Chance Meeting [Alexander]

[Richard de Calys]

OOC - thought it'd be a quick way for them to meet if Richard walked into him, give us a pm if you want anything edited. Also, the thread name is rubbish haha, I'm awful at thinking of them.

Camelot was probably one of Richard's favourite cities. When he had still had plenty of money he would often visit other cities because his father had made him. It would educate him, apparantly. But he had never experienced any of those cities like he experienced Camelot, probably because he wasn't surrounded by an entourage. Here, Richard was forced to think for himself, luckily he was rather good at that. Indeed, he had been left with the clothes on his back and little else, well, not the exact clothes on his back, he'd managed to steal them from the castle whilst posing as a servant. Still, they suited him better than they would suit anyone else in the world.

He strolled down a busy street, casually taking his time. He'd already made a fair bit of money today and so was in no rush to make anymore, although he wouldn't say no if the oppurtunity presented itself. Passing a young woman he doffed his hat - it was deep blue and velvet and had been a rather good find. It was simple gesture and he didn't bother to see if she appreciated it or not. It was more out of habit than anything else. While he could no longer enjoy the luxuries and securities of a duke he could at least retain the manners and attitude of one.

A thought occurred to him, so he delved into a pocket in his coat and produced a small, folded piece of parchment. It was written all over with lists in a scribbled, fluid handwriting. Hmm. He did have work to do, which was a shame. He was rather enjoying himself at present. Still, it would do no good to upset his clients. With a heavy sigh he changed direction and collided with something hard and probably human shaped. He stumbled backwards, but quickly regained his balance and repositioned his hat. He tilted his head, observing the object that had been blocking his path. "Awfully sorry, are you alright?"

[Alexander]

OOC - Thread name is fine. I can never think of anything either. Any particular time this should take place?

Alex was in no hurry to get anywhere. For once he felt the ease of someone with no place they had to be. Really he could attribute that to the fact that he had gotten out of the kitchens rather early and was not expected home for quite a while. A free man, Alex let himself aimlessly wander about the city with his eyes on the sky above him. Perhaps it was not the best way to navigate, but Alex was not bothered much to observe where he was headed. Hands tucked into his pockets, he enjoyed the sun on his face. It was a nice day and Alex had left his sleeves rolled up as they had been as he worked. With an easy smile he let himself greet a few familiar faces as he walked.

Alex contemplated the reason he and some of the other staff had been let out early. Apparently someone had stolen some clothing and, since everyone was looking for the culprit, the chef had felt that a few servants could get away with some well deserved rest. There had been a lot of work the last few days and some of the staff had been a bit overworked as of late. It was days like these that made Alex appreciate what a good boss he happened to have. He also found that it was days like these that kept him in his constant good mood. That and the smile of a certain goose herding girl he happened to know. Just the thought of Brynn made Alex smile a bit wider.

As Alex entered a busier section of the city, he reluctantly pulled his eyes to the ground so he could maneuver around the other inhabitants. He let himself chatter out greetings to the people he knew and caught their amused glances as he strolled his way down the road. People around here were quite familiar with Alex and knew him as the loquacious young man who never seemed to stop for breath as he spoke whatever happened to come to mind at the moment. Most knew he worked in the castle, but it was through helping at his step-father's bakery that most of them had encountered Alex. With a friendly nature it was not difficult for Alex to meet people and he had an easy charm that made him well liked among those that didn't mind the constant stream of talk.

Alex found himself bouncing back a step and a half as something turned into him. Alex shook his head and reminded himself to pay more attention to what was in front of him and not the waving girls in the store to his left. Bringing his eyes to the man he had just run into, for it was indeed a man, Alex gave a sheepish grin before extending a hand.
"Not to worry. My fault entirely. I'm Alexander, although it's really just Alex to everyone who isn't my mother." Alex said in a smooth sentence with hardly a breath between phrases. He let his other hand ruffle his hair slightly as he grinned wider at his new acquaintance. The man was certainly not someone Alex had seen around before and there was an air about him that suggested nobility. It was an aura Alex was familiar with after working in the castle a while. The clothes also stirred some vague memory, but Alex just ignored that to smile at the man while waiting for a response.

