Xaviers!

Miriam walks into the Rose & Crown wearing an all black outfit that seems to aim for a kind of dilapidated style. The few heads that do turn her way quickly find their attention turned to a kind of bored indifference. She steps up to the bar proper and it takes her a couple moments of snapping her finger at the barkeep to not be ignored by him as well.

"Give me one shot of each kind of hard-liquor you have." When that gets a predictable disapproving stare she preempts the vocal objection by adding, "I'm just... trying things out. I'm not going to cause you any trouble. Now get to it." she says along with a mental push.


((open))

"Hell of a taster's menu," comes a voice with a hint of a smirk from behind Miriam.

"I've kind of an unique tolera...aance?" Her words start out annoyed as she turns around but kind of trail off into something else.

"Expecting someone else?" She chuckles.

By her accent she's British educated, but there's a bit of somewhere else in there.

"I'm not sure who I was expecting, but certainly not somebody so... elegant." she says, trying to play off being startled. "I'm Miriam Bell..."

"I can't say as this is where I normally drink, but needs must when I'm in town, eh?"

She slides effortlessly onto a stool beside Miriam.

"Yes, well, Maldon has bit of a limited choice in establishments, doesn't it?" she says, trying to play off the fact that she was caught drinking in this place as well. "You're not from around here then...?"

"No, no. Mum needed a bit of a hand with a business matter. Can't wait for me to graduate, apparently."

"Hmm, what business could there possibly be in Maldon. I'll take a wild guess and say... shipping?"

"Yes, a shipment bound for Chelmsford. Who would have thought someone would try to break into a container ship in a port this small?"

"There's desperate people everywhere, I suppose. The news said it was an art shipment of some sort?"

"That one actually got through just fine, thankfully. Mum would be utterly incandescent if she'd lost any of that."

"No, this was medical supplies for the addiction clinic."

"Passionate about art and philantropic? Your family really does belong in a better place than Maldon." she says as the barkeep scowls at her while dropping off an array of glasses in front of her.

"I'm sure if I brought it up around her I'd get some lecture about giving back to the mutant community."

"Giving back? You're a mutant then?"

"I do have that somewhat dubious distinction."

"Not part of the Mutant-Pride cheer-squad, I see."

"Always seemed like a bit of a distraction."

"From the family business?"

"From being a person. You lead with that, most people follow it up with asking what your mutation is."

"And then they're focusing on what you do, not who you are."

Miriam can't help but let out a wistful laugh at that.

"Don't I know it. Unfortunately, sometimes what you do doesn't really care whether or not you want it to define who you are. Good for you though. Cheers." She grabs one of the glasses in front of her and throws it back.

"Hasn't been all that easy for you, then?"

"No, but that's my own bloody fault. I could make things really easy for myself if I decided to just not give a damn."

"Hence the row of shots to help with that endeavor?"

"More wishful thinking that it'll actually do anything if I..." she hesitates for a moment. She'd been planning on mixing the shots with some blood in the hopes that it would make the blood taste less tepid and maybe even get her drunk, but that's not exactly something to tell a stranger.

"...go through enough of it."

"Ah, so it's one of those. Body's too efficient to have a little fun?" She smirks.

"In a manner of speaking, yes. Quality certainly doesn't seem to apply so I figured maybe quantity would."

"I might have access to something a little harder."

"If you're interested, that is."

Miriam quirks an eyebrow which then slowly lowers as her brow knits into a thoughtful frown. It's not like she can really get hurt all that badly. She's dead already after all and even if it goes poorly she's a couple gulps of stale blood away from feeling good as new.

"Pilfering your clients' stash after they drop the habit?" she asks with a smirk.

"Well now, you certainly didn't hear that from me," she smirks back.

"All I heard was that you're disposing of illicit materials you collect. I'm guessing your mum doesn't know about you swiping this stuff?"

"I couldn't possibly comment," she chuckles.

"I'm just offering to show a pretty girl a good time."

"Who could say no to that? Let's see if this does anything for me then." she says, taking another shot from the row of glasses, even if it doesn't really do much.

"Since we've resolved to get... better acquainted, I'm Chione."

"Miriam. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Chione."

"Shall I guess you didn't drive here?"

Miriam let's out a dry laugh. "You really don't have to be concerned for my well-being, but no, I walked here."

"I was more going to call a car for us," she chuckles.

"Right... Of course." she says, trying and failing to not be embarrassed.

"Ever been to the Limes before? I was a bit dubious at first. The room's... cozy, but the service is good."