[OPEN] What’s that you say? Minions from Hell getting you down?

[vampdetective]

Who: Angel & you!
Where: Fourth Floor: Room 010, then the diner.
When: Tuesday, 6/02 & Wednesday, 6/03.
Rating: PG probably. There will at least be discussion of monster guts.
Summary: With Angel’s soul back in place and Cordelia’s visions still painful in their persistence, it’s time to get the gang back together. Grand(-ish) opening of the Wonderland branch of Angel Investigations-- as well as a visit to the diner to find that something important is missing.
The Story:

( Tuesday, 6/02: Fourth Floor, Room 010. )

For the most part, Angel has made a very concentrated effort to keep to himself since regaining his soul. It's been months, now, but he knows that Angelus' actions aren't easily forgiven, if they can be at all-- and yet he knows better than most people that hiding is never the answer, no matter how bad things are, no matter how ashamed a person might be of what they've done. The best thing you can do is to pick yourself up and push forward, and given that select friends from back home have joined him in Wonderland-- some of them more recent than others-- it's time to do what they know best, what he should have done ages ago, although it's Cordelia's presence in particular that's inspired him to pull the operation back together. After all, what are a Champion and his guide to do when trapped together in an alternate dimension?

They go to work, that's what.

He's more of a presence on the fourth floor early in the week than he has been in months, moving between his own room near the stairs to room 010 a little further in, occasionally empty-handed, but more often loaded down with any number of things-- some of it doesn't seem terribly significant, but there are trips where he can be seen lugging a number of sharp weapons down the hallway, most of them looking like they could at least pass for antiques, if Wonderland hadn't provided him with the real deal in the first place.

By the time Tuesday rolls around, he'll be spending most of the morning and early afternoon in room 010, though the door is left open for much of it. At least two hours of that is spent organizing and re-organizing the weapons cabinet set up in one corner, with Angel regularly stepping back to survey it with his arms folded, letting out a series of thoughtful noises before he decides it's not quite right and starting over again.

On at least two occasions, he knocks over a lamp set up by one of the sofas before he gets frustrated with it and leaves its remains in a heap by the door.

By mid-afternoon, the place appears to be finished-- it's been a work in project for awhile, but the room has been altered to resemble the lobby of a certain hotel, although the stairways seem to lead to nowhere other than a short expanse of corridor that ends up serving as a small balcony rather than an actual hallway, and the elevator is non-functioning. Beyond the main room, a replica of the old office is accessible from behind the counter-- it had been his, back in Los Angeles, then Wesley's, then his again, and including it had seemed vital in making the place feel right.

The whole place is an almost perfect replica, even if it's a much smaller scale than the genuine article. It's missing a few bites and pieces, dings and scratches and the remnants of a blood sigil on the floor to really jog the old memory, but even without those details, he's reasonably satisfied. There's only one detail left to be added, and before the afternoon is out, there's a plaque hanging on the door that reads Angel Investigations: Wonderland Offices in bold print.

( Wednesday, 6/03: The Diner. )

It's the first time he's been to the diner since Tohru's disappearance. At first, he's not even aware of the fact that he's gone-- they kept contact just sparsely enough that it wasn't all that unusual for him to go a few days without hearing for her, but once he's been in the diner for ten minutes and she hasn't excused herself from behind the counter to come and sit with him? It clicks that something isn't quite right, and only then does he notice that her scent there is no longer fresh, recent.

He frowns as he pulls his phone out, seated in his usual booth, skimming through the contacts to look for her name-- there's nothing, and he feels his heart sink all the way down to his stomach as the idea of her being gone begins to take hold. Maybe it's just a short trip home, or if she's gone for good, then surely it has to be better than here--

But Tohru had always believed in him, despite everything. Even when things were at their worst, when she had no reason to forgive him, she'd done it anyway. That kind of understanding was hard to come by. He had it in Cordelia, had found it with other members of his created family back home, but it was incredibly rare to find it in someone who hadn't been through hell and high water with him already.

He grimaces, putting his phone away and opting to move to a seat at the counter. It doesn't feel right, sitting in his booth if Tohru's not there to sit across from him, and he folds his hands in front of him once he settles onto one of the empty stools. He's not sure how long he'll stay, but coffee wouldn't be terrible.

