OPEN ♔ I GOT NO PLANS AND TOO MUCH TIME

[socialgraces]

♬ We Are Nowhere and It's Now - Bright Eyes

WHO || Francesca and YOU. [Open]
WHAT || You wander into the mysterious tavern on the second floor of the castle, and happen to notice the lone woman taking up a large round booth in a dark corner. For some reason, all other patrons seem to be avoiding said corner.
WHERE || The Second Floor Pub, Knights HQ, England
WHEN || Friday, early evening
HOW || Actionspam, multiple threads, but feel free to join threads as well ;)

[Just outside the Dragon's Hide wing on the second floor of the castle there's rumored to be a impressively well-stocked pub, decorated in Faerunian fashion. It's dark and smokey inside, with heavy curtains covering the windows and only candlelight on the tables. A large bar is off to the left, and there are several older-looking Knights solemnly nursing their pints of ale. At a table in the center of the room is a rowdy group of young men playing a drinking game.

Francesca sits at the farthest table from the door. She's all alone, even though the table was obviously made for a large group of people. She has an untouched glass of wine in front of her and isn't paying much attention to anyone around her. And they seem to pay no attention to her either; in fact, it seems as if no one even dares to approach that low-lit corner.]

Comments

[bigbad]

[A pub is precisely what Spike needs. He hasn't been having a particularly bad day or anything, he just... likes drinking. So he wanders in, orders a beer from the bar, and takes a look around. A rowdy drinking game could be fun, but he's more interested in the lady knight in the corner.

He takes his drink and saunters over.]

Hullo, love. Mind if I join you?

[socialgraces]

[She takes a quick scan of the bar before she replies to him. Eh, why the hell not?] Not at all. Make yourself comfortable. [She gestures towards the chair opposite of her, hoping he isn't one of the those awkward types that would sit right next to her.]

She appraises him with a small amount of curiosity.] I'm kind of surprised you would want to approach me again. [She assumes he must remember last time.] But I'm glad I didn't make an irrevocably bad first impression.

[bigbad]

[Spike sits down in the chair with a bit of a shrug.] You made a fine impression. Can't say the same for that boy of yours. He's the one I didn't care for.

[socialgraces]

[Francesca seems quite amused as no one's ever called Christos a 'boy', at least to her, and she can't help but laugh. But she still feels the need to enlighten him so he doesn't go around telling everyone that.] He's not my "boy" or anything of the sort. Just a friend.

[After he settles in she begins a real conversation:] So what brings you to this side of the castle?

[bigbad]

The booze, of course. [He raises his beer with a smirk.] Though the company's not bad either.

[socialgraces]

[She can't remember the last time she's been legitimately charmed, but he definitely makes her smile. She clears her throat as she looks back down at her drink.] Looks like you're becoming more comfortable around here. That's good to see.

[And then she realizes what she finds so charming about him - his blunt honesty. So, she decides to just try a little bluntness of her own as she steadies her gaze back on him.] What's different about you? [And she narrows her eyes at him, but keeps the smile.] What is it that he doesn't trust? I haven't seen him that upset in quite some time. [And she looks like she's scrutinizing him, as if it must be something so obvious she should feel stupid for not seeing it.]

[bigbad]

[Oh, so that was what this was about? Had Christos somehow sensed that Spike was a vampire?

It might be, it might not be, but he isn't sharing that fact about himself just yet.]

I honestly don't know. I thought he was just jealous, but if you're not together... [He shrugs.] Your guess is as good as mine.

[socialgraces]

Hmm. [She hums into her wine glass, giving him a once over. There's a distant smirk on her face but for now it seems like she believes you.] Let me buy you a real drink, since we're here. [She gets up and heads to the bar, returning with two glasses of a dark red liquid.] This is real wine. Not the cheap stuff they serve at the parties. [She explains as she returns to her seat, pushing his glass towards him.]

[bigbad]

Oh, generous of you. Thanks, love. [That's an offer he'll always take up. He takes one of the glasses from her with a smile. Spike's pretty far from a booze snob. He'll drink anything that'll get him drunk. But he does know the difference between good and bad, and the good stuff is just... that much better.

He raises the glass.]

Cheers.

[socialgraces]

Cheers. [And she toasts him with a simple smile before taking a sip. She sets the glass down and leans an arm on the table, inclining towards him.] Stop me if I get to personal, but where are you from?

[bigbad]

[It's not too personal, really, but Spike doesn't know. He shrugs, a little uncomfortable.] Oh, you know. Around.

[socialgraces]

[She raises an eyebrow at of him.] Around, huh? Alright... [She'll just assume he doesn't want to share. She'll try something else.] Well, what sparked your interest in the Knights? How'd you come to be here?

[bigbad]

[He looks away.] Guess I was wandering around directionless for a bit. Thought this might give me some sort of purpose. Plus, I like a good fight. Figure the Knights'll give me a bit of that sort of action. Right?

[socialgraces]

[She nods knowingly.] Definitely. To all of the above.

[She just takes a small sip of her wine, apparently musing.]

[bigbad]

That's good, then. [He grins fiercely. He realises the love of battle probably has to do with the being a vampire thing, and it probably isn't good to enjoy it so much, but so long as he isn't hurting any of the good guys, what's the harm?

He looks at her curiously.]

How long have you been doing this?

[socialgraces]

[She hesitates, just for moment, as if anticipating his reaction to her answer.] I've been a Knight for [She doesn't even pause to do the math] 108 years. This June. [She adds on, probably needlessly.]

A significant amount of time, by almost anyone's standards. Including mine.

[bigbad]

[He coughs mid-swallow at that number. As an immortal creature of the night, perhaps he shouldn't be surprised. For all Spike knows, he's twice that age. Still, not the answer he'd expected.

He clears his throat, recovering quickly from the cough and the surprise.]

You, uh, wear it well.

[socialgraces]

That's actually the most flattering response I've ever gotten when revealing my age. [She doesn't quite smile though.] You've never known another drow I take it? A dark elf, like me?

[bigbad]

[He shakes his head.] No, never. Never even heard the term, really.

[socialgraces]

I see. [Well she has definite physical characteristics that he would have noticed, like very dark skin, white hair and the pointed ears of an elf. She's also only 5'2" and small-framed. But there's lots of funny-looking people here, so it doesn't seem quite so out of the norm.]

There aren't very many drow in this world. And most of the ones who have ventured through the fog keep themselves well hidden. We're not usually looked upon too highly.

[bigbad]

[He noticed, he just figured she was a very short black woman who dyed her hair and... yeah, he had nothing for the ears.]

You're from through the fog?

[socialgraces]

[She nods] Yeah. [She takes a drink and seems to decide to elaborate.]

I arrived in Italy. It's probably one of the worst places for Shadowkind to land. Then and now. Luckily, I was only there a couple days before someone from the Knighthood found me and brought me back here. [And she smiles to herself, as if reliving a pleasant memory.]

[bigbad]

[Spike's quiet for a moment, looking into his glass and thinking about his own lack of a past. He could be here for a hundred years himself, he supposes. Then at least he'd have a hundred years of memory, and not knowing his past wouldn't matter so much.

He takes a gulp of wine and looks up at her.]

It was California for me.

[socialgraces]

I see. [She states simply, the corners of her mouth twitching upward.] How long were you there before you were approached to join the Knights? [Friendly curiosity. And honest curiosity at that. Diplomacy check of natural 20 to make him feel more comfortable. She's a really good listener.]

[bigbad]

A few weeks. [During which he learned fun things like that he couldn't be in the sun without catching fire, that blood was tastier than he'd expected, and that the town of Harmony didn't really exist.]