open ♔ april castle socialization

[wynn]

WHO || Everyone! [ota]
WHAT || Shenanigans.
WHERE || Anywhere in the castle, surrounding environs, London, etc!
WHEN || Any time during March/April/May-ish [back and forward dated]
HOW || Actionspam

[ The castle can be a happening place, even on more mundane days. This log is for random interactions over the course of these few months. Because not everyone is into parties, ok.

You are encouraged to start your own threads and tag around, and feel free to threadjack into any on-going threads that aren't specified as 'closed' in the subject lines since people can enter into rooms even in the middle of what's going on. WE ARE BIG ON THREAD-JACKING HERE. You can also specify 'single thread', meaning you want only one response for all participants, rather than multi-thread, where a number of different scenes/threads can be done as replies to the top prompt.]

On this log:
   Emma @ the desk
   Adam (and Astrid) @ the desk
   Felicity @ the desk
   Alex @ the desk
   Mars @ the desk
   Sebastian @ the desk
   Astrid @ the desk
   Section head office hours
   Kat (and Fred Jr.) @ the castle bar
   Amara @ various locations
   Jaina @ the garage and training room
   Francesca & Christos [closed]
   Belle @ the library
   Alanna @ mounted training course
   Vi @ the castle garden
  David @ training room/gardens/computer room/kitchen/library
   Kate @ library/gym/training area/social areas
   Aedan @ training beyond the castle grounds / London
   Finnick @ swimming lessons / training room / castle bars
   Astrid @ the med center
   Alex @ smoker's hole / firing range
   Elena @ library/castle grounds/training room
   Spike @ castle grounds
   Jaime @ the stables
   Helen @ Dragon's Hoard labs
   Faye @ training room / firing range / Dragon's Fire wing
   Andrew @ the rec room
   Spike & Buffy [closed]
   Myri @ the Round Table hallway
   Thoster @ the kitchen
   Des & Dumage [closed]
   Gus @  in/around the woods 
   Lila @ library/firing range/dining room
   Des @ bowling in London
   Archer @ the castle halls / bar
   Hook @ the computer lab
   Mars @ the gardens
   Sebastian @ the training room
   Marty @ the rec room/firing range/various
   Attica @ the rec room
   Brantley @ London/training room/pool/castle grounds/various
   Buffy @ the training room
   Andrew & Bo [closed]
   

Comments

francesca ♔ closed to christos.

[socialgraces]

[ ♬ nicest thing - kate nash

if she didn't have her doubts before, thomas's words have certainly left francesca with much to think about. she tries to distract herself by baking, a new hobby she's picked up over the last few years, but instead, she only realizes what a good excuse delivering baked goods would be for starting a long overdue conversation with the very man in question.

so today, with an assortment of delicious pastries (craft: cooking 24) and looking as gorgeous as ever (disguise 40 50 vs. dudes), she corners christos in one of his usual haunts, which can just be the dining area off the kitchen, honestly. she can't help but crack the biggest grin when she sees him, clearing her throat lightly as she makes her way toward his side of the table, box in hand. ]

I had hoped I might find you here. [ her eyes dart to the package in her arms and back up to him ] I brought you something.

[everyredcent]

[ yep, he's holed up in the small side room with a newspaper, because he is one of the few people keeping the newspaper industry in business, fuck internet news outlets. he looks very surprised at her entrance, but other than lowering his paper, he barely moves, as if every muscle is controlled. ] Oh?

[socialgraces]

[ she slides in across from him, still grinning, and pushes the box his way ] I've apparently had a lot on my mind lately. [ she motions toward the package ] This has been a welcome distraction.

