So the evening wasn't wasted. Hallie and I split up at The Bronze. No doubt she enjoyed an evening of good, care-free vengeance. I envied her. At least for the care-free part
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"Well, I never knew him before he was a vampire, but I presume that was his name, since that was what he was going by. He was a rather young vampire when I met him. Must have been only a few years after the change. He was going by William the Bloody then."
Oh, that was a glorious time. Of course, my personal interaction with him was far from ideal, but Paris, 1882, ah, there was nothing like it.
"I was in Paris. I had sensed a great need for vengeance from a little girl whose family had been killed and was now living in an orphanage. I had thought that the pain was related to her mistreatment by the people who ran the orphanage. I even tried to steer her in that direction, but all she could talk about was the monster who had killed her family and made her watch."
Ah, those truly were the days. That was what was so brilliant about William back in those days. He was so brutal. It wasn't just about the kill and the feed, though, obviously, he enjoyed those things, but he enjoyed causing near eternal pain as well. I was supposed to be fulfilling the girl's wish and cursing him, but I just couldn't help but marvel at the artistry, the ingenuity. Lost in my own memories, I forget that I'm supposed to be telling story.
I think back to the story that Spike told me, more than a year ago, about a girl whose family he'd killed. Buffy had come in right at the end so he told me that he'd given the girl to a nice family, but somehow I don't think that was how the story ended. It makes me wonder how many survivors were left behind after the vampires' scourge.
Halfrek drifts off, vengeance vengeance blah blah blah. I stare at her for a while, then open my mouth.
"And the monster was Spike - William." I state to snap her out. William the Bloody. I kind of wonder how he came by that name, and then I kind of think that I don't want to know.
Oh, she's still here. Right. I wasn't just reminiscing for fun. I was telling a story. Well, you'd think she could be a little more polite about it.
"Yes, it was William. Lucky for him, she only wished that he would have to see what he did to her... As though that was some kind of punishment for him! He enjoyed every second of it. And, despite my distaste for allegiances to good and evil, his talent for violence and destruction was... well, inspired."
Hmm, this seems to be affecting Dawn more than it would if it were just curiousity. My eyes narrow. I focus my vengeance demon senses on her, and there's just a glimmer of... what is it? Jealousy? It has just a tinge of being taken advantage of. You have got to be kidding me. Not another Summers sister. A small smirk lights my face. Well, at least I can have a bit of fun with this one.
"Of course after seeing what a glorious job he did with that family, I just had to take him out for a drink. Paris has some equisite demon bars. Well, it used to anyway, I haven't been back in years. William and I had a few drinks. I won't lie, he was quite enthralled with me. Couldn't take his eyes off my face. I don't know if I've ever been ravaged with quite that much intensity or ferociousness by anyone else. Oh! I'm sorry, that's probably inappropriate for me to say around a child. Anyway, it was a short lived, but hotly burning romance. He had to go off with that little vampire gang of his."
This is the part of the story that I have a little more trouble being glib about. After all, he did truly seem enamoured with me, but after only a few days, he just deserted me without a word. Only later did I hear that he had been running rampant across Europe with another male vampire and two females.
While listening, my hand drifts to my mouth and I bite down on the knuckle, watching Halfrek reminesce. Violence and destruction... yeah, we knew that already. But Halfrek seems to be saying that he was more evil than most vampires, with a bigger taste for pain.
I narrow my eyes when she talks about having a romance with Spike. The image of them together makes me shudder, so I close my eyes for a moment and try to clear my head. I don't think she's lying, and I'm not surprised - Drusilla couldn't have been the only woman he's been with in the past hundred-some years. Her words do affect me, but I remind myself that this is all in the past and what happened the other night... that is now.
Besides, it sounds like a one-night-stand to me, and if Spike was as evil as she says, it would make sense. I focus on the important part of her story.
"And the vampire gang, that was Angel and Darla and Drusilla?" I ask, ignoring her words about being a child. If only she knew. "Didn't the four of them used to be famous or something? For being so evil? And why?"
The bell over the door jangles as I walk in. I'm still a little hazy after the spell last night in the cemetery, but Andrew took care of me. Good old brother.
At least he's good for something.
I really hadn't anticipated returning to the Magic Box so soon after my last visit, but I had a few reasons. The Slayer's cronies were still denying me access to the Themagara Codex, and I really needed it for my research...and the second being I wanted to see if I could over-hear any information on the vampire. If any of them had contact with him yet, it might indicate to me whether the spell was a success or not.
...and it was crucial to me to find out.
As I move forward into the store I notice the Slayer's sister and give her a nod.
"Hey Dawn."
...and then after a bried glimpse around, I take note of the demon shopkeeper and...
...well, this is a pleasant surprise. The woman from the cemetery.
"...and you, to what do I owe such a repeat pleasure?"
The man from the graveyard walks in the door just as I'm about to answer Dawn's question.
I'm glad I have an excuse to stop reminiscing about Spike. As much fun as it is to watch Dawn squirm, it's actually quite painful to recall him simply disappearing like that. I knew that he ran around with a gang, and assumed that he had some vampire wench around, but he really seemed enthralled with me. Ah well.
The man's eyes rest on me.
