open ♔ may castle socialization

[wynn]

WHO || Everyone! [ota]
WHAT || Shenanigans.
WHERE || Anywhere in the castle, surrounding environs, London, etc!
WHEN || Any time during May/June [ 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:
Vi @ the desk
Klaus @ the desk
Maxwell @ the desk
Aurelius @ Dragon's Fire wing
Gar @ the library
Dovan @ 2nd floor pub
Mark @ castle grounds
Lila @ the firing range
Abigail @ library/grounds/kitchen/training rooms
Spike (Kyp) @ people's rooms
Mars @ the library
Sebastian @ front steps
Alaric @ Dragon's Hoard wing
Myri @ cleric's wing, etc.
Spike @ infirmary/kitchen/outside/etc
Elena @ her room
Buffy & Kyp (and Fred) | Closed
Jack @ the cleric's wing
Kyp @ the dungeon
Spike, Buffy, & Helen | Closed
Rose @ various
Lila & Hook | Closed
Han @ the firing range
Brantley & Andrew | Closed
Vi & Des @ the garden
Failboat @ pancake brunch | Closed
Faye @ the library
Alanna @ the firing range
Jaina's induction party
Alex & Abigail | Closed
The Doctor @ the castle grounds
Elena & Helen | Closed
Dumage & Damon | Closed
Lila, Sylar, & Helen | Closed
Damon @ the bar/various

Comments

[notaroundme]

[Things she did not expect when she opens up her door?

Someone already inside.

Way to give her a heart attack, Spike. Feel free to be rifling through whatever he likes, though.]

Whoa...I....hi?

[She'll be coherent in just a second, buddy.]

[bigbad]

[It's not her underwear drawer this time. Probably.] There you are, pet. [He turns to her with a smile.] Had the wrong bloody room, at first.

[notaroundme]

[Her eyebrows raise.]

Who did you scare, first?

[He's probably checking out her bookcase, tbh. Where she keeps whatever books she's collected so far and her personal journals.]

[bigbad]

Some bloke called Klaus? Take it he's a friend of yours. Knew you, at any rate. [Yep, he was reading your vampire diaries.]

[notaroundme]

[Whatever, it's not the first time. He was reading over her shoulder that one time.]

Something like that. We split a bottle of wine sometimes when we're supposed to be working the desk. When I'm actually here, that is.

[She has no idea that he recognizes her from home. LOL]

So, what's up? Find anything embarrassing to torture me with?

[She tilts her head toward the journal he was putting back on the shelf when she walked in.]

[bigbad]

Sadly lacking in names drawn in hearts, love. [He smirks crookedly.] Not that I blame you.

Your love life seems almost as much a mess as mine.

[notaroundme]

I'm not the kind of girl who lets their life revolve around some guy.

[Wow, that's not telling or anything.]

Or lack thereof. [She looks a little uncomfortable, but hell he's already read it clearly.] Maybe it's better that way.

[bigbad]

Maybe. [He sounds like he's trying to half-convince himself too. And probably failing.] Doesn't make it less lonely sometimes.

[notaroundme]

No, it sure doesn't.

[She tries to smile.]

But that's why we have friends, right? [She gives him a dry chuckle a moment later.] Wow, I'm trying too hard, aren't I?

[bigbad]

Sounds a bit familiar, actually. [He tries too hard literally 100% of the time.] Not sure I really say it enough, but I appreciate having a friend like you around. Think you might just get me in a way the others don't always.

[notaroundme]

Well, I figured you liked me, considering you dealt with a guy you pretty much hated just to make sure I didn't get whisked away by the bad guys.

[She grins for real this time.]

But, I know what you mean.

[She feels the same way, tbh.]

You know you deserve better, right?

[Being the guys on the sidelines, pining from afar, that kind of thing.]

[bigbad]

Believe it or not, starting to believe that. Maybe I'll even be willing to admit it, the day you do the same. [He nods his head in the direction of the diary shelf.] You know Archer can't give you what you want from him, don't you? Probably shouldn't have read what I did, but given it's too late to forget it, I feel I should say something.

[notaroundme]

[She gives him a half smile, nodding quietly.]

