A Gathering of Guild Members
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A RolePlay Log by | |
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Title |
A Gathering of Guild Members |
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Date |
2014 May 14 |
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IC Date |
2534 Oct 26 |
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Location |
BHG House - Lobby - Persephone |
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Appearing |
Leutrim Donnchadh Annabelle Skarsgard Calira Dumont |
Leutrim, Annie & Calira gather to discuss the current prison breaks, the state of the 'verse, the guild and other sundry items.
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This large room has stone walls and a stone floor. The curtains covering the windows are sky blue in color and in the middle of the floor is a small rug that matches the curtains. There is a fireplace on the left wall and directly across from that is a small couch. There is a small table in front of the couch with a vase of fresh wild flowers on it. Several comfortable looking chairs are scattered about the room. At one end of the room is a desk, usually with a pretty receptionist behind it.
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Once he got word that Calira was coming out to Persephone and might like to link up for a chat, Leutrim agreed. He's arrived with another woman, the same one he was with back at Calira's shindig on Londinium. Annie and he are standing around in the lobby and Leutrim is helping himself to pouring them both a cup of black coffee with the receptionist's blessing. Leu's always in here stealing the coffee but as he grows it back on Verbena and sometimes has a shipment delivered to the Guild, no one is about to fuss at him if he takes minor liberties.
"Cal's an old friend. I can never remember what her actual noble title is and she's the former Director of DAS if you can believe it. She's pretty laid back for such uptight positions, which is why I like her. Far as I know these days she's pretty retired. So I'm curious what she's up to these days." <English>
Annie's never a woman to turn down a chance to steal a bit of coffee. Then again, the fact that she carries a purse with a dedicated hook of canvas to keep track of her own mug at all times doesn't leave that much of a surprise. Cupping her hands around the enamel coated copper for its warmth she listens to Leu explain a bit about his old friend, and can't resist teasing him just a bit as she does, "Nobility, former DAS Directorate, you an ex-cop..." Her voice is pitched low so as to not carry through the milling crowd, but there's a smile on her face as well, "For as badly as I've always clashed with purple you sure do have me running in some strange circles these days. Keep it up and Anders is going to think there's hope to redeem me yet..." <English>
True to Leu's description, Calira is pretty laid back these days, in fact, she hasn't slapped on formal attire or that makeup shellack business in weeks. Actually, not since the day of the shindig itself. Dressed comfortably in a dark gray t-shirt that holds (to her perspective) a funny bit of words on the back 'I handle wildlife for a living -- If I'm running, keep up!' and a pair of jeans that are as battered and comfortable looking as the sneakers she's wearing, she couldn't be LESS formal looking unless she poured genuine effort into it. Hell, if she weren't armed, it'd be tough to prove she was ever a professional anything. "Ahh, coffee, thank GOD," is Calira's initial remark as she walks into the guild hall, scents the coffee like a genuine addict, makes a beeline for the brew while waving to Leu and Annie along the way. "Hello gorgeous," for the love of coffee. <English>
Leutrim rolls his eyes, "And my father was secretly a Browncoat officer in the war." Ehem, that's not too well known so he keeps his voice down, "He forgave me becoming a cop and never was too happy that I joined the Guild but ... " the Londinium born Verbenian shrugs, "One has to make their own way in life. Work with what I have, not carry around the baggage of others." He gives Annie a wink. "Kind of straddle that line when I can get away with it." Shades of grey. Shades of grey.
