It's in your eyes (Closed)

[for_guild_justice]

Date & Time: January 10th - Morning
Location: Training Facilities
Characters: Clive & Elza
Summary: Two gunners have a fateful and awkward meeting at mandatory training.
Warnings: Potential threatening? Maybe gun-totting?


While making training a mandatory event reminded him of old times at the Guild, it was still a pain to have to come down here with a crowd of people just to practice with his new sentient weapons. He stroked the black and white butts of the pistols safely in their holsters at his thighs, watching as others tried their hand at long-ranged weaponry. Most were rather good, so they must have come with the experience.

Still, when one already knew a considerable amount about the simple act of cock, aim, fire, it lost a considerable amount of amusement. Lüge and Richtigkeit were fine pistols, but he preferred to get to know them beyond the city where targets were a little less predictable. He bonded with them better out there in the rain where he had to be certain his powder was dry while loading it and risk it catching first with the spark so close to his cloak. Both pistols seemed to enjoy the exercise more than this boring situation.

He stood still and silent against one of the walls, positioned to watch the coming and going of only those with long-ranged weapons. He could care very little for the brutes with swords and shields, as they were merely a gunners protection in combat, an active body to stand behind. No, it was these people using bows and arrows, pistols, rifles and all manner of crude weaponry here. Sturm was quite active as well, having never dealt with so many sentient weapons in one place.

He crossed his arms over his chest, pretending to be just a casual observer. It was good to know what one's competition was in case things went another direction in this place. Who knew when a betrayer would come about.

Comments

[for_guild_justice]

He wondered how much of a branch he had thrown in her plans of tormenting that Silverberg with his impromptu appearance on the network. He couldn't tell if it had shaken her completely, but he knew by her bearing that his appearance here was unexpected. Considering she wasn't being playful and pulling her guns on him, it seemed that she wasn't quite certain how to take him on just yet.

That would come to pass soon enough. Elza was smart and even he knew that his upper hand would not last long. He regarded her passively for a long moment, letting her speak her piece as he tried to decide what to say to her leading statements. "Our Guild," he corrected simply. "A member only ceases to be a member upon their death."

[marked_for_death]

"'Our Guild'?" Elza asked, gaze returning back to Clive as a slender brow rose up in question. Even at the end, Clive had wanted her dead and hadn't seen her as a member of the Guild. All she had been was nothing more than a criminal, and she had accepted it for the man beside her. There was so much that she hadn't said, and she doubted that she ever would. "Heh, and here I thought that I was nothing but a criminal to you - a witch."

Her gaze held on Clive as she took him in for the first time in over a week. It wasn't the longest she'd ever had to wait. In the grand scheme of things, it would have actually been one of the shortest times between their meeting, but this was one that was far different than all others. He had changed so much, ages well beyond his years, from the events that had started with her killing Kelley.

[for_guild_justice]

Clive remained completely neutral to her question, aware that the more he spoke, the more he gave away. It wasn't in his nature to lie well to those he was close to, especially someone so aware of his habits as Elza was. It might have been years since they had last had a real conversation on neutral terms, but he knew he hadn't changed that much. "You are, but a Guild Member nonetheless. Until your death removes you from the pages of members."

He held himself in the same position as she appraised him, and he was glad for the length and thickness of his cloak in times like these. It covered all that needed to be covered to conceal Sturm but also all the others. He glanced her up and down once, noting she hadn't changed much since he had last seen her save she was very much alive.

[marked_for_death]

She remained quiet while regarding him. Our Guild? And now he was calling her a Guild Member? Why she understood the theory and dynamics of the Guild, but given the last few years, none of it fit when it came to her. As Clive had said himself one time, the crimes she had committed branded her as a criminal of activities punishable by death.

"Heh, I didn't realise that they were changing the rules, kid," Elza said, fully aware that she was silently calling Clive out on his bluff. That was why she turned back to face him in the moments leading up to her approach. There was no hesitation in her steps, and she closed the distance between them with confidence until she stood right in front of Clive. "Don't think you're fooling anyone with this show."

[for_guild_justice]

He held his ground against her trying to call his bluff, which it actually wasn't at this point. As Guild Master, he could put forward a motion to change the rules as he deemed appropriate, and the council of Elders would vote on it in his presence. Yet, it was now his Guild to rule in his own way, to find justice for wrongs done and to punish all traitors as Sturm determined with the will of Stern and Mond.

