Los Angeles, Thursday evening
Angel was brooding.
Shocking, we know.
However in a change of pace, he actually picked up a phone and called someone.
It was possible the world was ending.
In other shocking news, Rory was studying when she got the call. She smiled as she checked the caller ID before answering. "Hi!"
"Hey!" Even a brooding guy could cheer up when he heard Rory's voice. Well, cheer up for Angel anyway. "How's it going?"
"Good. Studying for finals. Econ, no matter how hard I try, is just incapable of being interesting. How're things?"
"Good," Angel said. And he was really selling that too, what with the tone of his voice and all. "Great. You?"
"You just asked me. And also you don't really sound good," Rory pointed out slowly.
"Don't I always?"
"You sound all gloomy. More than usual."
Angel shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Not that Rory could see that. "I probably shouldn't have bothered you. You've got... school. Things."
"I always have school, Angel," Rory said, rolling her eyes. "That shouldn't keep you from calling if you need something. I need to take a break anyway. What's up?"
"Even in the summer?" Angel asked. Because now he was distracted and honestly curious.
"I'll probably have an internship this summer, so yeah," she sighed.
"Oh? Who with?"
"There are a couple of newspapers I'm trying to get in on. Anyway. I don't even know enough about it yet. What are you avoiding talking about?" she asked.
"There's this thing," Angel said. Sadly he thought that counted as a full and complete explanation
"Thing?" prompted Rory, who by now was fluent in Angel.
"That I'm pretty sure I'm not going to do," he added. Though he didn't sound sure.
"What kind of thing?" she asked.
Angel fiddled with papers on his desk. "A school thing. Class. I'm not going to do it."
"What is it specifically and why aren't you doing it?" Rory asked patiently.
"Sam and Dean's dad," Rory said promptly.
"He wants me to help him out with a class," Angel said. "Invasions."
"Oh, cool," Rory said, admiring. "That actually sounds fun. Like what kind of invasions? Ooh, the zombies? Snow monsters?"
"Me."
It took her a few seconds. "...oh."
Angel was glad for one person who didn't ask him for a more detailed explanation. "Yeah."
She frowned, thinking about it. "So why would you not do it? You're just going to go talk to them about Angelus, right? I mean, haven't you done that before?"
"He wants me to pretend to be Angelus," Angel said. "Show them evil can wear a friendly face."
Rory went completely quiet.
Angel didn't say anything. He was just glad that someone got it.
After a moment, Rory spoke. "How much pretending, exactly?"
"Students would think it was him," Angel said.
"Would students think it was him because you'd talk like him, or because you'd hunt them down and play with their ability to breathe?"
"Just talk," Angel said. If John had suggested otherwise, Angel would've punched him in the face.
"...then I think maybe you should do it," Rory said quietly. "I mean, if you can. Don't push yourself too hard, but...I mean, I wish someone'd made me sit down and listen."
There was a pause before Angel responded. "I don't want you to think I'm taking this lightly."
"I don't," she said. "Considering how forthcoming you were, and all."
"You would be okay with this?" Angel asked. "Honest?"
"Relatively, yes," she said. "How's Logan feel about it?"
"Thought it could be helpful," Angel said. "Left it up to me."
"That's where I am, too. It sounds helpful. And it's ultimately your decision. Are you going to be comfortable doing it?" Rory asked.
Angel gave it serious consideration, taking both Rory and Logan's opinions into count. "I could be, if you thought it was a good idea."
"I think I'd be okay with it," Rory said, biting her lip as she thought. "If you're just faking. And you'd stop if anyone got too scared, right?"
"I wouldn't let anybody get hurt," Angel promised.
"Then...yes. You have my support," Rory said, nodding even though he couldn't see.
Angel finally relaxed, as though the last piece of the puzzle had fallen into place. "Thanks, Rory."
"Any time. Tell me how it goes?" she requested, thinking she'd probably hear from a few people.
"Absolutely," Angel said. "Thanks. Again."
"No problem," she said, and hoped she'd be able to shove the thought far enough away that she could concentrate on studying again.
