You may find yourself living in a shotgun shack;

[vampdetective]

Who: Angel and YOU!
Where: Around the mansion as he gets his bearings and lurks in hallways looks around.
When: Evening, 9/29.
Rating: PG for now!
Summary: Angel arrives in Wonderland and is pretty sure that it's yet another cracked-out hell dimension.
The Story:

Angel’s first thought upon waking had been ‘hell dimension.’ The change of scenery had been sudden, the last thing he remembered being just about every monster imaginable crawling their way up through the that hellgate and preparing to let loose on Los Angeles. Their numbers had been thinned considerably. Gunn had been wounded, bleeding out but still standing, still ready to fight. Spike and Illyria were there, prepared to fight alongside him as they went forward to face impossible odds. Lorne was gone. Wesley hadn’t made it. It had only been the four them. Four against the forces of Hell and all that the pit had to offer.

It hadn’t mattered that they wouldn’t win. They were going to go down fighting. That was what people like them did. They were supposed to be champions. If nothing else, they would die like champions, throwing off Wolfram & Hart’s yolk that they had so willingly put on just a year earlier. That whole year had been wrong in so many ways. They had been able to fool themselves into thinking they were using this opportunity to do good, but Cordelia had seen right through it. Hell, even Spike saw through it. Trying to defeat an enemy from within the belly of the beast meant you had been swallowed.

So they’d decided to claw their way out. Hell or high water, they would brace themselves for the counter attack and go down fighting – but it would be one hell of a fight.

“Personally, I kind of want to slay the dragon.”

He couldn't remember anything after that. Climbing up on the beasts back, and then— and then what? This place? If he was dead, truly dead, this was one hell of an afterlife. He’d been killed in a back alley, buried in the earth only to rise again. He’d been impaled and sent to hell for some untold number of years, tormented mercilessly until some power had seen fit to bring him back. Death wasn’t exactly new for him, but this place was like nothing he’d ever seen before.

Hence ‘hell dimension.’ Had someone opened a portal, meant to take him and his allies out of the fight? If that was the case, it would have taken one heck of a bump to the head to knock him unconscious for the duration – either that or a doozy of a spell. He’d been to some pretty strange places in his long life, but this one was singular. Walls all but lined with mirrors that held no reflection – no change there, he surmised – with a décor that was strongly reminiscent of a funhouse. Or maybe Lorne’s place.

He grunted softly, rubbing at the back of his head as he began the slow and awkward shuffle down the corridor he’d found himself in. The countless doors reminded him of the hotel, except—

Except these rooms weren’t empty. Not all of them, at least. He could smell people beyond them, some human, some otherworldly, but all of them alive, breathing. He could hear their beating hearts from a distance, and it was distracting. He was injured, his clothes tattered and bloodstained, soaked through from the storm that had been raging when the battle began. He would heal quickly enough, but he would feel a whole lot better a lot faster if he found something to eat. The smell of blood and the faint but tempting thud of so many heartbeats would ebb away once he had. Something told him he wouldn’t be lucky enough to find a friendly butcher or a stray pig anywhere nearby, though. That presented a bit of a problem. And what about the allies he’d left behind? Were they here, too, scattered?

Damn it. He hated portals. Nothing good ever came from portal jumping.

Comments

[vampdetective]

He appreciated the effort, even if he didn't say at much. Her question didn't even manage to catch him off-guard -- in the past, it might have, but he'd long since gotten used to just how forward she was.

Anyway, it was a fair question. Had he?

He nodded stiffly. "Our farewells never really seem all that final."

The last time he'd seen her, she's given him a speech about that very thing -- one he wasn't entirely sure exactly how he felt about, but once Cordelia had passed, he'd found himself drifting back to it on more than one occasion. Getting in touch with her was easier said than done, however, and he hadn't been in any position to make it a priority.

"Always figured we'd see each other again."

[rulebreaks]

She nodded, almost dismissively, glancing him up and down. "Looks like someone came in hot-- from battle." Yeah she can't even with herself either, she's just going to stare at him like it's his fault she says stupid shit all the time.

Something disturbingly like empathy is creeping into her chest and settling where her heart used to be. What was with that?

"You're really here." A quizzical expression took over her face then, and she reached forward, poking him firmly in the ribcage. He was real, and she was real. This place, though, that was still up for consideration.