"...and you, to what do I owe such a repeat pleasure?"
I feel a small smile creep onto my face. I'm pleased to see him again. We did have such an interesting chat.
"Well, as I said, I was looking for my dear friend Anyanka, and now I have found her. I'm sure she can help you with whatever you were looking for."
This is true, but it's also another way of seeing how Anyanka is adjusting. Before, I thin kshe wouldn't have liked this young man. He's no black hat, but he does have a twinge of questionable morality to him. That shouldn't be a problem if she's truly returned to form.
Oh, that was a glorious time. Of course, my personal interaction with him was far from ideal, but Paris, 1882, ah, there was nothing like it.
"I was in Paris. I had sensed a great need for vengeance from a little girl whose family had been killed and was now living in an orphanage. I had thought that the pain was related to her mistreatment by the people who ran the orphanage. I even tried to steer her in that direction, but all she could talk about was the monster who had killed her family and made her watch."
Ah, those truly were the days. That was what was so brilliant about William back in those days. He was so brutal. It wasn't just about the kill and the feed, though, obviously, he enjoyed those things, but he enjoyed causing near eternal pain as well. I was supposed to be fulfilling the girl's wish and cursing him, but I just couldn't help but marvel at the artistry, the ingenuity. Lost in my own memories, I forget that I'm supposed to be telling story.
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Halfrek drifts off, vengeance vengeance blah blah blah. I stare at her for a while, then open my mouth.
"And the monster was Spike - William." I state to snap her out. William the Bloody. I kind of wonder how he came by that name, and then I kind of think that I don't want to know.
Reply
Oh, she's still here. Right. I wasn't just reminiscing for fun. I was telling a story. Well, you'd think she could be a little more polite about it.
"Yes, it was William. Lucky for him, she only wished that he would have to see what he did to her... As though that was some kind of punishment for him! He enjoyed every second of it. And, despite my distaste for allegiances to good and evil, his talent for violence and destruction was... well, inspired."
Hmm, this seems to be affecting Dawn more than it would if it were just curiousity. My eyes narrow. I focus my vengeance demon senses on her, and there's just a glimmer of... what is it? Jealousy? It has just a tinge of being taken advantage of. You have got to be kidding me. Not another Summers sister. A small smirk lights my face. Well, at least I can have a bit of fun with this one.
"Of course after seeing what a glorious job he did with that family, I just had to take him out for a drink. Paris has some equisite demon bars. Well, it used to anyway, I haven't been back in years. William and I had a few drinks. I won't lie, he was quite enthralled with me. Couldn't take his eyes off my face. I don't know if I've ever been ravaged with quite that much intensity or ferociousness by anyone else. Oh! I'm sorry, that's probably inappropriate for me to say around a child. Anyway, it was a short lived, but hotly burning romance. He had to go off with that little vampire gang of his."
This is the part of the story that I have a little more trouble being glib about. After all, he did truly seem enamoured with me, but after only a few days, he just deserted me without a word. Only later did I hear that he had been running rampant across Europe with another male vampire and two females.
Reply
I narrow my eyes when she talks about having a romance with Spike. The image of them together makes me shudder, so I close my eyes for a moment and try to clear my head. I don't think she's lying, and I'm not surprised - Drusilla couldn't have been the only woman he's been with in the past hundred-some years. Her words do affect me, but I remind myself that this is all in the past and what happened the other night... that is now.
Besides, it sounds like a one-night-stand to me, and if Spike was as evil as she says, it would make sense. I focus on the important part of her story.
"And the vampire gang, that was Angel and Darla and Drusilla?" I ask, ignoring her words about being a child. If only she knew. "Didn't the four of them used to be famous or something? For being so evil? And why?"
Reply
At least he's good for something.
I really hadn't anticipated returning to the Magic Box so soon after my last visit, but I had a few reasons. The Slayer's cronies were still denying me access to the Themagara Codex, and I really needed it for my research...and the second being I wanted to see if I could over-hear any information on the vampire. If any of them had contact with him yet, it might indicate to me whether the spell was a success or not.
...and it was crucial to me to find out.
As I move forward into the store I notice the Slayer's sister and give her a nod.
"Hey Dawn."
...and then after a bried glimpse around, I take note of the demon shopkeeper and...
...well, this is a pleasant surprise. The woman from the cemetery.
"...and you, to what do I owe such a repeat pleasure?"
Reply
I'm glad I have an excuse to stop reminiscing about Spike. As much fun as it is to watch Dawn squirm, it's actually quite painful to recall him simply disappearing like that. I knew that he ran around with a gang, and assumed that he had some vampire wench around, but he really seemed enthralled with me. Ah well.
The man's eyes rest on me.
"...and you, to what do I owe such a repeat pleasure?"
I feel a small smile creep onto my face. I'm pleased to see him again. We did have such an interesting chat.
"Well, as I said, I was looking for my dear friend Anyanka, and now I have found her. I'm sure she can help you with whatever you were looking for."
This is true, but it's also another way of seeing how Anyanka is adjusting. Before, I thin kshe wouldn't have liked this young man. He's no black hat, but he does have a twinge of questionable morality to him. That shouldn't be a problem if she's truly returned to form.
Reply
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