sometimes people leave you halfway through the wood

[madskilled]

Comments

[blackstarred]

She's the Slayer.

[No offense, Faith, but it's kind of true.]

She was the last Slayer to be called the old fashioned way. She's got a going rate of stopping like ... one apocalypse a year. She's ... terrifying.

[slavophile]

For how many years?

( Not the point. )

Do you work for Buffy? Is -- it work?

[blackstarred]

Since she was sixteen. And she's like ... dad's age now?

[So ... a good long time.]

It's kind of work? She pays for room and board and stuff but it's not like I get benefits and PTO.

[slavophile]

You just get to shirk the Queen title for a few more years. I can't - believe - you're like a meta. Except, magic. Are you magic?

( Dad's age is advanced comparatively. )

[blackstarred]

I think magic is more accurate.

[Maybe a little of both? Hard to say really.]

I think we'd have to ask Uncle Barry.

[She wrinkles her nose.]

He'd probably want to run tests.

[slavophile]

Like you're going to stand still long enough. How - are you okay? Do you feel different?

( This is when he flips from chastising to concerned, a flip that was inevitable with these, too. He even springs to his feet, too. )

[blackstarred]

[She shrugs.]

Not in big ways? But I have to be way more conscious of how I move. I don't want to collide with something and take out the wall.

[slavophile]

Or break someone's hand shaking their hand.

( He sighs, looking at his sister. )

We were all worried.

[blackstarred]

I know. I just ... wasn't sure how to explain all of this.

[Which isn't necessarily fair, but she takes after her father in that respect. She just doesn't have her own personal island to go chill out on.]

[slavophile]

And you're going to tell Dad. Or, I will. You want to go back, I'm not going to stop you, but you're not disappearing again.

( And he's putting his foot down with that. )

[blackstarred]

[She takes a deep breath because she should of known that was coming.]

Okay. Fine. I'll do it. I just have another call to make first.

[slavophile]

( It won't be ALL that painful. But, he nods. )

You're not going to skip out if I leave you alone, are you? I need to find a drink somewhere and I want you here when I get back.

[blackstarred]

[She shakes her head.]

I have to meet Faith here anyway, and then depending on what Buffy wants to do, we might be in town a while. I'll stay put.

[slavophile]

Tell Buffy you have a brother that can hack his way into anywhere, including your top secret whereabouts.

( But. )

I'm happy you're safe. Let me know when it's done because I owe our stepmom a call, too, today. It's our weekly. I'll wait until after your news.

( So he doesn't beat her to it. )

You know my number.

[blackstarred]

[She nods.]

I'll text you when I'm done.

[And then you can have her new number and know where she is always.]

[slavophile]

( Fucking. Better. )

Okay.

( And he will leave her to her call, and save a call to Laurel for later. )

[blackstarred]

[She nods, and Gloria returns to her room as well, leaving Mia alone in the suite. She takes a breath, before picking up her phone and trying Buffy first.]

[attainathons]

( Buffy flips down from the balance beam, grabs a rag and dabs her neck as she hears the vibrations coming from her phone. She brings it to her ear. )

Hey, Mia. Is Stefan there?

[blackstarred]

Stefan's coming?

[She hadn't gotten that information from Faith.]

No, not yet.

[attainathons]

Oh, I thought that's why you're calling. Sorry. What's up?

( She leans against the pummel horse. )

[blackstarred]

[She swallows hard.]

So. During the attack, on the coven?

[How does she say this? Maybe she really should have let Faith take this.]

Spike's dead, Buffy.

[It's blunt, but ninety percent of the time, that's how Mia rolls.]

[attainathons]

Yes...

( What, Mia? Except. She says it. Quickly. She goes from curious and smiling to reality crashing in. Her smile breaks, phone frozen to her face. She has history with Spike, ancient history, sometimes it feels like, but she'll always feel something for him. like Angel. )

How.

[blackstarred]

A building collapsed during the attack. We were trying to get some people out, but the hunters were waiting on a roof nearby. When he stepped out of the building, they got him with a crossbow.

[It was as sudden and quick as she had said it, honestly. One minute he was there, the next he wasn't.]

I'm sorry.

[Whether it's because she failed, or just because he's dead, it's hard to say.]

[attainathons]

It's the risk of the job.

( And her calling. He balances against the pummel horse, elbows holding herself up. )

He lived a long life, his second, technically. I watched him die once.

( It took him time to burn up, but, he did. )

It was your first. Are you okay?

[blackstarred]

Yeah.

[That's a lie. She is not okay. Her brother was in that building, and it could have just as easily been him who had caught that arrow. Buffy doesn't know that though, so she lies.

Lying's easier than having people worry about her.]

Yeah, I'm okay.