Gale would have already been in the lobby when Merrion entered, if it hadn't been for the simple fact she had, yet again, been lost in her reading. By the time she realized, fifteen minutes had already elapsed past the agreed-upon time, and it was with great hurry and much more noise than she would have liked that Gale haphazardly gathered her things and (hilariously, uncharacteristically) began to run down the hallway, picking up her long skirt so she would not be tripping on it. By the time she reached the lobby, the poor mage was winded, unused to running any distance, her staff knocking against the tiled floor as she rounded the corner and saw Merrion there, looking quite collected and much more dignified than she.
Before he could see her, Gale took a few breaths to calm herself, remembering her posture and striding in the lobby as if she had not just been chaotically sprinting down stairways and hallways a moment before. Those who had the opportunity to witness the transformation (just two senior mages, luckily) exchanged a bemused smile between them; it was unusual to see the Kapur mage caught with her practiced facade down.
"Good afternoon," she said as she made her way over to him; despite her best efforts, her voice still came out airy as she tried to catch her breath without him realizing. The hand gripping her staff was weak. She offered a small, insincere smile -- not because she did not like Merri, of course, but because she could really use a glass of water.