[NFI, OOC-AOK]
Shocking, we know.
However in a change of pace, he actually picked up a phone and called someone.
It was possible the world was ending.
In other shocking news, Rory was studying when she got the call. She smiled as she checked the caller ID before answering. "Hi!"
"Hey!" Even a brooding guy could cheer up when he heard Rory's voice. Well, cheer up for Angel anyway. "How's it going?"
"Good. Studying for finals. Econ, no matter how hard I try, is just incapable of being interesting. How're things?"
"Good," Angel said. And he was really selling that too, what with the tone of his voice and all. "Great. You?"
"You just asked me. And also you don't really sound good," Rory pointed out slowly.
"Don't I always?"
"You sound all gloomy. More than usual."
Angel shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Not that Rory could see that. "I probably shouldn't have bothered you. You've got... school. Things."
"I always have school, Angel," Rory said, rolling her eyes. "That shouldn't keep you from calling if you need something. I need to take a break anyway. What's up?"
"Even in the summer?" Angel asked. Because now he was distracted and honestly curious.
"I'll probably have an internship this summer, so yeah," she sighed.
"Oh? Who with?"
"There are a couple of newspapers I'm trying to get in on. Anyway. I don't even know enough about it yet. What are you avoiding talking about?" she asked.
"There's this thing," Angel said. Sadly he thought that counted as a full and complete explanation
"Thing?" prompted Rory, who by now was fluent in Angel.
"That I'm pretty sure I'm not going to do," he added. Though he didn't sound sure.
"What kind of thing?" she asked.
Angel fiddled with papers on his desk. "A school thing. Class. I'm not going to do it."
"What is it specifically and why aren't you doing it?" Rory asked patiently.
"Sam and Dean's dad," Rory said promptly.
"He wants me to help him out with a class," Angel said. "Invasions."
"Oh, cool," Rory said, admiring. "That actually sounds fun. Like what kind of invasions? Ooh, the zombies? Snow monsters?"
"Me."
It took her a few seconds. "...oh."
Angel was glad for one person who didn't ask him for a more detailed explanation. "Yeah."
She frowned, thinking about it. "So why would you not do it? You're just going to go talk to them about Angelus, right? I mean, haven't you done that before?"
"He wants me to pretend to be Angelus," Angel said. "Show them evil can wear a friendly face."
Rory went completely quiet.
Angel didn't say anything. He was just glad that someone got it.
After a moment, Rory spoke. "How much pretending, exactly?"
"Students would think it was him," Angel said.
"Would students think it was him because you'd talk like him, or because you'd hunt them down and play with their ability to breathe?"
"Just talk," Angel said. If John had suggested otherwise, Angel would've punched him in the face.
"...then I think maybe you should do it," Rory said quietly. "I mean, if you can. Don't push yourself too hard, but...I mean, I wish someone'd made me sit down and listen."
There was a pause before Angel responded. "I don't want you to think I'm taking this lightly."
"I don't," she said. "Considering how forthcoming you were, and all."
"You would be okay with this?" Angel asked. "Honest?"
"Relatively, yes," she said. "How's Logan feel about it?"
"Thought it could be helpful," Angel said. "Left it up to me."
"That's where I am, too. It sounds helpful. And it's ultimately your decision. Are you going to be comfortable doing it?" Rory asked.
Angel gave it serious consideration, taking both Rory and Logan's opinions into count. "I could be, if you thought it was a good idea."
"I think I'd be okay with it," Rory said, biting her lip as she thought. "If you're just faking. And you'd stop if anyone got too scared, right?"
"I wouldn't let anybody get hurt," Angel promised.
"Then...yes. You have my support," Rory said, nodding even though he couldn't see.
Angel finally relaxed, as though the last piece of the puzzle had fallen into place. "Thanks, Rory."
"Any time. Tell me how it goes?" she requested, thinking she'd probably hear from a few people.
"Absolutely," Angel said. "Thanks. Again."
"No problem," she said, and hoped she'd be able to shove the thought far enough away that she could concentrate on studying again.
[NFI, OOC-AOK]