Ah! And there's Calira now. Leutrim turns his head and smiles, "Made sure it was a fresh pot. What brings you to Perse?" <English>
Annie grins at the wink, and her lips part to say something smart-assed in reply, though Calira's arrival lowers her tone to just barely a flutter of lips as she bites back the comment. I mean, casual or not, there are just some things you don't say in polite company - even company as impolite as rough and tumble Hunters. Annie's hands shift, her mug moving to rest in her right hand so that her left can lift, waving hello to Calira with a shy but polite smile, still trying to get a handle on who the woman is. But there's respect in her green eyes as well, seems the attire has won Cal a few bonus points from Annie's perspective. <English>
"You mean aside from the coffee?" Calira wonders with a grin shot over one shoulder at Leu as she pours herself a large cup, no cream or sugar to dilute it, then carries it back with her. She extends a hand to Annie first, "We didn't really get a chance to say more than hello last time, so let's fix that, shall we? I'm Cal, old friend of Leu's, we've been shot at a few times together. He's a good guy, and even better man to have at your back in any kind of fight, and deceptively crafty with being smarter than he's supposed to be," all said in a easy tone of voice, a single sidelong glance aimed at Leu with a trace of humor in her eyes but her focus is all on Annie. "And I love your jewelry," she adds, sounding a bit surprised by her own remark. "I can't ever remember what's supposed to go with what, that's why I leave the wardrobe stuff to experts, which I'm decidedly not." <English>
Leutrim sips his own coffee as he watches the two women interact. He smiles faintly and shares a glance with Annie up until Calira goes on about him being crafty and smarter than he supposed to be. Hah! "Who me? I'm just some dumb guy with a gun. Don't ruin my reputation with slander." Leu winks. "People like Cal are always way more interesting if they are many layered and yet, at their core, good honorable folk. So yeah, we get along very well." As the two seem to be hitting it off well, he smiles and stays at his ease, "You want more good coffee you should come out to my place on Verbena, Cal. All these years and I don't think I remember you ever visiting. I grow some of the best coffee in the 'verse out there." Or well, Leutrim is a little biased. <English>
"It's good to see you again, Ma'am." Yeah, introductions are Cal, and that's awesome, but ranch-girl born and bred, some things just don't come casually quite so easily. There's a bit of blush to Annie's cheeks that maybe belies a bit of the confidence to her words as she answers Calira, "He's kind of showing himself a pretty great guy to have at just about any side," she grins at Leu as he protests, "And he's at least smart enough to keep me around, so yeah... Doubting he's -too- much of a dumb guy, at least usually." There's a stroke of Annie's fingertip as Calira mentions the jewelery that runs along the key tied at her neck, and Annie admits, "It's a trick I learned from my mama... Find a few pieces you love, never change them, and just buy all your clothing in the same two or three shades to match it." Yeah. Fashion plate Annie isn't, not even close. <English>
Calira angles another sidelong look at Leu, "Bollocks," she says quiet clearly, amusement ripe in her tone of voice. "Slander? Bosh. If you want to pretend you're just a dumb gun hand with luck to hit what you aim at, you'll have to sell that tripe somewhere else. This audience," and she waves one hand between herself and Annie, "ain't buyin' it, sweets," dropping her voice deliberately into a rim-world accent, because she simply can. "I think your memory is faulty, old man, but that's alright. I only visited just the once, and it was probably right away when you were just getting settled. But, with the promise of good coffee, I'll be sure to drop by again." She turns back to Annie with a smile, "I'm just Cal, please, if I can call you Annie? Ma'am reminds me of the days when I used to get shot at for a living. We old war horses," and she includes Leu in the 'old' and 'war horse' category with a wink, "have to hold on to the illusion of what's left of our youth for as long as we can. And that's clever. Huh. Why didn't anyone ever suggest that before? I could totally do that. Granted, that might mean actually shopping for clothing instead of just grabbing what ever looks like it'll fit," she adds with a chuckle. <English>
Leutrim clears his throat at what Cal says, "Well, after Eugene and I split ... I did an awful lot of hard drinking. My memory isn't what it used to be." As much intentionally as it is a side effect of having for a good long while become a drunk. That seems to be past him, now. "I dunno about fashion. I shop at the Thrift stores myself." He winks, "Anyway, do you all want to move further into the hall and pick a place to pop a squat? There's tables and chairs we can grab, or one of these offices. It's not like Chase is in here a lot to care if we you know, use his." The Audacity! <English>
