(Untitled)

[watcher_pryce]

Who: Wesley, Gunn, Cordelia and Angel
When: Early Afternoon
Where: Hyperion Hotel
Status: Incomplete

Comments

[misschase]

"Right, because 'I work for a vampire with a soul and I get visions of demons' is a surefire way of getting date," Cordelia said to Gunn. She had definitely tried the normal dating thing, but apparently, now she found that people with normal jobs and normal lives--no matter how much money they had--were totally boring. She really resented all of them for making her need some guy with substance, who could kill vampires and demons, to keep her interest.

"Safe to say none of us have had dates in ages. And well, if Angel ever gets a date, we'll probably all get killed," she said, looking at the vampire pointedly. He seemed to be in a good mood, but not too good of a mood. That never boded well for anyone.

She then quickly shot a glare at Gunn for spitting out her coffee. "It's not that bad," she pouted. She wanted to roll her eyes as Wesley clearly took offense to her teasing. She thought he'd be used to it by now. Plus, he was just as vicious sometimes.

He headed into his office, obviously very put off by what she said. She looked from Gunn to Angel, then sighed, "Fine, I'll go talk to him." Plus, she hated whenever any of them were made at each other. Especially over something so trivial.

Without knocking, as was her way, she went into Wesley's office, "Come on, Wes, I was just teasing, like always. You don't have to lock yourself away."

[angelic_liam]

"I wouldn't go evil all over a date," Angel pointed out. "I just can't be perfectly happy." Which everyone seemed to think meant him having sex, or, well, *finishing* sex. He wasn't completely sure if that was it, since it had happened a little while after that, but he didn't really want to chance it. A 'date', though, wouldn't really do much of anything, at least he didn't think so.

Angel wasn't sure just what Cordelia had said that finally set Wes off, since the two of them fought like two little children most of the time, anyway, but something had certainly been said, because suddenly Wes was going off to the office with his new book, with a hurt look on his face.

Cordelia followed soon behind after shooting Gunn an evil look about the coffee. "Well, today has certainly started off interesting," he said with a slight roll of his eyes. Not even afternoon and someone was already mad, or upset, or something. Angel didn't quite *get* why everyone was so sensitive at times, but he now knew way better than to ever comment on it.

Much easier to just kind of go with the flow of these people than to try and figure out every little thing about them, at any rate. With a slight shrug about all of it in Gunn's direction, he decided to head down to the basement to do some practice with some of the weapons. Just as good to do as anything else, anyway.

[g_charles]

"Don't even try to pretend that this coffee is almost poison," Gunn said with a slight grin. Of course, coffee was coffee, and it could usually be covered up with enough sugar and cream that it could be at least drinkable, but this particular batch was massively bad to the point of, as soon as Cordelia left the room to go and do something or another, he'd be making a new pot of coffee so that not everyone had to suffer Cordelia coffee like he just had.

And he got his opportunity a little sooner than he had expected, since Wes got upset about something that Cordelia probably said (those two picked at one another so much that sometimes it was hard to tell what was just them kidding around and what might actually be serious) that he left the room, with a Cordelia quickly following, either to apologize (fat chance) or chastise him for getting upset (much more likely, knowing her).

He watched as Angel shrugged at him and then start to head down the stairs. Whatever. This meant that he could start to make some decent coffee so that he could get his caffeine fix and make sure that he didn't die just because he needed a quick jolt.

"Everyone here is nuts," he muttered to himself as he picked up the coffee pot to go to the kitchen that was here so that he could pour the coffee out and get the water to make a new batch. Hopefully everyone would work their stuff out so that stuff could get DONE around here.

[watcher_pryce]

Subtle hints were wasted here. Not so subtle hints often ignored. If Wesley - who had been in an excellent mood before he was made fun of again - wanted some time alone... Then why could this not be respected? Of course seeing as this was Cordelia Chase, the queen of no tact at all, he shouldn't be all that surprised.

Still, he had hoped, when he closed the door that he'd get some peace and quiet. Even going so far as to spread out the books on the desk, finger tips tracing the delicate cover. Such a rare find. He'd been so ecstatic when he'd found it. Of course he should have remember that others would find this... either odd or cause for joking.

"Ever head of knocking?" he asked, the tone of his voice some degrees lower then usual. "For all you know I could have been occupied with my demonic porn and you'd walk right in on that."

Of course he would never do such a thing. Ever. At the office, which the most likely all knew as well. Especially since he often felt that he was the one they all looked at for answers, or to tell them to do things. Not that they really listened if it was important. Cordy would do whatever she wanted. And Gunn and Angel were the type to hit first and ask questions later.

