Am I Getting Paid For This? (TF: Virgo)

[Kender Bard]

Virgo was not currently in her "thief" self. She saved that side of her life for the night or when things were getting tight at home for money. As neither was the case, she was enjoying a little free time. Generally she would shut herself up at home and write or read (or moon over that oh-so-cute boy she's seen a couple times around town...) but today she wanted to feel the sun for once. So the pale thief-girl bid her father farewell, promising to be home in time to help with dinner, and set off at a leisurely stroll around the market.

[Darastrix]

Garrick sighed to himself as he wandered the crowded marketplace. His life was not currently going as planned. Well, not that he had any real plans, but had he made any, he was sure they wouldn't include being set upon by his relations regarding his courtship. Or more to the point, his lack of courtship. It wasn't that he had no interest in courting, but most of the women he met had no interest in him.

He wasn't bad-looking. At least, he didn't think so, though he readily admitted he was nothing striking. He had short, dark blond hair, light blue eyes, and was a little on the thin side, but that wasn't off-putting, was it? He just didn't get on well with people at all. Garrick wasn't sure that he'd ever managed to make a favourable impression on a lady he'd just met. He hadn't that sort of gift. And now his aunt and mother were coming for a visit and their last letter had hinted strongly that they'd start playing matchmaker if he hadn't found someone.


I should never have told them where I was going when I left, he thought morosely. Even if he stumbled upon a girl that day who he'd like to court, no one with sense would go from introductions to courtship in the span of an afternoon.

You can always lie, a little voice in the back of his head whispered. Yes, perfect. Say he had someone, but she would unfortunately not be available to call upon for the duration of their visit. They'd believe that. Right. Although...

The "although" never completely came to mind. As Garrick pondered the situation, he became less aware of where he was going and walked right into Virgo. He jumped back in surprise, stammering an apology, tripped over his feet, and landed smack on his arse.

And I still haven't made a good impression on a girl yet, he sighed inwardly as he buried his face in his palm. "I am so sorry...."

[Kender Bard]

Virgo stumbled and cast him a sharp look. But at his rather heartfelt apology, she softened a bit. Just some sod not looking where he was going. Then again, she could have been more alert. She had a tendency to drop guards when she was just being herself. Dangerous, but she had to live sometime didn't she?

She offered him a hand to help him out. "Ah, don't worry about it," she replied in her alto-low, quiet voice. Her eyes swept over him. Heh, not bad looking. Kind of scrawny though. "You okay?"

[Darastrix]

"Just embarrassed," he muttered as he got up and dusted himself off. "Can't imagine why; I should be used to this by now." Garrick paused and looked momentarily chagrined. "Not that I make a habit of running bodily into people and falling down," he said quickly. "I'm just not the sort that should be let out much."

Oh hells, that's even worse.

"That's not what I meant!" he continued hurriedly. "I'm not a loon, I just, um...." Garrick sighed gustily and rubbed the back of his neck. "I have a lot on my mind right now. Um, I'm Garrick," he murmured, finally slowing his rambling to a more normal speed. "And I am, really, very sorry for running into you like that."

[Kender Bard]

Virgo couldn't help but grin as Garrick continued to dig himself deeper and deeper into his hole. Poor guy. Virgo replied, "It's all right, really. I'm not hurt either. My name is Virgo. It's nice to meet you, Garrick. Must be something weighty you're thinking about, though, if you can't see right in front of you."

[Darastrix]

Garrick sighed. "It wouldn't be so weighty if I didn't have my family pressing down on the issue," he told her. "They're visiting soon, in a day or so, in fact, and they've dropped some strong hints that if I don't at least have some prospects - in the sense of courtship, that is - they're going to start 'helping' me. Whether I like it or not."

Normally, he wouldn't just blurt his problems out to a complete stranger, but she did ask, and he felt he kind of owed it to her since it was kind of the reason why he hadn't been watching where he was going. "I'm a fair bit of desperate at this point. Not to actually find someone to court, not in such a rush, anyway, but Forces, I just want them to stop pushing the matter. But I can't make myself be rude enough to get the point across, nobody can woo a girl in two days - or at least I can't - I can't say I am courting and she just happens to be gone while they're here, and I can't...." Garrick trailed off, a surprised look on his face as an idea finally clicked in his mind.