When Calira insists on the casualness of names, Annie comes as close as she can manage to get, nodding as she consent, "Yes, please. Annie's more than fine. Half the time someone uses my full name I don't even recognize they're talking to me these days, Miss Cal." The talk of Eugene sobers Annie a bit, it's a topic she's still trying to pick through the minefields on without anything blowing up, so mostly she just sips her coffee and doesn't comment. As to office stealing though, it's an easy quip to narrow her green eyes teasingly towards Leu's greys, "You're just trying to trick the newbie into getting herself shot around here, aren't you? Scared I'm going to run off if I don't still need you nursing me back to health?" <English>
"Yeah, I know. I went through a bit of that myself, which is why I don't keep booze in the house when it's just me home. Oh, when I have guests, certainly. But until I can convince myself that a drink means a glass and not the bottle, or the one that matches it," and she moves one shoulder in a calm shrug. "Lets find a place to sit, yes," she agrees and skims a look around, "that'll do," she points to the agent office, not the guild masters office. She's audacious, yeah, but lets not get crazy. "You should try being called by a married name sometime, it's . . unsettling," she remarks in a lower, somewhat confiding, tone of voice to Annie. "and nonsense, we don't shoot the newbies. If we do that, they stop coming around," she explains with a grin before heading to the open office that looks easy to get into. <English>
BHG House - Bounty Agent Office - Persephone
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This large-sized room is comfortable without being overly extravagant. A large mahogany desk sits in front of a large window with a multi-purpose computer station built into it. The window also has a unique feature which allows it to be blanked out look like a part of the wall. The room is finished in dark wood, with dark green plush carpet on the floor, with a large dark stained curved oak desk in the center. Behind the desk mounted on the walls is a large book case, holding books about law, computers, programs, art, even a few detective novels seem to grace the shelves. To the left side of the desk is an oak mini bar, with a small sink and several glasses. The counter also holds a coffee maker, several selections of coffee, pastries and creamers. In front of the desk pushed up against the wall is two plush chairs, and a small round table with the statue of The Virgin Mary resting on it, holding around her praying hands a pretty pink crystal rosary.
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Leutrim lets the two women lead because he's not so stupid as to try and herd cats. So much easier on him to go with the flow and keep them happy. "I dunno, I was asked if I wanted that office, once upon a time. I turned it down. Still think it would amuse the school boy in me to do some hawt woman on his desk." Ehem. "Anyway..." Leu parks his hip against the desk rather than taking a seat. He looks around and sobers for a moment, "When I was new to the Guild, I used to come in here to meet Josephine, who was assistant Guild Master at the time, and Lord Winchester's fiance. That woman knew her business, really sharp." His gaze comes back around to each of them, "So, you know I'm looking to get a ship, Cal. Annie here has been helping me out, moral support and more. Got me a good crew and we're taking off to run a business much like Ethereal Investigations used to be, except I've named it Keyhole Operations. I don't suppose you are looking to run around occasionally with a ship and do some bounties with me, would you?" <English>
Speaking of moments that leave you thinking of killing a bottle or few... Married names... Yeah. If coffee could transubstantiate into Scotch, it's likely Annie's throat would be burning from booze as she takes a deep swallow rather than merely scalded a bit from heat. As she walks with Cal and Leu into the office, odds are, Annie might even be eyeing the mini bar a bit wistfully, though she at least does her best to cover it as merely a simple look of appreciation over the room as a whole, her eyes scanning the desk just as Leu comments on it before leaning, leaving Annie crimson, and perhaps a bit scandalized in expression. It takes her a moment to find a place to settle, but she eventually curls up in one of the plush chairs along the wall, not bother to find the shy voice that's escaped her since the other two need to be talking business for a bit anyway. <English>
Calira gives a wry grin as they all troop into the empty office and some kind person was amazing to have left fresh pastries. "Oh god, murder me now," she says while scooping up a danish and taking one of the seats as well. She casts a sidelong glance, noting the crimson hue on Annie's face and - because she speaks guy better than girl - she doesn't actually remark on it. Or . . maybe it's tact. OR . . maybe she wants to see if Leu can figure THAT one out on his own without cue cards, sub-titles, a decoder ring and a brick to the head stamped with the logo of 'Captain Oblivious', though she aims a glance between the two that is mildly curious without edging over into the 'hello nurse, someone jolt the patient' tone. Really.