(OOC: Prose or action is fine, I'll match you!)

Comments

6/3, the diner

[eatsyourscience]

[And coffee Angel shall have. Souji serves it, because who else is going to?

He feels like he hasn't left the diner for more than a couple hours since Tohru left. He knows that's hyperbolic, but missing another friend who's gone, being in a place that provides a constant reminder of her absence, and doing both of their work on top of that has worn on him a bit, even though it really hasn't been that long.

In terms of the workload, there's still Ned, and it seems like Chuck is going to be helping out as long as she's around, but that doesn't change the fact that this is supposed to be Tohru's diner.

Souji slides a mug of coffee across the counter to Angel and steps back, a hand on his hip in classic Souji-stance.]

You noticed?

[vampdetective]

[Hey there, Souji. Looking a little worn-out around the edges. Angel grimaces as he leans against the counter, wrapping a hand around the coffee mug and letting the warmth seep through to his fingers-- as much as it can, considering he runs cold.]

Yeah. Place isn't the same without her.

[Not that Souji isn't good at his job-- but Angel can only imagine how exhausted he must be, picking up Tohru's workload in her absence, on top of the weariness that comes with missing someone.

He looks down into his coffee for a moment, fixated on it as though it were terribly fascinating, lips pursed when he finally looks up. He likes Souji, appreciates how objective he'd been able to be even after what Angelus had pulled. Wariness might still have been a factor, and was certainly expected, but Angel is pretty sure Souji gets that the real him cared a whole hell of a lot about Tohru.]

How long has it been?

[He feels guilty, that he hadn't known it until now.]

[eatsyourscience]

Only a few days.

[Souji really doesn't have all that much of an excuse to look as worn out as he does. Tohru's presence was a fixture of his daily life, though. It's like when a loved one dies and at first you keep forgetting and turning to ask her something, only to remember she's not there and won't be again.]

It's for the best. She had something to take care of at home.

[He doesn't like handing out that particular platitude if he can avoid it, because it doesn't make things better for the people left in Wonderland. He just says it to keep things in perspective for himself.]

6/02

[fantoche]

Davina had this problem when she fixated on something. She had to see it through to the end, no matter the cost. She'd made her promises of no actual harm, but that didn't mean she couldn't get some information of her own. See him in person and decide from there.

So, after a quick locator spell she makes her way up to the 4th floor. She's curious when she sees someone moving what looks like weapons into another room, quick to follow without a second thought. What's the point of being an extremely powerful witch on a mission if you don't toe the safety line every once in a while. She'd tell Kol about it once she'd assured herself that he was no longer a threat.

She'll just wait until she's sure he doesn't have anything in his hands.

"Are you Angelus?" Don't mind her while she bristles slightly with magic... No need to be concerned.

[vampdetective]

The magic in the air rolls over his skin like an electric current, almost makes him feel like there's hot blood coursing beneath his skin again, and he freezes in place for a moment before he turns to face her, having just unloaded the last armful of cargo. He exhales slowly, grimacing. He knows anger when he sees it, smells it, and he knows damn well that a handful of months isn't enough for anyone to forget what Angelus had done. He would never have expected that.

"No," he says firmly, prepared to correct her. "Angel. There's no Angelus here anymore."

Not dead and gone, because it would never be that final, but locked away and under careful watch.

[fantoche]

She'd gotten better over the months, both here and at home, controlling her temper. Though, that control tended to go out the window when someone she cared about was hurt. His answer, while not entirely unexpected given her keeping an ear more pressed to the mansion than usual. An attempt to keep herself in the loop.

"But he could come back." It's not a question, no - she knows about the soul thing. "He hurt someone I care about, someone I consider family. I need to know if there's a chance it could happen again."

Because if it does, things could get ugly.

The diner

[upchucks]

Chuck hadn't known Tohru for long but the absence of her presence in the diner was palpable once she was gone. Ned and Souji seemed to have the place under control so Chuck did her best to help out and keep things running smoothly on the counter, serving up orders in a way that would hopefully make Olive proud. She's just emerged from the kitchen with some fresh cup-pies to add to the display case when Angel takes a seat at the counter.

With the tiny pies safety stowed under glass, the girl named Chuck approaches with a friendly smile and leans on the counter.

"Can I get you something? You look like someone who could use something to sweeten up your day."