[Kender Bard]

Virgo gave him a bit of a pitying look. "I wouldn't be able to stand for my freedom being trampled over like that," she admitted. "I'm very grateful my father is a free-minded man. And terribly busy." She gave a wicked little chuckle at that. Even as a child she had taken advantage of her father's intense devotion to his craft to do things he might have frowned upon otherwise.

She nodded as he went on those gave him an odd look at his expression. "What is it? You look like Thuoth just slapped you upside the head. Did you think of a way to solve your dilemma?"

[Darastrix]

"Possibly," Garrick murmured. "If I actually had a person that they could meet a few times, I might get out of this." He looked at Virgo a bit more closely. "Would you help me?" he asked suddenly. "All you'd have to do is pretend we're courting until they leave, and it wouldn't even have to be all the time since it'd only be for a few meetings."

"I know you don't know me, but I really don't have anyone else that I could possibly ask and this is the only thing I can think of. Well," he amended, "I might be able to come up with something else eventually, but not soon enough. I mean, it took me this long just to have this idea...."

[Kender Bard]

Virgo grimaced. Well, she did ask, didn't she?

She could just walk away and let this poor man flounder. But she thought he was a bit endearing, in a flustered sort of way. Of course, nothing is free in life. She knew that very well. "What do I get out of it?" she asked, brow raised. "A little compensation to sweeten the deal and I'll agree."

[Darastrix]

It was Garrick's turn to grimace. He was still an apprentice, and even master bookbinders didn't exactly make huge sums of money. On the other hand, what was a few weeks of tightening his belt if he got his family out of his hair? And he was asking a lot from a stranger. He was lucky Virgo was considering at all.

"Twenty copper?" he ventured, after doing some quick sums in his head.

[Kender Bard]

Considering the work involved, it wasn't a bad trade.

It'd be fun to do some legitimate work she got paid for anyway. She just had to be careful who saw her with him; if word got back to the guild, she may never live it down. Making a show of considering his offer carefully, she nodded and put out her hand. "You have a deal, Garrick. Just let me know when and where I have to be, and I will be there."

[Darastrix]

Garrick's body fairly sagged with relief as he reached to shake Virgo's hand. "Thank you," he said, pouring as much sincerity into his words as he could. "Um...I'm expecting them to arrive tomorrow or the day after, so perhaps you could join us for dinner in three nights? Nothing fancy; I'm just an apprentice, so, you know...."

[Kender Bard]

"No, I understand," Virgo replied. And she did; very much. "Where do you live? I'll arrive around dinnertime in my best outfit."

Of course she'd need to concoct some excuse as to where she was going for her father, but that was child's play. He might not even ask, depending on how absorbed he was in his work at the moment.

[Darastrix]

Garrick gave her directions to his small home; it was located not far from where the craftsmen of the city had their shops. "And please, try not to let my aunt or mother bother you. They're not bad people, they just...need a hobby or something that doesn't have anything to do with me."

[Kender Bard]

Virgo laughed in amusement at that. "Oh I don't think I'll be too bothered," she replied breezily. If anything she could find a way to squeeze some fun out of the situation as well. "Well, farewell Garrick. I'll see you at dinner then." With a smile and a wave, she set off on her business elsewhere.

---

Come the appointed day, Virgo stayed true to her word and showed up at his home dressed in a nicer outfit. She wore a comfortable, if not terribly fine, black dress; a bit morose but she was partial to the color, even if it did pale her skin even more than it already was. She had taken the time to comb her hair and in general do all the fussy little things she usually dismissed or ignored. She didn't clean up into some stunning paragon of beauty but at least she didn't look disheveled.

Her father was sleeping away; he'd overworked himself again. She hadn't even had to come up with an excuse for her departure. Clearing her throat, she smoothed her dress and knocked.