"Keyhole Operations? That's a good name. KO will look good on logo and letter head as well," she remarks before she shakes her head slightly. "I'd love to run around and run bounties, when ever you have room for a ride along, but I've promised Odell that if he can pull together a ship that we'd be happy to sponsor and I'd be willing to run run security for him. His ties to the division that assists ACI, Special Commando Service - he's linked to it through Kirsten who, in turn, is linked to back to us by working for Michiba, makes it all a sort of tangled web of connections. That being said, I'd be happy to ride along with you when ever you find something that'll allow the extra hand on it," she says with a nod. "Which, actually, brings is full circle. YOu've seen the news about these prison breaks?" <English>
Leutrim does pass a look back to Annie and lifts a brow at her, to waggle it at her. Yes, he deserves to be swatted and knows he's being a bit of a scoundrel. But he's smiling warmly, too. His attention comes back to Cal, "I'll keep that in mind. Sometimes I run bounties alone but mostly I prefer to have either a small team if the payout is high enough, or at least a partner. Always good to have someone you trust to watch your back and vice versa." He sips his coffee and gives a nod, "Yeah, been keeping an eye on the news. Looks like some rough waters ahead. I've been too busy getting my crew together and trying to get a ship so I haven't sniffed around it myself." <English>
Yes, there's a look from Leu. Yes it's seen. Yes, Annie continues to blush. And yes, she ignores the entire moment as if it's not happening anyway. There are a lot of subtances in the 'verse to which Annie has been called a junkie - and most of the time, the accusations are deserved. These days, though, coffee and cortex news updates are two of her biggest habits. So while the discussion of bounties and crews and ships and ties filters through her awareness, it's something she takes in and stores, but nothing on which she comments. The question about prison breaks, though... "I've caught a few reports..." She glances towards Leu, "Monkey seemed particularly up in nerves about them, so I told him I'd see what else I might be able to dig up. Haven't found a lot of leads yet other than rumors, speculation, and innuendo, though..." Her gaze moves back towards Cal, her tone curious as she realizes that potentially as a member of nobility and Lord Mire's name and prints being all over things, there's an untapped source, "Don't suppose you know anything useful about them?" <English>
"Money doesn't motivate me," Calira admits, her tone of voice a little embarrassed to have to say this. "I have enough left over from what I invested while running ACI that I'm not hurting for it, won't be for a while longer actually. The only joys of not liking to shop is never spending it," a trace of a grin follows those words before she shakes her head slightly and shifts her focus to Annie. "Nothing useful now, no. But before they were locked away? Yeah. Some of those," she clears her throat delicately, "good men and women," no sparing the sarcasm, "were put away on my watch. And it used to be my job to keep tabs on intel of this sort. which means some of those collars were done on my watch and I'm not precisely thrilled to see those people back out, breathing free air, when they ought to still be behind bars - at the very least. A good many of them ought not to be breathing at all, any more. But the geniuses in parliament just can't tell their dicks from their favorite pens, and don't have the balls to do more than hum and haw over it anyway." <English>
"Money can motivate me to a limit, if I'm getting short on it. Mostly though I try not to make it a habit to chase bounties that will pay less than it will cost in fuel, ammo, bribes to bother chasing them. These days the Guild bounties don't pay shit but they used to pay better. I do have expensive taste in gear." Leutrim doesn't mention the private bounties he's done which paid tons more and tend to be more exciting anyway. He sips his coffee and takes his turn to listen to the others. <English>
Annie curls up, settling comfortably into the chair as she pulls her feet up to rest on the edge of her seat, her knees lifting to her chest as she leans back against the arm of her chair, a bit sideways so that she can watch both Cal and Leu as they talk. She sips at coffee as she listens to Cal run through a bit about the vague reasons of Parliament and the purple bellies and how moments like these slip through the cracks, asking softly of Calira, "So... If the feds aren't doing it..." Annie gestures with the hand not holding her mug, waving a big around the office that they're in, "Isn't that kind of what this place is for?" And for that matter, Leu's new group, and Odell's as well. As to talk of money... Well... There's not a lot in the 'verse that a Red Angel credit chit won't buy you if you need it, but for the most part, the only things Annie's been seen buying lately is food to keep Leu's place stocked and his crew fed and comfy while he waits on loans and negotiations to come through. <English>