[vampdetective]

He remembers Chuck from the network, but this is the first time they've met in person-- he's always tended to keep to himself when he comes in to the diner, or if he didn't, it was because Tohru had already pulled him aside to talk in between orders. He shifts uncomfortably, giving Chuck a careful but not quite genuine smile in reply, nervous.

"Not sure anyone here can stomach the kind of stuff I would order," he says honestly, though Tohru had managed, once he'd been honest with her about who and what he was. It seems like a lot to ask of a near stranger, however. "Coffee-- coffee would be fine."

Tuesday

[radiopalkiller]

[ Faraday tugs at the leash, her time down at the beach long overdue. Philip didn't mean to delay either, but walking down the stairs he couldn't help but spot--

--a reason to walk faster, actually, for a second that was what he thought, memories of Tohru's body cold in his arms, not that he ever knew her well enough to be stricken, and anyway, far as he knows that part is done and over with, Christ, it's getting hard to keep track of everybody's killing sprees these days--

--a sign that would probably make him laugh louder than is polite, good thing then that he's only left with a quiet huff, smile in place still, and he can't help but step a little closer. Faraday, sorry, it's gonna be another second. ]

It's. It's just the one guy, actually. Not an infestation by a long shot. And he seems all right when he remembers to eat.

[ Much as the sling around his right arm tells the unpleasant story of what happens if Kaneki doesn't, but that's water under the bridge now. ]

[vampdetective]

[If only Philip were the only person who opted to walk faster when they spotted Angel. He sighs, the box of books he'd been prepared to haul from his room to the new office momentarily forgotten. He could let the moment pass without saying anything at all, accept the situation for what it is and continue on the way he has been--

But sometimes, no matter how dedicated he is to taking responsibility for his soulless actions, he just has to say something.]

I don't bite, you know.

[Oh, uh. Well.]

Anymore.

[Smooth.]

[radiopalkiller]

Funny. [ Philip glances down at his arm. ] I get that a lot lately.

[ It is funn-- well, it's at least not serious, it's a tone too flippant to be accusatory, even with closed lips. Look, he'll even throw in a wry smile and all that. ]

So now instead you...

[ Glances again. At the plaque this time, shiny and new. ]

Investigate? You know, it's cheating if the victim can rise from the dead and tell you who did it.

6/2

[therapize]

She's on her way to visit Klaus, just to check in, see how he's doing in the aftermath of the event, when she happens to see Angel headed further down the hall. Cami stops in her tracks at the sight; this is the first time she's seen him in person in months, since the night he came into the bar where she and Matt had been cleaning up, and although time has passed and she knows he's essentially a different person now, there's nothing that can stop that instinctive spike of fear.

What she does in response to it, however, is Cami's own choice. Only recently she'd rehashed old emotions, telling Davina about her demise at Angelus' hands. She'd pleaded with the girl not to seek revenge for her sake, knowing it would be wrong to do so. Yet that choice could only go so far when it came to settling things for her. Cami knows she hasn't found closure, that she may never--but this is as good an opportunity as any to see if it's possible.

So she follows him, keeping a decent distance back, particularly when she realizes he's hauling weapons of all things. That same apprehension reasserts itself, but she meets it with stubbornness and pushes forward anyway, until she comes to the open door where he'd turned in just a few moments before. Honestly it's hard to say what she should expect, but the expansive lobby isn't quite it. She leans against the doorway, arms crossed over her chest as she takes it in.]

Alright, I give up. What do a retro-styled reception area and a massive stockpile of archaic weapons have in common?

[It's entirely possible he's realized she's there already, but might as well make certain. Cami may not be sure what she's doing, but just standing there watching isn't going to be enough.]

[vampdetective]

[He's gone to great lengths to keep himself from crossing the paths of those he'd harmed without his soul-- until they were ready, if he could help it. Some might have argued that it was on him to make the first move, but he'd said what he could during the event that had been pulled from his memories, and he wasn't sure what more he could do that wouldn't make the situation worse.

Most people didn't want their murderers chasing them down and begging for forgiveness-- assuming that the opportunity was there at all. Forgiveness wasn't something you begged for, anyway. It was something you earned.

