Attention
Title: Attention
Author: hawkedup
Summary: This takes place during the events of Angel: After the Fall between issues #9 and #10. It was for a challenge at the Angel IDW board in which I had to focus on Fred-llyria and how they were dealing with the situation. In this story Lorne is trying to convince Illyria to relenquish her lordship over Berverly Hills so Angel can unite the city easier.
Rating: PG
Warnings: Mostly dialogue. No action.
Length: ~ 1,500 words
Disclaimer: Based on characters and situations portrayed in Buffy the Vampire Slayer created by Joss Whedon, Angel created by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt, and Angel: After the Fall created by Joss Whedon and Brian Lynch.
Characters: Illyria. Fred. Angel. Lorne. Groo. (briefly: Cordellia, Connor, Spike, Spider, Richard Wilkins, and Wesley.)
Attention
By: Hawkedup
“Beverly Hills is a pitiful territory that cannot contain my splendor,” Illyria said, not bothering to look at the green, cowardly half-breed and the frail human. “It reeks of the weak, slithering, and spoiled offspring of organisms that should only be bred for rations and served raw, like the Olvikan snakes they resemble, to the lowliest slaves of their betters.”
“Well then, what’s the problem?” Angel asked, annoyed. “If you don’t even like the place, why don’t you just let Lorne and his… harpies-”
“Woe, woe, woe, Angel-cakes,” Lorne interrupted. He forced his voice to sound light and playful. Lorne put his hands on Angel’s shoulders as if to hold him back. “The girls may be a little… playful, and this is Los Angeles, not to mention Hell, but I’m pretty sure they haven’t been dating Tommy Lee on the side. If they have, his agent certainly hasn’t gotten in touch with the people I used to have. Not that I’d know, of course, now that all my connections have either dried up or are trying to kill me. Still, no need for… revelations.”
He lowered his voice.
“Why don’t you let me deal with Blueberry Burkle for a minute? If we don’t necessarily have anything in common, at least we can make like Martha Stewart, former lord of Beverly Hills, and color coordinate our wardrobes-though I’m not sure if red leather is my thing. Plus, I think you should go talk to the Groosalugg. Broad, dark, and big-eyes is having a hard time coping with the news about…” Angel gave him one of those looks “uh…she-who-must-not-be-named.”
Angel’s eyes seemed to lose focus and look straight through his green friend, but then came back into focus when he realized what Lorne had just asked him to do. Suddenly, the sadness in those eyes was replaced with fear and uneasiness.
“Lorne,” he said, half panicked, “I really don’t think I should be the one to-”
“Who else is there, Pinocchio? Wesley? Groo’s just found out he lost his princess, again, and there isn’t anybody else here at Stronghold Angel that knows what he’s going through better than you. So why don’t you be a doll and go be the best big vampy softy I know you can be! Of course, I could get Spike to do it if-”
As Lorne spoke, he put his arm around Angel’s shoulder and slowly lead him away from Illyria, who was standing stock still and staring at the circular sofa in the center of the Hyperion’s lobby. She was probably trying to count molecules or something.
“Fine,” Angel said, a little too quickly. Lorne smiled innocently. He held up a finger that was probably meant to be threatening. “But I’m not letting him hug me again.”
“That’s the stoic leader I know,” Lorne said. “Now leave us ‘middle of the rainbow’ types alone for a while so we can bond and then make fun of all the other colors, will yah?”
Angel looked from him to Illyria, skeptically, but finally nodded and headed out to the street where Goo was no doubt training with Spider and her Playboy bunny assassins.
“So, Illyria,” Lorne said turning to her, “Angel may not be the best when it comes to tact or-”
“-showing his respect for his betters,” Illyria interrupted.
“Well, yes… I mean no. You have to understand Angel as a person. When he asks you-”
“I have no desire to understand Angel as a person. He is a weakling playing at warrior despite his obvious shortcomings. True champions are those who understand there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their own personal advantage. Angel lack’s this ability.”
“Is that a hint of jealousy I hear, Illyria?”
Illyria turned her gaze on him, head cocked to the side. Her deep, crystal blue eyes had a dangerous gleam.
“Hahhah… Maybe not,” Lorne said, laughing nervously. “Still, if you hate Beverly Hills so much, why insist on… uh… keeping it? If we’re going to get through this, Angel’s right, we need to unite the entire city of Los Angeles. You know, there’s this fabulous invention that came about while you were sleeping called a ‘return policy’. It’s where you don’t have to keep what you don’t like. I think Tiffany came up with it.”
As he spoke, he could hear the confidence in his voice rising. And, surprisingly, it wasn’t forced. This whole figurehead for Team Angel thing was doing wonders for him.