[vampdetective]

He cleared his throat at that particular observation, shifting awkwardly. There was always a lot of that whenever they saw each other, ever since he left Sunnydale. He cracked a smile, though it was small enough to barely qualify as one. It was good to hear her voice. It had been a long while since he'd had the opportunity.

He placed a hand over the spot she'd poked as though it hurt, letting out a small, strained chuckle. Humorless, but there. "Yeah. Afraid so. I wasn't entirely convinced this place was real, but... haven't woken up yet. Starting to think I'm not going to."

[rulebreaks]

Instantly, without any sort of conscious effort, her half-smile mirrored his and she flushed -- only a little, glancing up through her bangs at him.

"Get the grand tour yet?"

[vampdetective]

He shook his head, and it was hard not to smile back. Complicated as things were, complicated as they would always be, he was happy to see her. He always was.

"Not yet. Cordelia filled me in on most of it, but the only tour I've gotten has been self-given. ... needed a few minutes alone to clear my head. Kind of a lot to take in."

[rulebreaks]

"So I guess she told you all the important stuff." That would never not be weird to her, and she felt a strange combination of relief and jealousy over it. She did her best to shrug at least the latter off, to little actual avail. "Um. There's not a whole lot to see, actually. Not in the mansion anyway."

Buffy waved a dismissive hand before tucking her arms in across her chest and leaning against the doorjamb. "I would ask if you're hungry..." But you're a fucking vampire.

[vampdetective]

"Most of the need-to-know details, from what I can tell. Guess any blanks will fill themselves in with experience." He thought he heard a note of disappointment in her voice, but he couldn't be sure. He guessed that would always be between them, really. Small twinges of jealousy about how the other had found a way to move on and have a new life.

They'd decided to go on without each other, but that didn't mean that they suddenly stopped being important to one another. There would always be some degree of possessiveness, some part of them that felt put-out when they remembered just how little they knew about each other these days.

He managed a faint half-smile, ducking his head slightly, almost bashful. "Actually. Wouldn't happen to know if there's a butcher in this place who might be feeling particularly generous, would you?"

Frankly, he was starving.

[rulebreaks]

"Oh, right." Buffy contained her ew, instead smiling wanly. Then she looked down at herself, and gave a little sigh.

"Just let me, fetch something more... fetching and we'll get down to blood business." Ew ew ew ew ew ew. To her credit, she held it together. "Which room did they give you to call home sweet batcave?"

She was already starting towards her own room, just across the hall and diagonal a ways from her makeshift training room.

[vampdetective]

"Haven't found it yet. Or -- picked one, I guess? Not sure how it works around here." Were there assignments? Hopefully he didn't end up saddled with a room with southern exposure. Or, you know, any exposure.

"Wherever it is, here's hoping I can get some nice curtains in there." For the decor, of course. Nothing to do with not bursting into flames. He keps his hands in his pockets as he turned on his heel to follow her, though he kept a respectful distance between them.

"Buffy..." He sounded tentative when he said her name, cautious, slowing his pace behind her. "How long have you been here?"

[rulebreaks]

"It should be pretty easy to tell for you. You won't be able to go in if it's anyone else's room." She had a point, but did that mean she was suggesting he try every door until one let him in? Maybe. "Curtains are definitely doable, though. Maybe in a paisley." She was spending too much time around Cordelia.

Rolling her eyes inwardly, Buffy crossed her arms across her chest, an unconsciously subconscious event.

"How long is pretty... arbitrary. On our world? Time's holding its horses for us." 'You,' she supplied in her mind easily. It was waiting for Angel, but not her. Her days and horses were long past over. "Here?"

There was a long pause. She glanced over her shoulder at him before unwinding her arms and pushing the door to her room open. Trusty Two-Oh-Two.

"Ninety-nine days, today," she said after a moment, pretending to make some mental calculations though she already knew the answer. "But who's counting?"

[vampdetective]

"Paisley." He sounded vaguely amused as he echoes her, shaking his head slightly. "You think I need more color."

Personally, he was fond of his absolute lack of it, truth be told. It made things easier to coordinate.

"That's a nice, vague estimate." A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, though only for a moment -- it faded as he came to a stop just outside her door, unable to cross the threshold without a formal invitation.

"Guess I'm late to this party. Anyone else beat me here besides you and Cordy?"

[rulebreaks]

"You always need more color. You're undead." Un. Not dead. Therefore an improvement over her own status.

