Dayshift 31: Sun Room (Shift 2)

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[Scoobies + Bella's epic field day: readystartgo]

Taking his pick between sun and no sun wasn't that hard of a choice, really. Angel ended up in the Sun Room on a couch near the back, facing the entrance to keep an eye on anyone coming in. And by the window. The window and its resulting sunlight was important

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[light_wicca]

While breakfast had definitely been fun - for a given definition of the word 'fun' - Willow was happy to learn that they were allowed to go to the library during the day, and that they were allowed to take books out. It probably meant they wouldn't be helpful at all, but it was something, at least. And she wanted to learn more about all these different fictional characters being at Landel's.

She paused in her beeline to the library when she noticed Angel sitting near the back. Near a window. Drenched in sunlight. She should have realized he wouldn't be affected by sunlight here, but... she was not used to seeing him like that.

"Angel?" She walked over and sat next to him, still not taking her eyes off him being in the sun. She smiled, not really sure what to say about it. Hey, you're in the sun. Another statement from Captain Obvious, anyone?

[wishescankill]

Anya wandered into the Sun Room wringing her hands. Completely aside from the bruise she felt forming on her shoulder - stupid Reid, making her fall off her chair! - the vengeance demon desperately wanted someone to cling to. And since Giles wasn't around, the next best large male would have to do.

As soon as she spotted Angel, she dashed over to him and threw her arms around his neck, ignoring the fact that he was already talking to Willow. She had to contort a bit weirdly to compensate for the fact that he was sitting down, but having someone to hug was worth a little back pain.

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[in to respond to Anya's hug. Hope that's okay, Gina. :<]

Angel glanced up and was about to respond to Willow when he noticed Anya making a direct beeline in his direction. He could tell she looked nervous about something, but it still didn't prepare him for the way she threw herself at him.

He grunted in surprise. In truth, he probably should expect this from her by now, but spontaneous embraces were hard to get used to.

"Uh. Hah. Okay." He hesitated, then patted her back awkwardly before trying to disengage himself, looking at Willow over Anya's shoulder to see if she had any explanation for this. "What's...is something going on?"

[his_singer]

[ i don't mind bb! :D ♥ ps you didn't see that. PS YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT EITHER. ]

Bella was glad that breakfast had ended, truthfully. The whole talk with Edward was kinda grating on her nerves - so he was hiding his pain from her, huh? Not cute.

Grumbling to herself as she stalked into the Sun Room, Bella nearly froze dead in her steps as she saw the looming group ahead of her. They were … they …

Her mouth fell open.

Oh my GOD.Before Bella could even realize what she was doing, she was moving towards the Scooby Gang, her face set in a curious expression. Didn’t want to seem too excited … even though she was sure Angel would be able to hear her heart beating miles away. Plus, with Willow there, she had a real excuse to wander up to the characters she had once loved so much

[light_wicca]

Willow had gotten used to some weird, random things that Anya would do instantly upon entering a room. Not that Anya had become predictable, but it was getting harder for Willow to be surprised by anything she did. Standing on a chair in the middle of a crowded cafeteria and yelling? That was almost normal for her.

So the vengeance demon approaching them without saying a single word and practically throwing herself on Angel, needless to say, almost scared Willow a little bit.

"Anya?" she tried hesitantly, sharing Angel's bemused look. "What are you doing?"

It was then that a girl came up to them, looking a little bit...nervous? Willow smiled at the name. "Oh, yeah! Yeah, I'm Willow." She glanced back at the other two, wondering how to explain it. "Oh, um... it's not what it looks like. Guys, this is Bella, I met her on the bulletin board. Bella, this is Angel, and Anya." She indicated each with a slight wave of her hand as she said their names. Wow, it felt weird to be introducing someone she'd only just actually seen.

[wishescankill]

Anya refused to drop her arms from around Angel's neck, even though he was trying to untangle himself from her. She did, however, sit on the arm of his chair so she was in a slightly more comfortable position. "Stop that. Can't you see I'm traumatized?" she chided him for even trying to get rid of her. "Giles was always a good shoulder to cry on, and your shoulders are so much broader and more masculine than his."

She sniffled tearily and to Willow. There was some girl that the witch was introducing, but who cared, really? "We're fictional," the vengeance demon blurted out, verbally stomping on the end of Willow's introductions. "There's some TV program and Buffy's the main character!" She pouted. "Who would want to make a TV show about Buffy anyway? She has very little dramatic potential compared to, say, me."

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Not wanting to distress her further (and subsequently draw more attention from everyone), Angel gave up and let her remain attached to him. Which would've been less awkward if Willow was the only person there, but it seemed they'd gotten company.

Good timing had never blessed him. And he couldn't even tell her she was choking him to see if she'd let go because he'd obviously be lying.