[Richard de Calys]

OOC – Sorry it’s so short, Richard wasn’t talking to me. And I don’t mind when it’s set, as I said, Richard’s pretty flexible.

Richard took his hat of, extended his arm and bowed. It was not a gesture that befitted his new acquaintance, but Richard was never one to miss an opportunity for flamboyance. He almost bounced back into a standing position and grinned cheerfully, “Richard de Calys at your service.” He looked the young man up and down, pressed his lips together and continued. “It looks like you need it.”

He folded his arms, he didn’t recognise the man, which was a feeling he didn’t like. Richard liked to think that he knew everyone, it was vital to his line of work. A curled index finger tapped against his chin and he began to circle Alexander as he tried to determine was sort of man he was. “So, Alex, where are you off to on this fine day?”


As someone who made his living knowing people he had learnt a few things about them. Firstly, they fell into two categories: those who were useful, and those who weren’t. The question was, which one was Alexander?

[Alexander]

OOC - No problem. And we can set it sometime in season two. There isn't really a need to be overly specific.

The man's reaction set him aside from most of the nobility Alex had ever had a chance to interact with. Most were quite reserved with common folk and didn't bother to even nod their head. Alex had met a few who hadn't been that way such as the crown prince himself, but never before had one bowed. The enthusiasm was certainly something Alex could go along with. In fact it was an energy that made Alex a bit intrigued. It wasn't often he ran across someone with as much enjoyment for flair.

The quip about him needing service was let slide as Alex was unsure of how to take it. He couldn't quite tell whether he should be insulted or not. A strange feeling for Alex, who was normally good at making out the meaning behind most people's speech.

When the man's demeanor changed and the circling began, Alex was left a bit confused. He craned his head to keep Richard in view and ended up turning awkwardly like a puppy trying to chase the tail that keeps evading him. Alex was unused to someone being more then passively interested in him let alone seeming to want to know who he was after merely running into him. Alex felt a bit thrown for a loop and took a moment to respond.

"Not headed anywhere in particular actually. Just off work early. I work in the castle's kitchens and there wasn't much to be done today. Had something to do with more concentration on a petty theft if I heard correctly." Alex replied. He didn't feel the need to guard his words or lie. If anything Alex could be a bit too trusting of everybody he met. He also just didn't see why that information would be relevant or important to anyone else. That also combined with the fact that he adored his job and wasn't hesitant to share that fact.

[Richard de Calys]

Richard nodded at Alexander’s words. Hmm, the man could come in useful. It would definitely pay to keep contact with someone who worked with food. He stopped circling him, folded his arms and leant backwards slightly so his weight shifted onto his heels. A moment was taken to fully consider the man before him. Could he be useful? It was probably too early to tell, so he decided to just go with it and then perhaps cut his losses later on.

Alexander was clearly a cheery fellow, and likely to be easily swayed to Richard's thinking. This could become very handy, especially as through Alexander he could gain contacts in the castle...With his mind firmly made up he put an arm around Alexander's shoulders, in what he hoped would be seen as a friendly gesture of genuine goodwill. He already took the man to be a simple on, especially when it came to people, so he was sure his ulterior motives were safely hidden away.

He did have to choose his words carefully though, after all, he was judging the man's character on a few moments of speaking to him. For all he knew, Alexander could be as fake as Richard himself. That was a scary thought. So he took a few moments to decide how to fully take advantage of both the situation and his new acquaintance. From his over-detailed responses he supposed Alexander was a man who liked to talk, and he had known enough men to know their favourite topic of conversation was always themselves, so that was what he went with and required innocently enough, "You work in the castle kitchens? How very interesting. And how do you find it? A strong lad like yourself (compliments always worked in Richard's favour) must surely find it easy work?"

[Alexander]

The other man had stopped circling. Alex found himself able to once again face in one singular direction comfortably. It was a relief for his balance, but did nothing for the slight confusion at the stranger's antics. He was used to people watching him as he often drew attention, but at the moment he felt like an insect being carefully inspected before being stomped on. It was a bit off putting. Never the less, Alex hastily reminded himself that it was merely an overactive imagination that produced these thoughts and he should just take things in stride.

