David was a bit early for his meeting with Mesteno. They'd decided on the Red Dragon Watch House as a place they both knew, yet was out of the way enough that no one was likely to look for them there. He wanted to make sure that Riley didn't find out that he was in the process of finding a puppy for her. It was going to be his last wedding present to her, and he wanted it to be a big surprise. He leaned up against one wall of the Watch House, and looked around. Ever since the twin blows of Riley's resignation and Dris' virtual abandonment of the government, the Watch had been suffering pretty badly. No funding, no support, and almost no one even bothering to ask them for help anymore. It was sadly deserted, even in the middle of the day.
Mesteno didn't show late, but had it been remarked upon that he was cutting it fine, he'd probably have replied with a shamelessly wolfish grin and an "I'm not late, I'm on time!" With the Watch House empty he'd no reservations about making it their meeting place; he even found it mildly amusing to be meeting the ex-Constable there, unharassed by men wanting to arrest him, though he wasn't so cruel as to remark on their absence. Middle of the day meetings made it difficult to be surreptitious on the approach, but he managed somehow, irritating in that out-of-nowhere way he had, smile bold and crooked. "Afternoon, Mr. Lo," he greeted him cheerfully, disreputably clad and smelling distinctly like he'd been roaming the docks.
If he'd been Riley, he would've no doubt smelled Mesteno coming long before actually seeing him. Maybe it was a good thing he didn't have a nose like hers, though, considering. "Afternoon, Mr..." He paused. "You know, I don't even know if Mesteno is your first or last name," he admitted. It was, undoubtedly, one of the myriad things he didn't know about the guy. Most of them he probably didn't want to know, either. Despite that, he'd grown to more or less like Mesteno.
For a heartbeat his smile stretched broader, but it wasn't mockery, just a reaction to a question posed many times. "S'my first name, don't have a second. I'll make it easy for you though, call you David from now on so you don't have to feel informal." And yes, the lack of shifter senses was probably a blessing at that point. Not that he'd been hanging with the fishwives, but judging by the soggy hems of his jeans and the sand clinging pale to his boots, he'd been indulging in some paddling. "So this is nice," he added, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "Is this our date or are we on some top secret, covert mission you need a bad guy for?" Thankfully, his tone was playful.
David snorted, chuckled. "Come on, I wouldn't take anyone on a date to this place. Even you," he said with a matching tone. "It is a top-secret, covert mission, but I don't need a bad guy, I need an animal guy." He glanced around again, just in case Riley had sneaked up on them. It wasn't too likely, but it was pretty hard to overestimate her senses or her stealth.
David had left himself right open for some particularly cheesy retorts there, but Mesteno spared him the groan-worthy humour. Mirroring his furtive glance about, as if he didn't trust David to do it thoroughly enough, he pitched his voice low. "Okay well, I can probably help there too. You want to be more specific though 'cause I'm liable to leave you in a pen full of Meercats." Don't put it past him!
Meerkats were cute, at least. That was beside the point, though. "Okay. Well. I'm sure you've noticed how much Riley likes dogs, odd as that might be, all things considered. I've been thinking about surprising her with a puppy for a while now, and I think now is the perfect time. I've even done some research, and found a breed that I think would be perfect. Trouble is, I don't know where to find one. That's where you come in. You know animals, and I'm pretty sure I can trust you not to spill the secret to her." It wasn't any stretch at all to trust Mesteno to play things close to his chest, after all.
"I think she'd have stolen Bear if I'd given her half the chance," he remarked with a wry grin. As much as he'd enjoyed watching Riley and his overgrown mutt sat on the floor like kids, he doubted she'd have liked his food preferences. "You're right, a puppy'd be perfect. There's not a lot of choice at the Rescue Shelter right now, mainly Bull Terriers and a couple of old Labradors. I'm guessing that's not what you had in mind, but there are folks that work there that have good contacts here in Rhy'Din, and Earth-side. So what is it you're after?"
Mesteno didn't show late, but had it been remarked upon that he was cutting it fine, he'd probably have replied with a shamelessly wolfish grin and an "I'm not late, I'm on time!" With the Watch House empty he'd no reservations about making it their meeting place; he even found it mildly amusing to be meeting the ex-Constable there, unharassed by men wanting to arrest him, though he wasn't so cruel as to remark on their absence. Middle of the day meetings made it difficult to be surreptitious on the approach, but he managed somehow, irritating in that out-of-nowhere way he had, smile bold and crooked. "Afternoon, Mr. Lo," he greeted him cheerfully, disreputably clad and smelling distinctly like he'd been roaming the docks.
If he'd been Riley, he would've no doubt smelled Mesteno coming long before actually seeing him. Maybe it was a good thing he didn't have a nose like hers, though, considering. "Afternoon, Mr..." He paused. "You know, I don't even know if Mesteno is your first or last name," he admitted. It was, undoubtedly, one of the myriad things he didn't know about the guy. Most of them he probably didn't want to know, either. Despite that, he'd grown to more or less like Mesteno.
For a heartbeat his smile stretched broader, but it wasn't mockery, just a reaction to a question posed many times. "S'my first name, don't have a second. I'll make it easy for you though, call you David from now on so you don't have to feel informal." And yes, the lack of shifter senses was probably a blessing at that point. Not that he'd been hanging with the fishwives, but judging by the soggy hems of his jeans and the sand clinging pale to his boots, he'd been indulging in some paddling. "So this is nice," he added, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "Is this our date or are we on some top secret, covert mission you need a bad guy for?" Thankfully, his tone was playful.
David snorted, chuckled. "Come on, I wouldn't take anyone on a date to this place. Even you," he said with a matching tone. "It is a top-secret, covert mission, but I don't need a bad guy, I need an animal guy." He glanced around again, just in case Riley had sneaked up on them. It wasn't too likely, but it was pretty hard to overestimate her senses or her stealth.
David had left himself right open for some particularly cheesy retorts there, but Mesteno spared him the groan-worthy humour. Mirroring his furtive glance about, as if he didn't trust David to do it thoroughly enough, he pitched his voice low. "Okay well, I can probably help there too. You want to be more specific though 'cause I'm liable to leave you in a pen full of Meercats." Don't put it past him!
Meerkats were cute, at least. That was beside the point, though. "Okay. Well. I'm sure you've noticed how much Riley likes dogs, odd as that might be, all things considered. I've been thinking about surprising her with a puppy for a while now, and I think now is the perfect time. I've even done some research, and found a breed that I think would be perfect. Trouble is, I don't know where to find one. That's where you come in. You know animals, and I'm pretty sure I can trust you not to spill the secret to her." It wasn't any stretch at all to trust Mesteno to play things close to his chest, after all.
"I think she'd have stolen Bear if I'd given her half the chance," he remarked with a wry grin. As much as he'd enjoyed watching Riley and his overgrown mutt sat on the floor like kids, he doubted she'd have liked his food preferences. "You're right, a puppy'd be perfect. There's not a lot of choice at the Rescue Shelter right now, mainly Bull Terriers and a couple of old Labradors. I'm guessing that's not what you had in mind, but there are folks that work there that have good contacts here in Rhy'Din, and Earth-side. So what is it you're after?"