"You have been out of touch with the Guild proper for a few years," he pointed out simply, still holding his ground as she approached him. He was taller than she was, yet the closeness made him aware of Sturm's awareness on them both. "It's a good thing it's not a show then."

[marked_for_death]

It didn't matter to her that he was taller. That was something that had never bothered her in the past, and it certainly didn't here either. She had her reputation in the Guild for a reason, and part of that reason was why the disgusting Elders had sent Clive after her and not one of the Squires.

Yet standing there before him as she did, reminded her well of all the times they'd spent together in the past. Peering up at him with her scarred face, her pale gaze travelled over every curve and blemish she once knew so well. "I wouldn't change that much with you out here," she bluntly stated and knew the truth of it all. With Clive out chasing her, the Elders were free to plot and plan anything they wanted. All of her attempts to draw him away from his precious Guild over the last few years had ultimately been for nothing. "Then what is this?"

[for_guild_justice]

Clive knew the truth more than she did, based on the trickle of information that reached him with other travelling Guild mates. There was news that came to him of change, but not the sort that particularly bothered him when he was travelling. Now that he was finished that, he had began his spider web of intelligence gathering to the goings on so he wouldn't walk in blind.

"This would be you attempting to ascertain where I am in the timeline compared to yourself I believe," he replied, his arms still over his chest as if her closeness didn't bother him. They usually spent more time further apart where aim was better and easier, but clearly she hadn't the intention of shooting at him right now. "Unless you have other plans in mind?"

[marked_for_death]

"I don't need to ascertain that at all, Handsome," Elza said with her lips pulling up into a pleasant smile. The answer was staring her right in the face, after all. So... the deed had been done, had it? Why else would he be so calm and without rage inside? The fact that he hadn't spoken of getting justice on her only seemed to confirm it.

She pulled away in the next moment, and made a point of showing her back to him. Subtly glancing back over her shoulder, there was something within her gaze before it hardened once again. "Looks like Sturm's finally picked its master. Good going, kid."

[for_guild_justice]

Clive didn't move a muscle to her words nor the smile that appeared on her lips afterwards. Was she happy about that? He supposed he had hoped to be once it was done, but he had been left emptier because of it and now completely alone. The good times of youth, the trials of the Guild, the friendship that carried him through when he thought he would just die... all gone. He had the title of Guild Master, but no one to trust but Sturm.

Slowly, he pushed himself away from the wall that he had been looming against and rose to his full height. His cloak still hung around him until he stepped away, and the new holster on his upper thigh became obvious until it disappeared with the next step. Being here with her, talking like he could have back what he didn't deserve was too painful. She was too real, too giving and too focused on making him appear weak.

He walked away from her, putting distance between them as he was no longer interested in being here. He paused to glance at the targets and the people around before looking back at her. "Sturm had no choice. The two before me are dead, so the choice is a forced one." He turned away again. It never bothered him being third in the Guild Master race; to be honest, he hadn't really wanted the position ever.

[marked_for_death]

Her attention remained fixated on Clive as he finally pushed himself away from the wall. She hadn't missed the momentary flash of his thigh holster, but didn't see anything more beyond just that. So, Clive came here without Sturm being his weapon? Then which ones did he have on his person?

She made no move to follow after him as he left, but his parting words confirmed her suspicions beyond any shadow of a doubt. The kid had killed her, as she had intended in Sajah, but in that single moment there seemed to be a loneliness and sense of grief clinging to his form.

Watching as he turned away, the gunner made no move to follow. She knew well that Clive was far from the 'third one picked'. Sturm had never accepted Kelley at all, but Elza knew Clive as well as she knew herself, and she found herself quiet in her own silent grief while she murmured, "Still such a kid."

What was she meant to do with him? Clive could never be happy until he was back with his precious Guild, after all.

[for_guild_justice]

When she made no move to continue their little gathering, he saw no reason to stay. Their business was obviously concluded at this point in time as she had the information that she wanted and could think about how best to use it to whatever end she had in mind. He would look into other matters of concern to him.

No doubt they would meet again. No doubt he would never grow up in her eyes and always be the youngest of the lost trio.

He walked away silently, easing into the shadows where possible to avoid people and then slipping out of the room.