They were often giving him a headache from worrying about them.

[misschase]

Cordelia heard Gunn's lingering comment before she had barged into his office. Yes, they were all a little bit nuts. Angel probably the most. Not that she blamed him. If she couldn't have sex without going all evil and killing people, she'd probably go insane.

But, as they already established, it wasn't like she was having sex, anyway. Apparently none of them were. Maybe that was the problem. They all needed to get laid. Ha! And in her opinion, especially cranky Wesley, who seemed none too pleased that she had come into his office during private book time.

"Knocking is something unfamiliar to my people," she said, not sure who her 'people' were. Girls? Ex-cheerleaders? Failed actresses? Whatever, it was just a turn of phrase.

She arched a brow at the comment that followed, "Well, from my view, it looks like your pants are still on, so I think I'm safe," she said, perching on the corner of his desk, flashing a bright smile. She was not much for groveling, but she didn't want Wesley to be huffing and puffing in his cave by himself for the rest of the day.

"Honestly, Wes, you know I love giving you a hard time. Tell me all about your oh-so-exciting books," she told him, though her smile suddenly fell as something flashed into her mind without any warning, causing her body to fall off the desk as she let out a yell.

[watcher_pryce]

In retrospect, he should have known she'd not let it rest. If Cordelia Chase could poke and prod at a wound, even a tiny one, she'd do it. Just because she could. And, well, because tact was something foreign to her it seemed.

Wesley sighed as Cordelia noted that his pants were still on. Of course they were still on, he wouldn't ever do as he has suggested in the office itself. Naturally. She'd know that too. He was just making a point! Why did she always have to break his point! Metaphorically speaking of course.

"How about you *not* giving me a hard time for a change," he grumbled, feeling his happy go lucky mood evaporating even more. Seriously, how often did any of them find themselves in a truly happy mood, damnit. Why couldn't she have let him have that for once?

"Why should I," he sighed, "You're not at all interested in my boo--" It was a long time of practise and being close to Cordelia that had him out of his chair before she even let out the yell.

He caught her with an ease he hadn't in earlier years, but now didn't think twice about. Already he was looking around for her pills - everyone ignoring the fact that they were strategically placed all over - and some water.

In this case he'd have to run to the front desk though. Slowly and gently lowering his friend to the ground, Wesley sprinted to the front desk, grabbed Cordy's purse and ran back into the office again. There he grabbed his by now cold cup of tea - it would have to do - from the desk and helped her sit up.

By now they didn't even have to ask the obvious 'what did you see'. Instead he pulled a notepad closer and waited patiently for Cordelia to come around and start talking. Then they could get Gunn and Angel to go out for some nasty beast slaying.

Combining Angel and Gunn into one comment here

[angelic_liam]

While Angel had started heading down to the basement to find himself something to do, he could still hear the two of them talking in Wes's office. It wasn't like Cordelia really understood the concept of speaking with an 'inside' voice, but Angel could typically hear anything that was going on in the Hyperion, anyway. If people whispered, then he would at least have to strain to hear them across the hotel. Sometimes vampiric hearing was useful, although it was usually annoying when he didn't want to hear stuff.

He was kind of glad that he could hear now, though, because he caught the hitch in Cordelia's voice that he had become incredibly familiar with. When she was talking and a vision hit, her voice would change slightly before the screaming and crying would start. As soon as he heard it, he was racing up the stairs and back toward Wes's office where she and Wes had been.

Gunn didn't have the benefit of supernatural hearing, however. He had to deal with things the old fashioned way. He had went off to the kitchen, poured out the old coffee and had started getting the stuff together to brew a new pot. He still didn't understand how someone could mess up instant brew coffee, but Cordelia managed to do it.

Instead of hearing the change in Cordelia's voice, he heard Angel's thundering footsteps running back up from the basement and toward the office. That obviously meant that something had happened. He set down the coffee pot that he had filled up with water and started running in the same direction that Angel was heading in.

Re: Combining Angel and Gunn into one comment here

[misschase]

It was a true testament to their friendship that, despite being caught up in one of their silly arguments, Wesley was still there to catch her when a vision hit. And this one had hit her hard and suddenly. Not that any of them are ever planned, but she had just had one the day before; she thought the Powers could give her headachy brain a break for one day.

She felt Wesley sitting her up against a surface, hearing the rattling of a pill bottle nearby and feeling a notepad pushed into her hands. She sucked in a hard breath, wrenching her eyes open as the room gradually came back into focus, and she no longer saw the flashes and heard the screams.

