I've got thousands of stories, you've heard them before.

[allbloodyhail]

CHARACTERS: BELA & SPIKE
LOCATION: the bar or something
WARNINGS: general douchebaggery
SUMMARY: Spike tries to comfort Bela by drinking with her. Yeah, I know. Backdated to 7/27.
NOTES:


[Spike, true to his word, was still frozen to the spot on the holodeck of whichever floor he was at. He wasn't sure which one he'd told her or if it was the right one so he waited, eyes darting around the room though he stayed in his stupid freeze-frame stance.

Finally, he began to cramp and dropped his arms--only for Bela to stroll through the automatic doors. He sighed, a heavy, put-upon thing. All that comedic setup and for no reward. Such was his life. Unlife.]

You look even more like you could use that drink face-to-face. [i.e. you look like crap, Bela. Let's get pissed.]

Comments

[allbloodyhail]

[ he snorts, shrugging one shoulder. ]

Spent a few months incorporeal. I wouldn't recommend it. [ siiiip ]

[onsilksheets]

I'll take that under advisement.

[ so, nothing else to tell her about it then? ]

Least you've got the whole immortality thing going on for you.

[allbloodyhail]

At least there's that. [ his eyes dart around. he guesses it could be storytime. maybe it'll take her mind off things. ]

Didn't know I was quite that immortal though, did I.

[onsilksheets]

Why do you say that then?

[ ooooh storytime. Bela is definitely down for that, especially if it's an interesting one at that. she's all ears, Spike. ]

[allbloodyhail]

[ he locks eyes with her now. this is a very close story to his heart, to say the least -- but it's also his best one. his ultimate hero tale. listen up, now. ]

Sacrificed myself, to close the Hellmouth. Thought I was done after that; toast. But I came back -- as a ghost. Seems the Powers weren't quite done with ol' Spike here.

[onsilksheets]

[ she's at a loss for words for a few moments, processing what he had just told her. maybe Spike hadn't told anyone else so she feels privileged by that. ]

A noble sacrifice. Would never have guessed that. [ a pause. ] I think my respect for you went up by a few notches. But why a ghost? Did they not have the power to make you corporeal?

[allbloodyhail]

I think it was just a ploy. To get at Angel, like. [ it was good to know he was nothing more than a pawn. and really even though his ego took the blow, the rest of him couldn't be too upset about it. ]

But then they gave it back to me -- after plenty of suffering. That's just how they operate.

[onsilksheets]

Angel; I think you mentioned him earlier on? Not by name though [ at least that is what Bela is assuming, given by what Spike has told her about himself so far.]

Like any sort of authority figure, they'd do anything to screw you over. Be they a sentient being or a higher up in the government [ a wry sort of look. ]

Glad it worked out in the end.

[allbloodyhail]

He's here. Perfectly quaffed hair -- tall dark and boring? He's hard to miss, what with that permanent cloud of angst following him about.

[ spike shrugs, like it doesn't bother him. but it does it so does. fuck angel, so what if he was here first. it was just the way his unlife went, alas. ]

"Worked out" isn't the phrase I'd use, but. Suppose it's close enough.

[ he took a sip to avoid eye contact. the last thing he wanted to talk about was fred, and besides he was supposed to be cheering bela up, wasn't he? he was really falling down on the job here. ]

Imagine getting a package one day and -- bang! -- you're solid again. That was an exciting day for me. [ the corners of his lips twitched up a bit as he managed to look back over at her. ]

[onsilksheets]

I can imagine that would be a relief as well as exciting. If it were me of course.

[ Even if Bela would take being a ghost rather than being stuck in hell for all eternity. Funny how life could work out for some, right?

she gives him a tiny smile in return, getting the feeling that there was more to his story but he was reluctant to share it with her at the moment. completely his prerogative of course. Bela could respect that. ]

What I am taking from this conversation is that you've led an interesting life, Spike. Perhaps even before you became a vampire.

[allbloodyhail]

[ he snorted at that, tilting his head to the side. ] Wasn't so interesting before, really. Unless you're in for a bit of sonnet-writing.

[ woo boy. he's going to hide behind his whiskey now. ]

[onsilksheets]

[ oh. well. that changes things a little. or a lot.]

You wrote sonnets? [ trying not to smile too much.] Were they any good?

[allbloodyhail]

No. [ he almost smiles, but downs his drink instead. ] Not even a little.

[onsilksheets]

Then I won't ask you to recite one for me. [ as tempting as it is to pester him until he did. ]

I never wrote any of my own so not much point in you asking. [ just a slight tease there. ]

[allbloodyhail]

[ aughhhh headdesk tbh ]

I wasn't going to ask, alright. Just forget I said anything. [ he knew he wasn't living this down. it's what he got for letting his guard down around pretty girls always. ]

[onsilksheets]

Okay. [ perhaps it would come up some time in the future but it also wasn't something that bela could easily forget. she didn't picture his early life like that. ]

If it's any consolation though, you've helped me by doing this. Drinking and conversation. So don't feel embarrassed about anything, yeah?

[allbloodyhail]

I'm not embarrassed. [ he protests, though maybe that's part of the act, too. he's certainly not above making himself the butt of any and all jokes. ] But hey, always glad to be of service.

[onsilksheets]

Then we can do it again sometime. When I'm not so down. [if happiness was ever achievable again for her.] Maybe I should go and have a nap now. Sleep this off.

[allbloodyhail]

[ he was already mourning the loss of a drinking buddy, and yet he found himself nodding, knowing what it was to need attention as well as to be left alone. not that he always honored others wishes on either matter, but this time he was going to remain firmly in his chivalrous gentleman role. maybe because sometimes it wasn't much of a role at all. ]

I'll keep your seat warm for you.

[onsilksheets]

[ she didn't know when the pain she felt was going to go away or maybe it never will, but at least she felt a little better and had made a new friend in him. bela was going to try to find other ways to help the healing process, ones that didn't involve drinking. ]

Thank you. [ a small smile and then she's gone, heading back to her room. ]