CLOSED ♔ i'm leading the army inside

[coldheritage]

♬ The Army Inside - Lacuna Coil

WHO || Spike, Nadia, Burt, Vladislov  [Closed]
WHAT ||Spike acts as Nadia's personal bodyguard as she embarks on touring under her new label
WHERE || Various
WHEN ||From February onwards
HOW || Actionspam

[ Nadia Reichenov has made her stand against her grandfather, Keijen Blade, son of the nightmare god Malaak'a, by breaking away from the deal she's made with them.  Such actions don't come out without their share of dangers, and to that end, Spike has agreed to stay with her as she travels on her world tour, where she plans to warn as many people as possible not to listen to the mind-controlling music that Keijen and his descendants are producing.  While her concerts don't draw in anywhere near the following that Heatless Passion does, there's still considerable call for her music, and it seems like maybe some people are listening.  ]

Comments

[coldheritage]

It goes deeper than I imagine you'd like to think.

[bigbad]

What, you think I couldn't handle it?

[coldheritage]

I don't know where your lines are. Those that fancy themselves hero types tend to have rather strict ones.

[bigbad]

[Spike rolls his eyes.] I'm a vampire, love. Might be a hero, but that doesn't make me all strict moral lines.

[coldheritage]

I've never met a vampire who counted himself among the good guys at all.

[bigbad]

And I've never met a bird so intent on avoiding the question. [Spike raises an eyebrow.] I told you I can handle it. You can trust me on that or not, it's up to you, but don't think you can distract me so easily.

[coldheritage]

It involves your friends. Or one of them. I'm not so certain they'd want me just telling you.

[bigbad]

[Remember how he said he could handle it? That was before it was about his friends. He is way too Hufflepuff for this shit. He looks up at her voice getting low, dangerous.]

What did you do to my friends?

[It's not killed them, at least. They were all fine when she switched sides. Why wouldn't his friends have bloody told him themselves? They had a chance!]

[coldheritage]

I told you you wouldn't want to hear it.

[bigbad]

That only makes me want to hear it more! [He exhales, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.] Bloody hell. It's all right, I won't... I love my friends. I don't like to hear about anything bad happening to them. But that doesn't mean I won't forgive you. I mean it. I can handle it.

[coldheritage]

[ she doesn't respond at first, and for a moment they sit there, still in the dark as spike lights his cigarette. ]

Blade thought that Rafael might know something about what he's looking for, something he'd managed to keep secret, that Jade had mentioned before she died.

He wanted me to find out what it was by rooting through his head.

[bigbad]

[Spike grimaces, exhaling a cloud of smoke.] Let's get one thing straight: Rafael is not my friend. We're acquaintances at best. I don't even like the wanker.

[Which is probably... detracting from something very serious. Spike gestures with his cigarette.]

I mean... not that buggering about with his brain is good either way. [A beat.] Probably worse considering he gives off such a confused duck vibe on his best days. Not sure how much is even there to bugger about with.

[coldheritage]

Either way, he didn't have the information we were looking for. But I didn't know that until I had already done as Blade instructed, which involved getting him in a position where he would willingly lower his mental defenses.

[bigbad]

[Wis check of 10 means he's not really sure what that means. Or maybe he's just too busy thinking of more ways to insult Rafael.] ...what, like at a spaghetti factory?

[coldheritage]

[ she cuts him a cold look ] Not exactly, no. What else keeps a man's mind entirely occupied?

[bigbad]

...oh. [Ohhhhh. Spike sighs, leaning his head in his hand.] You shagged him.

[Why. Every single bloody woman he knows. Why.]

[coldheritage]

He thought I was her.

Jade. He wasn't sure if it was a dream, at the time.

[bigbad]

....oh. [Spike glances over at her with a frown.] That goes a sight beyond cheap moves, doesn't it? Pretending to be a dream of a bloke's ex.

[coldheritage]

It did what it was intended to do. He was so thrown that he couldn't think straight if he tried.

[bigbad]

Well, again, he's not very bright. Doesn't surprise me. [He shrugs, taking a drag on his cigarette before cocking an eyebrow.] So is that all?

[coldheritage]

That's not bad enough for you?

[bigbad]

Oh, it's bad, love. But you might've built it up too much. Doesn't really impress when we're dealing with the likes of Sarandis and Blade.

[coldheritage]

[ she can't disguise the fact that she looks a little relieved, not when spike has darkvision. ] Well, I didn't want to know what they'd ask of me next.

[bigbad]

You made the right call, love. Might've taken a lot to get you there, but you made it. That's what matters, really.

[coldheritage]

I never expected anyone to see it that way.