No fear? She was teasing him. They both knew that was not true, and even though it was just a game, Franky felt his pride a bit sullied and a moment of angry annoyance flared up at the disrespect. Fear was not a thing to be mocked, he was not some young pup of a soldier anymore. She knew more than probably every other person, aside from himself, exactly what he'd gone through in the Imperium. What he'd done and had to do. What he'd given up and sacrificed.
He huffed in annoyance out of his nostrils. He could see she was playing his emotions like a Grackle's tinny fiddle, but he couldn't stop it. He tried to stuff it down as he listened to her lead into a story... of spiders? Spiders? As a concept? No, he did not know that one. He took a stiff drink from his flagon as he listened, if only to sate that temper of his that she was goading out. And he put every word to memory. Stories were sacred to Franky, and these ones were of concepts as vast and deep as the ocean of stars overhead. It was a strange story, Franky wasn't sure why she was telling it. It sounded almost as if it were a fable, to teach a lesson perhaps, a piece of advice.
He hadn't the slightest idea how it pertained to the current moment. Was she suggesting that she's the spider here? Was the metaphor so surface level? If he followed her, he would find secrets and answers? But Franky had no desire for secrets, and hadn't any questions he needed answering. At least, he was pretty sure he didn't. Still, follow the spiders for answers to secrets. Easy enough advice, if that was the advice, he supposed.
Still, it sparked a curiosity in the back of his mind to know more about this. What wish was in his heart, truly?
But the game was back afoot, and this time it was Franky's turn to grin. And it slit his face wide, a feral grin, full of the sharp, pointed teeth that often was a give away for him to not be an Ork like so many confused him for. A vice of his choosing. He heard her offer up booze and drugs, but he suspected that those were too obvious, and probably things she would excel at. No, he had something much more... interesting.
"If you don't mind waiting but a moment..." He emptied his flagon and raised it up. As Weston came over, "Can you round up a Moratallen Special for my friend here?"
Franky grabbed the Sangen whiskey and refilled his flagon himself, already feeling his heart beating loudly in his ears. It was a strong drink and he was partaking quite enthusiastically. He offered to top off Veronica's as well. It wasn't long until the chef and soux chef came out of the kitchen, a massive platter balanced over their heads by their four arms. They set it upon the bar, smiling broadly at the woman, "We love women with big appetites!" Before returning back to arguing over nothing as Weston herded them back into the kitchen.
Upon the platter, a full roasted turkey, a heaping bowl of mashed potatoes with melted butter and gravy, a platter of sauteed cabbages and Haqsi Sprouts, and the entire Hob Cobbler originally ordered, minus the bit she had ordered earlier. "The vice is gluttony."
And with that, Franky leaned back on his hip bones in his stool, feeling a bit smug at his choice, sipping at the smoky whiskey.