"I wonder on that," Calira says in a pensive tone of voice. "I wonder at the bounties that are coming through and how much trouble the guild is having getting the Alliance purser to actually pay out when the bounties are brought in. It may be another symptom of the larger problem," she muses before nodding at Annie. "Precisely. Right on the head of the nail, in fact, good shot. That's the other problem. Why isn't the Alliance actually going full bore on this. The better question, to follow that one, is who is making sure that there isn't a full scale man hunt running right now to bring these people back in. Who benefits, having them not back under lock and key. Sure, it upsets Mire, oh the poor man," dripping sarcasm here, "what ever will he do. But he's just one stuffed shirt. Who benefits more." <English>
"Yeah, they could issue us some real bounties for a change. I'd go after them. But the Feds /hate/ for the Guild, and even worse private orgs, to show them up and make the Alliance look bad. They want to do the work themselves, no offense to you, Calira. And when they do bother and do it right, that's good. That's how it's supposed to be. But with a beast that large... there is a lot of desk riding, conflicting paperwork, inertia, and...." Leutrim gives Calira a nod, "It's politics. Make certain people look bad, get them out of office so someone else can slip into their spot." <English>
Annie's never been overly talkative if she doesn't have something that seems able to contribute, so it doesn't take her long to sip away what's left of her coffee, emptying her mug as she listens to Leu and Cal basically summarize the bigger issues going on with the 'verse right now - particularly in terms of the rumors that have been exploding across the cortex lately. She chews on her lower lip for a while and then shakes her head, stating simply, "This is why despite offers on both sides... Nothing's ever seemed to make sense but Independents to me. Too much red tape and lockstep to actually make any sort of difference otherwise." Not that there's all that much difference being made lately without them, either, but that's an entirely different can of worms. <English>
"Then why don't we show them up, for a change?" Calira says quietly. "We need a ship, and I know at least one ship that we could use, and fuel won't be a problem. You know people, I know people, and the people we know - know more people. We could call a meeting of guild members, put everyone to work on this. we want the alliance to start putting serious money into play, maybe it's time we show them what we can do when we're all focused on one specific goal. we're a fighting unit, Leu, one that doesn't take orders from any damn one anymore, the lot of us, for a reason. But between the lot of us, and those that we ride with, we have more than enough weapons and gear to outfit a standing army, and you -" she angles a firm nod at Leu, "- are damned persuasive when you have a mind to be. People like you better, because I'm just not . . personable enough." A small shrug goes with her words, "but I'm one of the guys, and that's enough for me. And lock step comes in handy, every once in a while," though Calira's own eyes hold the shadow of memory at her words, "just not here, not now." <English>
Leutrim thins his mouth, "It's that persuasiveness that someone wanted to use, recently. I was asked about drumming up support in the Guild for a certain big fish in politics. I won't name who, but I refused. That's not the kind of water I want to swim in, Cal." She knows his past, some of his connections so Calira can probably guess who he was asked to back. "Politics is very slippery, where supposed friends don't hesitate to stab friends in the back if it'll gain them something."
The Verbenian hunter gives Annie a nod, "Smaller governments can be good, but on the other hand they don't much like to work together either. It's still politics and big fish." His attention goes back to Calira as he listens. "Maybe. We can talk about it but you know I don't agree and commit to anything before I know the details. What exactly do you have in mind?" <English>
Annie's brow arches as Leu mentions having been approached regarding political drumming, and the chewing at her lower lip continues - looking to be a habit replacing the coffee sipping now that her cup is drained. The entire conversation seems to be a bit out of Annie's comfort range, though she doesn't interrupt it. It's not that she doesn't -agree- with Calira's plans so much as just, well, after a lot of years spent flinging herself into danger with nothing to lose, these days, those kinds of plans actually have her pausing to reconsider. <English>
"Simply put, that we talk to the other hunters, so who's actually interested in shaking of the dust on their gear, sharpening their blades, cleaning out their guns and going to work. To the end, the only end, of rounding up these criminals and seeing that they're returned to a secure facility - where they all belong. Nothing more than that. No politics. No flash. No bang. No ceremony. We prove what we can do. Let the public, and the Alliance, make their own decisions after that. At the very least, those who look for good hunters will remember the work that we can do. At the worst, nothing comes of it. I'll do what I can to offset the operating expenses," she adds, "because operating expenses shouldn't be an issue for something like this. But it can be done, Leu. It can be, if we just settle in and decide to do it." <English>
