First Stanza - [Action & Voice]

[deadpoet]

[Action, Locked to Willow]
[A few moments before Spike arrived, he and Illyria had just escaped most of the main action and a great big bloody dragon come out of nowhere. He'd lost track of Angel and Gunn. Wesley was dead. So now it was just the two of them. Until Spike suddenly came to the surface of the river, cursing as he suddenly started burning and then swimming back underwater again until he could hide under the shade of the bridge. A bloody tiny bridge. And here he was with only a pair of white pants, now failing to hide much of anything, as he ended up STUCK in this tiny shadow. There was a book in the sunlight that was just out of reach. As the day passed on, it continued to get further away from him as the sun shifted the shadows further and further away.

What bollocks.

He decided he'd just wait until the first person came across the bridge and get their attention. That ought to do it.]

[Action/Voice, Open To All]

[Well, Willow took him 'home'. And he rather decided he liked it. Of course, a vamp can't make himself good and comfy without the proper accouterments. So after taking a nice long shower in House Seven, perusing the kitchen, and no doubt making his new housies terrible uncomfortable, he makes his way out as soon as it's evening. In his New Feather pants at first, because what else was there? But his first stop is the clothing store and he's soon back into slimming back. And then it's off to pick out a fancy weapon, get some blood at Good Spirits, find some smokes, recollect his lighter, and then snoop around town because he knows a certain old flame is around here. Not you, Buffy.

Around midnight, he hits up the journal after finally recollecting it from beside the bridge.]

This is a nice little village you lot have here. Very cozy. Has a certain quality to it, you might say. Very Shyamalan-type setting. Too cheerful. Downright unsettling, if you ask me.

Anyway, who do I talk to for the big plan? I've done my sitting around already. Relaxing, sure. Not too fond of the wings. Too ironic for my taste. But I'm ready to go and find the wankers who locked us up in here and do something about it. Champion of the people, right here. Just point me in the right direction.

Comments

[herotypical]

"Dawn's going to college," she blurted -- seeing an obvious way out of a conversation that would otherwise require her to say something about Darla.

At least, Dawn was supposed to be going to college. There was that slight case of being a giant...

[deadpoet]

"That right? Good on her. The little bit will do good, I wager."

Even if she had done poorly in school when Buffy died and came back. Not to mention Sunnydale High blowing up. Still, he had faith in her. Or something.

[herotypical]

"...She'd better."

Wait. That sounded unfair. "I mean -- Dawn can be anything she wants to be...and yet? She's still harping on about playing junior watcher. Why wear tweed when you could wear scrubs? O-or pass the bar exam!"

Buffy could take pride in what she was and what she did knowing that Dawn would never have to face those kinds of horrors if she didn't want to. But the girl's ambitions made it tough to keep her safe.

"It's been a year since she was last in town. Had herself a nice, decent boyfriend and everything."

She was missed.

[deadpoet]

Spike certainly saw no problem with the Watcher gig. Though from what he knew of Wesley and Giles, being a Watcher wasn't any easier than being a doctor or a lawyer. And that was just the schooling.

"Shame that. Can't say for sure whether she's better off home or here yet." Probably home. It was home, after all. But this place seemed pretty typical Sunnydale problems. "So what about her boy? He still around?"

[herotypical]

"He is. And he's a friend. Technically? He's older than you. That is -- if you count century of origin to be at all useful in determining age. He was...

He is a Lieutenant. In the British Navy. His name's Archie and he...

They were very happy together. I think you might've once threatened to eat him should he ever break her heart."

[deadpoet]

"Still would." If, in fact, there was any reason to. But it would seem this Archie was the one heartbroken.

"So that's it, then. The pair of you moved on from vampires and soldiers to sailors. Not a change I expected."

A lot of the accusations were already made and by now, it was resigned to mild teasing. Even if he still hated Jack for the moment.

[herotypical]

As long as he wasn't taking any truly awful verbal shots at the pirate, she could meet his teasing with a mild smile of her own. And a soft reminder of Spike's particular brand of protectiveness for the littlest Summers didn't hurt.

"There were...jokes made to that effect, yeah. But let's just say that, uhm, for once? She started the trend."

In fact, when Dawn had first arrived? Buffy had still been failing to date Spike. And it was likely that the sister's sudden arrival had been one sure-fire way to cool any and all potential romance between the Slayer and the vampire. She didn't want to disappoint her sister by backsliding into the arms of a man who had once hurt her so.

"Trust me. I wasn't expecting it either. But they made a very cute couple. I think...I think he was gonna ask her to marry him -- for whatever that could ever be worth, here."

