Journey to a Land without Ambiguity

[suey_generis]

RP locked to Angel and DarlaNormally, it wouldn't have been at all difficult to undo Cyvus Vail's memory spell on Connor's human parents. All the Immortal would have to do is find the wizard and apply methods of persuasion which are, well, persuasive. But Illyria had removed that option pretty handily and, in kiling Vail, activated a failsafe --

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[suey_generis]

Angel actually does a pretty good job of explaining the situation, which the Immortal himself hasn't bothered to do -- generally speaking, as Alan Shore has summed it up, Todd does not believe in exposition. In this case, though, Darla ought to know every important detail. . .

"So you get it?" he asks Darla. "Cow, magic beans? How could I resist? I mean, I sat that ungrateful SOB free, all I needed was a couple trenches and some earthworks and information about how to break into the palace. . ." Which snaps him to attention.

"Palace. That's where we need to go. The artifacts are in the library, which is in one of the old dungeons." He looks down at his clothes, and the stolen horse. "We can't exactly bang on the front door, not looking like this. I get myself in, alone." He knows where the kitchen wenches empty their scraps. He's never met a kitchen wench he couldn't charm.

"Then I can open the gate for you. . . or we could try the home of the royal librarian. He owes me all kinds of favors; he lives outside the palace gates, and he can probably give us some more appropriate clothes, so we can sneak in." He has laid out the options, now it's a matter of reaching a course of action by consensus, which will involve the art of tact and diplomacy and asking the right question. "Darla," he says, "what should we do?"

[tm_darla]

There is a reason why the Immortal charmed Darla through the centuries. He gets a more than affectionate look due to the intelligence displayed by this question. Alluding to the earlier question regarding the beans and cow, she says

"I always suspected you were the original Jack. Caro, I think we should split our forces, just in case we run into another bad surprise. And your librarian might not even be around anymore, either. So it's best if you scout out the castle after letting us in, and we try to find the library. If it's in a former dungeon, that shouldn't be a problem."

Nostalgic, she adds, in Angel's direction

"We always had an affinity for dungeons, didn't we?"

Remembering a tad too late that despite much shared fun in dungeons, there was also the time when Angel and Spike were in one of their own, courtesy of the Immortal.

[not_a_eunuch]

Angel has some amazing memories of dungeons courtesy of Darla, and a not so pleasant one thanks to the Immortal. He is all for a plan that splits them up from Todd because he feels they'll work faster and more effectively that way. Plus he gets to work with Darla and that makes Angel smug.

"We did. I'm sure we'll be able to find it with no problem."

Angel pauses for a moment because he realizes that there is a slight chance something could happen and he won't get a chance to say this again.

"Todd, thanks for doing this for Connor."

There he said it and he figures that Todd is probably as uncomfortable with this awkward moments as Angel is. "So, we split up now right?"

[suey_generis]

Regarding Darla and the Jack story he says, "Actually, there was no original Jack. I mean, a GIANT BEANSTALK? There are mystical quest narratives and then there's ridiculous bullshit. The great thing about Jack, though, is that there didn't really need to be a Jack. There just needs to be a bean salesman who can convince somebody that there was." He smiles. "Hence, capitalism."

Getting to business, he says, "Yes, I'll let you guys in and point you in the right direction. Once you get there, the librarian should help you out. He used to be a warrior type but he's been relegated to the library. Fortunately, he's a quit study." Frowning at Angel, he adds, "Also, he kind of has your haircut."

Then he spurs his horse and rides in the direction of the castle, signalling Angel and Darla to follow.

[tm_darla]

Before they're in sight, they get off the horses, so their arrival won't be seen by every potential guard. As the Immortal goes off to infiltrate, Darla realizes she hasn't been riding for a while. And what the downside of riding is. Especially when one is not wearing trousers but a skirt. (Damn Todd - he could have warned her about that one.) As complaining won't do any good right now, she doesn't say anything, but Angel should note she walks a bit stiffly while they hide behind some bushes to wait for Todd.

If you ask me,

is all she says

the whole being swept away on a horse is overrated.

[not_a_eunuch]

"It's been awhile since you've been riding?" He asks, noting that she doesn't appear to be quite comfortable. They crouch behind the bushes to keep watch and wait for Todd to signal to them.

"I think it would have been uncomfortable to walk."

She gives him a look and he shrugs. Angel is a little surprised that he expects Todd to come through for them. It must be thrall. Stupid thrall.

[tm_darla]

"It also would have taken an eternity,"

she replies.

"Never mind. I do expect some massages when we get back, though."

she adds with a smile, and teases

"So what was this about you and green skinned demons?"

[not_a_eunuch]

Angel grins at her when she mentions massages. "Of course, Darla, anything for you."

The question about the green skinned demons makes him shrug. He still has a clear image of numfar doing the dance of joy.

"Lorne's family and people. It took me a while to understand why he didn't want to return here. They thought I was their champion, but then realized I didn't agree with their treatment of the humans they kept as slaves."