He'd been too involved in his work to pick up on just how close she was; people's scents were more difficult to single out in the mansion if he wasn't actually trying, given how many residents there were. The result is that she startles him just enough for him to drop one of the hand-axes he'd been carrying, fumbling to catch it by the handle before it can hit the floor or cause an accident.]

Oh-- uh--

[Right, because this is how he wanted their next meeting to go.]

Trying to make the place a little more like home. It's-- this is the office Cordelia and I used to work out of.

[Or, you know, the hotel, but they made it work well enough.]

[therapize]

[Well, there's a certain bonus in successfully sneaking up on a vampire for the first time when it happens to be the vampire that murdered you. She grins tightly as Angel struggles to catch the ax that has just slipped from his fingers. Maybe it's not how he wanted to meet her again, but Cami's getting a decent amount of enjoyment out of it.]

Where you helped people? [She takes a few steps inside, though she still keeps her distance. She hasn't lost her mind; while Angel has had his soul restored, and isn't acting anything like he had that night in the bar, Cami still doesn't trust him.

No, she's doing this because she needs to for herself.] So what are you planning on doing, exactly? Wonderland doesn't exactly have a traditional justice system, sheriff's office or no.

6/2

[krmvgivv]

[Dipper has been a mess lately. Okay, if we're going to be accurate, Dipper's almost always a mess, but right now he's even more of a mess than usual. The sudden appearance of demonic triangles, ones that have been the center of his nightmares for the last while (and the worst part about demons that could invade dreams is he's not always sure how much of it is really just a dream), tend to have that effect. But even so, he can't help but be excited at the prospect of his first real job. Well, his first real job that doesn't pay in Stanbucks and insults. One at an actual paranormal detective agency run by a real, live vampire. It's basically the dream job he really never thought would exist outside his dreams. After all, he's pretty sure more people would have to know about the paranormal for there to be a paranormal detective agency in his world.

Which is why he's sitting at the desk, phone held to his ear.]

Angel Investigations! We help the helpless! [He pauses.] Man, that is a lame catch phrase. [He hangs up the phone and picks it up again.] Angel Investigations! We kick monster butt! [He puts the phone down again, considering.] Better... but we could probably get more catchy and original... [He picks up the phone again.] Angel Investigations! You got super problems? We've got super solvers! [He grimaces again.] Ugh, that's even lamer!

[....there is definitely not anyone on the other line. He's just practicing.]

[vampdetective]

That's why we stick with the classics.

[It's unclear exactly when Angel showed up, but he's standing in the doorway to the little office behind Dipper, the one full of as many dusty books as Angel could collect to make it feel a little more like home.]

Easier than coming up with a new slogan. Besides. It's a tribute.

[You couldn't pay him to change it at this point.]

[krmvgivv]

Ahh! [Dipper drops the phone and fumbles for it, whirling around.] How long were you standing there?

6/2, post message thread

[misstactless]

[ To be honest, Cordelia didn't know exactly what Angel had in mind, but she hoped it was good. She figured it was high time he do something nice for her...or at least that's what she told herself. In reality, she's just glad to have him back to the way he's supposed to be. Tall, dark, and broody with the appropriate amount of guilt that comes with scaring people. That's the Angel she knows and loves likes.

But it's still good to feel appreciated. He has been busying himself with something, but they still keep to mostly their own schedules. She likes the free time, but she really kind of misses everything they did back home. In Wonderland, she feels like there's so much she could be doing, but isn't. Each event is a new curveball and sometimes she's not sure where to start.

Other than, you know, getting angry at the ruling parties or whatever. And upset that the Powers That Be haven't been giving her appropriate missions, either. Were they mad at her? They helped when Angelus had been around, but...

Cordelia makes her way up the stairs to the fourth floor with a drink her hand. She'd been in the kitchen getting herself a snack when Angel contacted her, but four floors up isn't much of a hike. She spots Angel outside of Room 010, just as he said. ]

So...I'm here. [ An unnecessary statement, but a necessary smile as she raises her brow. Then she pauses, glancing at her glass. ] Oh, sorry--I would've brought you something, but they didn't have a carton of pigs blood ready for you.

[vampdetective]

Don't worry about it.