[everyredcent]

Something troubling you? [ he looks down at the package, but the question seems of more interest to him ]

[socialgraces]

[ francesca is one hundred percent sure christos has never asked that question without sarcasm before, mostly because feelings - specifically talking about feelings - is something he adamantly avoids. as such, her reaction is without pretense, and her smile falters as her gaze lowers to the table as well. ]

I suppose I shouldn't be complaining. [ she wants to give him an out before he opens this can of worms, but the look on his face stirs a need to divulge the very worst of it first. instead, she settles for a happy medium, because lbr complaining is ninety-five percent of what they do. ] I've just grown tired of living a constant facade.

[everyredcent]

Here in the Knights, you mean? [ the question is carefully phrased, as if to say that's not what he thinks she means at all :| ]

[socialgraces]

The Knights have little to do with it. It's surprisingly easy to drown myself in my work, although I'm not sure that's very healthy, either.

[everyredcent]

I'm not certain I follow, then.

[socialgraces]

[ if he's choosing to keep his cards close, he can't blame her for doing the same. and this is why they have this same conversation over and over again and never get anywhere :|

she stands up slowly, leaning over the table to work at the ribbons tied around the box, but she crit fails her dex check, obviously quite flustered by the topic at hand, as well as this change in proximity to him, and she's really just making the knots worse. her voice is quiet, and she sounds almost embarrassed to be bringing this up. ] Well, if it's not uncertainty about my place in the Knights or my work with them, that doesn't really leave many other options, does it?

[everyredcent]

[ no it don't. he's still very cautious as he watches her, saying carefully: ] Your personal life, then.

[socialgraces]

Yes. [ she clears her throat ] My, um, love life, to be specific. [ and then she looks back up at him, waiting for the moment he backs out of this conversation, because this has to be too much ]

[everyredcent]

[ wow look at that will save such impress ]

... I was given the impression that that was one corner of your life where things were rather... settled for once. [ ahahahah will save to not run away = gr8, will save to not sound like he's grinding his teeth together = shit ]

[socialgraces]

I'm rather certain that couldn't be farther from the truth. [ really christos. how long have you known her and you still think she could be happy with val'drin?? ]

[everyredcent]

And yet you're still attempting to pretend all is well? [ the question comes out... demanding and somewhat accusatory b/c he sucks at conversations, basically ]

[socialgraces]

[ well, it was nice while it lasted :| she doesn't respond in anger, but she can't look at him either ] It isn't, is it? Although, Val'drin has little sway in that, either way.

[everyredcent]

What the devil does that mean? [ mr. sensitive ]

[socialgraces]

It's me. I'm the problem, not him. [ way to sell yourself as a potential lover, francesca ]

[everyredcent]

... I find that very difficult to believe.

[socialgraces]

[ somehow she knew you were gonna say that ]

He can't make me happy because-- [ she huffs in frustration, unsure of how to phrase this without just blurting everything out, and finally sits back down, abandoning the box to all it's knots ] Because there's certain things I just can't let go of.

[everyredcent]

All things considered, I doubt anyone could blame you. [ he just assumes that clearly she means val'drin's infidelity. ]

[socialgraces]

[ with a wisdom check of 20 she knows they're not referring to the same thing, and she raises her eyes to consider him for a long moment - he being the actual "all things considered" ] No, I doubt they could.

[ her eyes dart away again as she clears her throat softly ] It's not his infidelity, though ... although, that probably doesn't help. These were issues between us long before that.

[everyredcent]

I'm not certain I remember hearing about them. [ ahahaha maybe because you were AVOIDING THEM BOTH FOR YEARS ]

[socialgraces]

[ she can't help but smile a bit b/c christos, you are not as smooth as you think you are ]

I'm not certain that you would have. [ even if you had been around :| ] It's probably not even something that you-- [ she sighs. this conversation does not get less depressing the more she has it. ] I think we just want different things, and I... I can't give him what he wants from me. I can't give him what he's given me.

[everyredcent]

What he's given you. [ he repeats the words incredulously, clearly displeased with the wording ]

[socialgraces]

[ her forehead creases, unsure if he understands what she's referring to or not ] Yes. I mean, besides decades of insecurity and bitterness.