there’s a rushing sound that surrounds us when we walk alone

[thehighestwing]

Phoebe Donovan is squaring off with a monster in one of the more deserted sections of Grant Park. Phoebe Donovan does not want to be fighting a monster. She'd been on her way back to the Conrad since it was getting late, mostly trying not to think of Jo, when a rift opened up and spit out an insanely tall creature only a hundred feet away from her

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[nogettingback]

It's hard for an archangel to miss demon blood on someone and it's harder for an archangel with his wings in to notice that the person with demon blood on his shirt isn't an archangel. It's also really hard for a Barnam to resist a hunting conversation, even if that Barnam is a fail Barnam.

"This is the part where you say, 'you should see the other guy?'" Aaron asks, grinning a little.

LET US PRETEND THE BLOOD IS BLACK :|

[destroytheother]

Josef is in the process of looking for a cigarette pack in his breast pocket when he notices he's being talked to. It is such a good thing Josef's wings are in, too. No, really, the narration is grateful.

After the hell that was these past three days, Josef can do nothing but let out a low chuckle at the question and shake his head. Aside from the split lip, Josef came out of it just fine. For the most part.

"This is the part where I ask, 'have you got a lighter on you?' And if the answer is yes, I will forever be in your debt.'"

Dangerous words for a fail Soltini.

[nogettingback]

Aaron doesn't smoke, but a lot of archangels do and, hell, a lighter can come in handy in a pinch. He digs in his back pocket and tosses the Zippo Josef's way. "Be careful what you get indebted to," he laughs, meaning it as a joke about his own sexuality and the fact that he does, in fact, find Josef very attractive, but without meaning to, he's just suggested something darker. "I'm Aaron."

He's taking to cutting off the last name, especially consider the family could be here any week now. And that'll be bad.

[destroytheother]

"I'm a man of my word, Aaron. Josef," he offers, extending the hand that isn't holding on to the cigarette towards him in greeting.

A cloud of smoke drifts up to the sky after he takes a long drag, and Josef grins abruptly. "And yeah, you really should see the other guy."

If he were alive to be seen, that is. Alas.

[swallowmyblood]

Nikolas Demidov is also back from his trip to New York. All was accomplished that needed to be, though it is likely there will be several more trips to come in the future.

Niko will not mind if Josef joins him on these trips, certainly.

He is in a remarkably pleasant mood (for him), and when he moves over to stand beside his blood-stained nephew, he is smiling.

He's also holding out a cup of coffee.

In the spirit of his pleasant mood, the coffee is not poisoned.

"That's going to be a difficult stain to remove, Josef," he says thoughtfully.

Isn't family fun?

[destroytheother]

Josef nearly drops the cigarette he's just put in his mouth. The past three days have been spent with the man in question, and he'd really fucking like a little peace and quiet right about now.

Neither of which is really in the cards for a Soltini or a Demidov.

Or for a man like Josef who is both.

"I see you've resorted to stating the fucking obvious as conversation opener," Josef all but snarls.

He's in such a good mood, Uncle. Only not.

Good luck, boys.

[swallowmyblood]

Nikolas' day has only grown more pleasant now.

He can certainly understand Josef's need for peace and quiet. It's entirely why he wants to ensure the man receive none.

The fact that their conversation on the train is still close in his mind is a part of this, as well.

He'll be more than pleased to encourage the beast within, so to speak.

The all-but-snarling is precisely what he likes to see, and he pulls the coffee cup back to himself, looking inside of it. "Hmm. A bit testy, nephew." His eyes move back to his nephew. "You would have preferred a hot chocolate, then?"

[destroytheother]

Their conversation on the train is still close in Josef's mind, and that may be why he's a bit touchier than usual. Not that he isn't aggressive or touchy in general.

He lets out a lazy sigh, before he stands, unfurling to his full height before Nikolas. Defiant.

"I'd prefer you get out of my face before I do it for you, in truth."

