46th Slay [Action]

[whattingawhat]

[Buffy is sitting out on the patio of the coffee shop. Instead of her usual mocha, she's got a pot of tea sitting on the table. She's got some fashion magazines with her and she's flipping through them but really, she's watching the incoming crowd of people. She's definitely looking for people from Sunnydale but she'll welcome any distractions in

Comments

action;

[atonalism]

[ -- and this is definitely not sunnydale. or any place he recognizes, for that matter. ]

action;

[atonalism]

It definitely helps.

[ and as if to test the waters to see just how good the decade still is, angel steps up to her and slips his hand into hers. ]

Re: action;

[whattingawhat]

[all the confusion and conflicting feelings ever. Really. She swallows hard at the way his hand feels in hers, cool and comforting and like eight years ago when everything was so much simpler. She doesn't pull away though. It's Angel. More importantly it's her Angel, before Prom and LA and her Mom dying and a forever that didn't happen. She ducks her head a bit, the ghost of a smile curving her lips as she lightly squeezes his hand back.]

Is it weird? Seeing me get older? I mean I always knew it would happen even without the missing almost decade.

action;

[atonalism]

[ angel senses something amiss, like he's out of step with something, but dismisses it as timelines not lining up. she's experienced things he'd yet to live through and he can only guess what those things are. when it comes down to it, the questions he finds himself wanting to ask aside, he's glad to see that she made it. for someone handed a destiny that tends to come with a pretty abysmal future with an under twenty-one life expectancy, she sure beat the odds. he always knew she would.

he shakes his head in answer, smiling as he gently squeezes her hand. ] No. It's different, but not weird. A good different.

Re: action;

[whattingawhat]

[Definitely out of step with something. Probably with a lot but she's not going to deal with that right now. This Angel hasn't been there yet. He hasn't done any of that yet and she's not going to make him accountable for those things now. Besides, it's kind of nice to remember she used to have a life that was a lot simpler.] Okay then. Good different. And you're still...Angel.

[Which doesn't sound like a bad thing the way she says it.]

action;

[atonalism]

Always will be.

[ and from the point in time he hails from, he honestly believes that. he's not yet aware of even the perfect happiness clause in his curse and the possibility of losing the soul the gypsies gave back to him and becoming a soulless monster again. ]

Re: action;

[whattingawhat]

[Her breath catches and she holds it a moment before nodding. She knows otherwise, in some ways, but she's not about to tell him that. It's not as if he'd remember anyway and it'd just ruin the day.]

Which is comforting. Like Mr. Gordo. I can always count on you to be you.

[And Mr. Gordo is at the bottom of the crater formerly known as Sunnydale so she'll take her 'I was sixteen once upon a time' comfort, thank you very much.]

action;

[atonalism]

Always.

[ and as far as this angel's concerned, that's how it'll be. this is where whistler directed him and where he feels, presently, he's supposed to be -- at her side, helping the slayer. only, it's more than that now and for the first time in a good century, angel feels like he has purpose again. a reason to be instead of simply existing, hollow, throughout the years without any sort of direction. ]

So, how 'bout that tour?

Re: action;

[whattingawhat]

[Sometimes she wonders how different things would have been if they'd stayed this way. Of course there wasn't any way to stay this way, not with the curse and the loophole.]

Tour I can do. I know all the best dark alleys and creepy buildings in the City.

action;

[atonalism]

Will we be seeing any action in these alleys?

[ he means of the supernatural, needs-a-beat-down variety, of course. ]

Re: action;

[whattingawhat]

[She's assuming that's what he means but she hasn't forgotten that in Sunnydale they were often the scene of other action.]

Maybe. I patrol every night so it keeps them pretty clear on the first level. The other levels after that are less friendly and less populated by humans so...I don't go there as often. It's more of a really feeling the slay vibe kind of place.

action;

[atonalism]

[ "other action" that's rather fresh on his mind, given the point in time from which he hails. he almost expects their co-patrols to end up that way at some point in the night, having long abandoned his concerns over her attraction to him and the age difference he was so insistent on making a thing when he first realized they were developing into a thing. the technicalities didn't matter to him -- at least, not yet. funny how time had a way of messing everything up. ]

No humans to protect, no reason to be there. They don't ever wander closer than they should?

Re: action;

[whattingawhat]

[It's only fair as it occurred to her and it's not exactly fresh on her mind. If they have the age discussion again, she might punch him. And it would hurt. Yeah. Stupid time. Although everything in their world was kind of in cahoots with time on that front.]

Sometimes they'll wander up to the first level of the Underground and then very rarely up here. There's some warding down there that keeps most of the away from the entrance and this sort of safe path that's been laid out.

[And then furrowed brow.] I wonder if you'd be able to get back on the path if you got off. I think it's got more to do with intent than species.

action;

[atonalism]

Individuals with minds of their own, looking to cause trouble away from the herd?

action;

[whattingawhat]

Something like that and you know me, I've gotta be an individuality crusher.

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[atonalism]

And what about my individuality?

[ after all, he was the poster boy for not following the rest of the vampire herd. ]