Alex was not made uncomfortable by the sudden weight of an arm around his shoulders. He was certainly not expecting it, but he was not someone who was overly sensitive about personal space. Alex was a very tactile person and was not unused to physical gestures. He merely accepted the arm and turned to give the other man a quizzical smile. Richard seemed friendly enough, but it weighed odd on Alex that there was no particular reason for the sudden goodwill from a practical stranger. However, Alex simply ignored that again to believe the other man was just very friendly.

Listening to the other's inquiries put Alex at ease. Talking he was used to. Given the opportunity Alex could chatter on about practically nothing. He grinned more confidently before answering.
"Yeah. It's certainly not that difficult physically, if that's what you mean. I really just make sure things run smoothly for the chefs. Although, they let me help with some of the cooking sometimes. That's what I really want to do. Figure eventually the work pays off, right?" Alex said with a bit of wistfulness to his tone. Even talking about the possibility he could be an actual chef one day was a sure fire way to keep his good mood going. However, as he thought about his job a bit of curiosity leaked into his thoughts.
"And you? I've never seen you around. If I had I would have definitely remembered." Alex didn't men to pry or sound nosy, but he was used to knowing everyone and he couldn't help but ask a few questions.

[Richard de Calys]

As Alexander spoke of his work in the castle kitchens Richard listened intently, storing all the new information away to be used when needed. He liked knowing about people - what they did, what they liked, what their strengths and weaknesses were. People were easy: give them what they want and then take all you can. Sometimes only a glimpse of what they wanted was enough, but that only worked on the extremelly gullible and greedy. But, at present, Richard was not interested in taking anything, and not from Alexander - who probably didn't have that much on him, and certainly not at the moment - no, Richard was already calculating the young man's usefullness. If he could keep him on side, gain his trust then the man might prove very useful indeed.

A ha! Richard had found the man's weakness - well one of them, Alexander seemed to be the sort of man who would have many - a dream, something to be exploited. This was rather impressive, even by Richard's standards as it usually took him at least an hour to gain this much information. Alexander wanted to be a cook; Richard could easily use this to his advantage. "Indeed," Richard nodded and then continued in a more philosophical tone, "One must always keep sight of the dream."

Richard gave a short laugh at Alexander's questions, simply because he was stalling for time whilst deciding what to do. He released Alexander by removing his arm from the other man's shoulders and stepped in front of him. He decided Alexander was not a threat, and if he turned out to be one then he could easily be disposed of. "I gave you my name, but I did not gave you my title." He paused for dramatic effect, and, with a swish of his coat, again for dramatic effect, most of his actions usually were. "As I said, I am Richard de Calys, Duke of Cantia." He gave another bow because he liked doing it. "But, alas - you do not see me at my best." He gestured to his clothing, which, although expensive was clearly not new. "You see before you an impoverished nobleman." And then he sighed, a much heavier sigh than was probably called for, but he was hoping for some sympathy, then he could really get to work.

[Alexander]

Alex was never one to think about taking advantage of people. Perhaps naive to a fault, he liked to look for the good in people. It wasn't that he wasn't smart, because he could be quite intelligent, but he tended to overlook people's flaws. He was very much of the idea that people could change. Alex figured that the ability to see good in people and be friendly was one that helped him make the world a better place in his own small way.

When the other man spoke Alex smiled. A dream was indeed a good thing to have. Gave someone focus. Alex's dream might be a small one, but it was something he truly loved to do, and that was good enough for him. The other man's apparent interest on the subject also put Alex more at ease for the moment.
"Yeah, losing sight of a dream would not be good at all. Especially when dreams are forgotten all too easily." Alex said in a lighthearted manner. He liked the word play and the connection between life's goals and the fading memories from sleep. That they were called the same thing had always amused him. You can dream of what you want to accomplish, but in dreams you might also find nightmares, and wasn't that also true of life?

