022: [location: around] break the lock if it don't fit

[likeajoan]

The interesting thing about Slayers (one of many), is that when they don't do what they were built for (which is to say, slay) for a great length of time, they start to get itchy. Not literally itchy, in a 'there are creams you can get for that' way, but more an overall sense of restlessness. An excess of energy. A weird need to go out walking at

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[location: skulking~]

[levilup]

Levi likes to make a habit of walking around Taxon every night. He gets terribly bored in his mansion, and since Cordelia and Dawn do have to sleep, and he's not speaking to Ford, he has nobody to bother. There's always Godric or Spike, but he doesn't want to come off as stalking, hence the strolls around Taxon. He isn't expecting any humans to be around, though, so when he comes across Buffy, he's rather unpleasantly surprised.

He thinks he recognizes her for who she is. And since he'd like some retribution for her earlier trolling at his arrival, he's going to bother her. He's pretty good at it. Just ask Ford.

"Well, what do we have here? A pretty little blonde one, walking the streets by herself?" Levi drawls, from right behind her. "Aren't you afraid of the things that go bump in the night, honey?"

[location: oh hello there]

[likeajoan]

Well, well, well. Buffy's walks are generally only punctuated by the occasional Extra, but this is far more entertaining. Levi's voice rings a bell, and when she turns to face him (on her heel, slowly, with a hand on her hip), she recognizes him instantly, of course.

That hand on her hip, by the by, serves the double purpose of not only conveying attitude, but also of hitching her jacket up enough to reveal the wooden stake thrust through one of her belt loops. She did that on purpose. Also, she's smiling.

"Actually, not so much. Generally I'm the thing the things that go bump in the night are afraid of."

[location: /trolltrolltroll]

[levilup]

Hey, the stake is completely uncalled for. Levi has no intention of harming Buffy, unlike perhaps some of the other vampires in Taxon. He simply desires some form of conversation, troll-y and devious though it may be.

"Is that so? I'm not particularly frightened," Levi replies, giving her a flat look. One might even describe it is a 'bitch plz' look. Just saying.

Also, he lifts an eyebrow at the stake, amused.

"I do try to avoid cliches, but this is too good to resist. Is that a stake in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

[location: right back atcha bb]

[likeajoan]

Well, she didn't bring the stake for him, though admittedly she's glad she has it now, to be on the safe side.

"No reason why you should be. I haven't seen you go bump yet." Buffy answers, casually-- which is something of a dare, a challenge and a threat, all rolled into one. Funnily enough, she's never heard that line before-- so there is some genuine amusement as she replies, taking a step closer. (why she's moving closer is beyond her, but if she had to blame something, it certainly wouldn't be the sprig of mistletoe hanging unobtrusively from a street lamp somewhere above them).

"Oh, I'm ecstatic. Do you lurk here often?"

[location: idk, outside]

[aregulargirl]

Max often roams the city streets alone, on her bike, and tonight is no exception. She's been apartment-hunting and it's been mildly successful - she's seen a few nice places, but nothing that's really jumped out at her. It's possible she misses her apartment from home a bit - even if it was a dilapidated, shabby little place, it was home, and the fully-equipped, brand-spanking new places she's found don't feel quite right to her.

She spots Buffy roaming the streets, only without the aid of a motorcycle, and pulls to a stop nearby.

"Hey, you need a ride anywhere?"

[location: this works- and well played, madam]

[likeajoan]

The arrival of Max, and on such a fine looking vehicle too, nudges Buffy out of her state of distraction, and she stops walking-- or rather diverts her path, over to where Max has parked.

"Hey! Nice bike," she remarks, eyebrows raised in an impressed sort of way. "And thanks, but nah-- I'm just out for a stroll. Kind of an aimless, clear my head type deal. Were you going somewhere in particular?"

[location: thanks! i thought about uhura but i figure uhura's done enough damage.]

[aregulargirl]

"Thanks," Max replies with a grin - compliments about her bike are usually very well recieved. "And not really. I was out looking for apartments earlier, but I think I might head home soon."

[location: ...is there such a thing as enough damage?]

[likeajoan]

"Ooh, apartments." Buffy perks, whilst hugging her elbows against the cold, and shifting slightly from foot to foot. Taxon really has gotten chilly of late. "Did you find anything?"

[ location: Elm Street ;) ]

[likeajoan]

Unfortunately for both of them, Buffy had the uncanny (and somewhat worrying) ability to sense whenever Angel was around-- she'd felt his presence when he came to help her fight at Thanksgiving all those years ago, and she felt it now. It made her stop walking and turn around without quite knowing why she was doing it, until she spotted him further down the road, and that strange feeling made sense.

Unlike him, she had no reason to avoid an encounter (well, other than the usual awkward, but she really wanted them both to get over that), so she called out: "Hey, Angel!"

[ location: Elm Street ;) ] i suspected you would.

[likeajoan]

Buffy almost-but-not-quite-jogs over to him, sparing the bridge above them (because Taxon does indeed have those) a casual glance. It's pretty, with all the decorations.

"Hey," she opens, sweeping her hair out of her eyes. If Angel's looking guilty, she just attributes it to the aforementioned awkward between them, and doesn't think much else of it. "Sorry, I just, well I could tell you were around, and then I saw you and figured I'd say hi, since I haven't seen you properly since... a while, and so... I come bearing hi."

Could that have been any more of a babble-fest? Smooth, Summers.

[Location: who knows? outside somewhere]

[lessritual]

It wasn't as if they could go far, but Spike still enjoyed being able to wander. He was never the type to feel settled, in any place. And decorating the castle with Dawn was fun, but it was the sort of wholesome that he needed to get out of his system afterward, soul or no soul.

He was rather happy to see Buffy out there, also wandering. He vaguely wondered if he'd be butting in on Alone Time here, but- hey, it wasn't as if he hadn't learned the fine art of backing off recently (or, at least, learned of it). So he caught up with her and gave her a small smile. "City's certainly turned festive, hasn't it?" he said, with an eyebrow raise at some of the closest decorations.

[Location: outside somewhere yes indeed]

[likeajoan]

There was perhaps Alone Time afoot, but it wasn't Alone Time that Buffy minded being interrupted-- particularly not by Spike, who she was actually happy to see. Slowing to a stop, she returned that smile, casting a wry glance over at the aforementioned decorations.

"Yeah, it really has. Who knew that deranged mysterious kidnappers were into wanton commercialism just as much as us regular folk? I guess it figures."

[Location: outside somewhere]

[lessritual]

"Only counts as commercialism if there's buyin' and sellin' involved, I expect," he said with a rather happy-looking shrug. "But I've got to admit, I wasn't exactly expecting those little buggers to try and give us something nice

[Location: outside somewhere]

[likeajoan]

"It wasn't so much evading as... discreetly escaping for some fresh air. There's a subtle difference. Very subtle." Of course, she was completely evading, and she knew it, so this was accompanied by a sort of knowingly amused look. She found herself paying more attention to Spike's lips than the decorations she was supposedly commenting on, however, which... was worrying, so she proceeded to elaborate, to try and quash the feeling.

"I, umm-- I was actually just saying to Dawn that I was thinking about hitting the forest, maybe cutting us down a tree, for the entrance hall. And I was even thinking of attempting to make dinner on the day itself-- I mean if I can manage it without poisoning everybody or burning the castle down. Minimal casualties would be nice."

This was all true, but it was also all filler, because she wasn't thinking about Christmas right now-- she was thinking about how much she wanted to kiss him. She was also moving closer, almost without realizing.