Maybe we'll just have to keep reminding each other until it sticks.

[She exhales, trying to let out some of her pent up stress along with it.]

It helps a little, not being around them all the time. For me, anyway.

[bigbad]

[He steps closer, reaching out to grab her hand gently and give it a squeeze.] Read about more than your love life, you know.

You're worried they don't understand what you are. That they're afraid of it.

Maybe you're a bit afraid of it too.

[notaroundme]

You were busy, weren't you? [Eyebrow raise.] How long were you alone with all my secrets?

[She doesn't look all that mad, though, which is evident when she squeezes his hand back, though she looks away and tucks some hair behind one ear with her free hand as she does.]

I've gotten as used to it as I can be in the amount of time I've had. [Back when she first found out, she was pretty sure she was just straight up some kind of monster.] And I already know that some of them are. I can't expect others to understand me when I don't even understand myself.

[She glances over at him.]

But I guess you can relate to that a little bit too, huh.

[Considering what he knew about himself when he got here and things that have happened since.]

[bigbad]

More than you know, pet. [His own expression softens into a smile as he studies her, and says gently:] You're not a monster. You know that, yeah?

[notaroundme]

[She gives him a nod, reaching forward and wrapping her arms around his neck. Hug time.]

I know. I'll prove it to everyone else if I have to, too.

[bigbad]

[His hands slide around her waist to draw her close, and he adds quietly:] You don't have to prove a thing to me. What I see's a beautiful woman who's been nothing but brave and strong when all she's gotten in this world is curveballs thrown her way time and time again. [He pulls back a bit to look at her again, admiringly.] Never forget that. That's who you are.

[notaroundme]

[She chuckles quietly.]

It's not you I'm worried about. [She pulls back a bit, before she leans in and presses a kiss to his cheek.] Thank you.

[She needed that, okay.]

[bigbad]

Don't need your thanks, love.

[ ♬ give it all back - the pierces

Spike's hand lifts to her own cheek, fingers stroking it gently, and something in his expression shifts a bit as she starts to draw away. His eyes trace across her face, and some kind of decision manifests in his own gaze in the moment, sparked by something in the intimacy of the conversation and confessions.

Without really giving it much pause, he leans forward, hesitates just the briefest half a second, and then captures her lips in a kiss.]

[notaroundme]

[Everything seems to pause around her for a long moment, the only thing she can hear is the blood rushing through her ears, and when time restarts it still seems to go in slow motion.

She's not expecting it, but it also doesn't feel wrong. And she doesn't know what she wants, not yet, but she does know that she's lonely, and it feels nice to be wanted, and to not have to try so hard to keep together all the time.

So before she knows it, without even making a conscious decision, she's kissing him back, her heart beating hard inside her chest.]

[bigbad]

[When she responds, one hand slides around her waist, the other slipping back into her hair to keep her face glued to his. The kiss starts out slow, but the more she gets into it, the more eager it seems to make him, and he draws her in more tightly, as if unable to stop himself.

When his lips finally break away, it's with a hiss, and he knocks his forehead against hers, closing his eyes for a moment to let her catch her breath.]

[notaroundme]

[And catching her breath is a thing she needs as he breaks away, because she feels like it's all been stolen from her with the way her head is dizzy.

Anything she'd been thinking or worried about before? She sure as hell isn't now.

Her lashes brush his skin as she blinks slowly, because wow what the heck just happened.]

What was that for?

[She says when she can finally speak again, light humor behind the words.]

[bigbad]

[He tilts his head as if trying to figure out the answer to that himself, reaching to brush that piece of hair she'd fixed earlier back behind her ear again, since it sure didn't stay there.] I don't know, pet, just...

Felt right.

[There's a beat, and then his gaze traces back to hers, a question in his eyes.] ... Didn't it?

[notaroundme]

[Her hand was moving in the same motion, which resulted in her fingers brushing against his before she just sort of slips her hand around his, holding it there for a moment against her face.]

Yeah, I guess it did, didn't it?

[There's going to be consequences to this, though, she knows that already, but it's not something she wants to worry about in this very moment.]