it's happening all the time ; when i open my eyes ;; ARRIVAL ;; day 43

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WHO: Buffy Summers ;; open!
WHAT: Arrival
WHERE: Town Square
WHEN: Day 43, noon-ish?
WARNINGS/NOTES: Buffy has returned to Peaksville - at least, that's what everyone else will think. For her, it's a first arrival. She doesn't remember anything.

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[letsbe_clear]

Cordelia still shouldn't really be talking. It was a thing with her. She doesn't like being alone, however, and for a second there, she definitely was. Now, however, that was moving into past tense, considering Buffy was right there in front of her looking very confused.

It was to be expected, but Cordelia didn't really care about how confused or not she was. She was just happy to see someone she knew.

"Buffy!" And with that, a storefront window shattered. She cringed, and then dropped her voice to a whisper. "Sorry."

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Buffy was surprised to see Cordelia. But, more than that? She was surprised that when Cordelia called her name, the sound barrier broke. She had no idea that she was that exciting. Her eyebrows rose, and she stared, dumbfounded for a minute.

"... What're you doing here?"

Rude, maybe. Tactless, probably. But that was the only thing she could honestly thing of to say. "... Tell me you're on a rescue mission," she brought a hand up and rubbed her fingertips over her forehead. "And that you're not just as stuck here as I am."

The last thing she needed was to be trapped in crazytown with Cordelia Chase.

[letsbe_clear]

That? Not the reaction Cordelia was expecting. In fact, Cordelia had half a mind to walk away. Yeah, actually. That was a good plan.

"Nice to see you too. And no, not a rescue party -- I'm stuck just like you, but nice to see where your priorities are," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper to avoid any shattering glass. "Have fun in Creepsville."

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"Cordelia -" she started, standing up and approaching her former classmate. She hadn't reacted the best, no, but she wasn't really expecting to see Cordelia, either. She hadn't seen her since the last trip to L.A. - and that hadn't really gone all that well.

"With you still working for Angel and everything, I figured you might be... I don't know, here for some crazy reason besides being trapped." Well, how... Cordelia of her.

"So is everything the whackadoo in there said, true?"

[letsbe_clear]

Cordelia stopped, and turned to face Buffy again, but it was clear she still wasn't happy. Then again, when she was here Buffy hadn't been all that happy to see her either, so it probably shouldn't have surprised her all that much.

"Pretty much. I violently disagree on the whole 'not being real' thing, but turns out that if someone destroys the tapes? You really do disappear."

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Cordelia hadn't been a regular occurrence in her life for a number of years. The only times she'd run into her had been those trips to LA - none of which had been pleasant for the two, really. Smiling, gritting their teeth, but Buffy had no intention of painting nails and/or braiding hair.

"Well, duh - we know we're real. How else could we both be here and - I'm guessing you do remember high school and the Mayor and everything, right? -- Wait. How do you know that? About the disappearing?"

[letsbe_clear]

"Because I've been here a little over a week. And you've been here before." Cordelia sighed heavily. "You and Dawn. Dawn's gone now too, but apparently you're back! Whoop-dee-freakin'-doo."

She moved to sit down on the bench next to her, running a hand through her hair. "Yeah, I remember all that, and then some. It's been about five years since graduation for me."

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"Wait, I've been here before?" Buffy frowned. "... That's impossible. I'd remember something like this." She didn't get what Cordelia was even talking about. At all, actually. She wasn't making any sense. It shouldn't have surprised her, really.

She looked over at her former classmate, and sighed. "... Not quite as long for me, but close... What year was it back home for you?"

[letsbe_clear]

"Not if the guy running the show makes you forget," Cordelia pointed out as she turned to face her again. "My whole glass breaking thing? He decided to gift me with a sonic scream for the past couple days. It's been a real treat."

"2005," she said with a shrug. "I haven't really seen much of it, but I hear it's nice."

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"It's kinda fitting though, if you think about it." The remark was half dry, half friendly. Cordelia breaking glass with her voice wasn't exactly... surprising to her. Sunnydale High would've been rubble years ago if it'd always been that way.

"Couple of years in the future, then. So... We managed to save the world again."

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"That's a regular hobby for you, isn't it?" Never mind that Cordy had done it herself a few times over ... and also almost ended it. She still couldn't believe how stupid she had been over the whole Jasmine situation, but that was all dust in the wind now.

"Which unspeakable evil was it this time?"

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"It's one of those 'must be Tuesday' situations. It's right up there with shopping and eating pizza. Thing is, we were about to go into battle right before I showed up here. I'm just glad to know you're from the future - which means we won."

Buffy sighed, leaning her head back. "The First Evil, actually. Which comes with an army of really old, really strong, kinda scary vampires, weird eyeless guys called Bringers, and a super pain-in-my-ass Priest who hates women."

[letsbe_clear]

"First Evil." Cordy paused for a minute. "Was this before or after Willow re-ensouled Angel and took Faith back to Sunnydale?"

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"... After," she said, looking down at her hands. She didn't need to be reminded of all of that awkwardness.

[letsbe_clear]

"Oh. So I was probably Coma Girl by then. Great."

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Buffy's eyebrows rose. "... Maybe?" She wrinkled her nose. It was time for a change of subject.

"So, what do you do here? Just -... Try to live your life?"