Not that she didn't have reason to be distressed. He'd heard talk of the fictional thing, here and there. It was actually kind of unsettling to think about and hearing Anya confirm it didn't help, but-one thing at a time.

He flashed Bella an apologetic look. "I'm sorry about..." He sighed. Anya really wasn't going to let go, was she?

"Anya, I know you're...upset about-" Actually, was she more upset about being fictional or being a side character? Hard to tell. "-what you've learned, but I..." He trailed off a little helplessly, glancing at Willow again. She knew Anya better. Couldn't she help? Maybe?

Not that he was bad at comforting people-usually-

[his_singer]

“It’s nice to meet you,” came Bella’s calm response, that same smile creeping onto her lips. She was staring to get her heart under control, at least. She didn’t want to come off as too big of a fanatic

[wishescankill]

"Really? How big?" Anya demanded, giving this Bella girl a stern look. "Was it like 'The Buffy and Anya Show,' or was it all about the Slayer and her two codependent little lap dogs, the witch and the butt-monkey?" she asked, not caring that Willow was standing right there.

"Or was it all about Buffy and her boytoys?" she asked, ignoring the fact that not only was Angel right there, but she still had her arms around his neck. "Even though the first one dumped her and ran away to Los Angeles without so much as a goodbye, smashing her poor young heart into a million jagged pieces, and the second one dumped her and ran away to, like, Central Kajakistan also without saying goodbye, and then the third one was weird, and destructive, and then ran off to get a soul but just wound up sitting in a basement whining for like half a year?"

She thought about what she's just said. "Oh," she said reluctantly, "I guess that would make a good TV show

[light_wicca]

The first time Anya burst out with the fictional thing, Willow hadn't really paid it much attention. Anya wasn't exactly the most reliable person on earth, and what she was saying made little sense, anyway.

But just as she opened her mouth to try finding out what was really wrong, Bella piped up with her comment.

Willow looked sideways at her. Her brain, usually very fast, was slow in comprehending the words. "What?..."

And then Anya burst out with her long speech right while Willow was trying to figure out exactly what was going on, and all in all, the witch's head was reeling. When the silence began lengthening after Anya finished speaking, she finally said the first thing that came into her mind.

"Xander's not a butt-monkey."

She paused, then glanced at Angel, completely at a loss for anything to say or think. Did he know anything about this?...

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Willow at least still had the capacity for speech. Angel just stared at Bella, forgetting for the first time that he had someone wrapped around his neck. It was a good ten seconds before he shook himself out of it.

He firmly detached himself from Anya's grip and stood up, scratching the back of his head as he met Willow's equally baffled gaze. He'd heard about the phenomenon, but he hadn't actually expected someone to have-especially not standing right here. And certainly not about them. Had Bella actually-?

"This is-I'm not..." He trailed off and turned to frown at Anya, something she'd said finally catching up to him. "I didn't whine. And I was never in a basement."

[his_singer]

The sudden questions caused Bella to frown as she tried to think up answers to all of them. How to explain. “Um …you were practically throughout the entire show? With Giles and … others

[wishescankill]

Anya pouted when Angel finally disentangled himself from her grip, but took the opportunity to steal his chair.

"Well, I'd just killed..." Anya rolled her eyes dismissively. "Maybe a dozen frat boys. Or so. Not a big deal, right? And Buffy got all moral crusader on me and ran me through with a broadsword."

[light_wicca]

Even after meeting Alec Trevelyan in person and someone who might actually be Superman on the bulletin board, the idea that Willow herself was fictional as well had never even crossed her mind. It made... a twisted kind of sense, when she thought about it. But still... someone... made her up?

What on earth was this place?

Many different thoughts were swirling around her head as Bella tried to help them out. Bella knew Giles's name? Xander killed himself?... This felt extremely weird, and it still didn't quite feel real. Someone was standing in front of her who knew everything about her? About her friends? From a TV show?Although that would explain why Anya seemed to remember things Willow didn't, if their entire lives were planned out in someone's head

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Wait. She was talking about who again?

He must've just heard incorrectly. That was probably it. This was all completely bewildering as it was, anyway, what with learning that people had access into his private life, and...

And I have my own show? That was ridicu-actually, no, come to think of it, that was actually kind of...Never mind. He was getting off track. He needed to sit down, but Anya had usurped his couch the instant he'd left it.

Angel was about to simply let Willow talk first, not wanting to overwhelm Bella who looked a little uncertain herself, but then Anya spoke and for the first time, what she said made things less confusing. By a bit, at least, since her earlier complaint about Buffy "going homicidal" suddenly made a whole lot more sense now

[his_singer]

“You didn’t die then,” Bella told Anya simply, a sigh escaping her lips. “You came back to life … and gave up your powers after Xander was done pleading to Buffy to not hurt you. But … there was … a price to give up your powers …” her glance lowered to the ground - perhaps she could change the subject quickly