Richard stepped in front of Alex and seemed to stall briefly with a laugh. Alex was naive, but all too used to the intricate ways of speech. He wondered if it was because he was being to prying or if the man didn't want to say too much. At the mention of a title not too long after, Alex was not surprised, and the explanation for his state was not surprising either. Although the duke's manner was quite interesting as far as nobles Alex had encountered. A bit more likable then he was used to.
"Well I hope good fortune finds you again, friend. Although you seem rich in personality." Alex said with a chuckle at the other man's antics. The great sigh was one that evoked sympathy but was exaggerated enough that Alex all too easily recognized the over dramatized manner that he was known for at times. He smiled slightly and let his hands rest by his sides as he considered the duke in front of him.

[Richard de Calys]

The conversation had taken on a more philosophical tone, and Richard was forced to reflect on his dreams. They were, possibly, more unattainable than Alexander's, but they were his and the only reason why he had survived so long. Without a goal, an ambition, he would have remained penniless and died a beggar in the street. His dreams of regaining his wealth and rebuilding his life had transformed him completely. Not only had he kept his name, but he'd gained a reputation. He made a 'hmm' noise at Alexander's words, "Well mine will not be forgotten." This was said more to himself than Alexander, another reminder that he still had so much to acheive and so much more hard work before he could return to Cantia. But, there was also plenty of fun to be had first, and that was definitely something to look forward to.

Richard tilted his head, normally his big reveal caused more surprise than that. It was rather disappointing, but he did appreciate the man's sympathy. Sympathy often led to favours, favours with payments that were usually not called upon.

He couldn't help but nod at Alexander's comment on his 'rich personality'. It was certainly true and Richard was narcissistic enough to greet you. "That may well be true," he gave another sigh, "but a man cannot eat personality." However, a man could eat kitchen food...

[Alexander]

Alex caught the other's man's brief sentence and let his curiosity grow slightly. He wondered what dreams the man spoke of. Richard seemed like the sort to be ambitious, but Alex couldn't quite place what exactly the man seemed to be after. Then again, Alex wasn't one to over think things. In fact, Alex would leave well enough alone. If the subject wasn't brought up, he wouldn't pry and ask about it. He knew that not all people liked to talk about their personal lives with almost complete strangers. Alex might be talkative, but he didn't expect the same from others. It would be unfair of him to judge the other man based merely on the fact he wasn't extremely forthcoming with small details.

Alex felt a bit of amusement when he saw that his lack of surprise was in itself surprising. In all honesty, most people would be surprised, but Alex happened to work near nobility all the time and therefore had a bit of insight in that area. He even knew the crown prince, and the way you could always set nobility apart was in their posture and the way they carried themselves. Even an impoverished nobleman was still a nobleman. You can't change things like that so easily. In fact, Alex knew that one could give him all the money in the world, but he would still carry himself like an overconfident kitchen boy. It was just in their natures.

"No, it has been brought to my attention that one cannot consume personality. However, I happen to know a bakery where I can charm the woman running it into giving up some lunch if you would like to join me." Alex said with an easy smile. He happened to know his mother was watching the shop today,and as he thought about it he found he was indeed hungry. Plus, his mother was always telling him he should eat more. She also had a thing for feeding people who were hungry, it made her quite popular among travelers and the neighborhood children.

[Richard de Calys]

Richard could see the amused expression across Alexander's face. Well at least someone was enjoying themselves, he thought almost sourly, which was not usually his nature. He liked shocking people. Alexander was ruining his fun by being used to nobility and acting as though this revelation was the most normal thing in the world.

Richard was slightly taken aback by the youth's next words. Charm the woman, ey? Surely that was a joke, Alexander hardly seemed like the sort who would be charming women for food. He hardly seemed like the sort who would be capable of charming women for food. It was said with an impressive straight face, yet Richard was a good enough reader of people to detect the humour in it, or at least the exaggeration. He smiled at Alexander and gave a small chuckle. He should like to see this 'charm' of his, and he was rather hungry so decided there would be no harm in accepting his offer.

"How kind of you. I admit I shall be impressed to see this 'charming' of yours. Forgive me, but you do not seem the sort. But, we will see." A hand swept in what he thought was the right direction, to his left, but it probably wasn't and it didn't matter because it was the gesture and not the direction that counted. "Well, lead on Sir Charming, I shall follow you gladly."