Mag Paget, Shotgun Knight (clippedwing) wrote in emillion, @ 2013-08-27 22:52:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, !log, gillian goodwin, magnolia paget |
Who: Mag Paget & Gillian Goodwin
What: Talking shop
Where: Shieldwyrm Hall & The Snuggly Duckling
When: August 6th, afternoon (backdated)
Rating: PG
Status: Complete.
Since returning to Emillion, Mag had made a point of visiting the shooting range every day to avoid getting rusty -- not that there was any chance of that happening, considering how often Emillion seemed to come under sttack by some sort of malignant force these days. Once she decided she'd shot enough practice targets for one day, she cleaned up after herself and decided to walk around the training grounds at Shieldwyrm. This route was the longer one, but it was the perfect day to be outside: warm, but with enough clouds in the sky that standing in the sun wasn't unbearable. She didn't deal well with the heat, but that day a pleasant breeze was blowing. As Mag crossed the grounds, she caught sight of a familiar figure some distance away. The woman was wielding a katana in a practice bout against a younger fighter. Mag approached and saw that it was indeed who she'd thought: Gillian Goodwin, Commander of the Black Lions. Before Mag had left, she had done a few jobs for Gillian, all of them within the boundaries of Mag's preferences: no hits, only guard jobs and help dealing with any monsters that posed a threat to the city. Serendipity was on Mag's side: she had been meaning to approach Gillian to inquire about future work opportunities, and here Gillian was. However, she didn't want to get in the way of the mercenary's training, so she sat on the ground some distance away, where she wasn't a hindrance to Gillian or any of the other fighters currently training in the yard, and brought out her communicator to answer a few messages while she waited for Gillian to finish training. She was in no hurry, and it was an exceptionally nice day to be outside. The bout was meant to serve mainly as a swordplay demonstration. Her opponent, nearly a decade younger, was a knight of some rising renown, with his friends lingering about to catch the results. And their small audience took enough amusement from the show, it seemed. Gillian removed her helmet and offered a hand to her opponent, her expression one of patience and respect--not the smug arrogance her opponent expected. Smiling, the knight picked himself up from the ground. Making a show of brushing dirt from his arms and shoulders, the tension that grew while the bout was in session now quickly vanished on the air. With a few parting word to the others, Gillian tucked her helmet underneath one arm and started to walk away from the training grounds. It was then when she spotted a glimpse of Mag, typing into her communicator as if she was waiting for someone. Eyebrows raised in curiosity, the samurai walked over to say hello. "Keeping busy, I see." Mag looked up when she heard the other woman's voice and smiled. "Hey, Gillian. I was waiting for your bout to end." She stood up and dusted off her clothes. "If you're done training, want to go get coffee?" It was still too early in the afternoon to go for drinks, after all, and she'd rather go somewhere they could talk at their leisure. "I've been meaning to talk to you." Off the top of her head, Mag could think of a couple of places they could go: maybe the Duckling, or the Daily Grind. Come to think of it, the armory maintained by Gillian's family was in the Commoners' District as well. If Gillian had been planning to visit her family after training, Mag would not intrude; there would be plenty of other chances to talk to the mercenary. "Just finished up actually," Gillian said. Taken by surprise at the sudden offer, she took a moment to reflect on her schedule. Surely there wasn't anything so pressing that couldn't wait for a short while. "I could make time for something quick." Shifting the weight of her helmet underneath her arm, she gestured for Mag to lead them off. "Do you have a place in mind?" Mag nodded and led the way. "Thanks. How about the Snuggly Duckling?" It seemed Gillian didn't have a preference. Vivi's was close to Shieldwyrm, and a nice spot to talk shop without interruptions; she was sure they wouldn't be disturbed. They left the guildhall and exited out into the busy streets of the Commoners' District, where people bustled about their business or milled in groups, caught in conversation. "It won't take long, promise," Mag told Gillian as they made their way to their destination. "No objections," Gillian followed along easily. Perhaps a short break was just the thing she needed--after all, she didn't make very many allowances for personal breaks. Not lately at least, with the city enduring so many troubles and the mercenary business soaring because of it. There wasn't a lack of people willing to pay for guards and able fighters these days. "I haven't been