"It can cost lives and more than operating expenses. While it /could/ make the Guild look really good on both sides of the fence, ultimately you know it would also piss off some people in the Alliance. There's a noose there, Cal." Leutrim pauses to finish his cup of coffee, "I'll think about it. Only, at the moment I don't have a ship and I have to look out for my crew, first. Some of them are seasoned, some of them are as green as fresh picked fruit." He frowns, "Aside from yourself, I don't see or speak with other Guild members much. I hardly even know most of them anymore. I'll have to check the roster and see who our members are these days." <English>
Annie has a ship, one of the larger ones in the 'verse, actually. Plenty big enough to run this kind of an operation. But at the moment, it's laden with silk and bunting, awaiting to be filled with Companions. And it's not within her authority to offer. As Leu makes mention of his crew, it seems to jog something in Annie's memory, and she slips a hand into her pocket, shifting a bit to do so since she's all balled up comfy and cozy. Pulling out her com, she switches over to the PDA feature and starts to tap in a few notes as she listens in on Leu and Cal making plans. <English>
"I understand all of that, which is why I came to you first," Calira replies, speaking plainly, directly, on the level with Leu as she gives a measured nod to go with her words. "If you think it's not something that your crew would be willing to take a swing at, i understand. I hope to meet with other guild members in the coming days, see if anyone else might be interested. If no one is, then I'll take a swing at it on my own-e-o," she shares a trace of a smile. "I never intended to die of old age anyway, Leu. I don't care who I piss off. Not then, when I wore the uniform, not now, now that I don't. They can't take any more from me that I haven't already given." <English>
"Problem for me is the timing. I get a ship, I've got loans, then I'm strapped and up the shitter if I can't make money to pay back my loans. I'll loose everything, including my place on Verbena, as well as let down my crew. So I need, at least at first while my org is taking it's first baby steps, to be real careful what I have us do, Cal. Grand ideals are great, but they aren't always practical to pay the bills. Also, there's a lot of strange shit coming unraveled at the seams around the 'verse right now. I'm keenly interested in seeing where those currents are flowing before I do anything that's picking sides in it." Leutrim's cautious that way when he sees things he doesn't fully understand. <English>
Side picking... That's always the hardest part about these things, because they're never just black and white... They're all just the same muddled shades of grey. Still, Annie finishes up a few notes for herself and then scootches a bit in her seat once more to tuck the device away, her full attention back upon Leu and Cal's conversation once more - even if she is still staying rather quiet about it. <English>
Calira shares another sober nod with Leu, "I understand." She tilts her cup of coffee to finish the last of it before she rises. "I hate to talk and run, but I need to take another meeting this afternoon. You're still reachable via WAVE, right?" she wonders before she turns and shares another smile with Annie. "You're very patient, letting us ramble like this. And, if I read you correctly, you're very observant. I admire that. Next time lets all meet where we can do something fun, shall we?" <English>
Leutrim eyes Annie and smiles at Calira's compliment, one which he agrees with himself. "She's good that way." He gives Annabelle a wink, then looks back to Cal, "Sure, wave me and we can also get together for something relaxing. I will think about what you have said and we can talk about it more. I'm just ... tied into some obligations at the moment that are binding and I need to weigh carefully our choices as we go along." He pushes off from the desk and goes to open the door, "I'll be in touch." <English>
When Cal gets up, Annie looks up to the woman and offers a smile, chuckling as patience is mentioned. "You get used to it. Some folks are worth waiting on, even if they are easily distracted with work and guns." Annie should tell the story of their first date sometime. Still, he seems to have earned himself a spot spot with her that grants him a little more leeway than Annie might give to most, a bright smile on her face as she (mostly) teases. "Something fun sounds good. You'll have to teach me the trick one of these days on how to keep Donnach off-task from work long enough to make that happen." And then there are waves promised and doors opening, and Annie uncurls herself as well, moving to follow them out. But she's damned sure going to refill her mug before she lets Leu hustle her out of the Guild's Halls entirely. <English>
"The trick is to talk about things that are still weapons related, while not actually letting him - or giving him reason to - shoot at anyone at the exact moment," Calira suggests in answer with a grin to Annie. "So, we'll make it happen. Just don't give him a chance to wiggle out of it." <English>
Annabelle lifts her mug in salute to Calira, calling over, "Axel recommended slipping some gun powder into my perfume, too!" And then the group parts ways, each on their way to the next meeting and to do lists. <English>
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