“Then why cannot I return this,” she looked down at herself, “worthless vessel and rise to my true glory in a body worthy of my spirit?”
On the other hand, maybe asking Angel to talk to her by himself was a bad idea. “
“Yes, right, but… Well, you know how all your followers loved you back when you were… uh… Well, in the good ole days? That’s what Angel needs now if he’s going to get us out of this cookie crumble mess, and some people are less… forgiving toward their savior when he lets a primordial ancient diva queen continue to reign over them. So we thought-”
“Love is gained as much by evil works as good,” Illyria said.
She turned her gaze back on the sofa.
“Yeah, that all makes sense, but what I’m talking about is-”
“Winifred Burkle sat on this sofa with her parents,” she said.
“Huh? What? Oh… yeah. She also duct taped me to it once. Girl could eat, too. Lots of wacky stories about that one, let me tell you. Not that, you know, you need to hear that. But listen, Blueberry Shortcake, back to the point, I just want you to consider thinking about giving up your lordship over Beverly Hills. Can you do that for me?”
“Would Winifred Burkle give up the lordship?”
“Of course she would! Though I doubt she would have gone with the whole lord thing. My Freddikins wasn’t what you’d call the ambitious or violent type-”
“You did not know her as well as you presume. This shell’s former owner knew many things, including that if an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared. Something your current leader knew once but has forgotten since his fall. Is this the weakling Winifred Burkle you remember?”
Lorne didn’t say anything for a minute. He was having a hard time following Illyria’s logic. But that was nothing new. Recently, it seemed like even Illyria didn’t know how Illyria’s words related to anything. As if she were trying to come to some understanding but the knowledge was so foreign to her that she didn’t know how to describe it articulately.
“If you’re talking about that whole thing with the professor,” Lorne began but stopped himself. He was, against his better judgment, getting angry. “Listen. I get that you didn’t mean to kill my Freddikins, and I know that it must be hard for you to deal with even if you won’t admit it like the big girl demon you pretend to be. We’re all painfully, like Barbara Streisand painful, aware that you have some things going on in your life that aren’t exactly status quo. We all do. And if you want to talk about it…All these people that you claim to despise… We’d all be here for you if you gave us a chance. For better or worse, you’re part of the team. And I know that me saying that, considering recent pledges of running away and hiding that shall remain forgotten and unspoken, is somewhat hilarious. But trust me, this precious few, and band of brothers, is all about the second chances and forgiveness. Why do you think I keep letting them drag me back into the mix? And we’ve dealt with the whole dual personality thing. Schizophrenia is familiar territory. But if you want us to be sympathetic, and to like you, you are going to have to start meeting us halfway. And you can start by giving up your hold on Beverly H-”
He took a deep breath. As he spoke, Illyria turned her head look at him again. At first there was anger in her eyes, but then it was replaced by something resembling sorrow and then… Fred crumpled onto the sofa in a dead faint. Lorne rushed to her side and cradled her in his arms, holding her head up like she was a baby-just as he had Connor once. He pulled a pink kerchief from his pocket and dabbed her face. She was sweating profusely.
“Help!” Lorne called out. “Angel! Groosalugg!? We have a code… Whatever code is the opposite of code blue, that’s what kind of code we have right now! Angel!”
He was looking toward the door when he felt Fred’s skin harden.
“That’s unnecessary,” Illyria said. Lorne turned and saw that he was holding the Old One that had murderer one of his friend in his arms, almost lovingly. Surprisingly, she did not push him away but rather she let his arms linger around her momentarily.
He released her, and she stood up again. She did not look at him.
“You can have Beverly Hills,” she said over her shoulder as she walked away. Just as she disappeared around the corner that led into the basement, and her demon goddess suite, Angel and Groo appeared through the front doors.
“Sorry, Angel-Cakes and Groo Muffin. False alarm.”
They looked at him and then looked at each other.
“It is quite alright, my green, multi colored clothing wearing friend,” Groo said. “You may summon me with all false alarms as you wish. Angel and I were simply speaking of the princess, and I believe that we shall return to our quiet weeping next to the flowers if our combined warrior strengths are not needed here.” Groo put his arm around Angel and led him back into the courtyard. As they went, Lorne could hear Angel saying:
“Weeping? There’s no weeping. No weeping was happening. I was just…”
Lorne smiled, but then looked toward the spot where Illyria had disappeared. He thought about the Fred transformation that had just taken place. He couldn’t help but think that Illyria had done it on purpose. As if… as if she just wanted some attention.
~ A ~
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* Olvikan demon - See: Mayor Richard Wilkins; Ascension
* Blueberry buckle - See: Delicious Deserts
* Tiffany - See: Bad 80s pop music mall tours