[deadpoet]

Suddenly Spike was less approving. "Marry her? Here? She's not old enough for that. Besides, you don't bloody well marry a girl in a prison. That's bollocks. I've got a mind to find this Archie and knock some sense into him."

You know. For Dawn's sake. Who wasn't even here to benefit from it. Never would he have imagined that he could care for and be so protective of someone so much that he wasn't eager to get into the pants of. And that was before he got his soul. Funny thing, what love will do to a man.

He also hadn't forgotten the magazine he'd seen when he entered. If these sailors were so marriage-happy, then it was just a matter of time for Buffy, wasn't it? She was already making ready for it. Bloody hell.

[herotypical]

"I think you're just about right. She's not old enough...but?"

Eh. Buffy's heart and truest opinion sat closer to Spike's objections than she let on. But it was good to know the vampire had her back in this matter. "Archie's a bit of a special case. Well. It's not really my place to say..."

Dead men walking. The Slayer pitied them and could at least try and understand why they wanted to live a full life in this 'prison'.

"Doesn't matter now."

[deadpoet]

"Maybe not." But now that suspicion was boiling inside. So to hell with it. She said marriage was a bad idea, but she was being a hypocrite about it.

"But look, I don't care if you've known this Jack for ten years now, you shouldn't be marrying him. Besides the fact he looks so old that he might fall over, you said it yourself. Marrying him won't be worth anything at all. It's bollocks and I can't believe you're even thinking about it, much less making bloody plans for it."

1/4

[herotypical]

That argument was surprisingly well reasoned for one that came out of Spike's mouth. Well. Except for the part about...

2/4

[herotypical]

"He doesn't look that old! I mean -- he's got great skin. And not even a single grey hair. And he can well and truly keep up with..."

3/4

[herotypical]

She'd been talking about his prowess in battle, not in bed. But the whole thing just sounded sordid now and so -- disgusted with both herself and with him -- she crossed her arms tightly over her chest.

4/4

[herotypical]

"Jack and I are so not getting married. I can't even stress just how much we're not...doing that."

Yet. Right now. As far as she could imagine. For the time being. Oh, the jade ring on her right hand felt a little heavy today.

"Not that I couldn't marry him. If I wanted. It's not like I need your blessing."

[deadpoet]

He looked downright disgusted hearing her describe his skin and 'keeping up with her', but that wasn't what was in question. It was the fact she was lying. Or so he thought.

"Oh don't play that game, Buffy. I saw it when I walked in. You with your little bridal magazines. Planning your big reception. Did you manage to pick a date without a bloody experiment?"

[herotypical]

She glanced over her shoulder and -- sure enough, there was her little maid of honour workstation. Some pictures were even cut out and held together with a paperclip. Archie and Liz...

"...I was thinking early October. Is that too soon for you to save the date?"

[deadpoet]

"Like hell I'd be there. I'll just be sure to find a nice big bottle of whiskey for the date."

Only he would show up anyway. Even if he didn't like it. And besides throwing around some nasty comments, he'd do it on his best behavior too.

1/2

[herotypical]

She felt both gratified and horrified that the thought of her hypothetical wedding would drive the man to drink. Not that it took much. God, she really did have to start mingling with more teetotallers.

"Spike," she began -- best to be merciful and put him out of his misery. "I haven't actually planned a wedding for myself since...well -- ours."

Wait. That's not where she wanted to with that. Not at all. That engagement wasn't even a real engagement!

2/2

[herotypical]

"A...friend asked me to be her maid of honour and I didn't have the heart to turn her down. You know how I am about big shiny responsibilities."

[deadpoet]

Well. His foot was in his mouth now. Time to extract it with surgical precision. Or the precision of a tank trying to parallel park, anyway.

"... well, it was misleading, all those magazines. You could've said something when I walked in. Besides, you're still supporting marriage in this place. And the evil cultist babies. Don't forget that."

[herotypical]

"I'm not supporting it. I'm merely -- keeping my reservations to myself."

[deadpoet]

"Same bloody difference."

[herotypical]

"Frankly? You don't understand the kinds of delicate social knots all tied up in this...knot-tying. Do I approve? No. A thousand times no. But it's not like I can just turn around and tell anyone that..."

Except, apparently, Spike.

"It's complicated."

[deadpoet]

"Well, if I happen to meet them? I'd be glad to do it for you. No skin off my back, is it?"

It would be well received from the two day veteran of Luceti, certainly.

[herotypical]

"You wouldn't...

Ugh. What am I saying? Of course you would. You would with a grin on your face and...

You and me? We're not the marriage police. There's no such thing as marriage police. Now, if they were looking to raise a demon or summon a baddie? Disapproval-glares away."