[Even if it was an afterthought, he appreciates that she'd said anything at all-- but he's not put out about the lack of something to drink. In fact, though he has been spending a great deal of time perfecting his dark and brooding exterior, something seems different about him today. A smile pulls at the corners of his lips, nothing outrageous or obscene, but enough that anyone who knew him would have been able to tell that whatever he was keeping from her, it was good-- or he thought it was, anyway.

He clasps his hands together in front of himself, bouncing just once on the balls of his toes. That was about as exuberant as he got, but it was proof positive that despite how rotten things had been lately, despite how much he'd been wrestling with the guilt, he was in high spirits.]

Ready to see my surprise? Here-- close your eyes for a minute.

[He holds one hand out to her, the other moving to turn the knob to the door behind him.]

[misstactless]

[ Oh yeah, he's definitely been up to something. Really, she's glad he's found something to occupy himself rather than just sitting in a corner reading. (Why would anyone do that? High school was over for him like 180 years ago.) Funny how a big old scary vampire can seem like a little kid a few seconds later. Can you be cute and scary at the same time? Okay, Angel's more like a giant teddy bear most of the time. Scratch the scary part. Except for the teeth. Those can be freaky on occasion.

She raises both her brows for a moment, curious as to what's got him so excited. But he's about to show her, isn't he? ]

I want you to now I'm trusting you not to lead me into anything that's going to mess up my shoes.

[ But "I trust you" is really the part of that statement that matters.

With the hand that isn't holding a drink, Cordelia take's his and closes her eyes. She inhales audibly, relaxing her shoulders. ]

Okay, I'm ready.

6/2, Angel Inc

[want_take_have]

[she wasn't exactly looking for Angel when she wandered down to the fourth floor (because being there also meant the risk of running into Cordelia), but she wasn't not looking for him, either. And when she hears a crash in one of the rooms, she can't just ignore it, right? Somewhere there's got to be a big bad she can punch.

She slows to a halt a few steps past the doorway, though, when she realizes her would-be punching bag is a lamp...and that Angel, apparently, has already killed it.]

Think you might be taking the creature-of-the-night thing a bit too far?

[...Hi Angel]

[vampdetective]

[He cringes a little. Of all the people to see him being-- well, himself, it's the one person he knows he has to work hardest to be a good example for.

He offers her a wry smile, dropping the unattached lampshade onto the rest of the remains, as he'd managed to grab it in a last-ditch attempt to save the whole thing.]

Accident. Thought it was threatening to become animate.

[It wasn't. He didn't.]

6/02

[disassembles]

[ It's by chance that James passes the man on the stairs that morning. He notes the weapons first: they're antique, clearly, obsolete by his handlers' definition, but James himself has yet to meet a blade he doesn't have some respect for. He can tell that these aren't decorative, even with his limited knowledge of things like swords and battle axes.

Considering the small arsenal under his own loose-fitting clothing, weaponry being toted around isn't enough to cause him to break his stride. It's when he gets a look at the man's face that he falters and turns to stare. It's familiar without being immediately recognizable... but it can't be a suppressed memory, can it? He has them back, he made a deal --

James gaze darts a little higher, to the man's forehead. That's when it finally clicks. It's not a suppressed memory at all. It's just uncanny how well the puppet version actually captured the real thing.

It occurs to him a little belatedly that people don't tend to stare silently for long periods of time. ]

...I don't know if you remember this, but I think I met you when you were a puppet.

I love you so much for him recognizing Angel by his forehead. So much.

[vampdetective]

[Angel doesn't notice the staring-- but the word 'puppet' absolutely gets his attention, and not for the first time, he wishes that he lived a life where that sort of statement actually seemed unusual. Instead, he sighs, leaning against the wall with an armful of weapons as he looks back towards James, having almost passed him on the stairs. Yeah, he remembers him-- he'd had kinder words for Angel than most people, that day.]

You were one of the only people who actually wanted to talk instead of taking the chance to threaten me. Not that I can blame them for being angry.

[He would have been, too, if he'd been any of them.]

James, right?

IT HAD TO BE DONE.

[disassembles]

Yeah, well. Doesn't make much sense to threaten a guy who's about two feet pure, guilt-ridden felt. And like I said, I don't really have any room to point fingers.

[ Most people around here still call him Bucky, so it's odd to hear Angel say his actual name... but not uncomfortable. He nods. ] You go by Angel, right? What's with the sword collection?