A bench outside Aereopagitica...

[rup-giles.livejournal.com]

Once Martin left, his parcel under his arm, Giles noticed that was actually nice outside. Rather warm, in fact. He propped a rock in front of the door to hold it open, and went out to sit on a bench on the sidewalk in front of the store. After all, if someone entered the store, he could always follow them in. He took the Augustine with him, primarily for cosmetic purposes.

Sometimes, you just need to sit in the sun and watch the people go by.

[OOC: Ohhhhhh lilah_esq....look out your wiiiinnnnndowwwww.....]

Comments

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

Lilah sighed from inside the confines of her office. No evil, no leverage to make evil things happen; this was like working for a real law firm, which wasn't even close to what she'd signed on for.

She glanced outside and saw someone reading on the park bench. Might as well pretend to be sociable.

"Afternoon," she drawled, sitting down beside him, but not really seeing who he was. She was too busy studying the ducks cautiously. Hopefully they wouldn't take the O'Malley thing personally.

[rup-giles.livejournal.com]

Giles noticed an attractive woman sit down next to him.

"Good afternoon," he said. "Lovely day, isn't it?" Between his rediscovery of Jenny and the success (thus far, knock wood) of the shop, Giles is unrepentedly chipper.

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

Lilah heard the accent before she turned around and had to blink away a flash of memory of Wesley. "Yes, terrific."

Lilah? Not quite so chipper.

[rup-giles.livejournal.com]

...and being disgustingly chipper, Giles is also feeling social. And oblivious to the un-chipperness of others.

"Indeed. So, do you work around here?"

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

Resigned, Lilah twisted and pointed back towards Wolfram and Hart. "Right there."

And then she caught a good look at the guy she was talking to. Slightly older, sandy brown hair, reasonably attractive, British. Definite Watcher type. And his face looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't figure out why.

[rup-giles.livejournal.com]

"Ah! Then we're neighbors!"

Giles stuck out his hand.

"Rupert Giles, delighted to meet you. And you are...?"

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

Well, of course you're Rupert Giles. She smiled a feline smile at him and offered her hand. "Lilah Morgan."

Today was suddenly looking up.

[rup-giles.livejournal.com]

"It's lovely to meet you, Ms. Morgan." Giles shook the proffered hand, although he noticed it was quite cool.

"You say you work next door. Exactly what do you do?"

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

"I'm a lawyer." Still smiling as she pulled her hand back. "And you? What do you do?"

Was there another slayer in town? That could be fun.

[rup-giles.livejournal.com]

"I'm retired, primarily. But, truth be told, I am easily bored, so I've opened up this book shop," Giles waved at the storefront behind him, "to keep me occupied."

That ought to do as a cover story. It's even mostly true. And so much better than, "I tried to run away from home but Upper Council wouldn't let me."

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

"I'll have to stop by sometime. I didn't spend a lot of time there under its previous ownership."

She tilted her head back, thankful she could still enjoy the sun. "So, what did you retire from, if you don't mind my asking?"

[rup-giles.livejournal.com]

Giles's lips twisted. "Same thing as I'm doing now: shopkeeping. Before that I was a high school librarian and Curator of Rare Books at the British Museum[1]."

"You're a lawyer? I had an uncle who was a barrister. Do you keep your own rooms, or are you with a larger firm?"

[OOC: Canon says that Giles, before coming to Sunnydale, was "the curator of a British museum, maybe the British Museum." Nothing else has ever really been said of his pre-Sunnydale career, so I'm tweaking.]

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

"That sounds interesting. How long have you been out of England?" Lilah decided there wasn't really anything to be gained, but after dealing with Tex, she needed a different approach. Friendliness worked for other people, right?

"Larger firm. Guaranteed employment." Even after death, the bastards. She frowned slightly.


[ooc: Thanks for the clarification.]

[rup-giles.livejournal.com]

Giles stopped and considered. "I left London in the summer of 1996. I was going back and forth in 2001 and 2002, trying to deal with some," Giles paused. Problems with the First and most Powerful Source of All Evil? Let's not frighten the neighbors into moving within the first week, shall we?. "Family business," he continued. "But the States had really become home by then."

Giles noticed her frown. "Guaranteed employment is all well and good, but sometimes the risk of being on your own is worth the rewards of independence. Did you ever think about opening up your own practice?"

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

She chuckled. "No, I never did." Wolfram and Hart had psychics that checked for that kind of thing on a regular basis, especially once Lindsey went off on his own.


[ooc: Don't know if you're aware (or if it'll make a difference), but there *is* a sign on the outside of the building that says "Wolfram and Hart."]

[rup-giles.livejournal.com]

"Well, don't ever limit yourself." Giles took a deep breath. "There's absolutely nothing that says you absolutely must spend your entire career at--" Giles had begun to gesture toward the building next door to his shop, but his arm fell limply when he took a good look at the small gold lettering next to the elegant door.

The Wolf, the Ram, and the Hart. Of course.

He took a closer look at Lilah. Pale. Extremely so. Scarf around the neck. Unusually cool hands.

So, we either have a vampire lawyer next door, or one of Wolfram & Hart's undead lackeys. Just smashing.

He faced Lilah with a raised eyebrow. "Or perhaps there is something you've left out?"

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

"Left out? Nope. Lilah Morgan, lawyer, large firm, that's me." Okay, so she smirked a little. "Just like you're a retired shopkeeper."

[rup-giles.livejournal.com]

Giles's eyes hardened. She knew exactly who he was.

Bloody Wolfram & Hart. Worse than J. Edgar Hoover with their files.

"Quite. You'll excuse me, Ms. Morgan. But I do have a business to attend to. Good day." Giles stood and went into the shop.

[lilah-esq.livejournal.com]

"Ta." She waved cheerfully at him. "I'll be sure to stop in sometime."