The pen was gripped in a shaky hand as she (badly) drew a wide cylindrical object with a plunger sticking out. "This was different," she murmured as she heard the other footsteps rush into the office.

"Not like a demon…but just some creature. Seemed kind of like an alien…?" she shook her head, which only caused more pain, "I don't know if that makes sense, but I saw a spaceship--thousands of them--flying over the city…and some metal thing yelling 'Exterminate'."

She hoped someone else understood because she sure as hell had no idea what to think. Demons and vampires she could handle. Aliens? That was a whole other ballpark.

[watcher_pryce]

"Here," Wesley exchanged the notepad for a the cold up of tea and the pill while he glanced at the crude drawing Cordelia had made. He wanted his friend taken care of first and foremost. Experience had taught them that they did have time for that. Usually Cordy's visions was of that from hours away from here.

An eyebrow raised as he glanced a the odd drawing. Wesley turned it around. Then again. And then making a full circle. That still didn't give him any answers what so ever. None at all. Just... confusion.

"Alien?" he asked softly, the very thought of aliens making his mind want to bust into hysterical laughter. That was before his Watcher mind took over and told him there really wasn't that much of a difference between aliens and demons if you thought about it.

"I haven't a clue at first glance," he said, passing the drawing over to Gunn and Angel. To be frank, he hadn't any idea what books to look in either. And wasn't that a first! So he stayed crouched down with Cordelia, rubbing his friends back, waiting to see if she needed anything else.

[g_charles]

Angel and Gunn nearly ran into one another when they reached the office. Luckily the two of them had good enough reflexes that they managed to avoid one another. Angel was the one who actually got into the office first, but the vision itself seemed to be over and done with, except for the searing pain that Cordelia was going through and would probably stay in until they figured out what to do about the vision.

When Angel first took the drawing and looked it over, Gunn actually peaked around it and looked at the photo. "Alien? Looks like a damn trash can to me," he said. "Well, a trashcan with a plunger on it. Who would want to look like a trashcan with a plunger on it? Do they come from a bathroom planet?"

Angel rolled his eyes and looked at Gunn. "I'm sure they didn't initially pick out how they looked." Although, if they were some sort of robots like they looked, maybe they did. Who knew?

"Um...can I be the one to say that this probably isn't in any of the books?" Gunn suggested. "Or do you have an alien book that you've been hiding? I might actually want to read that one if you've got one floating around here somewhere." They'd probably be MUCH better off looking this up on the internet. Of course, then they'd have to sort out what was crap from what was real.

"You'd be amazed what you can find in a book," Angel pointed out simply. He knew that there were plenty of books that had to do with ancient UFO sightings and the like. He wouldn't be *too* shocked if this turned up in another book somewhere or another.

[misschase]

Cordelia gladly exchanged the notepad for the relief of a pill and cold cup of tea. After she tossed it into her mouth and swallowed it with a large gulp, she offered Wesley a slight smile before the guys began examining her crude drawing. If she knew she was going to have to draw things she saw in her mind, she would have taken more art classes in high school.

She tried to laugh at Gunn's words, but found that her head hurt too much to do so. She rubbed her temples as the guys continued their discussion.

"Yeah I didn't really get the usual demon-ey evil Hellmouth spawn feeling I usually get," she explained quietly. "But, they're kind of the same thing. I mean, not all aliens might be evil, but I most definitely got the general up-to-no-good vibe from these trashcans with plungers."

She took another sip of the cold tea, as Wesley comfortingly rubbed her back. She sighed as her body's tenseness seemed to be relaxing.

"Maybe you can split it up. Check out some books and check the internet," she suggested. "I know it's weird to get like…feelings from my visions, but these things seemed like they've been around for a while. Someone has to have documented them somewhere."

[watcher_pryce]

Somewhat annoyed Wesley looked up at Gunn when the chap mentioned that this wouldn't be found in any book. Hadn't he just said so? Of course no one would listen to him. Either that or he was talking in some sort of alien language once more. Not that it mattered right now, no one seemed to know where to look.

Demons was mostly one thing. Aliens a whole other in most people's eyes. But if you thought about it, who was to say that demons weren't actually aliens?

So he left the talking and speculating about it to Angel and Gunn for now.

They seemed to enjoy that for some reason. Instead he focused on comforting Cordelia. Who seemed a little less shook up then usual. Or quite possibly she was simply hiding it better each and everytime a vision hit.

"If they have been around for a while I should have come across them by now," he said quietly. Not to sound haughty, but he'd read or heard or knew just about every book on the planet where the supernatural was concerned. If there had been such a thing, he would have at least heard about it.