"Oh, yeah. Real vague-y." She stared at him for a whole thirty seconds while she wondered whether to invite him in or not. If she invited him in it would be awkward, if she didn't it would probably be rude. Joyce won out over Spike in her head (what that's her shoulder angel and devil), and she gestured for him to follow her. "...Come in."

Only now she really had to answer his question and she found herself swallowing. "Xander was--here. Before either one of us. Me, or Cordelia. But I haven't seen him. Since the party."

"I had a party. You missed that, too. And mini Giles used to be here, but that was like, months ago." She was digging through her closet, flinging things on the bed that were possibilities.

[vampdetective]

He entered with his hands shoved as deep into his pockets as they would go, though he didn't go far beyond the threshold. Their situation was weird on a good day. Now Wonderland was throwing them curveballs. He didn't want to push his luck with invading her personal space. He wanted to keep it civil. Friendly. They had catching up to do, to say the least, but he wasn't sure that anything aside from awkward was ever going to be an option for them again.

"Xander," he echoed, confirming, but the other name caught him by surprise. "Mini-Giles? Was he--"

He frowned, perplexed, his eyebrows knitting together.

"Was he smaller than usual?" Some kind of spell or something?

[rulebreaks]

"Uh, yeah. Thus the mini." She made a face, but didn't look over at him, holding up one sweater then the other. Which one was the right choice, this wasn't okay. Glancing at the closet, she wasn't sure whether to go there to change or just tell Angel to turn around. This was frustrating and awkward and stupid and she didn't ask for this!!

But Cordelia had. That gave her pause.

"...Turn around," she commanded, starting to shimmy out of her leggings already so you best listen quick Angel.

[vampdetective]

"Smaller how? Like a spell?" Might as well come out and ask it, because the mental image her vague description had conjured wasn't doing Giles any favors.

"Oh, uh-- right. Sorry." He turns his back, as smooth as ever. He's lost some polish since his Sunnydale days, but maybe that was just because he always spent time trying to figure out how best to make an entrance before he ever showed Buffy his face. Impressions had been important, but time among people had humanized him a bit.

[rulebreaks]

"What? Oh. Yeah, I guess it was spell-like. I told him not to tell me... much." She pulled on jeans and went to working on her bra. "Which totally goes for you too, Mister. If you're all... futurey I so don't want to know about it."

[vampdetective]

"Futurey?"

Now that raises a question he hadn't thought of before. Was that possible? Cordelia didn't know everything he did, but that made sense. She hadn't been alive to see it. He folds his arms, shifting slightly with his back still turned to her, thoughtful.

"I didn't realize that was even a possibility."

[rulebreaks]

Buffy made quick work of getting on her shirt and boots, going back to the closet to get her jacket and checking her reflection on the way. She showed her teeth to the reflective surface, but nothing was in her teeth and so she shrugged into a coat and ran a haphazard hand through her hair, pulling it out of its tie. Makeup would probably be overdoing it.

"...Oh, yeah. We're having a talk, me and you. But walky first." She gestured and when she realized he probably wouldn't turn around unless she specifically asked her to she instead came up beside him and placed a light touch to his arm.

[vampdetective]

He shifted again when she touched him, glancing down at her and letting his arms drop away from his chest. Makeup wasn't necessary. Somehow, Buffy always managed to be stunning without even trying, and now was no exception -- even after all that had happened and how much space they'd forced between them.

"Walky?" Oh. "Right, the grand tour. Though we'll have to limit it to indoors. Guess I won't be seeing much of the grounds until later."

[rulebreaks]

"You of... bursting into flame. I can go on the blood quest alone then. But first -- touring."

Buffy hesitated before threading her elbow through his. "Just follow the outdated carpet."

[vampdetective]

"I don't think it's that bad," he remarked idly, appraising the carpet to cover up the momentary surprise that came along with her taking his arm. Any kind of touching tended to be dangerous for them, but maybe here, far from home where people were often most in need of a friend, it was okay.

"The mirrors in the decor are a little heavy-handed, don't you think? Must be awful for people who actually have reflections, especially if they're having a bad hair day."

[rulebreaks]

"They're kind of... necessary," she admitted, tugging him towards the stairwell. She had gotten handsier after death, apparently. "There's, um."

A beat as she tried to think of how exactly to explain this. "Alice-in-Wonderland? That's kind of -- you right now."

Except he wasn't alone. None of them were.