The three days are over. Josef played his part to perfection.

They're done here, aren't they?

Oh, Josef. There's always blood.

[apennyworth]

Alfred Pennyworth approaches the young man and the older woman being currently pelted with an over-sized purse.

He is not laughing, although he is highly amused.

It is more than obvious that the young man was attempting to be helpful. It is also equally aware that such help has been taken in an entirely incorrect manner.

He clears his throat and smiles kindly at them both. "I am terribly sorry to interrupt," he says, his voice entirely calm. "I have an urgent matter to discuss with this very kind young man." No, he does not know Wes Gannon. He does, however, have a sincere fondness for people who try to help strangers simply because it is the right thing to do.

His smile directed to the slightly older woman is charming in it's entirety. If she would please stop pelting the poor young man, that would be best, Alfred feels.

[tempered_scars]

Wes sighs his aggravation when the woman will not be pacified, hard as he tries to explain he means no harm.

It isn't until the British man intercepts that she calms down, and Wes has never been more grateful for the interruption.

The older woman is wearing a light green cashmere sweater, which she clutches tighter to her person as she looks at them both through large, thick round spectacles.

"Right!" Wes is quick to pipe in, inwardly relieved. "A matter of... grave importance. I ain't stealin' his money, either, for the record."

The woman would retort, if she were not taking notice of Alfred's very charming smile.

Perhaps... too much notice.

She might now be... winking at Alfred as Wes leads them away, slightly terrified.

[apennyworth]

The winking is...disconcerting, to say the least. Alfred gives the woman a final, kind smile and turns his attention to the young man as they walk away.

He is a bit concerned that said young man might have a concussion.

As Alfred has had an older sister, he is well aware that women keep all manner of heavy items in their purses.

"I hope you are all right, Sir," he says kindly. "I apologize for my interference and my...dishonesty."

Alfred does not like being the giver of falsehoods, however well-adept he might be at it. He is a master, the narration will point out.

However fond or not fond he is of lies, however, he could not stand by and watch Wes be assaulted. Certainly not.

"Have you need of any medical assistance? Or, perhaps, simply an Asprin?"

[tempered_scars]

"I'm fine. Sir, do not apologize for savin' my life back there," Wes says with a laugh.

Wes is an angel. That means he immediately recognizes the man for what he is, which is a wanderer.

It's always seemed rude to point it out, especially when they're so out in the open.

His hand hand been scratching the back of his head, since the woman's purse was heavy and he might be sporting a bump now. He drops it to his side and then extends it toward the other man, who is really a lifesaver.

"I won't be turnin' down an asprin if ya find yourself carryin' any, Sir. Wesley Gannon, at yer service."

His hand is colder than the normal human being's, but with the weather lately he doubts it'll be greatly noticed.

[touchme_n_die]

Upon looking closely at the ugly, green monster thing, Rogue thinks it kinda reminds her of her former stepfather.

No, he wasn't green or anything. It's more the personality.

And the smell.

Yeah, it's mostly the smell.

Casually, she strolls over to Phoebe just like the girl isn't in the middle of a fight and looks up at the grumpy looking green turkey. "He's ugly as sin," she says cheerfully. "You reckon we should kick his ass, darlin'?"

Damn thing needs a manicure.

[thehighestwing]

Phoebe would answer, but she's busy plopping to the ground to evade the giant arm that swings violently toward her.

It shoves its way through the tree behind her instead as she manages to evade it just in the nick of time.

She crawls away from the beast in between its legs, elbows scraping the ground in her intent.

And then there was a Rogue!

"A little help would be good, yeah!"

[touchme_n_die]

"I think so," she agrees, then jumps up and punches the thing in it's face. There's enough adrenaline going on that she doesn't really note her finger snapping. The thing's head snaps back; that's what matters, yeah?

Direct approach. Always a good thing, right?