there in a while, come to think of it." Gillian walked easily around the crowds of people, careful not to knock into anyone while wearing the bulk of her armor. "Have something important on your mind, I take it?" "Just looking for work, now I'm back in town," Mag replied. A senior guild member's pay wasn't anything to scoff at, but a little extra never hurt anyone, and she'd worked with Gillian before; the other woman knew the kind of work she would and wouldn't do. The Duckling was never empty, no matter the hour. A few of the tables were occupied, and some lone customers sat at the bar. Mag led Gillian to an empty table and told her, "My treat." Paying for Gillian's order was the least she could do, since they were here at her request. "Oh? Planning to stay around a while?" Gillian recalled the last time Mag had worked with the Black Lion Company. She was a good mercenary, an exceptional fighter and nothing if not reliable on a job. And while Gillian knew she preferred to keep her nose out of the dirtier jobs, there was more than enough work these days that would suit her needs. As such, the idea seemed at once to appeal to her. Once they found themselves in the Duckling, Gillian tried her best to sit down and relax. Placing her helmet down on the chair beside her, once the waitress came around she ordered only a simple cup of green tea. "My thanks then. Now before we get further on, how much work have you got in mind? Anything pertinent I ought to know, now that you've returned?" Mag ordered oolong tea for herself and, once the waitress retreated, she answered Gillian's question. "I'm staying in Emillion for the foreseeable future." Her return to the city had been almost as sudden as her departure from it, but now that she was back, she wasn't planning on going away again anytime soon. "Let's see. I'd be interested in any work you can throw my way -- our previous agreement holds, of course." She had no interest in jobs that involved hunting down humes, and Gillian knew and had always taken that into account when hiring her in the past, which Mag was grateful for. "Some extra gil never hurts, so whenever you need someone to help get rid of some pesky monster or maybe a guard, I'll be happy to give you a hand." With a wry chuckle, she added, "Can't imagine there's a shortage of monsters that need killing, considering the attacks that have been going on around here recently." As for things Gillian needed to know that she didn't already, Mag couldn't think of anything that came to mind. "I still fight with a spear and a shotgun, and I'm in good physical condition, so no need to worry about that. Everything's the same as last time I worked for you. Anything in particular you want to know?" "I think I can muster up a few things to send your way," Gillian said. She leaned back in her chair, thinking over the list of current jobs available. With a bit of extra time spent shifting around the schedules of her other fighters, she could already think of a few jobs that would benefit from having Mag's involvement. "I've got a couple of guard patrols scheduled soon that you might want to look over, in fact." Gillian smiled and offered a small chuckle of her own. Once the tea was brought around, she took her cup in one gauntleted hand and savored the aroma. Allowing it to cool slightly, she spoke first before drinking. "That seems the sum total of my interests, I suppose. Since it's been a while from the last time you've worked with us, I wanted to get a decent idea of your situation." "Makes sense," Mag said. While drinking scolding hot tea wasn't unpleasant for her, she knew it would be prudent to let it cool for a bit before drinking, as Gillian had done. "Well, aside from my own training and such, my schedule's pretty relaxed. No squires to mentor, either. Drake seemed to be in a rush to find a mentor for every squire, but I've escaped that fate so far." Mag enjoyed helping the squires train from time to time, though she'd never felt the need to become a mentor. She would probably agree if Aspel ever asked, because of their friendship, but for the moment she was content with her squire-less schedule. She could think of quite a few fighters more suited to such a task than she was. "Guard patrols? Sounds interesting," she nodded. It sounded like a job right up her alley. "Details?" "Is he?" So that was what Drake was up to lately. Gillian raised her eyebrows at the idea. It was likely a blessing he hadn't attempted to approach her with the idea as well--she had more than enough on her plate as it was. Attempting to mentor a squire would be a headache at the very least. But work opportunities, now that was a far easier topic. Gillian took effort in explaining the details of the jobs she had in mind. Good neighborhoods, fair wages, and likely to Mag's preferences, everything on the up and up. While Gillian herself had long ago shed those sorts of ideals, she could respect the choices of a fellow guild member. |