The Magpie Emporium; Friday [05/03].

[pun_king]

There was a good chance that this would be the last shift Graham would work at the Maaaaaaagpie Empoooor~rium, and so today was a little bittersweet for him. He definitely wanted to make sure he picked out one last set of dice to take with him, looking for something really shiny and knight-like, and then just spent a lot of time sighing wistfully at everything, and also wondering if knights played a lot of board games or TTRPGs. Maybe, if he did get a spot on the court, he could start up a game, just like he had with some of his fellow students here? That would be a lot of fun, and could also promote creative thinking and good practices for when they went on actual adventures!

Grinning faintly to himself with a proud, convinced nod, he was just going to have to make sure he picked up everything he needed to do just that, just in case, although he liked to think that he'd still be able to make it back to Fandom every once in a while to visit and check in....and probably get even more dice.

He thought he'd mostly be feeling nervous and anxious about the tournament next week, as they started getting close to it, but now, he was sort of just feeling a little melancholy about leaving this place behind....

The Magpie Emporium is open!

Comments

[wildgalegirl]

The door flung open and Charlie sailed through. "GRAHAM! Hello the Maaaagpiiiiee Empooooorrriuuumm!"

[pun_king]

And you know what? If there was anything to help lift his spirits immediately, it was definitely a visit from Charlie. "Charlie!" he greeted her back. "Hello! From both me and the Maaaaaaagpie Empoooor~rium!"

But it was only a temporary lift of spirits, wasn't it? Because even as he smiled over at her, he felt that tight feeling in his chest he'd been having increasingly more ever since he turned back from a goose, the kind that reminded him that, if everything went well next week, then Charlie bursting in to greet him like that was going to be pretty rare and unlikely.

"Come to see me on what's probably my last day here, huh?"

[wildgalegirl]

"Come to see you on the eve of your departure for daring-do and adventure as you become - TA DA!! - an official knight of Daventry!" She did a delightful arm flourish, then grinned at him. "See, here is where I would like to have a cape."

And hey, Charlie could walk the Wood and don't think when she was in Daventry that she wasn't going to see if she could still access it from there and then BOOM! Charlie all day, whenever they wanted!

[pun_king]

Graham laughed a little, a fond little chuckle with a shake of his head before lifting an important finger. "See? That's what I'm always saying! A good cape or cloak is necessary for all the right dramatics! And I know it's going to serve me well next week, too..."

He trailed off, just a little awkwardly, his head tilting as he peered over at her from underneath to end of his cap.

"You're still coming, right?" he checked. "To cheer me on at the Tournament next week?"

[wildgalegirl]

"You just try and keep me away!" Charlie said with a laugh. "All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't keep me away!"

[pun_king]

"Well," Graham pointed out, "if all goes well, I'm going to be one of those king's men! And Triumph'll be one of the king's horses! And we wouldn't keep you away for anything!"

[wildgalegirl]

"Well, see! There you go! And besides, I bet once I'm there I'll be able to Walk through the Wood to get there anytime I want. I know your song, so I can follow it wherever you are," Charlie said cheerfully.

Though not having him right here whenever she wanted to see him would definitely be sad.

[pun_king]

"That'd be really nice," said Graham, his smile softening, just at that phrase. I know your song. It just sent a warmth through his chest that seemed to burn off all the anxiety that was there as well.

Well, not all of it.

"I'm sure I'll make new friends," he said, "among the other knights. But I'm really going to miss all you guys."

[wildgalegirl]

"Who's not going to love you?" Charlie asked with a grin, then became very uncharacteristically serious. "I'll miss you as well. More than I ever thought I'd miss anyone except Allie. But I know you'll be well and happy and we'll stay in touch. You know me. I wander everywhere, but I always come back."

[drumsticksandd20s]

Like Steph would let the possible last shift of one of her staff here go unmarked? Never mind how she'd bailed on Haven Springs in the middle of the night. Just never mind that, or whether she was uneasily apprehensive for reasons that might have been related. Vaguely.

She had all of that locked down and her best game face on when she came in and set a box containing a truly elaborate giant fruit tart onto the counter. (Had to be enough for Triumph to share, of course.)

"Getting to be that time, huh?"

[pun_king]

Don't underestimate just how hollow Graham's legs were, Steph, even for how skinny they were! But what Triumph didn't know wouldn't hurt him!

The box did get a curious glance as she set it down, but most of Graham's attention was in making sure the smile he gave Steph was at its best performance when it surfaced, and he chuckled a little. His hand ducked up behind his neck. "Getting to be," he agreed, "yeah. And if all goes well next week, I'm going to be looking a whole new job..."

[drumsticksandd20s]

Look, she tried here!

"Hey, if there's a game shop half as awesome as this one back home, I'm happy to write you a recommendation letter," Steph told him, only half joking. "What's the big thing this all hinges on, anyway?"

[pun_king]

"Oh!" Graham's eyes widened a little with surprise. "Didn't I tell you?" Sometimes, it felt like practically all he talked about these days, really. "I'm going to be a knight! Hopefully. There's a Tournament! The Tournament of Knights! If I win, I get a spot in the Daventry Royal Guard! Just like my father! There's only one spot, though, so the competition's gonna be tough!"

[drumsticksandd20s]

"I kind of guessed, from the things you've said, but I didn't want to just assume," Steph said with a slight smile. Besides, she was going to miss Graham's enthusiasm, so why not get to witness it in action one more time for the road? "If you prepped for this the way you prepped for game sessions, you'll kick ass."