"This may be one of those cases where it's better to uh... 'shake down' some of our informants," he suggested instead. "Though, these days, it would not surprise me to find something on the world wide web."

[angelic_liam]

Gunn had simply snorted when Angel said that you never knew what could be found in a book. Whatever. He was already ready to start looking around on the internet for this stuff. He had headed over to the computer while everyone was still talking and typed in 'trashcan aliens with plungers' in an effort to just see what that turned up.

"If they've been around for a while, then they probably are in one of your books, Wes," Angel said simply. He actually agreed that demons could be considered a form of alien, or aliens could be considered just a different form of demon. It was all different from human, so past that, names were just names, right? Angel also wanted to figure out what was going on because he understood that the quicker they figured it out, the better off Cordelia was. Her post-vision headaches would only go away when they solved what was going on.

"Informant shaking down might help, too," Gunn said as he looked through the computer stuff. The first picture that turned up was this one. "Hey guys," Gunn said, turning the computer screen toward them. "I think we're on the right track." It was exactly like the picture that Cordelia had drawn, after all.

Angel looked up and looked at the screen. "That's them, right?" he asked, looking over at Cordelia. "Wow...they really do look like trashcans, don't they?"

[misschase]

Cordelia tuned out the bickering boys, pinching the bridge of her nose as she attempted to will away her headache. Unsuccessfully, of course. "Beating up people for info is always fun to watch," she said, backing up Wesley's suggestion in a more candid way.

As Gunn headed for the computer, she wondered if he'd have any luck. But, of course, barely minutes later, he seemed to have turned up something. She arched a brow at the picture then spotted his search bar, "You literally just searched 'trashcan aliens with plungers'?" she couldn't help but laugh.

"Yep, that's what I saw," she said, shivering as the words reverberated in her mind once more. "And hey! My drawings are totally getting better. It's almost exactly the same as the picture. But, I really wonder what they use that plunger thing for. Unless they're some sort of fancy alien plumbers coming to save Earth's toilets!"

She shrugged her shoulders, "But, probably...not. They seemed pretty damn hostile. And generally, when you're shouting 'Exterminate' over and over again, it's probably not for a nice, happy reason."

She looked at Wesley, then at Angel and Gunn, "So, now that we know what they look like, what's next? I mean, was there some sort of real name attached to the photo besides just the description? Because a name would give us something more to research." She was trying to be proactive since she really didn't want the hundreds and thousands of these trashcans invading earth. There had to be a way to prevent it.

[watcher_pryce]

Somewhat annoyed at how simple this had been, Wesley couldn't help but feel utterly useless. Researching, after all, was his job. The one bloody thing he was good at. But if all it took was for Gunn to go online and google the thing they needed to slay, then what good was Wesley for?

There probably was a whole description with what it was and how to beat it as well. No, really, why was he there? Why did they need him? If it was that simple?

Feeling small and useless, Wesley just kept quiet and let the others do their job. Instead he got up and started to put the medication he'd given Cordelia away. Picked up the empty glass and took it to the kitchen, slipping out of the office unnoticed.

The internet. Really? That's all it took? Just type it in on google and voila? He couldn't believe how easily he'd been replaced. Felt replaced. By a computer! Bah. Well, pretty soon he wouldn't even be needed for... Oh wait, they had Gunn for that now. To join Angel in the bashing of things.

Bloody lovely.

[g_charles]

If Gunn realized that him just checking the internet would make Wes feel useless, well, he probably would have done it anyway and suggested that Wes get over it. It had nothing to do with replacing him. Who knew if anything about these trashcan guys guys were in any books. Did that have anything to do with Wes and his usefulness? Not really.

Not like any of them knew the eight hundred languages that he did that seemed to come up every day. Hell, Gunn flunked English the last year of high school that he took. We won't even get into the fact that he can't speak any other languages. Well, other than the teensy bit of Japanese that he had picked up from King-Fu movies. That barely counted, though.

Gunn gave Cordelia a smirk. "Yep, that's totally what I looked like. It's not like the PTB are nice enough to give you names of these guys usually," he said playfully. "And it worked, didn't it?"

While Gunn didn't quite realize that Wes had slipped out of the room and to the kitchen, Angel couldn't help but notice. He had seen the look that crossed Wesley's face when he left and wondered a little bit about it. A minute or so after Wesley left and Gunn and Cordy were still bantering away with one another, he slipped out of the room as well and headed toward the kitchen.

"Everything OK?" he asked Wesley, looking at him as he rinsed out Cordy's glass.