple conversation took place?'

[last_adam]

"You may."

Adam watches the man's face, willing himself not to wince, willing the voices to quiet and, for a moment at least, they do.

[merrimanlyon]

'I sensed something of that encounter. Enough to know that some kind of stalemate was reached.'

He seems to be about to say something more, but just then he lets out a sigh, and reaches up to massage his temples lightly with the fingertips of one hand.

'...why did you do it?'