i'm leaving you my last curse

[bravebartender]

Comments

[indurare]

We've been friends for a long time.

[Know someone for over a century and you get very comfortable in their presence.]

I've always enjoyed his, even at his most cantankerous.

[moralitypolice]

You don't get to be Damon's friend without the cantankerous. How long have you been Damon's friend? All of you?

( He knows them well, she guesses? How did he never mention them? )

[indurare]

[Oh, that is a question.]

Sometime after the Civil War, I believe. When we were living in Atlanta. I don't think I was truly aware of him, however, until after he turned Scarlett. I was also married at the time and Ashley did not care for him, so we didn't spend true time together until Scarlett turned me in 1873.

[moralitypolice]

Ashley wasn't my favorite character, if I remember correctly. The movie blurs together, to be honest. They show it every year in the square. There was a petition that went around last year to change the movie entirely.

( On the end of the table, Buffy takes a seat by Danny, momentarily distracted by Damon following her boyfriend into the kitchen.

No, she leaves brother things to the brothers, unless they need to bring her into it.

"How are you doing with everything?" )

[undermyfeet]

["It's what Ashley deserves, truly. And I, for one would thank them if they did."

Danny glances up at her, before giving a small shrug.]

It's ... a lot. Doing the job is hard, especially since I'm still a kid and a lot of them are still working on respecting me. But we're figuring it out.

[attainathons]

Heavy is the druid head?

( She can relate. )

Is it better having Bonnie and Isaac there with you? They were, weren't they?

[undermyfeet]

Yeah, it is. I can vent to them without it being venting to someone I'm in charge of.

[And there is definitely some venting with certain members of the community.]

Also when I need a gut check because I felt like I was losing my mind.

[attainathons]

Hard calls get caller. It isn't just your coven, is it? It's others? Across Europe or just in England? That's a lot to hold on your shoulders. You get how special this is, right? You're getting through it. It means something, Danny. On the hardest days. Remember that, okay?

( Okay? )

[undermyfeet]

[Danny nods, because he needs to hear it.]

Isaac's been helping me make allies with some of the other supernatural communities too. So we're not on our own anymore.

[attainathons]

You're building a network. You're leading.

( And then, because she's Buffy. )

And how's Lizzie?

[undermyfeet]

[And with that, he perks up considerably.]

Lizzie's great. I mean, time zones still suck, but we've been talking about her coming out for winter break to visit.

[attainathons]

I'm sure you're already planning activities. Gushing to everyone about her?

( Do boys do that? )

[undermyfeet]

[Sometimes they do that. When they have people to gush to. He's still working on rebuilding his local friendships.]

I'm trying not to plan too much in case she decides she wants to be spontaneous, but I'm making a list of options.

[attainathons]

Oh yeah, that is classic Lizzie. But, I hope she'd give you enough of a heads up.

( Buffy looks around, sees that a lot has been eaten so far. )

Do you mind giving me a hand with the desserts? We have a few trays in the oven and I only have these two arms. They can slay, but they can't carry four trays of brownies.

[undermyfeet]

Sure!

[He's grateful to have something to do, other than making small talk. He glances over at the plates before reaching for one of the platters.]

Should we take some of the food back in?

[attainathons]

I guess, if people are done. Sure. Let's clear. We can be two kinds of helpful.

( She stacks the empty plates she finds, or the ones that look the most finished. )

[prettyclothes]

[Danny will do the same, and they will head back into the kitchen with their spoils, Scarlett speaks up from the bar, looking over the bottles.]

Buffy, I do believe we may be in need of more wine.

[attainathons]

( Damon emerges as Scarlett mentions they need a replenishing, and she looks at the first two people as she's exiting. )

Damon, Westley. Can you guys grab a few more cases?

( Vampire strength can bring up a few at the time and the way they're drinking. She doesn't wait for a response and disappears into the kitchen.

Damon just locks eyes with Wes. Shrugs. He's not the one with the problem. )

[mojitos]

[Wes takes a breath before excusing himself from Faith and moving to join Damon.]

Lead the way.

[Scarlett flashes him a be nice look as he passes by her and she makes her way to the balcony.]

[unforgivably]

( He leads Wes back down the hallway and down the winding stone stairs. )

Lucky us, we get an assignment.

[mojitos]

When it's a dinner party this big, everyone usually pitches in at some point.

[He wouldn't be surprised if his parents or Melanie volunteered to help with the dishes later.]

[unforgivably]

We'll be in and out quickly. And the spoils are worth it.

( He steps down into the wine cellar itself, about to grab a box, but he gets distracted and nosy, looking at the singular bottles. How good's their collection down here?

He slides out an old bottle. )

Oooh. Vintage. Must've come with the requisition.

( And... )

[mojitos]

[BOOM.

The fortunate thing for Damon and Wes is that they're deep in the bowels of the castle, and the bomber, with the levels of access they have, is working more in the middle. The Castle, designed to withstand sieges and catapults, was designed to have the wine cellar and crypts function essentially as a bomb shelter, so while they hear the noise, and are tossed around by the shaking of the building coming down above them, physically, they're mostly safe.

They may, unfortunately, be a little stuck.

But they don't know that just yet. Wes, staring at the ceiling above them, can feel himself going on high alert.]

What the fuck was that?

[unforgivably]

( Damon admires one of the bottles and then the world comes down around them. Well, on top of them. Or - he braces himself on the wine rack as the shaking and rattling subsides.

He narrows his eyes and peers upward, a sinking feeling in his stomach. )

I'd say earthquake, but this is Scotland and that was all above us.

( he slides the bottle back where he found it and takes a few steps, keeping his gaze upward, listening. )

I don't hear anything else, do you?

[undermyfeet]

[BOOM.

Buffy and Danny, by virtue of being near the stove, are in one of the worst spaces for them to be. When the bomb explodes out below and hits the gas mains, the explosion increases tenfold and the kitchen is wrapped in a fireball before the floor gives out beneath them.

Danny's magic, however, is not ready to be done with him yet. It just got him to get with the program, they're not breaking in a new coven head by the winter solstice.

A green tinged wall expands out from around him, pushing the fire back and while Danny isn't sure how he's doing this, he can react enough to grab Buffy's arm, and pull her into the protected area. But then they're falling and while the ball will keep them from outright dying, it doesn't slow them, and there's a small bounce as they reach the bottom, and everything goes black as rubble comes down on top of them.

Danny blinks as he starts to come too, and everything hurts, but his hand reaches out, trying to see if the body who fell with him is still next to him.]