Hail to the king, baby!

[xander_lavelle]

After the meeting everyone scattered to perform their various tasks. Me? I just bummed a cigarette off one of the older girls from the shelter and headed out into the garden. I smoked and thought things through, and by the time I was done and had stamped out the butt, I decided that I needed to take stock, and headed up to my room

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[prodigalwatcher]

And just like that, the die had been cast, and we had made what could very well have been our most desperate gamble yet in this war. But, as Buffy had most correctly pointed out, we had not choice any longer but to take chances and risk whatever it took to win. It had been the most difficult argument Buffy and I had ever had, both of us passionately convinced of the rightness of our ideas.

I thanked God for the first time in an age when Buffy had agreed to my alternative.

"I hope it worked."

As did we all. Attempting to replace Faith's soul, my insistence had been, was as much about introducing a destabilising influence on the other side of the chessboard as restoring the necessary Champion back to ours. Should we be successful, we might well have brought the power of prophecy to bear against our enemies once more.

Before we could leave the workroom, though, and see if there were any means by which we might determine our success, Xander appeared in the doorway and invited himself into the workroom. Surely if I had picked up on the young man's agitation during the meeting, then his best friends would no doubt have.

"This... this isn't all about Anya, is it?"

"No, not all, but partly, I'll admit. Let’s just say it was the catalyst. I need to tell you something that you might not like, but you need to hear."

I was about to excuse myself from what I was certain was about to become a personal conversation amongst three old friends when Xander's gaze turned to me.

"Wes, do you know who the Ashai-machi are?"

Frowining, I crossed my arms, searching through my memories for the familiar-sounding name. At last, a few minor bells rang.

"Ashai-machi... an extradimensional society of warriors, who used portals to travel to other, vulnerable realms where they could conquer other races for territory and resources, at least formerly." Scratching at my chin, another thread came to mind. "I recall something about there being a coup of some kind, or a reform, instigated by their leader-- the exact term escapes me."

Narrowing my eyes, I regarded Xander again.

"I didn't know you had interest in other dimensions."

[xander_lavelle]

"Hello to you too."

I glanced at Willow, but turned my attention back to Wesley. I’d already indulged Dawn, I wasn’t about to coddle anyone in this room.

"Ashai-machi... an extradimensional society of warriors, who used portals to travel to other, vulnerable realms where they could conquer other races for territory and resources, at least formerly." Scratching at my chin, another thread came to mind. "I recall something about there being a coup of some kind, or a reform, instigated by their leader-- the exact term escapes me."

“The Krihl. Gorall, to be exact.”

"I didn't know you had interest in other dimensions."

I laughed. “Yes, well, they can be very fascinating. Take Peridia, the Ashai-machi’s home world, for example… an amazing place, buzzing with dozens of different species, all co-existing while there, work together. You see, the Ashai built themselves a great empire and made Peridia the hub of interdimensional business, respectable and all that. But they’re still great warriors, though now they only protect and keep peace for themselves and those they deal with.

“They have dealings in this dimension, too, you know? Quite a few business holdings. One is 'The Fabulous Ladies Night Club” in Oxnard.”

I had been watching Buffy when I said that last and saw recognition in her eyes when I mentioned the club.

“Of course, I didn’t know it when I went to work there to pay for the repairs on my car. Things happened, though, and I found out. I won’t go into the details at the moment because they’re not really important, but the end result of my little adventure is…

“I’m new Krihl of the Ashai-machi.”

[wiccabuffy]

Alright, this was getting way weird. Xander knew about demons? Knew more than Wes about demons? And what was up with Willow all quiet and everything?

“The Krihl. Gorall, to be exact.”

"Uh-huh," I answered, arms crossed as I eyed him. What the hell was going on?

“They have dealings in this dimension, too, you know? Quite a few business holdings. One is 'The Fabulous Ladies Night Club' in Oxnard.”

"Wait," I stopped him, noticing he was paying attention to me. "You mean the place that you...? Uh, during summer break after we graduated and your car...?" I didn't wanna say anymore since, frankly? I wasn't sure he'd told anyone else but me about his strip-club adventures that time. But from the look on his face, stripping wasn't the only thing that had happened there.

Guess there was a reason he'd said "no power on earth" when I'd begged him to spill the beans about what really happened there.

“Of course, I didn’t know it when I went to work there to pay for the repairs on my car. Things happened, though, and I found out. I won’t go into the details at the moment because they’re not really important, but the end result of my little adventure is… I’m new Krihl of the Ashai-machi.”

"Oh. Of course you are." Ok, I tried to follow the whole thing but... "Wait, you're a leader? Of warriors?" I looked over to Wes for confirmation. "Of... demon warriors from a different dimension?"

I sat down.

"I knew you were a demon-magnet, Xand, but this one really takes the cake."

[fakingitsomehow]

((Buffy thread hop to Faith's))