[tm_darla]

"Seems you arrived during the Ancien Regime, and we're now in a replay of the French Revolution,"

Darla says, remembering how they avoided France for a while back in the day, not out of objections to the human Revolution but because it made mortals so paranoid and prone to behead strangers.

"Do you think..."

And as she speaks, she can spot something. At first she assumes it is the Immortal, because there is a door opening, but no, it's something else. Someone, it appears, is getting kicked out of the castle. Someone with green skin and a beard who then stands up and yells: "This is all my misbegotten son's fault! He brought the infection of other worlds here!"

[not_a_eunuch]

"Lorne's mother."

Angel stares at the woman being thrown out of the castle. She's complaining about Lorne and well Angel by default.

"That's his mother. I guess she's still a little upset about our last visit."

[suey_generis]

The gate opens again behind Lorne's mother, and out comes the Immortal, with his arms tied behind his back. A human guard -- looking remarkably like the one that Darla shot, which is understandable as they are (were?) identical twins -- pushes him through the gate and throws him on the ground. "Out, you traitorous, slave-trading, greenskin-loving dog!"

So it turns out to be one of those days. But who knew that the chambermaid he is accustomed to seducing would also be the paramour of the man he just shot. If he had known that, he wouldn't have shown her the gun, claiming it was his 'magical thunderstick.'" And how was he supposed to know there had been a fourth rider along with the party, a boy who witnessed the shooting from a afar, and beat the otherworldly trio back to the castle.

Now, standing outside the gate, the guard lifts Todd's handgun and points it at the captive's head. "Let us see what your magical thunderstick can do!" He cocks the trigger. The Immortal knows the bullet won't kill him but, damn, those things hurt. He kicks the guard, to deflect the shot, not aware that the action will send the bullet toward the area where Angel and Darla are hiding.

[tm_darla]

Angel, being the champion he is and aware that Darla is mortal, throws himself on her when the shot starts to protect her. This means the bullet hits him in the behind. Which isn't serious but extremely painful, and thus the Pylea effect strikes. He changes into complete demon form. As this is done rising and growling, it gives Darla the chance to move out under him and stand up herself.

The entire thing is rapidly turning into a complete disaster - and what kind of game face is that? she wonders, and has a brief flashback to the Master - and obviously, qick and decisive action is called for. Their earlier conversation regarding the Pylean politics and the French Revolution give her the idea. She just hopes her boy and Todd will get into the act at time, because they just might misunderstand her actions, knowing her as they do.

While Angel is busy feeling the shock his transformance and the guard is busy staring at him from a distance, Darla takes the next stick lying there and clocks Angel from behind. Then she shouts to the guard:

"You almost ruined my mission! This hellspawn and his slaver are the leaders of a vast conspiracy to overthrow the people's republic and bring back the green tyrants' rule, and it took me weeks to win their trust."

Kicking Angel contempteously, she adds imperiously:

"Now take them both to the dungeons. Were you actually planning on letting that traiterous slaver go? Do you want to be called a cow again?"

[not_a_eunuch]

Angel should have known that Todd and his gun would get them into trouble. When the shot was fired, he instinctively covered Darla and the bullet lodged into his ass. It made sense considering Todd is a pain in Angel's ass.

At first Angel isn't sure why Darla hit him in the stick. He knows she sees his real demon face, but that wouldn't make her hit him. She lived with the master for years. Then he catches on and like a good boy plays along.

"Humans are the cows. You belong in chains."

He always liked her in chains.

[tm_darla]

"We'll see who ends up getting chained this time, stallion"

, Darla returns with spirit and some fond flashbacks. Once they've secured the artifacts, they really should exploit this dungeon opportunity. When will she ever be near good authentic ones with good chains and both Angel and the Immortal again?

By now, Lorne's mother has spotted them and yells "that's him! that's the bastard who took my son away!" This, together with Darla's and Angel's antics and the fear of doing something wrong, convinces the guard, who decides taking the three of them into the castle and to the dungeons might be the safest option after all. Let his superior decide whether or not to look up the woman as well.

As the doors close behind the three of them and the guard, they can still hear Lorne's mother yelling on how this is all Angel's fault.

[not_a_eunuch]

Angel growls at the name stallion and to the guard it probably sounded feral and enraged. Angel knows that Darla knows what it really means. He is limping slightly thanks to the bullet lodged in his flesh and he isn't sure, but he thinks Todd may be smirking at him as the guard leads them through the castle.

"Human slime." He mutters for added affect and to make Darla hit him again and when she does, he looks at Todd and smirks.

[suey_generis]

"Shut your mouth, mudblood," Todd growls at Angel, and then "Traitorous wench!" toward Darla.

Because why should Angel have all the fun?

Then he turns to her and yells, so it sounds like he's cursing her, but he's actually speaking Italian. "Very cute, cara. Now, besides getting us all tortured, do you have a plan?"