She gets slapped upside the head with a tentacle, but that only serves to irritate her. When a claw reaches out for her, she breaks off one of those truly impressive nails and stabs the thing in the neck.

It's really gushy.

"What the hell is this?"

She flies to the side and gets smacked to the ground. She's surprised to note it actually hurts, but she pays it little mind and gets up to kicks it in the chest. It goes tumbling a ways away from them.

[thehighestwing]

Phoebe is not the skilled fighter Rogue is. She has her angel strength to rely on, and the fact she's a guardian, which means her instinct is to protect.

Other than that, she's mostly flailing during this attack.

She hits it with a thick branch as it smacks Rogue to the ground. It only seems to incense the monster further, and while it tumbles away, it charges right back.

What the hell is this?

"Uh--I'm not sure! All sorts of shiz falls through the Rift," Phoebe explains, and then she lets out a shriek as a tentacle wraps around her foot and yanks her high up into the air.

[shealone_stands]

Usually when Buffy's on patrol, she runs into smallish Riftbeasts. Dogs and squirrels and things like that that got all nasty and hungering for human flesh after falling through the Rift.

Then, she usually doesn't go wandering around in Grant Park. Someone should have told her that the park spits out monsters that look a lot more like the things from home.

You know, the kind of things from home that used to give her screaming nightmares. Those things.

And the thing is moving toward a girl - Buffy's too far away to realize she recognizes that girl, she just starts sprinting toward the pair of them, hoping to place herself between the two before someone gets eaten.

[thehighestwing]

While Buffy is sprinting toward them, there is the odd soul here and there that is fleeing in the opposite direction, piercing screams left in their wake.

So much for solidarity!

Phoebe does recognize Buffy upon her arrival, and she manages to send the other girl a bright smile despite her current predicament. "Oh hey! It's the tiny BAMF!" Her chances of survival have improved by leaps and bounds!

Pushing stubborn bangs out of her face, Phoebe declares, "I've totally got this under control, bee tee dubs!"

The monster chooses to now pick Phoebe up with a scaly hand a la Godzilla.

"... Okay, I totally don't got this under control."

[shealone_stands]

"Phoebe!" Buffy says, startled, as she skids to a stop a short distance from her. And the monster. Which then proceeds to pick Phoebe up, and Buffy winces, freezing for a second like she's trying to decide if sudden movements are going to make the thing tighten its grip, or toss Phoebe across the park, or... something else very bad.

"For the record," she calls softly to Phoebe, "this is the opposite of under control. Just... try not to make it angry, okay?"

Geez, trust this to be the day she didn't bring her sword out of the Gauche. Or have Tay or Willow or Xander or anyone for backup. Yeah, this is just great. She has a stake in hand, having pulled it from her pocket while she ran almost instinctively. That's... not going to do her any good at all.

And she has the gun Tay insists she carry, heavy in the holster at her hip. She groans a little, even as she reaches for it. "Oh, I'm so not good with guns..."

[thehighestwing]

Phoebe nods wordlessly at Buffy's instruction, wondering what it is she can do to not anger the ugly thing. It's been Phoebe's experience she either baffles or annoys people upon meeting them.

"Hokay," she whispers frantically from where she's held. "I'm calm. I'm finding my chi and my center and... whatever it is I'm supposed to find to be zen. I'm the queen of zen right now, you don't even know."

Phoebe takes a deep breath, wrinkling her nose as she looks up at the monster. It seems to have its head cocked to the side as it stares at Buffy. It expels one craggy, drawn out breath; one would think it's a wind storm the way Phoebe's hair is tossed back.

Oh, I'm so not good with guns...

"You can do it, Buffy! I have total faith in you! Aim for the heart! If it has one. I--" The beast wraps a tentacle around Phoebe's ankle and yanks hard. She's held upside down by it, his grabby hands are free now to go for the new arrival.

"WE'RE TOO YOUNG AND PRETTY TO DIE."

Priorities, Phoebe. You'll need new ones after Buffy saves the day.